WISCASSET – The Big Dawg will have to wait 24 hours to have its day.

Rain moved over Wiscasset Raceway just as driver introductions were about to begin for the DNK Select Big Dawg Challenge on Sunday, forcing the race to be moved to Monday.

Drivers had moved their cars onto the frontstretch, where they sat covered until the announcement was made.

The green flag is scheduled to drop on the 400-lap feature today at 12:30 p.m. Gates will open at 9 a.m., with practice starting at 10:30 a.m.

Before the rains, seven more cars qualified for the Challenge by virtue of their finish in a 50-lap last-chance race.

A red flag stopped the competition before the field had completed a lap. Doug White lost control of the No. 45 car as the green flag dropped. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo left a trail of rubber as it went straight into the turn one tire barrier and flipped onto its roof. The Gardiner driver walked away from the accident.

On the same lap, Bub Bilodeau went off the track in turn four and over the banking.

When action resumed, Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Pelham, N.H., led all the way for the win. He was trailed most of the time by Bill Penfold of Yarmouth. John Flemming and Daren Ripley also did their duty pushing the leader.

“I’m excited that we made it in,” said Helliwell. “We really needed these 50 laps, since we missed a lot of practice. We are still working on our set-up.”

The action in the race was in the pack behind as spots three through seven ended up in the hands of cars that started farther back in the field.

Dan McKeage of Gorham started 12th and finished third. The No. 91 of Patrick Laperle of St. Denis, Quebec, started in the last row yet claimed sixth place.

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