Mini Stock
OXFORD, Maine - Ricky Rolfe's four-race winning streak in the Oxford
Networks Late Model division ended Saturday night. Sort of.
Kurt Hewins became the first driver other than Rolfe to win a race in
Oxford Plains Speedway's top division since May, capturing the 40-lap
main event on Time Warner Cable Night.
Rolfe was second, chasing one of his own Race Basics-built cars to the
finish line.
"I'm glad to be the one to end Ricky's winning streak," said Hewins,
"because I wanted everyone to see that it's the car. They're all
pretty much the same."
Hewins chased down teammate Dennis Spencer Jr. prior to a lap 24
caution, then made his winning move three circuits later.
When Rolfe and Spencer scrambled side-by-side for the runner-up spot
over the final five laps, it gave Hewins the freedom he needed to
protect his lead. The former Limited Sportsman champion triumphantly
slid his rear tires sideways across the stripe to celebrate his first
victory in the headline division since July 3, 2005.
"I guess Kurt must be cheating tonight, because he beat me," Rolfe
joked, referring to a few fans' grumbles about his winning streak. "Of
course I'm only kidding. Kurt is a hell of a racer, and Dennis is a
hell of a racer. I'm always happy to finish in the top three here,
whether it's first, second or third."
Spencer matched his best effort of the season in the final podium
spot, followed by Matt Sanborn and Carey Martin.
Six other drivers celebrated a feature victory as OPS wrapped up a
hectic holiday weekend of three race programs in four nights and a
combined 680 laps of green-flag racing in that stretch.
While Rolfe's run ended, Adam Polvinen christened a new streak with
his second straight Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Mini Stock triumph.
Polvinen inherited the lead when early dominator Justin Karkos lost
power and pulled to the infield at the end of lap 16.
"I worked three times harder last year to win races and couldn't ever
do it," Polvinen said after becoming a multiple winner in only his
third start of the season. "I went back to the 2006 set-up and left it
alone."
Ashley Marshall unofficially took over the division point lead with
his second trophy of the weekend, this time matching a career-best
second.
Previous leader Darrell Moore was embroiled in a multi-car heat race
crash that also involved Marshall. Moore took the green flag in the
feature before retiring behind the wall, last in the 23-car field.
"I'm sorry about what happened to the 12 car (Moore), but that's
racing, baby," Marshall said.
Don Mooney and Bill Childs Sr. dueled brilliantly for a dozen laps
before Childs' car also fell off the pace, giving Mooney an
uncontested ride to third. Kevin Bishop and Shane Kaherl completed the
top five.
Mike Short became the fifth different driver to win a second Allen's
Strictly Stock feature this season in a 30-lap makeup race at the
start of the program.
Tommy Tompkins beat Short and everyone else to three wins, however,
holding off Short by a car length in the nightcap.
"They told me if I protected the bottom that Shorty probably couldn't
get around me," Tompkins said of a seven-lap dash to the checkers in
the finale.
Kim Tripp also took home a pair of trophies, second in the first race
and third in the encore.
Sumner Sessions matched his best performance of the season with third
in the opener, trailed by Glen Henderson and Larry Emerson. Zach
Emerson held off his father by about three feet to notch fourth in the
second go-round.
David Childs now leads all Chimney Tech Outlaw drivers with four
victories after his second checkered flag of the holiday weekend.
Childs out-dueled Rick Spaulding on a green-white-checker sprint at
the conclusion.
"It's a great car if I can get it here," Childs said from his familiar
perch in victory lane.
Spaulding gamely tried to hang with Childs on the restart, and it cost
him a visit to the winner's circle. Agren Appliance Saturday Showdown
point leader Zach Bowie snuck underneath for second, and Nik Coates
accelerated to third by a fender.
Steve Moon followed Spaulding in fifth.
It pales by comparison to her wedding plans for next Saturday, but
Deanna Bisbee was all smiles after a one-sided Allen's Coffee Flavored
Brandy Ladies victory. Bisbee broke through with her first win of the
year.
"I've got to thank Randy (Robitaille) for letting me drive the car
tonight while we're getting the old Mustang back together," Bisbee
said.
Christina Spaulding finished a strong second for the third time in her
last four Saturday starts. Debbie Marston was third ahead of point
leader Dottie Patria and defending champion Vanna Brackett.
Polvinen threatened to sweep his two features on the night, briefly
leading the NELCAR Legends dash before Max Zachem charged to the front
and held off previous 2008 OPS winners Bob Weymouth and Terry Kirk for
the triumph.
"This was well worth coming all the way up from Connecticut," Zachem said.
Ed Getty and Polvinen completed the top five.
