night in the JARRacing Photography Go Kart Series at Oxford Plains
Speedway.
Spencer Morse, Tyler Braunschweig and Jacob Hendsbee each became the
third different winner in their division over as many weeks this
spring. In Hendsbee's case, his Blue Plate victory was the first of
his OPS career.
On the flip side, pun slightly intended, three was the number of red
flags due to rollovers on a wild night of competition. The good news
is that Neil Bernier, Spencer Thompson and Avery Spear all either
drove or pushed their karts away from the scene. In fact, Bernier was
the only one unable to continue in his race.
In other action, the trio of Brandon Varney, Evan Armington and
Stephen Beattie each backed up their wins a week ago with a repeat
performance.
Braunschweig's victory in the Unrestricted feature was perhaps the
most unlikely of the evening. That's because he was one of the
competitors involved in a lap 15 wreck that caught a piece of every
driver except Michael Olanovich and Ricky Morse in the 12-car field.
Charlie Tyler, who led the race before he and Robbie Wentworth got
together to trigger the melee with five laps to go, surged from third
to first on the ensuing restart. Braunschweig zeroed in, however, and
took the lead just after the pack took the two-to-go signal.
Tyler held on for second in front of Kyle Metivier, a rookie in the
age-15-and-up division. Olanovich guarded fourth for his best-ever
Oxford finish, trailed by Dan Pelletier Jr. in the three-time kart
champion's first start of the season.
Morse denied Metivier and Brady Smith in an intense Gold Plate battle.
The reigning division champion took command after Tyler King set the
pace for the first 14 circuits.
King backed up his heat victory with a solid fourth-place run. Ryan
Phillips raced from the rear of the field to fifth in his initial OPS
appearance of '08.
Hendsbee swapped the lead with Varney twice before cementing his claim
to Blue Plate top honors on lap 6.
Defending champ Troy Davis couldn't shake the lapped car of Cody
Chiasson and mount a challenge, settling for second. Continuing the
theme of drivers excelling in their inaugural Oxford showing, Chris
Staples Jr. claimed third ahead of Varney and a resurgent Thompson.
Armington had no issues after pilfering the Purple Plate leadership
from triple-threat driver Varney on lap 5.
Varney and Dylan Haskell each fell a lap down due to separate spins,
allowing Zachary Rich to tighten his clamps on second. Varney held on
for his second trophy of the night in third.
Box Stock was Varney's time to shine. The 2006 division champ pedaled
around Brodie Morse on lap 5 and held Ethan Matot at bay for the
balance. Wade Blanchette -- another of those drivers making his first
start of the campaign -- took third, with Morse and rookie Ethan Brown
giving chase.
Beattie was awarded the Star Champ win when race officials ruled that
he spun after contact from Mike Ricker prior to the white flag. Ricker
was the only other kart in the sprint. Officially, last year's
champion led every lap.
JARRacing Go Kart action continues next Friday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m.
OPS competition on the full, 3/8-mile oval roars back to life Saturday
with Sun Journal Night at 6:30 p.m.
UNRESTRICTED (20 laps): 1. Tyler Braunschweig, West Newfield; 2.
Charlie Tyler, Buxton; 3. Kyle Metivier, Lisbon; 4. Michael Olanovich,
Saco; 5. Dan Pelletier Jr., East Poland; 6. Kayla Ashline, Pittston;
7. Ricky Morse, Hollis; 8. Robbie Wentworth, Conway, N.H.; 9. Brenton
Roubo, Saco; 10. Paul Lund, Buxton; 11. Jeff Roubo, Saco; 12. Kevin
Varney, Lewiston.
Lap leaders: Tyler 1-14, Wentworth 15, Tyler 16-18, Braunschweig 19-20.
Heat winner: Tyler.
STAR CHAMP (20 laps): 1. Stephen Beattie, Conway, N.H.; 2. Mike Ricker, Sebago.
Lap leaders: Beattie 1-20.
Heat winner: Beattie.
GOLD PLATE (20 laps): 1. Spencer Morse, Waterford; 2. Kyle Metivier,
Lisbon; 3. Brady Smith, Porter; 4. Tyler King, Livermore Falls; 5.
Ryan Phillips, Buxton; 6. Katrina Bright, Wilton; 7. Josh Brown, South
Paris; 8. Neil Bernier, Minot; 9. Dave Blackwell, Brunswick; 10.
Garrett Leiter, Livermore Falls.
Lap leaders: King 1-14, Morse 15-20.
Heat winner: King.
BLUE PLATE (20 laps): 1. Jacob Hendsbee, Whitefield; 2. Troy Davis,
Windham; 3. Chris Staples Jr., Brunswick; 4. Brandon Varney, Lewiston;
5. Spencer Thompson, Oxford; 6, Cody Chiasson, Peru; 7. Avery Spear,
Oxford.
Lap leaders: Varney 1-3, Hendsbee 4, Varney 5, Hendsbee 6-20.
Heat winner: Thompson.
PURPLE PLATE (20 laps): 1. Evan Armington, Lovell; 2. Zachary Rich,
Casco; 3. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 4. Dylan Haskell, West Baldwin.
Lap leaders: Varney 1-4, Armington 5-20.
Heat winner: Armington.
BOX STOCK (20 laps): 1. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 2. Ethan Matot,
Casco; 3. Wade Blanchette, Buxton; 4. Brodie Morse, Waterford; 5.
Ethan Brown, South Paris; 6. Cameron Gaghan, Winthrop; 7. Chase
Staples, Durham.
Lap leaders: Morse 1-4, Varney 5-20.
Heat winner: Matot.
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