UNITY -- There's interest. And then there's honest-to-goodness real interest, which Unity Raceway owner Ralph Nason is finding out.

Nason said Wednesday that there is no new news regarding the 60-year-old stock car racing track on Route 139. The Nason family has chosen to cease operations there in 2008 while offering someone else the chance to lease and run the facility.

It's been nine days since the announcement, and so far no one has made a lease offer to Nason.

"There's nothing new," Nason said. "I've gotten some more phone calls, but there's been no offers or anything like that yet."

Bobby MacArthur, who leases All-Star Speedway in Epping, N.H., said last week that he and Steve Perry of Gorham were stepping forward to resurrect Unity Raceway. Perry owns the local cable television program "Mainely Motorsports" and is part of a group running Richmond Karting Speedway.

Perry laughed off a suggestion that he and MacArthur were getting involved with Unity.

"Not that I know of," Perry said. "We have had no discussions about Unity Raceway whatsoever. There is absolutely no truth to the rumor."

For now, Nason said, he's in a holding pattern. The track was originally scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend.

"We're just playing the waiting game, I guess," Nason said.

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Beech Ridge Motor Speedway plans to run this weekend's PASS North Series season opener as scheduled. The Cabin Fever 150 is slated to begin with heat races at 3 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

An official at the track said on Wednesday that the track itself is dry, the parking lots are in good shape and the sprawling pit area is mostly dried out. Weather forecasts for this week are for warm and sunny days with no rain in sight.

Everything is a go, including open practice sessions today and Friday. In addition to the 150, the PASS Modified and Sportsman divisions are also included in Saturday's race lineup.

"I met with (track owners Ralph and Andy Cusack) at Beech Ridge (on Tuesday) and we took a good look at the entire facility," PASS president Tom Mayberry said. "Eighty percent of the pits and parking lots are ready to go.

"There may be snow in your yard and mud in your driveway, but we're ready to go racing."

Joey Porciello of Lee, N.H., is the defending champion of the Cabin Fever 150, though he is not on the pre-race entry list.

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Two other touring series also get their seasons started this weekend.

The NASCAR Camping World East Series will run the American Revolution 150 at Greenville-Pickens (S.C.) Speedway. Andy Santerre Motorsports will field cars for Austin Dillon, the grandson of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series owner Richard Childress, and Peyton Sellers.

The American-Canadian Tour joins the True Value Modified Series for the Governor's Cup at Lee (N.H.) USA Speedway on Sunday afternoon.

Travis Barrett -- 621-5648

tbarrett@centralmaine.com