Varney belts triple; Phillips, Metivier, Haskell score first wins in current divisions at OPS
OXFORD, Maine – Brandon Varney matched a pair of records Friday night in the JARRacing Photography Go Kart Series at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Varney posted three feature wins across two classes in one evening, tying a previous mark owned by Dave Farrington Jr. And with his pair of triumphs in Box Stock, the 2006 division champion knotted Kelsey Babb for the all-time number of victories in that class with nine.
Three other drivers celebrated firsts on a busy double-feature night, one that made up for a rainout in June.
Kyle Metivier, a former champion in youth classes, picked up his initial victory in the 15-and-up Unrestricted division. Dylan Haskell matched that effort, completing his successful jump to Purple Plate with a checkered flag after numerous past wins in Box Stock.
Ryan Phillips continued this season's trend of first-time OPS conquerors, celebrating his breakthrough Oxford victory in the Gold Plate opener.
Stephen Beattie swept the Star Champ features, extending his winning streak to eight races . Varney's double dip in Box Stock made it six overall in the entry-level group this summer.
Varney (Purple Plate), Tyler Braunschweig (Unrestricted) and Josh Brown (Gold Plate) also posted their third victories of the campaign. Spencer Thompson and Jacob Hendsbee each prevailed for the second time in Blue Plate.
In his Box Stock domination, Varney took the lead on Lap 5 of each half.
Kyle Mooney backed up his recent two-race winning streak with a pair of runner-up trophies. Chase Staples and Ethan Brown swapped third and fourth in the twin sprints, with newcomer Alicia Perry fifth in each round.
Varney grabbed the advantage from Owen Poisson on lap 2 of the Purple opener. Point leader and reigning champion Evan Armington kept pace with a second-place run, followed by Zachary Rich, Haskell and Poisson.
Haskell led every lap of the nightcap, denying two charges by Armington. Rich closed in to make it a three-car battle before settling for the final trophy in front of Varney and Poisson.
Thompson topped Hendsbee on the halfway lap of the Blue Plate debut. Champion Troy Davis led the ever-present Varney across the stripe in the chase for second, trailed by Cody Chiasson and Chris Staples Jr.
Nobody could catch Hendsbee in the finale, with Chiasson and Varney completing the top three after Davis failed the post-race weight inspection. The probable culprit was an early wreck that sheared the entire body of sheet metal off his #24 kart.
Avery Spear and Staples moved up the ladder to complete the top five.
Phillips carved out a wire-to-wire win in the initial Gold Plate dash, denying defending champ Spencer Morse and David Blackwell. Brady Smith and Josh Brown were next in line.
Brown navigated his way around Katrina Bright on lap 5 of the encore. Phillips charged from the rear of the field for a valiant second, backed by Blackwell, Morse and Bright.
Beattie won the first Star Champ encounter with ease, leading every lap and finishing alone on the track. Mike Ricker put up a solid fight in round two, with the duo swapping the lead three times before Beattie took command for keeps on lap 12.
Ten Unrestricted karts made for a wild night in the fast division. Braunschweig ran and hid after wrestling the lead from Aaron Collomy on lap 3 in his victory. Dan Pelletier Jr. denied Metivier for second in that battle, followed by Collomy and Kayla Ashline.
Metivier was peerless in the nightcap, leading from the get-go and holding point leader Robbie Wentworth at bay down the stretch. Charlie Tyler, Ashline and Collomy rounded out the to p five.
The JARRacing Karts will return to action in two weeks on Friday, August 8. OPS returns to life Saturday at 6:30 with feature racing on the big track in six divisions.
UNRESTRICTED #1 (20 laps): 1. Tyler Braunschweig, West Newfield; 2. Dan Pelletier Jr., East Poland; 3. Kyle Metivier, Lisbon; 4. Aaron Collomy, Saco; 5. Kayla Ashline, Pittston; 6. Charlie Tyler, Buxton; 7. Matt Langevin, Gorham; 8. Robbie Wentworth, Conway, N.H.; 9. T.J. Laro, Arundel. DQ: Jeremy Wentworth, Conway, N.H.
