OXFORD, Maine - On a weekend when drivers converge upon Oxford Plains
Speedway from all six New England states and multiple Canadian
provinces, Maine bagged the first bragging rights with a victory that
was a dozen years in the making.
David Pinkham out-powered Late Model star Jean-Paul Cyr on a lap 85
restart and drove away his second career True Value Modified Racing
Series checkered flag with the Maine-Ly Action Sports 100.
Pinkham, who ended a 12-year absence from open-wheel racing three
summers ago by winning his TVMRS debut at his home track, Beech Ridge
Motor Speedway in Scarborough, snapped an identical drought from OPS
victory lane.
His last Oxford win came in a Pro Stock in August 1996. It was also an
emotional triumph for car owner Tom Greeley of neighboring Auburn.
"This car was sitting without an engine on Wednesday, nothing but a
bare block," Pinkham said. "Warren Johnson put it all back together.
We weren't going to miss this race for the world."
In another interesting twist, Pinkham borrowed the same car that Cyr
drove to second place and wheeled it in a race at Lee USA Speedway in
New Hampshire eight days earlier.
That team, owned by Gary Casella of Saugus, Mass., also provided the
transportation for Pinkham's initial True Value Mod triumph at Beech
Ridge.
"Jean drove a great race," said Pinkham, "but I was the last guy to
win a race in that car, so there was no way I was letting him win."
Cyr's car was the strongest all night during long green-flag
stretches. Three times, however, the seven-time American-Canadian Tour
champion lost the lead on restarts.
Kirk Alexander and Dwight Jarvis each swiped away the lead for a lap
or two before giving it back. Pinkham's third try was a charm.
It was still the best performance of the season for the Casella #25,
which has seen eight different drivers behind the wheel. Cyr, who does
have limited experience in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Series, made two
previous starts in Casella's car this season.
"He offered me the chance to drive it this afternoon," said Cyr. "I
thought he was a fool for asking, but I would have been a fool not to
take it."
Cyr closed his newfound deficit to two car lengths with five laps
remaining, but Pinkham maintained that advantage until the checkers.
Jarvis, a former champion of the series, was a strong third.
Jon McKennedy made a late charge after a lengthy mid-race battle for
position with Eddie Dachenhausen to grab fourth in front of Les
Hinckley.
Dachenhausen's departure due to an expired engine brought out the
fateful fourth and final caution with 15 laps to go.
Fifteen of the 18 starters finished on the lead lap.
Justin Karkos (Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Mini Stock) and Mike
Short (Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Strictly Stock) each matched the
leading total in their division with their third feature victories of
the season in supporting, 30-lap action.
Those classes kicked off their abbreviated doubleheader weekend after
friday's rainout.
Mayhem ensued over the final five laps of the Mini Stock main event.
Karkos was so far ahead of the confusion that it didn't matter.
"It looks like drama still continues here," said Karkos, who was in
the middle of many memorable victory lane sequences last season.
After taking the lead from Don Frechette on lap 6, Karkos crossed the
stripe nearly a half-lap ahead of Kevin Bishop in the Roy's All-Steak
Hamburgers/Polymer Repair Technology #51.
"Joe Decker painted the car this week. We wanted it to look like Rowdy
Busch's car," said Karkos, referring to NASCAR star Kyle Busch's alter
ego borrowed from a character in the racing movie "Days of Thunder."
"I've got to thank Rich Sirois. I bought this car off him. I've had a
lot of problems with it, but he stuck with it and helped me out."
Bishop moved into second when Frechette and Adam Polvinen tangled late
in the race.
"If I can get this thing running all four cylinders, all the way
around the track, we're really going to have something for them
tomorrow," said Bishop, whose runner-up trophy was his best effort of
the season to date.
Polvinen was penalized one lap for his role in the late activity.
Randy Kimball survived the scramble to collect third, the third podium
finish of his rookie campaign.
"I've got to thank my dad for giving me a job so I can afford to feed
this bad habit," Kimball said of his racing endeavors.
