The driver known as “Joey Pole” won from the pole again Saturday night at Oxford Plains Speedway, but it wasn’t as easy as that makes it sound.
Joey Polewarczyk Jr. emerged from a heated battle with Brad Babb, then held off Dillon Moltz to win the Dave’s Small Engine Repair/Ventrac 150.
It is the fourth win in eight American-Canadian Tour events this season and the second at Oxford for Polewarczyk, who set the pace 112 laps before surrendering the top spot to Babb.
Polewarczyk kept Babb in his sights and reclaimed the lead with an aggressive pass in Turn 1 on lap 146. Babb never fully recovered and spun in Turn 2.
Moltz, driving for the Jay-based team of Mark Brackett, applied some pressure on the ensuing restart, but Polewarczyk held on for the victory. Bobby Therrien was third, followed by Jimmy Hebert and Wayne Helliwell Jr.
Emily Packard, Rowland Robinson Jr., Travis Fadden, Eddie MacDonald and Nick Sweet completed the top 10 in the 21-car field.
Travis Stearns of Auburn ran in the top five until an encounter with a slower car late in the race. Babb and Stearns wound up 11th and 12th, the final cars on the lead lap.
Four cautions slowed the event, none for major incidents.
It was also a big night for Scott Robbins of Dixfield, who posted his first OPS win since his championship season of 2004 in the 50-lap Super Late Model feature.
Robbins, the past Oxford 250 winner who stepped away from the sport for many years to focus on his family, overtook Gary Chiasson of Peru with 10 laps remaining.
Shawn Martin held off a last-lap challenge from Kyle Treadwell to claim third, with point leader Tim Brackett finishing fifth. PASS mainstay Johnny Clark, Dennis Spencer Jr., Shawn Knight, Vanna Brackett and Alan Wilson were sixth through 10th.
Toby Wells won the North East Mini Stock Tour event in a green-white-checkered finish. Wells, the series point leader, took the lead from Jimmy Childs near the halfway mark and kept Rob Greenleaf in his mirror at the line. Justin Trombley charged to third ahead of Justin Larsen.
In other weekly feature action, Jon Lizotte became only the third driver in OPS history to win 100 feature races by dominating the Figure Eight race.
Lizotte joined Mike Rowe (151) and David Smith (104) in that category. Lizotte and Smith claimed the lion’s share of their wins in the Figure Eight class, which thrived in the 1970s and 1980s and lured both men out of retirement when it was reintroduced this season. Mike St. Germain was second, with Smith third.
Josh Childs (Street Stock), Cam Childs (Bandit) and Ryan Robbins (Modified) also scored feature wins on the busy evening.
Big night for Lanpher at Beech Ridge
Saturday was a productive night at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for Reid Lanpher of Manchester.
The teenage driver picked up his first NASCAR Pro Series feature win of the season and unofficially took over the division point lead in the process.
Lanpher, who also won at OPS early in the season, held off Robbie Harrison and Curt Gerry for the checkers.
Mike St. Pierre had to fight through a green-white-checkered shootout to score his first career Sport Series triumph. Craig Smith was second, with Tom Bennett third.
Cole Watson snagged his third Wildcat victory of the campaign with Brian Caswell and point leader Ryan Hewins of Leeds in tow.
Harrison collects first Wiscasset checkers
Teenage competitor Michael Harrison of Durham continued his family’s rich racing tradition with the first win of his career Saturday night at Wiscasset Speedway.
Harrison won the 20-lap Thunder 4 Mini feature after the first car under the checkered flag failed post-race inspection. Curtis Anderson and Cody Tribbet ascended to second and third in the final rundown.
Mark Lucas continued his torrid season at the coastal oval with a 35-lap Super Street victory. Jason Curtis and Josh Bailey completed the podium picture.
Andy Saunders posted the Pro Stock win. Saunders took command of the 40-lap race after early dominator Wyatt Alexander saw his spacious lead erased by a red flag, then had his night ended by mechanical woes.
Evan Beaulieu of Durham posted his best finish of the season in second, followed by Kevin Morse.
Alex Waltz took top honors in New England 4-Cylinder Pro Stock with Jacob Hendsbee and Kamren Knowles giving chase.
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