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OXFORD CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
RESULTS
AND PHOTO GALLERY
July 26, 2008 (complete story)
Spencer storms to Late Model
victory;
Daigle wins first in wild Mini finale
OXFORD, Maine - The reborn paint scheme of motion picture race car
Lightning McQueen caught just about every fan's eye when Dennis
Spencer Jr. rolled onto the track Saturday night at Oxford Plains
Speedway.
As for Spencer, he thought the
prettiest sight of the evening was the one in his rear-view
mirror.
With Travis Stearns and Daren Ripley
dicing it out side-by-side for some 20 laps and holding back Shawn
Martin in the process, Spencer was untouchable on the way to his
first 40-lap Oxford Networks Late Model victory of the season.
It was Spencer's 25th career
checkered flag at the track where he began racing as a high school
student in the early 1990s. Only 33 drivers have achieved that
milestone.
“I could see them going
side-by-side in my mirror, so I stayed on the bottom and took it
easy,” said Spencer.
Twin 30-lap features for the
Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Mini Stock division provided the
bookends for a busy program.
The same top three of Justin Karkos,
Kevin Bishop and Ken Daigle Jr. appeared on the victory podium in
each race. Karkos led the trio in that order for his
division-leading fourth win of the season in the opener.
Daigle delivered his first career
victory in the nightcap, one that met with a mixture of cheers and
boos as he survived a run-in with Bill Childs Sr. and held off
Karkos and Bishop in a late run to the finish.
Mike Short continued his blistering
mid-season pace with a hard-earned Allen’s Strictly Stock win, his
fourth of the season.
Jerry Goss and Steve Brill captured
the 20-lap Chimney Tech Outlaw features. Vanna Brackett shared the
Agren Appliance Saturday Showdown spotlight with a wire-to-wire win
in the Allen’s Ladies division.
Venerable Russ Nutting, whose last
previous OPS win came in 1985, emerged victorious in a 20-lap
exhibition for the Wicked Good Vintage Racing Association.
Spencer's Late Model rivals race for
second
Spencer became the second different driver to win a Late Model
feature for car owners Conrad and Kerrie Childs this season. Kurt
Hewins accomplished the feat less than a month ago.
Ripley, who purchased Dale
Verrill’s racing operation lock, stock and barrel mere hours after
both drivers competed in last Monday’s TD Banknorth 250, dominated
his heat and led the first green-flag segment of the main
event.
The two leaders swapped the advantage
on laps 9 and 10 before Spencer forged ahead to stay on lap
11.
Back-to-back restarts on the 13th and
14th circuits brought Spencer back into the clutch of the hungry
pack, but he soon set sail while Ripley (inside) and Stearns
(outside) dueled over the second spot for the duration.
“It makes it a little easier when
you start near the front,” said Spencer, who took the green flag
behind pole-sitter Ripley in the third spot. “I was hoping nobody
broke open to catch me, because then I would’ve had to run
hard.”
Martin played the waiting game to
perfection until Stearns finally fought off Ripley with about five
laps remaining.
The 2004 champion then wasted no time
taking away third from Ripley and seizing second from Stearns in the
Bombardier/Oxford Networks #94.
“This car is awesome. I’ve
got to hand it to my crew,” Martin said. “We’ve just hit on
something. We had an awesome run in the 250 and had an awesome run
tonight.
"I’m happy to be up here with
Travis and Dennis, who are good friends of mine," Martin
continued. "Man, I wish we had another 10 laps. It was just
getting faster as it went on. We were a little slow on the short run
but really fast on the long run.”
Five days after a third-place finish
in the last chance race kept him out of the TD Banknorth 250 in his
second try, Stearns rebounded with one of his best runs in the
headline division.
“We’ve been wrecked about every
other week. I wasn’t even going to race tonight,” Stearns said
of his second trophy run of the season in the Pride Concrete Floors/C.L.H.
& Son #85.
“It was pretty good. We were just
too tight and couldn’t do anything with (Spencer). The #70
(Ripley) ran me real clean. I’m pretty happy with that.”