OPS action continues with the Acceleration Series this Wednesday at
6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 12 will feature Q97.9 Night, complete with
seven feature races. Starting time that evening also will be 6:30 p.m.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps): 1. Kurt Hewins, Leeds; 2. Ricky
Rolfe, Albany Township; 3. Dennis Spencer Jr., Oxford; 4. Matt
Sanborn, West Baldwin; 5. Carey Martin, Denmark; 6. Ben Ashline,
Pittston; 7. Travis Adams, Canton; 8. Billy Childs Jr., Leeds; 9. Joey
Doiron, Berwick; 10. Shawn Martin, Turner; 11. Tim Brackett,
Buckfield; 12. Tyson Jordan, Poland; 13. Tommy Ricker, Poland; 14. Don
Wentworth, Otisfield; 15. Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 16. Gerald Parlin,
South Paris; 17. Mark Childs Jr., Mechanic Falls; 18. Neil Martin,
Freeport; 19. Daren Ripley, Appleton; 20. Nick Brown, Bath; 21. Shawn
Knight, South Paris.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK #1 (30 laps): 1. Mike
Short, Auburn; 2. Kim Tripp, Oxford; 3. Sumner Sessions, Norway; 4.
Glen Henderson, Sabattus; 5. Larry Emerson, Durham; 6. Tommy Tompkins,
Carthage; 7. Matt Williams, Brownfield; 8. Skip Tripp, Poland; 9.
Chris Burgess, Lewiston; 10. Zach Emerson, Durham; 11. Rick Thompson,
Naples; 12. David Tripp, Oxford; 13. Michael Roe, West Paris; 14.
George Haskell, Casco. DNS: B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; Dave MacDonald,
New Gloucester; Dean Coolidge, Oxford.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK #2 (30 laps): 1. Tommy
Tompkins, Carthage; 2. Mike Short, Auburn; 3. Kim Tripp, Oxford; 4.
Zach Emerson, Durham; 5. Larry Emerson, Durham; 6. Glen Henderson,
Sabattus; 7. Skip Tripp, Poland; 8. Matt Williams, Brownfield; 9.
David Tripp, Oxford; 10. Chris Burgess, Lewiston; 11. Michael Roe,
West Paris; 12. Rick Thompson, Naples; 13. Dean Coolidge, Oxford; 14.
George Haskell, Casco; 15. Sumner Sessions, Norway.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY MINI STOCK (30 laps): 1. Adam Polvinen,
Oxford; 2. Ashley Marshall, Jay; 3. Don Mooney, New Gloucester; 4.
Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 5. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 6. Bob Mooney, New
Gloucester; 7. Bill Thibeault, Oxford; 8. Brad Dwinal, Freeport; 9.
Craig Moore, Woodstock; 10. Bob Guptill, Mechanic Falls; 11. Chuck
Higgins, Lewiston; 12. Al Roberti, South Paris; 13. Greg Watkins,
Bridgton; 14. Bill Childs Sr., Leeds; 15. Steve Barker, Jay; 16.
Justin Karkos, Jay; 17. Wayne Titus, Minot; 18. Butch Keene, Turner;
19. Ken Daigle Jr., Lisbon; 20. Matt Moore, South Paris; 21. Don
Frechette, Turner; 22. Dave Mooney, Wales; 23. Darrell Moore, Mechanic
Falls.
CHIMNEY TECH OUTLAW (20 laps): 1. David Childs, Oxford; 2. Zach Bowie,
Mechanic Falls; 3. Nik Coates, Lisbon; 4. Rick Spaulding, Lewiston; 5.
Steve Moon, Gray; 6. Tyler Belanger, Sumner; 7. Randy Robitaille,
Norway; 8. Jerry Goss, Mechanic Falls; 9. Scott Veinott, Sabattus; 10.
John Spencer Jr., Auburn; 11. Steve Brill, Bridgton; 12. Fred Clavet,
Buckfield; 13. Scott Ellis, Lewiston; 14. Dennis Morang, South Paris;
15. Ken Varney, Oxford; 16. Jay Wilkins, Gray; 17. Robert Lowe,
Auburn; 18. Randy Nutter, Auburn; 19. Guy Childs Sr., Turner; 20. John
Patria, Turner; 21. Keith Landry, Oxford. DNS: Ryan Varney, Oxford.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY LADIES (20 laps): 1. Deanna Bisbee,
South Paris; 2. Christina Spaulding, Lewiston; 3. Debbie Marston,
Hartford; 4. Dottie Patria, Turner; 5. Vanna Brackett, Buckfield; 6.
Cathy Manchester, Gray; 7. Lisa Brooks, Auburn; 8. Lisa Vining,
Turner; 9. Shannon Wheeler, Auburn; 10. Annie Chartier, Mexico; 11.
Kimberly Sessions, Auburn.
NELCAR LEGENDS (20 laps): 1. Max Zachem, Preston, Conn.; 2. Bob
Weymouth, Topsham; 3. Terry Kirk, Durham; 4. Ed Getty, Gray; 5. Adam
Polvinen, Oxford; 6. Alan Smith, Lincoln; 7. Anthony Pagliarulo,
Groveland, Mass.; 8. Darrell Vance, Lexington Park, Md.; 9. Patrick
Stewart, Beverly, Mass.
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