Lap leaders: Collomy 1-2, Braunschweig 3-20.
UNRESTRICTED #2 (20 laps): 1. Kyle Metivier, Lisbon; 2. Robbie Wentworth, Conway, N.H.; 3. Charlie Tyler, Buxton; 4. Kayla Ashline, Pittston; 5. Aaron Collomy, Saco; 6. Dan Pelletier Jr., East Poland; 7. Tyler Braunschweig, West Newfield; 8. Jeremy Wentworth, Conway, N.H.; 9. T.J. Laro, Arundel; 10. Matt Langevin, Gorham.
Lap leaders: Metivier 1-20.
STAR CHAMP #1 (20 laps): 1. Stephen Beattie, Conway, N.H. DQ: Mike Ricker, Sebago.
Lap leaders: Beattie 1-20.
STAR CHAMP #2 (20 laps): 1. Stephen Beattie, Conway, N.H.; 2. Mike Ricker, Sebago.
Lap leaders: Ricker 1-7, Beattie 8, Ricker 9-11, Beattie 12-20.
GOLD PLATE #1 (20 laps): 1. Ryan Phillips, Buxton; 2. Spencer Morse, Waterford; 3. David Blackwell, Brunswick; 4. Brady Smith, Porter; 5. Josh Brown, South Paris; 6. Kyle Metivier, Lisbon; 7. Katrina Bright, Wilton. DQ: Zach Harmon, Buxton>
Lap leaders: Phillips 1-20.
GOLD PLATE #2 (20 laps): 1. Josh Brown, South Paris; 2. Ryan Phillips, Buxton; 3. David Blackwell, Brunswick; 4. Spencer Morse, Waterford; 5. Katrina Bright, Wilton; 6. Brady Smith, Porter; 7. Zach Harmon, Buxton; 8. Kyle Metivier, Lisbon.
Heat winners: Bright 1-4, Brown 5-20.
BLUE PLATE #1 (20 laps): 1. Spencer Thompson, Oxford; 2. Troy Davis, Windham; 3. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 4. Cody Chiasson, Peru; 5. Chris Staples Jr., Brunswick; 6. Jacob Hendsbee, Whitefield. DQ: Avery Spear, Oxford.
Lap leaders: Chiasson 1, Hendsbee 2-9, Thompson 10-20.
BLUE PLATE #2 (20 laps): 1. Jacob Hendsbee, Whitefield; 2. Cody Chiasson, Peru; 3. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 4. Avery Spear, Oxford; 5. Chris Staples Jr., Brunswick; 6. Spencer Thompson, Oxford. DQ: Troy Davis, Windham..
Lap leaders: Hendsbee 1-20.
PURPLE PLATE #1 (20 laps): 1. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 2. Evan Armington, Lovell; 3. Zachary Rich, Casco; 4. Dylan Haskell, West Baldwin; 5. Owen Poisson, Brunswick.
Lap leaders: Poisson 1, Varney 2-20.
PURPLE PLATE #2 (20 laps): 1. Dylan Haskell, West Baldwin; 2. Evan Armington, Lovell; 3. Zachary Rich, Casco; 4. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 5. Owen Poisson, Brunswick.
Lap leaders: Haskell 1-20.
BOX STOCK #1 (20 laps): 1. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 2. Kyle Mooney, New Gloucester; 3. Chase Staples, Durham; 4. Ethan Brown, South Paris; 5. Alicia Perry, Windham; 6. Brodie M orse, Waterford; 7. Ethan Matot, Casco.
Lap leaders: Morse 1-4, Varney 5-20.
BOX STOCK #2 (20 laps): 1. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 2. Kyle Mooney, New Gloucester; 3. Ethan Brown, South Paris; 4. Chase Staples, Durham; 5. Alicia Perry, Windham; 6. Brodie Morse, Waterford; 7. Ethan Matot, Casco.
Lap leaders: Morse 1, Staples 2-4, Varney 5-20.