OXFORD — Veteran short track driver Tracy Gordon earned his second victory of the season in style, wheeling his No. 41 entry to top honors in the 50-lap Super Late Model Trophy Dash on Saturday at Oxford Plains Speedway.
The 52-year-old veteran from Strong, and recent winner of the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Open 100, drove around Ellsworth’s Andy Saunders at the halfway mark and held off four-time track champion Tim Brackett to prevail in a 27-car feature.
Saunders led the first half of the feature yet had an encounter with lapped traffic while running in third position with only four laps remaining in the 50-lap tilt. Brackett wheeled his new Clattenburg-built car to a solid runner-up finish.
Fifteen-year-old Gabe Brown, of Center Conway, New Hampshire, joined the two ageless racers on the podium, reclaiming the lead in the season-long Budweiser Championship Series Super Late Model standings with his third-place finish.
Multi-time Oxford Late Model champion Shawn Martin of Turner and Connecticut invader Ray Christian III of Uncasville rounded out the top five.
Reigning Street Stock division champion Billy Childs Jr. got a late start to his 2018 season but has been the man to beat since he returned to competition. The veteran from Leeds drove by early leader Jordan Russell on lap 13 and pulled away to record his third victory in just four starts.
Another part-timer racer, Leeds native Ryan Hewins, hugged the curb for most of the 30-lap race and settled for the runner-up trophy. Turner’s Matt Dufault stayed atop the championship standings with a solid third-place run, once again passing several cars in three-wide fashion in a charge from the back of the field.
Early leader Russell hung on to post a fourth-place finish, just ahead of West Poland’s David Whittier.
Kurt Hewins led all the way in a 20-lap main event for the Bandits class, but it was close all the way through the 20-lap race, with Oxford’s Jake Hall keeping things interesting until the checkered flag waved. Hewins, of Leeds, became the 10th winner in 10 Bandits races contested to date in 2018.
Hall settled for second, while current point leader Dustin Salley (Poland) crossed the line in third position after a long battle with Mike McKinney of Berlin, New Hampshire. Buckfield’s Chad Wills rounded out the top five.
Lisbon-based veteran Dale Lawrence continued the best year of his long racing career with his fourth Figure 8 victory of the season. Lawrence edged five-time winner and points leader Kyle Kilgore to record the win.
Oxford’s Kyle Glover led the first half of the 20-lap race en route to a third-place finish. Charlie Hall of Oxford and Poland’s Larry Lizotte finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Brady Heath of Waterford drove to his first victory in the new Rookie Stock division after posting eight straight runner-up finishes. Owen Stuart of Naples was the second-place finisher in his first appearance, with Brady Childs of Leeds third across the finish line.
Points leader Thomas Brackett cut a tire while making a bid for the race lead and was fourth in the final rundown.
Tribbett bags Pro Stock win at Wiscasset
Former Outlaw Mini champion Cody Tribbett earned his first career Pro Stock victory Saturday as Wiscasset Speedway officials hustled to beat the rain. Three of five features were completed before Mother Nature intervened and put an end to the evening.
Tribbett, of Richmond, edged Jay veteran Dave Farrington Jr. by a scant .383-second margin for top honors in the 40-lap feature. Second-generation racer Daren Ripley, of Thomaston, filled out the podium in third, while Nick Hinkley (Wiscasset) and Kevin Morse (Woolwich) completed the top five.
Old Orchard Beach veteran Kevin Girard Jr. prevailed in a hotly-contested 25-lap tussle for the AMSOIL NELCAR Legends. Girard finished over a full second ahead of runner-up Casey Call, of Pembroke, New Hampshire. Fellow Granite State driver Thomas Everson (Gilmanton) finished third.
Turner native Max Rowe prevailed in the 35-lap battle for 4-Cylinder Pro teams. Short track veteran and car owner Larry Melcher (Livermore) put in a solid effort to secure the runner-up position, while Taylor Lane (Phillips) filled out the podium in third.
A make-up date for the Super Street and Thunder 4 Mini division features will be announced shortly.
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