second straight on wild night at OPS
OXFORD, Maine - Darrell Moore turned his first lap around Oxford
Plains Speedway less than a year ago. It didn't take him long to look
as comfortable behind the wheel as a kid playing a video game.
The Oxford Championship Series rookie made his first win a special
one, capturing the Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy 100 for the Mini
Stock division.
Moore took the lead for good on lap 74 from Bill Childs Sr. -- one of
Oxford's most enduring veterans and the man who sold him the car he
drove to victory. That outside pass came after at least a dozen laps
of side-by-side racing, with the two leaders running virtually
door-to-door but never making contact.
"I didn't think I had enough to get by him," said Moore, who made his
debut with a handful of four-cylinder races in Oxford's Acceleration
Series on Wednesday nights last summer. "I just had to keep working
and try to find the best groove for the car."
Rookies aren't always known for their patience, but it was Moore who
kept his cool while others charged to the front but fell by the
wayside due to spins or mechanical maladies.
Brad Dwinal, Shane Kaherl and Justin Karkos all led the race before
Childs. It was Karkos' charge from the rear of the field in only his
second OPS start of the season that prompted Moore to finally break
out of the pack.
"When I saw him go, I knew it was time," said Moore.
Karkos fell from the lead pack due to a distributor problem. In
another twist of fate, Karkos won a 100-lap race last season in
Moore's #12 before dealing it to Childs.
Childs was content with his runner-up finish after a hard crash into
the front stretch retaining wall last week.
"He had way more power than me," Childs said with a wry smile. "I know
what he's got in there."
Rick Giguere survived the lengthy encounter for a career-best third.
"I had a great time," said Giguere. "I feel like my driving style is a
lot better suited to these long races."
Greg Watkins and Don Frechette competed the top five, which were
unofficial at press time pending a post-race technical inspection.
All five features were slowed by several caution flags. The night also
was impacted by an electrical issue that silenced the track's public
address system.
None of that stopped Ricky Rolfe from maintaining his hot hand in the
Oxford Networks Late Model division. Rolfe charged from the rear of
the field, took the lead from Kurt Hewins before the halfway points
and cruised to his second straight 40-lap victory.
It was the ideal tune-up for next week's American-Canadian Tour
Dunkin' Donuts 150 at OPS. Rolfe prevailed last time the touring
series visited his home track in April.
"We'll have something for 'em," said a beaming Rolfe. "It doesn't
matter where we start next week."
Teammates Hewins and Dennis Spencer Jr. finished second and third for
car owners Conrad and Kerrie Childs. Spencer, a two-time OPS Late
Model champion, withstood a late challenge from Shawn Martin for the
third position.
Hewins improved one spot from his third-place run behind Rolfe a week ago.
"Our car is getting a lot better," said Hewins, "and look how easy he
passed us."
Larry Emerson became only the second repeat winner of the season in
the Allen's Strictly Stock division, holding off fellow two-time
winner Skip Tripp and Matt Williams.
Only seven cars -- less than half the field -- finished the crash-filled event.
"Up front was a good place to be," said three-time division champion
Emerson, who took the lead from Williams on a lap 14 restart.
Jake Burns (Call of the Wild RV Sport Truck) and Troy Jordan
(Macdonald Motors Runnin' Rebel) prevailed in Acceleration Series
competition.
ALLEN'S COFFEE BRANDY MINI STOCK (100 laps): 1. Darrell Moore,
Mechanic Falls; 2. Bill Childs Sr., Leeds; 3. Rick Giguere, Auburn; 4.
Greg Watkins, Bridgton; 5. Don Frechette, Turner; 6. Bill Thibeault,
Oxford; 7. Chuck Higgins, Wales; 8. Curtis Fanjoy, Oxford; 9. Ashley
Marshall, Jay; 10. Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 11. Dale Durgin, Norway;
12. Justin Karkos, Jay; 13. Ken Daigle Jr., Lisbon; 14. Shane Kaherl,
Jay; 15. Bob Guptill, Mechanic Falls; 16. Butch Keene, Turner; 17. Don
Mooney, New Gloucester; 18. Dave Mooney, Wales; 19. Brad Dwinal,
Freeport; 20. Craig Moore, Woodstock; 21. Matt Moore, South Paris; 22.
Wayne Titus, Minot.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps): 1. Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township;
2. Kurt Hewins, Leeds; 3. Dennis Spencer Jr., Norway; 4. Shawn Martin,
Turner; 5. Billy Childs Jr., Leeds; 6. Travis Adams, Canton; 7. Carey
Martin, Denmark; 8. Joey Doiron, Berwick; 9. Roger Brown, Lancaster,
N.H.; 10. Shawn Knight, South Paris; 11. Dale Verrill, Paris; 12.
Tommy Ricker, Poland; 13. Travis Stearns, Auburn; 14. Matt Sanborn,
West Baldwin; 15. Don Wentworth, Otisfield; 16. Corey Morgan,
Lewiston; 17. Nick Brown, Bath; 18. Gerald Parlin, South Paris; 19.
Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 20. Neil Martin, Freeport; 21. Mark Childs Jr.,
Mechanic Falls; 22. Tyson Jordan, Poland; 23. Scott Luce, Strong; 24.
Ben Ashline, Pittston; 25. Paul Bosse, Gray.
ALLEN'S COFFEE BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps): 1. Larry Emerson,
Durham; 2. Skip Tripp, Poland; 3. Matt Williams, Brownfield; 4. Glen
Henderson, Sabattus; 5. Rick Thompson, Naples; 6. Michael Roe, West
Paris; 7. Dean Coolidge, Oxford; 8. Sumner Sessions, Norway; 9. Mike
Blue, Leeds; 10. Tommy Tompkins, Dixfield; 11. Mike Short, Auburn; 12.
Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 13. B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; 14. George
Haskell, Casco.
MACDONALD MOTORS RUNNIN' REBEL (20 laps): 1. Troy Jordan, Turner; 2.
Kyle Hewins, Leeds; 3. Scott Farrington, Oxford; 4. Doug Degroat,
Oxford; 5. James Wood, New Gloucester; 6. Matt Dufault, Turner; 7.
Josh Childs, Oxford; 8. Craig Farrington, Hebron; 9. Charlie Webster,
Auburn; 10. Ben Krauter, Raymond; 11. Archie Watt Jr., Auburn; 12.
Nathan Guptill, North Turner; 13. Bill Dunphy, New Gloucester; 14.
Gerard Cote, Oxford; 15. Dustin Couture, Auburn; 16. Calvin Rose Jr.,
Turner; 17. Aaron Small, Poland; 18. David Giasson, Wales; 19. Brady
Romano, Livermore Falls; 20. Derek Cook, Livermore Falls; 21. Jason
Berry, Turner; 22. John Childs, Leeds.
CALL OF THE WILD RV SPORT TRUCK (20 laps): 1. Jake Burns, Gray; 2.
Ryan Farrar, Oxford; 3. Ross Spurling, New Gloucester; 4. John
Lizotte, Mechanic Falls; 5. Dennis Brine, Oxford; 6. Devon Smith,
Oxford; 7. Ryan Varney, Oxford; 8. Corey Williams, Sumner.
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