Franklin Dorray came to Wiscasset Speedway decades ago with a racing crew from Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough. None of them, including Dorray, had been to the West Alna Road, Wiscasset track. They liked it and decided they would come back. Now Dorray, son of past Beech Ridge safety director Roland Meeker, comes as a fan.

The Bath man was in line and wearing a face mask Saturday, under a blue sky with clouds, as he waited to get in for opening day. At his feet was a cooler bedecked with racing stickers. What did he bring? “Diet Coke.”

In front of Dorray in line were Wiscasset’s John MacKenzie and granddaughter Peyton Johnson, almost 4. Was this her first visit to the speedway? “Oh, no,” MacKenzie said, smiling. “She’s practically been raised here.”

Interviewed separately, Dorray, MacKenzie and, in front of him, fellow Wiscasset resident John Schmiz Jr., each used the same word to describe how they felt about opening day: Excited. That was also Vanessa Jordan’s word for it. She and husband Richard own the track. She said under state COVID-19 guidelines for outdoor venues, the business could have a 75% capacity crowd and later this spring 100%.