Spencer ran in the top 10 throughout
the TD Banknorth 250, backing up last year’s fifth-place run in
the Cole-Man’s Concrete #8 with a ninth in the #95.
Several crew members were enjoying a
well-earned night away from competition and were forced to hear
about their driver’s return to victory lane second-hand.
“My father couldn’t be here and
Kenny Wills couldn’t be here,” Spencer said. “We’re working
without a crew chief and a spotter, but we managed to pull it
together. It‘s a lot of work in the pits.”
Ripley held on for his best OPS
finish, fourth in the Pave-Tek #70, trailed by Hewins.
Previous series point leader Ricky
Rolfe, winner of five of his last six weekly starts in the top
division, sat out the race. He is on a cross-country road trip with
his family.
Travis Adams reclaimed the division
lead with an eighth-place finish. Martin is now second, a slim 24
points back.
Same top three, two dramatically
different Mini results
Karkos continued his hot streak.
After a roller-coaster month of June, the Polymer Repair
Technologies #51 has finished first or second in his last four
starts.
He kicked off the night with his
division-leading fourth win of the season, breaking a tie with Don
Mooney for the top spot in the Winner‘s Circle Challenge.
"I had a little bit of luck
starting up front, since I didn't race at the start of the season. I
think it would have been a lot different if I‘d had to come from
the back," said Karkos, whose points handicap was lowered by a
myriad of mechanical problems in those early starts. “At least
I’m getting noticed.=2 0I hear some people booing me.”
Bishop charged to his best finish of
the season in the Cole‘s Custom Auto #08, with Daigle notching the
first trophy of his rookie campaign in third.
“Can anybody tell I’m hungry
tonight?” said Bishop, referring to his late pass of Daigle for
the runner-up spot with four laps to go.
Winless in Championship Series
competition since his first stint as a Mini and Strictly driver in
1991-92, Bishop closed Karkos’ gap to just over two seconds but
could only get a distant glance at his rear bumper as the checkers
appeared.
It inspired him to throw out another
rhetorical question.
“Where was my yellow when I needed
it?” Bishop asked. “We’re going to keep going as far as we can
go.”
Butch Keene and Darrell Moore
completed the top five.
As for the yellow Bishop requested,
it came with nine laps remaining in the encore. The details simply
didn’t go his way.
Daigle lost the lead to Bill Childs
Sr. on a lap 20 restart. As the leaders raced out of turn four to
complete the 22nd circuit, Daigle's front bumper brushed Childs from
behind.
Childs spun and collected a passing
Bill Thibeault, heavily damaging both rides and sending Childs’
#10 back to the garage on the business end of a flatbed.
"I feel bad about that,"
Daigle said. "He's been good to me all year long, and I
definitely got into him and spun him. I didn't mean to do it. I'll
take the win, but I'm sorry that happened."
Because most of the field hadn't
completed lap 22 when the caution flew, the scoring reverted back to
lap 21.
Daigle, who wasn't penalized for his
role in the incident, crossed the line second on that circuit and
thus was scored as the leader.
“I thought he was involved, and
that would mean he‘d go to the rear,” Bishop said of Daigle’s
role in the incident. “But that’s race control’s decision, and
I’ll stand by that if they’re willing to stand by it.”
Bishop had the first shot at Daigle
on the restart.
Karkos closed to the leader’s back
bumper over the final five laps, but the newcomer held on.
"He did a great job,"
Karkos said. "I know what a big deal that first win
is."
Twice this season, Daigle surrendered
the lead to Childs during the final 10 laps of a Mini main event.
His victory is the first for car owner Wayne Parkin’s team since
Parkin himself steered the Le Nationale/Little Joe’s #25 to the
top spot on July 3, 2003.
Moore finished fourth in front of
Ashley Marshall as those two drivers continue to battle for the
series point lead. Marshall now leads by four points, with Bishop
third and within striking distance at 39 points off Marshall’s
pace.
Another second-groove clinic by
Short
Short now leads all Allen's Strictly
Stock drivers with four victories.
It took him five laps on the outside
of Matt Williams to gain second and another five to dispatch David
Tripp, finally picking up the point in the All-Purpose Builders #56
on lap 21.
