Chapman, Marshall cop first-ever triumphs
OXFORD, Maine – Less than three months after unexpectedly losing the driving force behind his racing career, four-time Oxford Networks Late Model champion Travis Adams paid an emotional visit to Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday night.
Adams out-dueled fellow champions Tim Brackett, Ricky Rolfe and Shawn Martin and held off impressive second-year Late Model campaigner Shawn Knight for the 40-lap win in the Championship Series season-opener.
The three-time defending division champ used the outside lane to grab the lead for the final time on lap 29. When Brackett and Rolfe tangled on the same circuit, Adams' victory was all but sealed.
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Knight finished second, followed by Martin, Nick Brown in a career-best fourth and Tommy Ricker fifth.
Adams' father and chief mechanic, Donald Adams, died over the winter. He was 56.
"I've never been to the race track without him," said Adams, but everybody knows he was here tonight."
Two first-time winners shared the spotlight with Adams.
Ashley Marshall won the Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Mini Stock championship in 2008, but it took him until the second event of 2009 to snag his breakthrough 30-lap win.
Marshall reclaimed the lead from Justin Karkos on lap 26 after Karkos cut down a tire while battling slower traffic.
Rookies Calvin Rose Jr. and Jake Burns were second and third, respectively.
B.J. Chapman backed up several seasons of top-five finishes by standing atop the podium for the first time at the end of a 30-lap Allen's Strictly Stock feature. Chapman had his mirror and hands full with Mike Short over the final 10 circuits. Matt Williams took third.
Josh Childs ran away from his father, David, to win the Chimney Tech Outlaw 'A' feature in only his second start since graduating from four-cylinder cars.
The husband-wife tandem of John and Dottie Patria also celebrated victory: John in Outlaw 'B', Dottie in Allen's Ladies.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps): 1. Travis Adams, Canton; 2. Shawn Knight, South Paris; 3. Shawn Martin, Turner; 4. Nick Brown, Bath; 5. Tommy Ricker, Poland; 6. Corey Morgan, Lewiston; 7. Travis Stearns, Auburn; 8. Scott Robbins, Dixfield; 9. Doug Coombs, Livermore; 10. Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township; 11. Ben Ashline, Pittston; 12. Don Wentworth, Otisfield; 13. Jeff White, Winthrop; 14. Tim Brackett, Buckfield; 15. Gary Chiasson, Peru; 16. Matt Sanborn, West Baldwin; 17. Scott Luce, Strong; 18. Gerald Parlin, South Paris; 19. Randy Sanborn, West Baldwin; 20. Jason Larrabee, Raymond.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps): 1. B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; 2. Mike Short, Auburn; 3. Matt Williams, Brownfield; 4. Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 5. Skip Tripp, Poland; 6. Jeff Merrill, Mexico; 7. Kim Tripp, Oxford; 8. Larry Emerson, Durham; 9. Jon Brill, Bridgton; 10. Ben Krauter, Raymond; 11. Rick Spaulding, Lisbon; 12. Keith Stuart, Naples; 13. Kenny Harrison, Pownal; 14. Kurt Hewins, Leeds; 15. Derek Farrington, Freeport; 16. Mike St. Germain, Auburn.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY MINI STOCK (30 laps): 1. Ashley Marshall, Jay; 2. Calvin Rose Jr., Turner; 3. Jake Burns, Gray; 4. Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 5. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 6. Larry Melcher, Livermore Falls; 7. Greg Watkins, Bridgton; 8. Jeff Beaule, Lewiston; 9. Bill Irving, New Gloucester; 10. Matt Moore, South Paris; 11. Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 12. Darrell Moore, Mechanic Falls; 13. Steve Barker, Jay; 14. Nathan Guptill, North Turner; 15. Nik Coates, Lisbon; 16. Jeff Moon, Gray; 17. Justin Karkos, Jay; 18. Jeff Prindall, Lisbon; 19. Dale Brackett, Oxford.
CHIMNEY TECH OUTLAW 'A' (20 laps): 1. Josh Childs, Oxford; 2. David Childs, Oxford; 3. Chris Burgess, Sabattus; 4. Jerry Goss, Mechanic Falls; 5. Steve Moon, Gray; 6. Zach Bowie, Lisbon; 7. Michael Haynes, Livermore Falls; 8. Steve Brill, Bridgton; 9. Kevin Lawrence, South Paris; 10. Tyler Belanger, Sumner; 11. Jerry Freve, Buckfield; 12. Tom Averill, Peru; 13. John Spencer, Auburn; 14. Phil Knowlton, Poland; 15. Randy Robitaille, Norway; 16. Bob Morey, Lisbon..
CHIMNEY TECH OUTLAW 'B' (20 laps): 1. John Patria, Turner; 2. Guy Childs, Turner; 3. Gerry Richard, Leeds; 4. Addison Bowie, Auburn; 5. Shannon Judd, Jay; 6. Scott Ellis, Lewiston; 7. Jonathan Baldwin, Auburn; 8. Zach Robitaille, Norway; 9. Robert Lowe, Auburn; 10. Charlie Webster, Auburn; 11. Mike Blash, Norway; 12. Matt Weeks, Greene; 13. Kimberly Sessions, Auburn; 14. Jason Small, Poland; 15. Dennis Morang, South Paris.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY LADIES (20 laps): 1. Dottie Patria, Turner; 2. Deanne Robertson, South Paris; 3. Vanna Brackett, Buckfield; 4. Debbie Marston, Hartford; 5. Christina Spaulding, Lewiston; 6. Sue Veinott, Sabattus; 7. Lisa Brooks, Auburn; 8. Tori Burgess, Sabattus; 9. Missy Morgan, Lewiston
