Tyler King of Livermore Falls rallied from an early brush with the wall and multiple pit stops to score a second-place finish in the NASCAR Pro Series feature Saturday night at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.
Don Colpritt Jr. won the caution-plagued race.
King started fourth but was involved in a skirmish in the opening laps that did significant cosmetic damage to the front of his car. Helped by the carnage that eliminated much of the competition and allowed his crew ample time to bandage the wounds, he was able to race through the field, back up his victory from two weeks ago and make a substantial gain in the division point standings.
Bidding for back-to-back wins, Kyle DeSouza raced from 24th starting position before settling for third. Ajay Picard and Kelly Moore rounded out the top five.
Colpritt landed the lead from Evan Beaulieu of Durham just prior to the halfway point of the 50-lap scramble. Beaulieu wound up sixth. The eventual winner also held off a significant challenge from David Oliver at lap 30.
Justin Karkos gave King Motorsports dual runner-up finishes on the evening, chasing winner Lewis Anderson across the finish line in the Wildcat feature.
Mac Hannan Jr. was third in front of defending division champion Cole Watson and Jon Brill.
Joe Pastore Jr. won Saturday’s main event at Beech Ridge, a 125-lap special for the Sport Series. Pastore led most of the race.
Brandon Barker was second, followed by Russ Morse, Sally Gherardi and Dave Langlais.
Harris denies Prindall
Chuck Harris ended the four-race winning streak of Lisbon’s Jeff Prindall in the New England 4-Cylinder Pro Stock feature Saturday at Wiscasset Speedway.
Craig Dunn of Strong claimed second place in the event.
Richmond teenager Nate Tribbett held off a host of experienced local drivers to win the Outlaw Mini feature. Jimmy Childs of Leeds was second, trailed by Calvin Rose Jr. of Turner, Matt Moore of Mechanic Falls and Shane Kaherl of Jay.
Nick Hinkley won the 40-lap Pro Stock main event. Dylan Turner, James Osmond, Mike Orr and Maggie Ferland of Auburn completed the top five.
Adam Chadbourne (Super Street) and Pat Hinkley (Flagpole) also picked up victories.
Oxford weather shuffle
Oxford Plains Speedway lost its scheduled Friday night show to inclement weather for the fourth time in the past five weeks.
The resulting rain date will recreate a Fourth of July “speed week” scenario in Maine. In addition to the regularly scheduled races on Wednesday, July 2 and Thursday, July 3 — the latter featuring the annual fireworks display — this past Friday’s date will be made up on Friday, July 4.
After the affiliated PASS North Series competes at Beech Ridge on Saturday, July 5, OPS will host a Motor Mayhem card on Sunday, July 6.
The explosive speed of the International Supermodified Association makes its return to the 3/8-mile oval this Friday after a multi-year absence for the Bentley Warren ISMA Classic.
Park to drive 250
OPS also announced this weekend that NASCAR Sprint Cup veteran Steve Park will enter the Oxford 250 on Sunday, July 20.
Park has not competed regularly on the top circuit for many years. He made a brief comeback after suffering severe head injuries in a race at Darlington, S.C.
He will drive a car owned by Dick Woodman, who been associated with successful 250 rides for such drivers as Bill and Jeremie Whorff and Daniel Hemric in the past.
“I have always wanted to compete in the Oxford 250,” Park said in a news release. “This is one of the most prestigious racing events in the Northeast, and to be a part of it in 2014 really excites me. I used to attend this race with my dad when I was younger, and I always hoped to drive in this event some time during my life.”
Park is officially the 45th driver to enter the race, which typically draws a field in excess of 70 competing for a winner’s share in excess of $25,000.
A product of the NASCAR Modified ranks, Park signed with the late Dale Earnhardt to drive his NASCAR Nationwide Series car in the late 1990s.
Best known for winning the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Rockingham in the event one week after Earnhardt’s death in a 2001 crash at Daytona, Park also scored a win in his home state of New York at Watkins Glen.
He joins a list of drivers with Sprint Cup ties to compete in the 250 since 2004 that includes Matt Kenseth, Kurt and Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski, Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin, J.J. Yeley, Ricky Craven, Terry Labonte, Kenny Wallace, Kevin Lepage and Trevor Bayne. Harvick (2008) and Kyle Busch (2011) each won the race.
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