OXFORD, Maine - So much for playing it conservatively.
Five drivers entered Polly's Variety Championship Night at Oxford
Plains Speedway with a relatively comfortable point lead Saturday.
None of them left anything to chance, however, finishing in the top
five to clinch their championships in style.
By running fourth in the Oxford Networks Late Model 40-lap feature,
Travis Adams won his third consecutive crown and fourth of his career.
He joins a select group of four-time champions at OPS that includes
Jeff Taylor (nine), Mike Rowe (seven), Carey Martin (five), and Dennis
Spencer Jr., Leland Kangas, Jon Lizotte, Blaine Chapman, David Smith
and Willie Buffington (four each).
"We bought this car from Race Basics, and it's won four of the last
six championships," Adams said. "I'm proud of this team and proud of
my family."
Ricky Rolfe won the final Late Model feature of the season, his sixth
in 13 starts this summer. Rolfe and Adams celebrated with dual
burnouts against the front stretch wall to the delight of the large
crowd.
Don Wentworth and Billy Childs Jr. finished second and third after a
tense, three-car battle with Adams. Jeff White was fifth. The
champion's closest pursuer in the points, Shawn Martin, wound up
eighth.
Skip Tripp needed only to start his heat and feature to become Allen's
Coffee Flavored Brandy Strictly Stock champ for the first time. He ran
fifth in the 30-lap finale.
"We won a couple of races and got off to a great start, but then we
had our DNF's, we had out stop-and-go penalty one week," Tripp said.
"It was a real challenge. Richard and Kelly of R.P.M. Racing Engines
gave me a great opportunity to drive this car, and I'm so thankful for
that."
Mike Short ran away with his fifth victory of the season, with B.J.
Chapman, Larry Emerson, Tommy Tompkins and Tripp rounding out the top
five.
Marshall, only completing his third full season as a driver, joined
the roster of OPS champions who accomplished the feat without the
benefit of a victory, His fourth-place finish Saturday night was his
10th top-five finish in 20 starts.
Only three times did Marshall end up outside the top 10.
"I've never been more nervous in a race car than tonight," Marshall
said. "I really wanted to finish third, but Kevin (Bishop) definitely
wanted it more than me, so I sort of let him have it."
Bishop's pass of Marshall for third took place nearly a full
straightaway behind winner Adam Polvinen and runner-up Steve Barker.
Polvinen carried his third checkered flag of the campaign. Justin
Karkos took fifth.
Jordan chased teammate Jason Berry across the line at the front of a
25-car Macdonald Motors Runnin' Rebel field.
The win was a career first for Berry, who was Lampron Energy Rookie of
the Year in the division. The Agren Appliance Saturday Showdown title
is the first of any kind for Jordan, who won twice in the eight-race
weekend series.
Josh Childs, Calvin Rose Jr. and Scott Farrington followed Berry and
Jordan across the stripe.
Record-smashing Jake Burns coupled his Wednesday Acceleration Series
title with the Agren honors in the Call of the Wild RV Center Sport
Truck division. Burns fell a truck length shy of his astonishing 13th
win of the year, however, with Ryan Farrar claiming his second victory
by that margin. Ross Spurling, John Lizotte and Jeff Schmidt followed.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps): 1. Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township;
2. Don Wentworth, Otisfield; 3. Billy Childs Jr., Leeds; 4. Travis
Adams, Canton; 5. Jeff White, Winthrop; 6. Shawn Knight, South Paris;
7. Dennis Spencer Jr., Oxford; 8. Shawn Martin, Turner; 9. Tim
Brackett, Buckfield; 10. Tom Rowe, Turner; 11. Nick Brown, Bath; 12.
Neil Martin, Freeport; 13. Ben Ashline, Pittston; 14. Cecil Bryant,
Wilton; 15. Tyson Jordan, Poland; 16. Matt Sanborn, West Baldwin; 17.
Scott Luce, Strong; 18. David Vaughn, Naples; 19. Kurt Hewins, Leeds;
20. Tommy Ricker, Poland; 21. Corey Morgan, Lewiston; 22. Ron
Charpentier Jr., Wales.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps): 1. Mike
Short, Auburn; 2. B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; 3. Larry Emerson, Durham; 4.
Tommy Tompkins, Carthage; 5. Skip Tripp, Poland; 6. Kim Tripp, Oxford;
7. Sumner Sessions, Norway; 8. Mike St. Germain, Auburn; 9. Josh May,
Harrison; 10. Mark Bowie, Mechanic Falls; 11. Michael Roe, West Paris;
12. Craig Coolidge, Auburn; 13. Chris Burgess, Lewiston; 14. Jon
Brill, Sebago; 15. Glen Henderson, Sabattus; 16. Shane Green, South
Paris; 17. Matt Williams, Brownfield. DNS: George Haskell, Casco;
Randy Heath, Casco.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY MINI STOCK (30 laps): 1. Adam Polvinen,
Oxford; 2. Steve Barker, Jay; 3. Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 4. Ashley
Marshall, Jay; 5. Justin Karkos, Jay; 6. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 7. Larry
Melcher, Livermore Falls; 8. Darrell Moore, Mechanic Falls; 9. Greg
Watkins, Bridgton; 10. Rick Giguere, Auburn; 11. Brad Dwinal,
Freeport; 12. Chuck Higgins, Lewiston; 13. Bob Martin, Lewiston; 14.
Craig Moore, South Woodstock; 15. Matt Moore, South Paris; 16. Billy
Childs Sr., Leeds; 17. Butch Keene, Turner; 18. Dave Mooney, Wales;
19. Brian Brackett, Oxford; 20. Dale Durgin, Norway; 21. Bill Mooney,
New Gloucester; 22. Bill Thibeault, Oxford; 23. Jeff Prindall, Lisbon
Falls.
MACDONALD MOTORS RUNNIN' REBEL (20 laps): 1. Jason Berry, Turner; 2.
Troy Jordan, Turner; 3. Josh Childs, Oxford; 4. Calvin Rose Jr.,
Turner; 5. Scott Farrington, Minot; 6. Kyle Hewins, Leeds; 7. Zach
Audet, Chesterville; 8. Matt Dufault, Turner; 9. Gary Chiasson, Peru;
10. Charlie Webster, Auburn; 11. Bill Sprague, Minot; 12. Derek Cook,
Livermore Falls; 13. Gerard Cote, Oxford; 14. Nate Dubuc, Lewiston;
15. Cody Smith, Oxford; 16. Jonah Farrington, Hebron; 17. Don Smith,
Oxford; 18. Ellery Phillips Jr., Turner; 19. Michael Carver, Durham;
20. Doug Degroat, Oxford; 21. Gene White, Lisbon; 22. Jeff Hebert,
Auburn; 23. Dustin Couture, Auburn; 24. John Childs, Leeds; 25. Dwayne
White, Livermore.
CALL OF THE WILD RV CENTER SPORT TRUCK (20 laps): 1. Ryan Farrar,
Oxford; 2. Jake Burns, Gray; 3. Ross Spurling, New Gloucester; 4. John
Lizotte, Mechanic Falls; 5. Jeff Schmidt, Mechanic Falls; 6. Corey
Williams, Sumner; 7. Geoff Griffiths, Lewiston.
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