TJ Brackett powered around the outside of early leader Shawn Knight on lap 20 and pulled away to claim the 50-lap Super Late Model Trophy Dash on Saturday night at Oxford Plains Speedway.
The two-time track champion (2013-14) from Buckfield won his first race this year on May 28, and appears to be back in top form as the 43rd annual Oxford 250 is now less than one week away.
A full field of cars packed the pit area Saturday as a number of teams took advantage of one final tuneup session before the richest single-day short track race is upon us. Knight settled for second, while point leader and three-time champion Tim Brackett wheeled his way to third at the stripe.
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway regulars Corey Bubar and Bobby Timmons, both of Windham, finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Both are second-generation drivers with talent and skills to spare.
Finishing sixth through 10th were Gary Smith, Scott Robbins, Shawn Martin, Scott Moore and Alan Wilson. Three cautions slowed the pace, none for serious incidents. Knight, TJ Brackett and Sam Gooden earned heat race wins.
Matt Williams roared back into the spotlight with an impressive victory in a 30-lap tilt for the Street Stock division. The skilled veteran from Brownfield held off a hard-charging Matt Dufault for top honors, while point contender Calvin Rose Jr. of Turner overcame a mid-race setback to finish third.
Billy Childs Jr. of Leeds battled for most of the race with early leader Jordan Russell and came home fourth, while Russell perked up his sophomore season with a top-five finish. The Street Stock class continues to impress, with plenty of side-by-side racing each and every week.
Waterford veteran Jamie Heath put on a clinic in the Bandit division Saturday evening. The master of four-cylinder-powered, front-wheel-drive oval competition checked out on the field, leaving Tyler Green of Turner to claim runner-up honors. Oxford’s Jake Hall put in another solid effort to finish third, while Bill Grover (Waterford) and Charlie Hall (Oxford) completed the top five.
South Paris veteran David Smith powered to another victory in the Figure 8 class. Maine Hall of Famer and defending points champion Jon Lizotte of Lewiston settled for second, while up-and-comer Kyle Kilgore of South Paris filled out the podium in third. Greg Durgin was rock-solid once again and came home fourth, wand Dale Lawrence of Lisbon Falls rounded out the top five.
Peters earns first Pro Series win at Beech Ridge
In the last couple of seasons at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, the name John Peters has been discussed on more than one occasion. The 19-year-old business major (Southern New Hampshire University) from Westbrook has shown tremendous talent in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series competition.
On Saturday evening, it finally all came together for Peters and the Runtal Radiators No. 51 squad as he earned his first career Pro Series feature victory. Peters held off Beech Ridge veteran Steve Carrier of Saco to earn top honors, while point leader Curtis Gerry rallied from deep in the field to finish third.
Gerry’s championship-caliber effort to secure another podium finish kept him ahead by a mere three points with only one race remaining. Beech Ridge wraps up its 2016 season of racing with Championship Night on Saturday, September 3.
pwhipple@sunjournal.com
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