OXFORD, Maine - Ricky Rolfe and Eddie MacDonald provided much of the
entertainment value with their two- and three-deep drive through
traffic Saturday night, but 19-year-old Joey Polewarczyk Jr. otherwise
dominated the Dunkin' Donuts 150 for his second American-Canadian Tour
victory of the season.
Polewarczyk posted his first career win at OPS after two previous
top-five performances in his brief but promising career.
"This car was really good in practice, but the motor was breaking
down," said the driver known to his friends and fans as 'Joey Pole.'
"We changed a lot of stuff in practice. We didn't find anything, but
we changed everything."
Whatever the combination, it worked. Polewarczyk charged from his
seventh starting position and snagged the lead from series point
leader Scott Payea on lap 53.
Rolfe, the winner of two straight 40-lap weekly Oxford Networks Late
Model features at Oxford, made a dramatic drive from 17th to second
during the first half of the event.
The two-time OPS champion closed Polewarczyk's lead to about four car
lengths prior to the first of only two caution flags in the race on
lap 104, for a single-car spin by Payea.
It was the youngster getting the jump on the restart, though, actually
extending his lead to almost a full straightaway prior to the second
yellow with a dozern laps remaining.
Given a four-car buffer zone of lapped machines between himself and
Rolfe, Polewarczyk cruised. In fact, it was MacDonald making a
jaw-dropping drive around double-wide lapped traffic to catch and pass
Rolfe for second on lap 147.
"The car was great on the outside. The outside groove was really great
tonight," MacDonald said. "I just love racing here. Joey did an
awesome job."
Rolfe was the star of the show prior to the Payea spin. His car
blistered most of the competition on the long early run, and he worked
lapped traffic with consummate veteran skill.
Perhaps too well, he later admitted.
"My car was actually too good at the beginning," Rolfe said. "I wasn't
patient. I should have been more patient, but Jean (Paul Cyr) was on
the pole and I figured he'd be the one leading the race and lapping
everybody."
Both MacDonald and Rolfe qualified for the Dunkin' Donuts 150 by
winning consolation races.
Fifty-one cars attempted to make the starting grid of 33. All but one
starter was running at the finish.
The win was Polewarczyk's first top-10 finish on the tour since a
triumph in April at his home track, Lee USA (N.H.) Speedway, in the
Governor's Cup.
"We had fast cars everywhere, but things just didn't go our way,"
Polewarczyk said. "They certainly went our way tonight."
Matt Williams highlighted accompanying feature action with a 30-lap
Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Strictly Stock feature win. Williams
caught and passed B.J. Chapman in traffic with under 10 laps
remaining.
Chapman and Mike Short spun shortly after Williams took over the top
spot, vaulting Glen Henderson to second and Skip Tripp to third.
In only his third start since returning to full-time competition at
his home track, Justin Karkos dominated the 30-lap Allen's Mini Stock
feature.
Jimmy Childs ran second in a break from his rookie season in Late
Models. Matt Moore matched a career-best in third, just ahead of
cousin and point leader Darrell Moore.
Zach Bowie backed his first career win Wednesday night with another on
Saturday, this time in the Chimney Tech Outlaw division. Bowie padded
his Agren Appliance Saturday Showdown point lead in the process.
David Childs pressured Bowie to the finish and settled for a close
second, with early leader Dan Brown taking third.
Dottie Patria sailed to her fourth Allen's Ladies victory of the
season, topping Christina Spaulding and Cathy Manchester.
OPS action continues Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. with the Acceleration Series.
Championship Series competition resumes next Saturday, June 28 at 6:30
p.m. Round one of Unicel Motor Mayhem is scheduled for Friday, June
27, also at 6:30.
AMERICAN-CANADIAN TOUR DUNKIN' DONUTS 150: 1. Joey Polewarczyk Jr.,
Hudson, N.H.; 2. Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass.; 3. Ricky Rolfe,
Albany Township; 4. Patrick Laperle, St. Denis, Quebec; 5. Glen Luce,
Turner; 6. Ben Rowe, Turner; 7. Scott Payea, Milton, Vt.; 8. Brent
Dragon, Milton, Vt.; 9. Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, Vt.; 10. Scott Robbins,
Dixfield; 11. Ryan Nolin, Georgia, Vt.; 12. Travis Adams, Canton; 13.