"That's harder than I had to
work all of last weekend," said Short. “I have to thank Dave
and Mr. Williams for some good, clean racing.”
Tripp and the A.J. Levesque
Excavation #20 topped Williams in the tussle for second, backed by
B.J. Chapman and Larry Emerson.
“It’s going pretty good,” said
Tripp, who backed up his win earlier in the month with the runner-up
trophy. “Those guys have been back there turning wrenches on it
all day.”
The same could be said for
Williams’ crew, who have wrestled with the R.W. Plumbing #63 all
season, helping their veteran driver to second in the series point
standings.
“Last weekend was a long weekend. I
was glad it was over,” Williams said. “This is a shocker to me
after the heat. It was just junk.”
Skip Tripp maintained the division
point lead, coupling his qualifying race win with a seventh-place
feature finish.
Short has won three of his last six
starts since July 5.
No looking back for Agren Showdown
winners
Steve Brill and Jerry Goss ruled two
caution-free Chimney Tech Outlaw 20-lappers.
Brill hoped to hand over his ride to
son Jon for the night. When told that Jon was ineligible because he
is a former Strictly Stock champion, Brill roared to the lead on lap
2 and stormed to the victory himself in the Dyer‘s Septic
Service/Brill Lumber #53.
"I thought it would20be a good
idea to get up front and get the hell out of there," Brill
said.
Scott Ellis and Dennis Morang wound
up at the front of a tight pack behind Brill, second and third,
respectively, for their best finishes of the season. David Smith and
Gerry Richard were next.
Goss took over from John Patria on
lap 5 and extended his lead while Rick Spaulding and David Childs
worked the outside of early runner-up Guy Childs Sr.
Spaulding crept within two car
lengths but couldn't make the winning move.
"It was a good night to get out
there and lead as early as I could," said Goss, who posted his
second triumph of the season in the Dad‘s Place #99.
Guy Childs held off nephew David for
third at the stripe.
“This car is bent so bad,” Guy
Childs said. “I’ve got a new car, and we’ve had all kinds of
starter problems with it. I guess we had better luck last year.”
Patria picked up fifth, continuing
his turnaround from a rough first half to the season.
Reigning Allen's Ladies champion
Brackett ran and hid from her pole starting position and cruised to
her third victory of the season.
"We never work on the car,"
claimed Brackett, who was chased to the line by another former
champion, Lisa Vining.
“I knew I didn’t have anything
for her,” admitted Vining, seeking her first win since her 2004
championship season.
Dottie Patria, currently the point
leader on both Wednesday night and in the Agren Saturday Showdown,
couldn't make up the lost early ground without a caution and settled
for third.
Lisa Brooks and Kimberly Sessions
followed.
OPS returns to action at 6:30 p.m.
Wednesday with the Acceleration Series. The New England Dodge
Dealers Summer Celebration, featuring five divisions of racing and a
gigantic fireworks display, is Saturday night at 6:30 p.m.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (3) #95 Dennis Spencer Jr., Oxford, 40
2. (13) #94 Shawn Martin, Turner, 40
3. (5) #85 Travis Stearns, Auburn, 40
4. (1) #70 Daren
Ripley, Appleton, 40
5. (11) #96 Kurt Hewins, Leeds, 40
6. (16) #60 Tim Brackett, Buckfield, 40
7. (7) #10 Jimmy Childs, Leeds, 40
8. (15) #03E Travis Adams, Canton, 40
9. (8) #15 Ben Ashline, Pittston, 40
10. (17) #73 Joey Doiron, Berwick, 40
11. (14) #1 Billy Childs Jr., Leeds, 40
12. (6) #26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston, 40
13. (10) #63 Don Wentworth, Otisfield, 40
14. (12) #25 Shawn
Knight, South Paris, 40
15. (4) #08 Gerald Parlin, South Paris, 40
16. (20) #9 Cecil
Bryant, Wilton, 40
17. (9) #6 Tommy Ricker, Poland, 40
18. (19) #84 Matt Sanborn, West Baldwin, 40
19. (18) #44 Neil Martin, Freeport, 40
20. (2) #59 Tyson Jordan, Poland, 37
Lap leaders: Ripley 1-8, Spencer 9, Ripley 10, Spencer 11-40.
