Sessions, Mooney win thrillers; Adams extends
win streak to three in last TD Banknorth 250 tuneup
win streak to three in last TD Banknorth 250 tuneup
OXFORD, Maine – Hard to imagine the hottest late model driver in New England extending his winning streak to three heading into the biggest race of the year and getting upstaged.
Travis Adams had plenty of competition from Sumner Sessions and Don Mooney, though, for the spotlight and the headlines in one of the wildest Saturday nights imaginable at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Adams continued his recent custom of roaring up the outside and leaving the competition looking at a blur through their windshields. The reigning Oxford Networks Late Model champion won his third straight 40-lap feature and fifth of the season in 10 tries, matching his full-season win total of 2006.
It's a phenomenal achievement headed into what is essentially the all-star break for New England late models, but for sheer excitement, Adams' win over Don Wentworth and Brad Hammond wasn't even close to the top rung on Hilltop Pools & Spas Night.
That distinction goes to Sumner Sessions, who somehow reeled in Skip Tripp, Glen Henderson and Tommy Tompkins in traffic late in a non-stop marathon, then scooted to Tompkins' low side in the final turn to steal away the Hilltop 100 for Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Strictly Stocks..
The win was Sessions' second straight and fourth overall, extending his point lead over Tompkins. Henderson wound up third.
For the second time in three 100-lap events this season, the Strictly gang went wire-to-wire without a caution flag. Tripp took home fourth, with early dominator Dave Brannon fading to fifth.
A 30-lap Allen's Mini Stock main event didn't lack for thrills and raw emotions, with a clash of champions escalating into a heated battle for the victory. Don Mooney and Jimmy Childs bumped several times on the race track, including one skirmish under caution, before settling in for a classic, five-lap sprint to the finish.
Childs' ride lost power as he crossed the stripe to take the white flag, though, sidelining him before the conclusion for the second straight week. Mooney went on to the win in only his second start of the campaign. Adam Polvinen took over the division point lead by running second, closely followed by a second Mooney brother, David.
Bill Irving was fourth, with Kevin Bishop a season-best fifth.
David Childs became the first 2007 champion at OPS, clinching the four-race Agren Appliance Grand Slam for the Chimney Tech Outlaw division with a fourth-place finish in the second of twin 20-lap features.
His uncle, Guy, logged a runaway win in the 'B' feature, his second of the season, ahead of John Patria. Two post-race disqualifications shuffled the remainder of the top five, with Mark McDonald, Dan Brown and Jim Drake falling into line.
Round 'A' went to Tom Averill, his first feature triumph in three years. Keith Landry and Steve Moon led Childs across the wire, backed by Thom Bell.
In a 15-lap exhibition for the Wicked Good Vintage Racing Association – a hodgepodge of restored coupes and modifieds from the 1950s and '60s – John Rice outran OPS legend Russ Nutting and Haggie Pratt.
TD Banknorth 250 Speedweek Presented By New England Dodge Dealers has arrived! It starts Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. and Friday at 6:30 p.m. with a pair of cards for the Acceleration Series. The True Value Modified Racing Series makes its first OPS appearance Saturday at 6:30 p.m. in the Maine-Ly Action Sports 100, and the 34th annual summer classic gets the green flag for qualifying Sunday at 2 p.m.