Shawn Martin, Turner; 14. Jonathan Urlin, London, Ontario; 15. Joey
Becker, Jeffersonville, Vt.; 16. Kurt Hewins, Leeds; 17. Randy Potter,
Groveton, N.H.; 18. Roger Brown, Lancaster, N.H.; 19. Shawn Knight,
South Paris; 20. Scott Dragon, Milton, Vt.; 21. John Donahue,
Graniteville, Vt.; 22. Pete Potvin III, Graniteville, Vt.; 23. Steve
Fisher, Shelburne, Vt.; 24. Tommy Ricker, Poland; 25. Claude Leclerc,
Lanoraie, Quebec; 26. Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, Vt.; 27. Rick Thompson
Jr., Derby, Vt.; 28. Dennis Spencer Jr., Oxford; 29. Travis Stearns,
South Paris; 30. Nick Sweet, Barre, Vt.; 31. Corey Morgan, Lewiston;
32. Tyler Cahoon, St. Johnsbury, Vt.; 33. Trampas Demers, South
Burlington, Vt.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps): 1. Matt
Williams, Brownfield; 2. Glen Henderson, Sabattus; 3. Skip Tripp,
Poland; 4. Kim Tripp, Oxford; 5. Rick Thompson, Naples; 6. Jerry
Harrison, Freeport; 7. Sumner Sessions, Norway; 8. Michael Roe, West
Paris; 9. B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; 10. Mike Short, Auburn; 11. Dean
Cololidge, Oxford. DNS: Tommy Tompkins, Carthage; David Tripp, Oxford.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY MINI STOCK (30 laps): 1. Justin Karkos,
Jay; 2. Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 3. Matt Moore, South Paris; 4. Darrell
Moore, Mechanic Falls; 5. Bob Guptill, Mechanic Falls; 6. Ashley
Marshall, Jay; 7. Don Mooney, New Gloucester; 8. Randy Kimball,
Mechanic Falls; 9. Bill Thibeault, Oxford; 10. Brad Dwinal, Freeport;
11. Rick Giguere, Auburn; 12. Dave Mooney, Wales; 13. Kevin Bishop,
South Paris; 14. Dale Brackett, Oxford; 15. Ken Daigle Jr., Lisbon;
16. Chuck Higgins, Lewiston; 17. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 18. Craig Moore,
Woodstock; 19. Don Frechette, Turner; 20. Butch Keene, Turner.
CHIMNEY TECH OUTLAW (20 laps): 1. Zach Bowie, Mechanic Falls; 2. David
Childs, Oxford; 3. Dan Brown, Peru; 4. Steve Moon, Gray; 5. Thom Bell,
Minot; 6. Guy Childs Sr., Turner; 7. Jay Wilkins, Gray; 8. Jim Drake,
Hebron; 9. Scott Ellis, Lewiston; 10. Steve Brill, Bridgton; 11. Gerry
Richard, Leeds; 12. John Spencer Jr., Auburn; 13. Randy Robitaille,
Norway; 14. Tina Titus, Lisbon Falls; 15. Keith Landry, Oxford; 16.
Rodney Englehaupt, Oxford; 17. John Patria, Turner; 18. Jerry Freve,
Buckfield; 19. Bill Coolidge, Bryant Pond; 20. Jerry Goss, Mechanic
Falls; 21. Rick Spaulding, Lewiston; 22. Gordon Bell, Auburn; 23.
Scott Veinott, Sabattus; 24. Dennis Morang, South Paris.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY LADIES (20 laps): 1. Dottie Patria,
Turner; 2. Christina Spaulding, Lewiston; 3. Cathy Manchester, Gray;
4. Tina Springer, Norway; 5. Deanna Bisbee, South Paris; 6. Lisa
Brooks, Auburn; 7. Debbie Marston, Hartford; 8. Kimberly Sessions,
Auburn; 9. Shannon Wheeler, Auburn; 10. Annie Chartier, Mexico.
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