Cautions: 2 (laps 13, 14)
Time of race: 18 minutes, 25.186 seconds
Margin of victory: 1.421 seconds
Fast lap: Dennis Spencer Jr., 16.436 seconds
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY
STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (11) #56 Mike Short, Auburn, 30
2. (2) #20 David Tripp, Oxford, 30
3. (6) #63 Matt Williams, Brownfield, 30
4. (4) #81 B.J. Chapman, Bridgton, 30
5. (10) #24 Larry Emerson, Durham, 30
6. (8) #57 Glen Henderson, Sabattus, 30
7. (9) #12 Skip Tripp, Poland, 30
8. (14) #13 Chris Burgess, Lewiston, 30
9. (7) #23 Zach Emerson, Sabattus, 30
10. (12) #0 Sumner Sessions, Norway, 30
11. (3) #4 Michael Roe, West Paris, 30
12. (13) #42 Kim Tripp, Oxford, 24
13. (15) #1 Dean Coolidge, Oxford, 18
14. (1) #27 Shane Green, South Paris, 13
15. (5) #07 Rick Thompson, Naples, 8
Lap leaders: Green 1-2, D. Tripp 3-20, Short 21-30.
Cautions: 1 (lap 8)
Time of race: 14 minutes, 19.725 seconds
Margin of victory: 1.661 seconds
Fast lap: Mike Short, 18.498 seconds
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY MINI STOCK #1 (30 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (5) #51 Justin Karkos, Jay, 30
2. (11) #08 Kevin Bishop, South Paris, 30
3. (3) #25 Ken Daigle Jr., Lisbon, 30
4. (1) #2 Butch Keene. Turne, 30
5. (13) #12 Darrell Moore, Mechanic Falls, 30
6. (15) #10 Bill Childs Sr., Leeds, 30
7. (14) #77 Ashley Marshall, Jay, 30
8. (9) #19 Shane Kaherl, Jay, 30
9. (12) #8 Bill Thibeault, Oxford, 30
10. (6) #7 Randy Kimball, Mechanic Falls, 30
11. (10) #9 Bob Guptill, Mechanic Falls, 30
12. (18) #55 Steve Barker, Jay, 30
13. (16) #40 Curtis
Fanjoy, Oxford, 28
14. (2) #28 Craig Moore, Woodstock, 25
15. (19) #22 Chuck Higgins, Lewiston, 20
16. (8) #29 Greg Watkins, Bridgton, 18
17. (17) #48 Wayne Titus, Minot, 9
18. (4) #65 Dave Mooney, Wale, 3
19. (20) #91 Brad Dwinal, Freeport, 2
20. (7) #14 Matt Moore,
Mechanic Falls, 0
DNS #35 Brian Brackett, Oxford
DNS #16 Don Frechette, Turner
DNS #21 Rick Giguere, Auburn
Lap leaders: Keene 1-2, Karkos 3-30.
Cautions: None
Time of race: 9 minutes, 14.292 seconds
Margin of victory: 2.473 seconds
Fast lap: Shane Kaherl, 18.248 seconds
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY
MINI STOCK #2 (30 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (3) #25 Ken Daigle Jr., Lisbon, 30
2. (13) #51 Justin
Karkos, Jay, 30
3. (10) #08 Kevin Bishop, South Paris, 30
4. (11) #12 Darrell Moore,
Mechanic Falls, 30
5. (12) #77 Ashley Marshall, Jay, 30
6. (16) #55 Steve Barker, Jay, 30
7. (14) #9 Bob Guptill, Mechanic Falls, 30
8. (5) #7 Randy Kimball, Mechanic Falls, 30
9. (20) #2 Butch Keene, Turner, 30
10. (6) #29 Greg Watkins, Bridgton, 30
11. (2) #28 Craig Moore, Woodstock, 29
12. (1) #40 Curtis Fanjoy, Oxford, 29
13. (21) #48 Wayne Titus, Minot, 29
14. (8) #10 Bill Childs Sr., Leeds, 21
15. (9) #8 Bill Thibeault, Oxford, 21
16. (4) #14 Matt Moore,
Mechanic Falls, 21
17. (15) #73 Adam Polvinen, Oxford, 21
18. (7) #19 Shane Kaherl, Jay, 20
19. (18) #07 Al Roberti, South Paris, 19
20. (17) #65 Dave Mooney, Wales, 7
21. (19) #91 Brad
Dwinal, Freeport, 1
DNS #22 Chuck Higgins, Lewiston
Lap leaders: Daigle 1-20, Childs Sr. 21, Daigle 22-30.
