Davis stops Varney's bid for milestone, enjoys one of his own in kart competition
OXFORD, Maine – Brandon Varney's bid to become only the second driver in JARRacing Photography Go Kart Series history to win three features in one night ended Friday with a mechanical malady and a different milestone victory by Troy Davis.
Varney ruled the Box Stock and Purple Plate features, then led the first seven laps of the Blue Plate main event before his kart lost power under caution.
Davis, the 2007 division champion, proceeded unchallenged from that point to his 26th career victory. That broke a tie with Nick Brown for second on the all-time, all-division JARRacing Kart list.
Series graduate Dave Farrington Jr. leads that category. Farrington also was the only other driver to pull off a single-night "triple crown," taking advantage of a double-feature night last July 27. Varney, who won't turn 11 until next month, competes in all three classes weekly.
In other action on a cold and misty evening, Evan Beaulieu picked up his second straight Unrestricted victory. Josh Brown became only the second repeat winner of the season in Gold Plate.
Varney led 31 of a possible 40 laps in his two triumphs. He out-dueled OPS rookie Matthew Mason in Box Stock, swapping the lead three times with the New Hampshire racer before claiming it for keeps on lap 15.
Kyle Mooney continued his strong rookie campaign with a heat win over Varney and a third-place run in the finale, followed by Ethan Brown and Brodie Morse.
Owen Poisson led five laps with Varney and Purple Plate champion Evan Armington running side-by-side directly behind him. Varney snuck underneath Poisson for the lead just before Armington spun and came up to speed without a caution, three-quarters of a lap behind the leader.
Armington's needed yellow flag flew late in the race when Dylan Haskell went for a loop, but the three-time '08 feature winner couldn't get close enough to take away Varney's second straight win in the class. Zachary Rich held off Armington for runner-up laurels, with Haskell fourth and Poisson fifth.
Davis initially jumped in front of Varney on the first of two lap 7 restarts. That circuit wasn't completed before the next yellow and the shutdown that ended Varney's night.
Notable for his 13-for-13 run in a smaller pack last season, Davis showed that he is still the driver to beat, padding the point lead with his second checkered flag of the campaign.
Cody Chiasson rallied from the rear of the field in the early going to claim second. Spencer Thompson rebounded from his own off-course excursion to cement third with Avery Spear and Chris Staples Jr, in tow.
Brown swept his heat and feature to top Gold Plate for the second time in three weeks. Kyle Metivier and Spencer Morse exchanged the lead over the first five laps before Brown turned up the wick.
Metivier was dropkicked back in the field before a resurgence to second, with Morse third ahead of David Blackwell and Katrina Bright.
Beaulieu has become the driver to watch in the age-15-and-up division. He charged from the rear of the field to swipe the lead from Charlie Tyler on lap 5.
Jeff Lillibridge (second) and point leader Robbie Wentworth (third) could keep up with Beaulieu but couldn't make any overtures for the lead in the home stretch. Aaron Collomy and Dan Pelletier Jr. completed the lead quintet.
JARRacing Photography Go Kart Series competition continues next Friday, June 13 at 6:30 p.m. OPS action resumes Saturday night at 6:30 p.m., with five divisions in action on Talking Phone Book Night.
UNRESTRICTED (20 laps): 1. Evan Beaulieu, Durham; 2. Jeff Lillibridge, Fryeburg; 3. Robbie Wentworth, Conway. N.H. 4. Aaron Collomy, Saco; 5. Dan Pelletier Jr., East Poland; 6. Kyle Metivier, Lisbon; 7. Kayla Ashline, Pittston; 8. Mike Ramsey, Buxton; 9. Tyler Braunschweig, West Newfield; 10. Charlie Tyler, Buxton.
Lap leaders: Tyler 1-4, Beaulieu 5-20.
Heat winner: Beaulieu.
GOLD PLATE (20 laps): 1. Josh Brown, South Paris; 2. Kyle Metivier, Lisbon; 3. Spencer Morse, Waterford; 4. David Blackwell, Brunswick; 5. Katrina Bright, Wilton; 6. Ryan Phillips. Buxton; 7. Brady Smith, Porter; 8. Zach Harmon, Buxton.
Lap leaders: Metivier 1-4. Morse 5, Brown 6-20.
Heat winner: Brown.
BLUE PLATE (20 laps): 1. Troy Davis, Windham; 2. Cody Chiasson, Peru; 3. Spencer Thompson, Oxford; 4. Avery Spear, Oxford; 5. Chris Staples Jr., Brunswick; 6. Jacob Hendsbee, Whitefield; 7. Brandon Varney, Lewiston.
Lap leaders: Varney 1-7, Davis 8-20.
Heat winner: Varney.
PURPLE PLATE (20 laps): 1. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 2. Zachary Rich, Casco; 3. Evan Armington, Lovell; 4. Dylan Haskell, West Baldwin; 5. Owen Poisson, Brunswick.
Lap leaders: Poisson 1-5, Varney 6-20.
Heat winner: Armington.
BOX STOCK (20 laps): 1. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 2. Matthew Mason, Groveton, N.H.; 3. Kyle Mooney, New Gloucester; 4. Ethan Brown, South Paris; 5. Brodie Morse, Waterford; 6. Chase Staples, Durham; 7. Ethan Matot, Casco; 8. Jake Talbot, Hiram.
Lap leaders: Mason 1-3, Varney 4-13, Mason 14, Varney 15-20.
Heat winner: Mooney.