Three drivers register first-ever feature victories in OPS JARRacing Karts

Four, in all, post first win in their current division

OXFORD, Maine – Oxford Plains Speedway's JARRacing Photography Go Kart
Series is a little bit like a television reality series. Turnover is a
constant, but there's never a shortage of candidates eager to fill the
role in the following season.
Friday night aptly demonstrated that ever developing feeder system in
the youth-dominated series. Three drivers captured their first 20-lap
feature victory on the OPS mini-oval, and a fourth won his initial
start since advancing to a new division.
Zachary Rich (Purple Plate), Brady Smith (Gold Plate) and Robbie
Wentworth (Unrestricted) logged the breakthrough victories. Spencer
Thompson made it a triumphant jump to Blue Plate with his win.
Among the "veterans," Ethan Matot scored a Box Stock win for only the
second time in his young career, while two-time Star Champ king Mike
Ricker ended his one-year hiatus in victorious fashion.
Rich, who led multiple features last season but was unable to close
the deal, caught a break when runner-up and defending champion Evan
Armington lost power on lap 9.
Armington went two laps down while his crew re-fired the kart, so
although he passed Rich after a late restart, it wasn't enough to take
away the win.
Brandon Varney held off Dylan Haskell for what would be his second
runner-up trophy of the night, followed by Armington in fourth.
Smith has been an occasional competitor at Oxford in the past, but
Friday was far-and-away his finest hour to date. After grabbing the
lead from Josh Brown on lap 6, Smith gradually pulled away from
reigning champion Spencer Morse and won with ease.
Morse charged from seventh starting position to second and held off a
furious challenge from OPS newcomer Dave Blackwell to hold that spot.
Kyle Metivier crossed the line immediately in their tire tracks, with
Brown completing the top five.
Wentworth is another driver with dozens of laps led and even feature
wins to his credit. This time, he swept both the prelim and main event
with authority, leading all 30 laps of competition on the chilly
evening.
Metivier and Tyler Braunschweig diced it out for second in a wild
battle that ended with the two karts literally hooked together coming
out of the final corner. That detour allowed Kayla Ashline to sneak
past into second in her inaugural Unrestricted start. Braunschweig
went over the top to snag third, trailed by Metivier and Aaron
Collomy.
Thompson was the fourth different driver to lead the Blue Plate
feature, and he took advantage of a rare tough night for Troy Davis to
end the defending champion's amazing undefeated streak in the
division. Davis didn't lose a heat or a feature in 13 weeks of
competition last year.
Davis led the first 13 laps but encountered difficulty while trying to
put Avery Spear a lap down. That brought Cody Chiasson into the fray.
Davis spun on the backstretch on the 14th circuit, with Chiasson
assigned to the rear of the field for his role in the incident.
In two separate incidents on lap 17, new leader Jacob Hendsbee spun
and Davis drove hard into a tire wall on the backstretch. Davis was
able to continue and bolted again from the back to second, but not in
time to overtake Thompson.
Spear made a determined drive to third after getting a reprieve with
the first Davis caution. Chiasson and Hendsbee rounded out the front
five in a frantic run.
Matot landed the Box Stock lead from Varney after a lap 10 restart and
denied numerous challenges from the 2006 champion to claim the
checkers. 8-year-old Cameron Gaghan was a strong third in his OPS
debut.
Ricker and defending champ Stephen Beattie swapped the lead three
times in a Star Champ match race before Ricker made the final stand.
The JARRacing Photography Go Kart Series resumes next Friday, May 9 at
6:30 p.m. OPS action continues Saturday with Sunoco Race Fuels Night.
Five divisions see action on the historic 3/8-mile oval beginning at
6:30 p.m.

UNRESTRICTED (20 laps): 1. Robbie Wentworth, Conway, N.H.; 2. Kayla
Ashline, Pittston; 3. Tyler Braunschweig, West Newfield; 4. Kyle
Metivier, Lisbon; 5. Aaron Collomy, Saco; 6. Evan Varney, Oxford.

STAR CHAMP (20 laps): 1. Mike Ricker, Sebago; 2. Stephen Beattie, Conway, N.H.

GOLD PLATE (20 laps): 1. Brady Smith, Porter; 2. Spencer Morse,
Waterford; 3. Dave Blackwell, Brunswick; 4. Kyle Metivier, Lisbon; 5.
Josh Brown, South Paris; 6. Katrina Bright, Wilton; 7. Neil Bernier,
Minot.

BLUE PLATE (20 laps): 1. Spencer Thompson, Oxford. 2. Troy Davis,
Windham; 3. Avery Spear, Oxford; 4. Cody Chiasson, Peru; 5. Jacob
Hendsbee, Whitefield; 6. Brandon Varney, Lewiston.

PURPLE PLATE (20 laps): 1. Zachary Rich, Casco; 2. Brandon Varney,
Lewiston; 3. Dylan Haskell, West Baldwin; 4. Evan Armington, Lovell.

BOX STOCK (20 laps): 1. Ethan Matot, Casco; 2. Brandon Varney,
Lewiston; 3. Cameron Gaghan, Winthrop; 4. Chase Staples, Brunswick; 5.
Ethan Brown, South Paris; 6. Brodie Morse, Waterford.