Cautions: 2 (laps 4, 21)
Time of race: 34 minutes, 30.189 seconds
Margin of victory: 0.208 seconds
Fast lap: Steve Barker, 18.393 seconds
CHIMNEY TECH OUTLAW #1 (20 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (4) #53 Steve Brill, Bridgton, 20
2. (6) #10 Scott Ellis, Lewiston, 20
3. (5) #112 Dennis Morang,
South Paris, 20
4. (10) #65 David Smith, Norway, 20
5. (9) #57 Gerry Richard, Leeds, 20
6. (11) #89 Stan Morgan, Auburn, 20
7. (13) #71 Wayne Estes, Sumner, 20
8. (7) #52 Kevin Leighton, Minot, 20
9. (1) #124 Randy Nutter, Auburn, 20
10. (3) #30 Scott Veinott, Sabattus, 20
11. (8) #51 Zach Robitaille, Norway, 20
12. (12) #44 Arthur Chartier, Mexico, 19
13. (14) #73 Walter
Connell III, South Paris, 19
14. (2) #116 Robert Lowe, Auburn, 5
DNS #33 Guy Childs Jr., Auburn
Lap leaders: Nutter 1, Brill 2-20.
Cautions: None
Time of race: 6 minutes, 40 seconds
CHIMNEY TECH OUTLAW #2 (20 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (3) #99 Jerry Goss, Mechanic Falls, 20
2. (6) #36 Rick Spaulding, Lewiston, 20
3. (2) #00 Guy
Childs Sr., Turner, 20
4. (9) #5 David Childs, Oxford, 20
5. (1) #34 John Patria, Turner, 20
6. (5) #90 Keith Landry, Oxford, 20
7. (7) #19 Steve Moon, Gray, 20
8. (12) #83 Dan Brown, Peru, 20
9. (10) #18 Thom Bell, Minot, 20
10. (13) #38 Addison Bowie, Auburn, 20
11. (4) #12 Nik Coates, Lisbon, 30
12. (8) #04 Zach Bowie, Mechanic Falls, 30
13. (14) #3 Tom Averill, Peru, 30
14. (11) #97 Shannon
Judd, Jay, 30
Lap leaders: Patria 1-4, Goss 5-20.
Cautions: None
Time of race: 6 minutes, 41 seconds.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY
LADIES (20 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (1) #23 Vanna Brackett, Buckfield, 20
2. (2) #139 Lisa Vining, Turner, 20
3. (7) #34 Dottie Patria, Turner, 20
4. (4) #30 Lisa Brooks, Auburn, 20
5. (6) #2 Kimberly Sessions, Auburn, 20
6. (8) #3 Deanna Robertson, South Paris, 20
7. (5) #92 Debbie Marston, Hartford, 20
8. (10) #89 Pam Morgan, Minot, 20
9. (3) #29 Shannon Wheeler, Auburn, 19
10. (9) #44 Annie Chartier, Mexico, 18
Lap leaders: Brackett 1-20.
Cautions: None
Time of race: 6 minutes, 47 seconds
WICKED GOOD VINTAGE RACING
ASSOCIATION (20 laps)
1. Russ Nutting
2. John Rice
3. Haggie Pratt
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Oxford Networks
Late Model
Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy
Strictly and Mini Stock
Photos by
Trudy Marshall
Click on photo
to enlarge
(207) 645-4571
Photos from
all OPS divisions!
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