For ticket reservations and more information, call 539-8865 or go to www.oxfordplains.com.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (100 laps): 1. Sumner Sessions, Norway; 2. Tommy Tompkins, Dixfield; 3. Glen Henderson, Sabattus; 4. Skip Tripp, Sabattus; 5. Dave Brannon, Topsham; 6. Matt Williams, Brownfield; 7. Rick Thompson, Naples; 8. Scott Belskis, Dixfield; 9. Larry Emerson, Durham; 10. Chris Burgess, Lewiston; 11. Danny Smart, Buxton; 12. Mike Short, Auburn; 13. B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; 14. Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 15. Bob Crocker, Freeport; 16. Mike St. Germain, Auburn; 17. Bob DiPompo, Jay; 18. Ben Krauter, Raymond; 19. Reggie Houghton, Carthage; 20. Kenny Harrison, Pownal; 21. Kim Tripp, Oxford; 22. Nick Coates, Turner.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps): 1. Travis Adams, Canton; 2. Don Wentworth, Otisfield; 3. Brad Hammond, Sabattus; 4. Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township; 5. Scott Luce, Strong; 6. Glen Luce, Turner; 7. Ricky Morse, St, Albans; 8. Leon Heckbert, Wilton; 9. Kurt Hewins, Leeds; 10. Jon Brill, Bridgton; 11. Dave MacDonald, New Gloucester; 12. Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 13. Travis Stearns, Gray; 14. Tommy Ricker, Poland; 15. Rick Valentine, Greene; 16. Shawn Martin, Turner; 17. Neil Martin, Freeport; 18. Carey Martin, Denmark; 19. Gary Chiasson, Peru; 20. Jeff White, Winthrop; 21. Ben Ashline, Pittston; 22. Dale Verrill, Paris; 23. T.J. Watson, Harpswell; 24. Billy Childs Jr., Leeds.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY MINI STOCK (30 laps): 1. Don Mooney, New Gloucester; 2. Adam Polvinen, Oxford; 3. Dave Mooney, Wales; 4. Bill Irving, New Gloucester; 5. Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 6. Ashley Marshall, Jay; 7. Greg Watkins, Bridgton; 8. Dale Brackett, Oxford; 9. Rick Giguere, Auburn; 10. Greg Durgin, Norway; 11. Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 12. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 13. Bob Guptill, Mechanic Falls; 14. Bill Thibeault, Oxford; 15. Don Frechette, Turner; 16. Jeff Prindall, Lisbon Falls; 17. Dale Durgin, Norway; 18. Darick Barker, Jay; 19. Jim Robbins, Dixfield; 20. Al Roberti, South Paris.
CHIMNEY TECH OUTLAW #1 (20 laps): 1. Guy Childs, Turner; 2. John Patria, Turner; 3. Mark MacDonald, Center Conway, N.H.; 4. Dan Brown, Carthage; 5. Jim Drake, Hebron; 6. Scott Ellis, Lewiston; 7. Leo Hatch-Auger, Norway; 8. Fred Clavet, Buckfield; 9. Ralph Felker, Poland; 10. Jay Wilkins, Gray; 11. Gerald Parlin, South Paris; 12. John Childs, Leeds; 13. Todd Foss, Raymond; 14. Kimberly Sessions, Oxford; 15. Jonathan Baldwin, Auburn; 16. Scott Veinott, Lewiston; 17. Justin Dennison, North Yarmouth; 18. Mike Girardin, Oxford.
CHIMNEY TECH OUTLAW #2 (20 laps): 1. Tom Averill, Peru; 2. Keith Landry, Oxford; 3. Steve Moon, Gray; 4. David Childs, Oxford; 5. Thom Bell, Minot; 6. Bubba Collins, Lewiston; 7. Addison Bowie, Auburn; 8. Bob Ferguson, New Gloucester; 9. John Spencer, Auburn; 10. Randy Robitaile, Norway; 11. Tyler Belanger, Sumner; 12. Gerry Richard, Leeds; 13. Jim Archer, Chesterville; 14. Steve Brill, Bridgton; 15. Jerry Freve, Buckfield; 16. Shannon Judd, Jay; 17. David Brown, Gray; 18. Mike Rainville, Littleton, N.H.; 19. Kevin Plummer, Oxford; 20. Richard Spaulding, Lewiston.
WICKED GOOD VINTAGE RACING ASSOCIATION (15 laps): 1. John Rice, Unity; 2. Russ Nutting, Limerick; 3. Haggie Pratt, Dexter.