Heckbert cures seven-year itch with Late Model score;
Mooney, Tripp win; Patria, Hebert hit Grand Slam
OXFORD, Maine – After seven years away from Oxford Networks Late Model victory lane, Leon Heckbert only needed three races of his "un-retirement" to find the road back.
Heckbert stormed to the lead on lap 5 and steered car owner Mark Brackett's fast #5 into the winner's circle in Saturday's New Balance Summer Celebration at Oxford Plains Speedway.
"I can't thank Mark enough," Heckbert said. "The only reason I'm back in a Late Model car is that I was fortunate enough that he asked me to drive."
Making the Wilton driver's comeback win even sweeter was that Heckbert held off one of best in the local business, two-time Late Model champion Travis Adams.
Five-time feature winner Adams settled for second and reclaimed the division point lead from Ricky Rolfe, who suffered a flat tire and lost a lap to the leaders on the 24th circuit. Rolfe finished 21st in the 26-car field.
Glen Luce ran side-by-side with Carey Martin throughout the second half of the race before winning the tense battle for third out of the final turn. Don Wentworth charged from the back of the field to finish fifth.
Skip Tripp snagged his second straight victory in the Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Strictly Stock division. Tripp overtook Bob Crocker on lap 9 and settled into a 10-car length advantage throughout the caution-free, 30-lap sprint.
Crocker's second-place run was the best in many years for the former Chimney Tech Outlaw champion. Sumner Sessions bounced back from his crash and loss of the division point lead to take third and keep pace with leader Tommy Tompkins, who wound up fifth. Leading rookie Chris Burgess was a career-best fourth.
Don Mooney held Jimmy Childs at bay in a tight battle of Allen's Mini Stock champions for his second 30-lap triumph of the season. Bill Thibeault out-dueled Adam Polvinen in a similar battle for third, with Kevin Bishop continuing his late-season run of top-five results.
Two more Agren Appliance Grand Slam champions were crowned Saturday, as well, with Dottie Patria getting the nod in Allen's Ladies and Rick Hebert reigning supreme in Call of the Wild RV Center Sport Truck.
Deanna Bisbee and Doug Degroat were the wire-to-wire winners in the two events.
Kimberly Sessions remained on a hot streak with her second-place run in the Ladies. Cathy Manchester held off Christina Spaulding for third and forced a tie for the title, but fifth-place Patria prevailed by virtue of two prior feature wins.
Hebert needed to keep Lee Spurling in sight to take the Truck title and did so, with Spurling claiming second and Hebert third behind Degroat. Recent first-time winner and new father Ryan Farrar was a strong fourth in front of Roger Allard.
Oxford's doubleheader weekend takes a wild turn Sunday at 1 p.m. with Motor Mayhem, featuring Twin Enduros, a Smoky Donut Show, Spectator Drags and other surprises.
The Championship Series returns next Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with the American-Canadian Tour Time Warner Cable 100, part of the L/A Harley-Davidson Late Model Challenge.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps): 1. Leon Heckbert, Wilton; 2. Travis Adams, Canton; 3. Glen Luce, Turner; 4. Carey Martin, Denmark; 5. Don Wentworth, Otisfield; 6. Dave MacDonald, New Gloucester; 7. Dennis Spencer Jr., Oxford; 8. Shawn Martin, Turner; 9. T.J. Watson, Harpswell; 10. Scott Luce, Strong; 11. Jon Brill, Bridgton; 12. Tommy Ricker, Poland; 13. Corey Morgan, Lewiston; 14. Perley Childs III, Auburn; 15. Gary Chiasson, Peru; 16. Scott Hodgdon, Minot; 17. Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 18. Shane Green, South Paris; 19. Neil Martin, Freeport; 20. B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; 21. Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township; 22. Ben Ashline, Pittston; 23. Rick Valentine, Greene; 24. Dale Verrill, Paris; 25. Ricky Morse, St. Albans; 26. Travis Stearns, Gray.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps): 1. Skip Tripp, Sabattus; 2. Bob Crocker, Freeport; 3. Sumner Sessions, Norway; 4. Chris Burgess, Lewiston; 5. Tommy Tompkins, Dixfield; 6. Matt Williams, Brownfield; 7. Rick Thompson, Naples; 8. Mike Short, Auburn; 9. Glen Henderson, Sabattus; 10. Todd Hall, Auburn; 11. Larry Emerson, Durham; 12. Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 13. Ron Charpentier Jr., Wales; 14. Kim Tripp, Oxford; 15. Dick Damon, Livermore; 16. Ben Krauter, Raymond; 17. Reggie Houghton, Carthage.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY MINI STOCK (30 laps): 1. Don Mooney, New Gloucester; 2. Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 3. Bill Thibeault, Oxford; 4. Adam Polvinen, Oxford; 5. Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 6. Bill Irving, New Gloucester; 7. Dale Brackett, Oxford; 8. Dale Durgin, Norway; 9. Ashley Marshall, Jay; 10. Greg Watkins, Bridgton; 11. Darick Barker, Jay; 12. Bill Childs Sr., Leeds; 13. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 14. Bob Guptill, Mechanic Falls; 15. Al Roberti, South Paris; 16. Jim Robbins, Dixfield.
CALL OF THE WILD RV CENTER SPORT TRUCK (20 laps): 1. Doug Degroat, Oxford; 2. Lee Spurling, New Gloucester; 3. Rick Hebert, Peru; 4. Ryan Farrar, Oxford; 5. Roger Allard, Harpswell; 6. Yogi Hiscock, Jay; 7. Devon Smith, Norway; 8. Kevin Oliver, Gray; 9. Doug Stevens, West Sumner; 10. Corey Williams, Sumner; 11. Tom Libby, Gorham; 12. Earl Lowe, Sumner; 13. Brent Westberry, Buckfield; 14. Joe Farrar, Oxford; 15. Brian Farrar, Sumner; 16. Mike Blash, Oxford; 17. Marvin Hamilton, New Gloucester.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY LADIES (20 laps): 1. Deanna Bisbee, South Paris; 2. Kimberly Sessions, Auburn; 3. Cathy Manchester, Gray; 4. Christina Spaulding, Lewiston; 5. Dottie Patria, Turner; 6. Missy Roussel, Oxford; 7. Debbie Marston, Hartford; 8. Shannon Wheeler, Auburn; 9. Annie Chartier, Mexico.
