second-time fatherhood next on schedule
OXFORD, Maine – Travis Adams got the jump on Ricky Rolfe in the outside lane on a restart with 14 laps to go and held on to win the Oxford Networks Late Model season-opener Saturday on Double T Fence Night at Oxford Plains Speedway.
A seven-time feature winner on the way to his third championship in five seasons last summer, Adams recovered from a broken timing chain that took him out of the New England Dodge Dealers ACT 150 just five laps into the touring event on his home track two weeks ago.
Adams told the crowd that he hopes he will be back to try for his second straight 40-lap win next Saturday, but that his 2008 racing season will fall no higher than second on his list of priorities. His wife, Becky, is scheduled to give birth to the couple's second child by
Caesarean section on Monday.
"There are bigger things in life than this race car," he said.
The pass for the lead earned Adams the nightly Time Warner Cable Roadrunner Turbo-Charged Move of the Race award.
The pass for the lead earned Adams the nightly Time Warner Cable Roadrunner Turbo-Charged Move of the Race award.
Shawn Martin finished third in the field of 26 cars in the main event. The three drivers on the podium have combined for six OPS track titles.
The Late Model finale was one of seven features on the card.
Skip Tripp has carried his incredible Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Strictly Stock momentum through Maine's never-ending winter. Tripp's 30-lap victory is the sixth in his last eight starts dating back to last July.
Glen Henderson was second ahead in the Strictly scramble, while Kim Tripp emerged from a torrid, five-car battle for third.
Bill Thibeault led from wire-to-wire in a wild Allen's Mini Stock scramble, but his lead was never excessively comfortable. The real action unfolded behind him, with rookie Darrell Moore driving around Dave Mooney and Bob Guptill to score second on the next-to-last lap.
That left Mooney and Guptill to dice it out for third, but that confrontation ended in turn four with Mooney spinning and Guptill receiving the black flag. Guptill was scored as the final car on the lead lap, vaulting "Wild" Bill Irving to third.
Jerry Freve and Rick Spaulding prevailed in twin, 20-lap Chimney Tech Outlaw features.
Jerry Freve and Rick Spaulding prevailed in twin, 20-lap Chimney Tech Outlaw features.
Freve held off Tom Averill by one-quarter of a car length in the closest finish of the night. Averill led the race in turn 3, but Freve used the preferred inside line to hold the lead that otherwise belonged to him from the beginning. Jerry Goss took advantage of Bill Coolidge's late spin to take third.
Spaulding inherited the win in the second chapter when Guy Childs' apparent winning car failed the post-race inspection. Zach Bowie and Fred Clavet moved up to second and third, respectively.
Dottie Patria led the Allen's Ladies feature in its entirety. Cathy Manchester's technical infraction vaulted Sue Veinott to second and Lisa Brooks to third.
After 10 years of competing at least once a year in NELCAR Legends competition at OPS, Bob Weymouth finally landed his first win. Ed Getty was second, with Russ Nutting, a Maine Racing Hall of Famer now in his 70s, a strong third.
Racing continues at OPS at 6:30 p.m. next Saturday, May 17 with Sun Journal Night.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps): 1. Travis Adams, Canton; 2. Ricky Rolfe, Albany Townahip; 3. Shawn Martin, Turner; 4. Billy Childs Jr., Leeds; 5. Zach Emerson, Durham; 6. Dale Verrill, Paris; 7. Shawn Knight, South Paris; 8. Travis Stearns, Auburn; 9. Scott Luce, Strong; 10. Carey Martin, Denmark; 11. Conrad Childs, Auburn; 12. Corey Morgan, Lewiston; 13. Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 14, Ben Ashline, Pittston; 15. Don Wentworth, Otisfield; 16. Tommy Ricker, Poland; 17. Tyson Jordan, Poland; 18. Mark Childs Sr., Mechanic Falls; 19. Gerald Parlin, South Paris; 20. Neil Martin, Freeport; 21. Mark Childs Jr., Mechanic Falls; 22. Tim Pendergast, Hermon; 23. Kurt Hewins, Leeds; 24. Nick Brown, Bath; 25. Matt Sanborn, West Baldwin; 26. Paul Bosse, Gray.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps): 1. Skip Tripp, South Paris; 2. Glen Henderson, Sabattus; 3. Kim Tripp, Oxford; 4. Matt Williams, Brownfield; 5. Sumner Sessions, Norway; 6. Mike Short, Auburn; 7. Rick Thompson, Naples; 8. Perry Tucker, Sumner; 9. Larry Emerson, Durham; 10. Todd Hall, Auburn; 11. Michael Roe, West Paris; 12. B.J. Chapman, Bridgton.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY MINI STOCK (30 laps): 1. Bill Thibeault, Oxford; 2. Darrell Moore, Mechanic Falls; 3. Bill Irving, New Gloucester; 4. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 5. Ashley Marshall, Jay; 6. Bill Childs Sr., Leeds; 7. Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 8. Dave Mooney, Wales; 9. Greg Watkins, Bridgton; 10. Bob Guptill, Mechanic Falls; 11. Al Roberti, South Paris; 12. Brad Dwinal, Freeport; 13. Dale Brackett, Oxford; 14. Don Mooney, New Gloucester; 15. Curtis Fanjoy, Oxford; 16. Craig Moore, Woodstock; 17. Ken Daigle Jr., Wales; 18, Matt Moore, South Paris; 19. Randy Kimball, Mechanic Falls.
CHIMNEY TECH OUTLAW #1 (20 laps): 1. Jerry Freve, Buckfield; 2. Tom Averill, Peru; 3. Jerry Goss, Mechanic Falls; 4. Gordon Bell, Auburn; 5. Ron Abbott Jr., Sabattus; 6. Keith Landry, Oxford; 7. John Patria, Turner; 8. Shannon Judd, Jay; 9. Bill Coolidge, Bryant Pond; 10. Scott Veinott, Sabattus; 11. Nick Coates, Turner; 12. Dennis Morang, South Paris; 13. Don Veinott, Sabattus; 14. Walter Connell III, South Paris; 15. Justin Dennison, North Yarmouth; 16. Ken Varney, Oxford.
CHIMNEY TECH OUTLAW #2 (20 laps): 1. Rick Spaulding, Lewiston; 2. Zach Bowie, Mechanic Falls; 3. Fred Clavet, Buckfield; 4. Steve Moon, Gray; 5. JIm Drake Jr., Hebron; 6. Addison Bowie, Auburn; 7. Thom Bell, Minot; 8. John Leonard, Oxford; 9. Jim Archer, Chesterville; 10. Bubba Collins, Lewiston; 11. Scott Ellis, Lewiston; 12. Bob Ferguson, New Gloucester; 13. Jay Wilkins, Gray; 14. Corey Williams, Sumner; 15. Dan Bryan, Conway, N.H.. DQ: David Childs, Oxford; Guy Childs, Turner.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY LADIES (10 laps): 1. Dottie Patria, Turner; 2. Sue Veinott, Sabattus; 3. Lisa Brooks, Auburn; 4. Kimberly Sessions, Auburn; 5. Annie Chartier, Mexico.
NELCAR LEGENDS (20 laps): 1. Bob Weymouth, Topsham; 2. Ed Getty, Windham; 3. Russ Nutting, Limerick; 4. Terry Kirk, Durham; 5. Chris Sargent, Buxton; 6. Marc Fuchswanz, Vassalboro; 7. Alan Smith, Lincoln; 8. Chris Seavey, Windham.