Piloting a throwback paint scheme to Kyle Busch’s 2011 Oxford 250 triumph, Gabe Brown claimed the Pine Tree State 125 for his fourth win of the season.
Story courtesy of ACT and Racing America
Forty teams converged on Oxford Plains Speedway to balloon the Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour entry list for the Pine Tree State 125 on Saturday. Four heat races qualifiers and two consolation rounds set the field for the 125 lap ‘Night Before the Oxford 250’ headliner. Derek Gluchacki earned the pole position in his return to ACT competition with a ‘+7’ handicap over fellow Bay Stater Ryan Flood with his ‘+5.’
Gluchacki launched to the early lead before contact with Gabe Brown sent both to the rear of the 37-car starting field as a result leaving Flood to inherit the top spot. The Seekonk Speedway standout led the way through three more caution periods before former ACT Rookie of the Year and Thunder Road King of the Road Bobby Therrien took charge on the lap 37 restart. Therrien, behind the wheel of the Reilly Lanphear CFR Chassis machine showed the way until a lap 56 duel with Kaiden Fisher.
Fisher led just lap 56 for the 5 Lap Leader bonus points with Therrien taking it back at the line. Point leader Gabe Brown took charge at lap 61, coming back from the lap 4 contact with Gluchacki and subsequent penalty to lead the race. Piloting a throwback paint scheme to Kyle Busch’s 2011 Oxford 250 triumph, Brown began to put more and more distance between himself and Kaiden Fisher during the long green-flag run.
The final caution at lap 109 saw Fisher follow in the tire tracks of his chief-wrench Brown, cutting the lead down each and every lap until coming to within a car-length with five laps remaining. Fisher pushed up to the rear bumper in the final corner but time ran out with Gabe Brown taking the Pine Tree State 125 for his fourth win of the season with Fisher taking second over Milan, New Hampshire’s Bryan Mason. Saturday’s bronze medal was Mason’s first podium finish on the Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour in 39 starts with the international series since 2004.
East Bridgewater, Massachuesetts hot-shoe Ryan Kuhn kept his nose clean all race long to finish fourth with Erick Sands coming home fifth. Shawn Swallow took sixth over Cole Littlewood with Littlewood earning his career best ACT finish with his first top ten. Aaron Fellows took eighth-place over Jonathan Bouvrette at the line with Ryan Flood holding on to round out the top-ten.
The Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour is back in action next Sunday evening at Thunder Road International Speedbowl for the 48th EastRise Credit Union Labor Day Classic 200! The trip home to the Nation’s Site of Excitement is complete with action from the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, rk Miles Street Stocks, Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors and the New England Pro-4 Modifieds with a 4:00pm twilight start time!
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
Photo by Cote's Motorsports Images