Rick Giguere moved up the ladder to a career-best fourth. Shane Kaherl
was next, posting his fourth top-five finish in his last five starts.
Championship leaders Darrell Moore (10th) and Ashley Marshall (15th)
both struggled on the night, with Moore borrowing a ride from his
cousin Matt simply to run the feature.
Short didn't have the benefit of a caution flag to bunch up a
spread-out Strictly field. The 1997 division champion conducted a
clinic in the outside lane at the helm of the All-Purpose Builders
#56, though, concluding that drive by dislodging Joe Hutter from the
top of the leader board on lap 21.
"I've got to give him credit for a good run,." Short said. "It was a
little slick out there tonight."
Hutter fell one spot shy of his first victory in three years. He has
run a partial season in the Brown's Construction #2, handing the reins
to Mike Blue for two races before returning to the fray.
Zach Emerson, separated only two seasons from a terrific championship
battle with Ben TInker in 2006, made his first appearance in the
victory lane photo all summer by holding off Matt Williams and Skip
Tripp in a seven-car battle for third.
"This is my third year with Ron Abbott Jr. (on my team), and I think
this is my first time up here in that time," Emerson said. "It's been
a long drought for all of us, and he works real hard."
The main attraction is on tap at 2 p.m. Sunday with qualifying for the
35th annual TD Banknorth 250. Eighty-three cars practiced Saturday in
anticipation of the race, which will pay up to $50,000 to the
champion.
TRUE VALUE MODIFIED RACING SERIES MAINE-LY ACTION SPORTS 100: 1. David
Pinkham, Buxton; 2. Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, Vt.; 3. Dwight Jarvis,
Ascutney, Vt.; 4. Jon McKennedy, Chelmsford, Mass.; 5. Les Hinckley,
Windsor Locks, Conn.; 6. Chris Pasteryak, Lisbon, Conn.; 7. Mike
Holdridge, Madison, Conn.; 8. Kirk Alexander, West Swanzey, N.H.; 9.
Dale Evonsion, East Hartford, Conn.; 10. Tony Ricci, Westbrook; 11.
Peter Jarvis, Ascutney, Vt,; 12. Joe Doucette, Framingham, Mass.; 13.
Jack Bateman, Canaan, N.H.; 14. Andy Seuss, Hampstead, N.H.; 15. Kenny
White Jr., Weare, N.H.; 16. Shelly Perry, Ashaway, R.I.; 17. Eddie
Dachenhausen, Danbury, Conn.; 18. Butch Perry, Ashaway, R.I.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps): 1. Mike
Short, Auburn; 2. Joe Hutter, Leeds; 3. Zach Emerson, Durham; 4. Matt
Williams, Brownfield; 5. Skip Tripp, Poland; 6. Larry Emerson, Durham;
7. Tommy Tompkins, Carthage; 8. Kim Tripp, Oxford; 9. Glen Henderson,
Sabattus; 10. Sumner Sessions, Norway; 11. Rick Thompson, Naples; 12.
B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; 13. Mike St. Germain, Auburn; 14. Shane Green,
South Paris; 15. Dean Coolidge, Oxford; 16. David Tripp, Oxford.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps): 1. Justin
Karkos, Jay; 2. Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 3. Randy Kimball, Mechanic
Falls; 4. Rick Giguere, Auburn; 5. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 6. Bill
Thibeault, Oxford; 7. Greg Watkins, Bridgton; 8. Bob Guptill, Mechanic
Falls; 9. Darrell Moore, Mechanic Falls; 10. Brad Dwinal, Freeport;
11. Ken Daigle Jr., Lisbon; 12. Adam Polvinen, Oxford; 13. Chuck
Higgins, Lewiston; 14. Bill Childs Sr., Leeds; 15. Ashley Marshall,
Jay; 16. Don Frechette, Jay; 17. Darick Barker, Jay; 18. Craig Moore,
Woodstock; 19. Wayne Titus, Lisbon; 20. Butch Keene, Turner; 21. Dave
Mooney, Wales.
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