as Oxford Plains Speedway, John Lizotte has joined his champion father
as a feature winner.
Lizotte won the rain-shortened Call of the Wild RV Center Sport Truck
feature Saturday night. He took the lead three laps from the scheduled
finish, sneaking underneath early leader Ryan Farrar just before the
second and final caution flag of the event.
When drizzle intensified and track conditions worsened during the
extended stoppage, race officials called a halt at lap 18. Lizotte was
the elated winner, with reigning division champion Jake Burns second
and Farrar third.
"I have to thank everybody connected with this truck," Lizotte said.
"Especially my father. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have this
truck."
Jon Lizotte won 93 feature races at OPS from 1976 to 1992, capturing
three Figure Eight championships and a Charger title. His take of
checkered flags is third on the speedway's all-time list behind Mike
Rowe and David Smith.
Former OPS Limited Sportsman champion Terry Huston and Dennis Dutch of
Rhode Island were the Sportsman and Modified winners, respectively, in
the annual visit by the Senior Tour Auto Racers.
Four other features were rained out and will be made up as follows:
The Oxford Networks Late Model division will run double features on
Maine State Lottery Fireworks Night this Thursday, July 3.
Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Strictly Stocks now have a doubleheader
scheduled for Time Warner Cable Night on Saturday, July 5.
The Allen's Mini Stock and Macdonald Motors Runnin' Rebel classes will
double up on Q97.9 Night on Saturday, July 12.
Starting lineups for the make-up features are locked in after
Saturday's qualifying; however, other drivers will be permitted to
participate in the regularly scheduled heats and/or features on those
evenings.
Lizotte recovered from an early spin and pit stop that returned him to
the track just in time to catch the first restart,
After his quick dash to the front, he was in the right place to take
advantage of Farrar's sideways slide through the fourth turn on lap
18. Farrar fended off challenges from Lizotte, Burns and Chad Binette
prior to his momentary trouble.
Burns, who was hoping to make it 4-for-4 in Agren Appliance Saturday
Showdown competition this season, couldn't stage his usual charge in
the slick outside lane.
"I think I should have brought my rain tires and windshield wipers,"
quipped Burns. "But Lizotte's been in the Truck Series a long time.
Probably nobody deserves this win more than he does.
Farrar's third-place trophy came in a back-up truck.
"I got taken out Wednesday night," he said. "This one goes pretty good, though."
Binette and rookie Justin Roussel crashed to bring out the yellow with
two to go. Tom Libby was credited with fourth after that exchange,
with Binette fifth.
Heat race winners were Corey Morgan and Kurt Hewins in Late Model,
Tommy Tompkins and Kim Tripp in Strictly Stock and Butch Keene and
Matt Moore in Mini Stock.
CALL OF THE WILD RV CENTER SPORT TRUCK
(18 laps, shortened due to rain)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (3) #1 John Lizotte, Mechanic Falls, 18
2. (5) #74 Jake Burns, Gray, 18
3. (4) #9 Ryan Farrar, Oxford, 18
4. (7) #40 Tom Libby, Gorham, 18
5. (8) #96 Chad Binette, Arundel, 18
6. (6) #34 Joe Farrar, Oxford, 17
7. (2) #17 Ross Spurling, New Gloucester, 17
8. (9) #13 Justin Roussel, Oxford, 13
9. (1) #43 Dennis Brine, Oxford, 0
DNS #54x Devin Smith, Norway
Lap leaders: R. Farrar 1-16, Lizotte 17-18
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