OXFORD, Maine – Skip Tripp took his place in the Oxford Plains Speedway history books Saturday night with a convincing victory in the Time Warner Cable 100 for the Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Strictly Stock division.
Tripp's third straight win and sixth of the season ran his career total in the class to 18, tying the unrelated "KimDog" Tripp and Shane "The Destroyer" Green for the top spot on the division's all-time list.
It was a spin-and-win for Tripp, who lost an overwhelming lead to Jon Brill after tangling with the lapped car of Mike St. Germain just prior to the halfway point. Tripp returned to the track in second spot, then received a reprieve when the lone caution flag of the race flew for a piece of debris on the backstretch at lap 49.
The resumption belonged to Tripp, and he pulled away to nearly a full straightaway lead before coasting across the finish line a second in front of rival Mike Short.
"Last week (Short) said Nick Hoyt helped me to win, so I guess this week St. Germain (tried to help) him to win," Tripp said. "It's just an ongoing thing with us, but whatever."
Short also entered the race with five wins and remained second in the points, making an impressive late drive around Larry Emerson and Brill to claim the runner-up trophy.
"Nobody sees what goes on out back (in the pit), but if we didn't love it, we wouldn't be here doing it," Short said of his continuing on-and-off-track battle with Tripp.
Brill led the race on two different occasions before settling for third, the best finish of the season for the 2000 division champion. Emerson claimed fourth, with rookie Hoyt matching a career-best in fifth by holding off two-time champion Jim Duguay.
Travis Adams remained the lone repeat winner of the Oxford Networks Late Model campaign in style. Adams padded his point lead in pursuit of a fifth division championship with his fourth checkered flag of the campaign, taking the lead from upset-minded Gary Chiasson with 15 laps remaining.
Adams rebounded one week after his first finish out of the top five (ninth) all season.
"Our set-up guy, which is me, made some changes and obviously didn't know what he was doing," Adams said. "We went back to the way it was before, and thankfully we picked up where we left off. I'm looking forward to the rest of the season."
Don Wentworth protected his newfound grip on second place in the point standings with a runner-up finish.
"It's a been a great season. It would be better if Travis might take a Saturday night off to go to a family reunion or something," Wentworth joked.
Tommy Ricker posted his third straight podium finish in third, followed by Tim Brackett. Chiasson edged Corey Morgan at the stripe for fifth.
Calvin Rose Jr. earned his first career Allen's Mini Stock feature win the hard way. The rookie took the lead from Ken Daigle Jr. early in the event, then spent the second half of the 30-lapper with point leader and six-time feature winner Justin Karkos nipping at his heels.
Rose responded to the challenge and maintained his one-car length advantage until the checkers.
"It's been a while since I've had one of these," said Rose, who was a winner in the four-cylinder Macdonald Motors Runnin' Rebel division in the Acceleration Series. "I have to thank my father most of all. He does so much work on this car, or I never would be up here."
Karkos hasn't finished out of the top four since a flat tire knocked him out of the lead in the second race of the season.
"Calvin earned that one." Karkos said. "I've had motor problems all season, so I finally pulled it out and sent it to Butler & MacMaster this week. They gave me priority over everyone else and promised me it would be ready for this weekend. I got it back at 5:30 Friday afternoon, so I owe this one to Spencer Robbins and Dave MacMaster."
Butch Keene credited used tires loaned by Rose and Karkos for his third-place finish. Jake Burns kept pace with Rose in the tense Rookie of the Year battle, nipping Kevin Bishop in the scrap for fourth.
Acceleration Series Agren Appliance Saturday Showdown competition produced two repeat winners.
Kevin Oliver extended his winning streak to four races in Call of the Wild RV Center Sport Truck action. Ryan Hewins, a 17-year-old rookie and the fourth member of his immediate family to win at OPS, bagged his second Runnin' Rebel triumph in less than a month.
Oliver ascended to the top spot when Brad Corson — a relief driver for suspended "Flyin" Ryan Farrar, was disqualified after the post-race inspection.
Corey Williams moved up to second, the best finish of his extensive career, with rookie Jeremy Wagner posting his second third-place finish of the campaign.
Jeff Schmidt and John Lizotte recovered from a mid-race tangle to run fourth and fifth, respectively. Oliver accepted blame for their contact.
"I made a dumb move and got into the 22 (Schmidt)," said the winner. "I don't like to race that way."
One month ago, Hewins debuted a Honda that looks like a twin to the rocket steered by his point leader uncle Kyle. With Kyle twice veering off the track due to contact with other cars, Ryan saw no challengers after accelerating into the lead at the halfway point.
Derek Cook turned out his frustrating season, leading early before picking up second-place honors. Scott Farrington made a determined drive to third in the outside lane, with reigning Showdown champion Troy Jordan fourth and Jeff Hebert fifth.
Kyle Hewins settled for eighth in the 21-car field.
OPS returns to action Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. with a full card of Acceleration Series action. WOXO Night is on tap for the Championship Series next Saturday, August 15 at 6:30 p.m.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK TIME WARNER CABLE 100: 1. Skip Tripp, Poland; 2. Mike Short, Auburn; 3. Jon Brill, Sebago; 4. Larry Emerson, Durham; 5. Nick Hoyt, Mechanic Falls; 6. Jim Duguay, Greene; 7. B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; 8. Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 9. Mac Hannan Jr., Union; 10. Sumner Sessions, Norway; 11. Matt Williams, Brownfield; 12. Mike St. Germain, Auburn; 13. Phil Mitchell III, Buckfield; 14. Keith Stuart, Naples; 15. Derek Farrington, Freeport; 16. Mark Theriault, Rumford; 17. Tommy Tompkins, Dixfield; 18. George Haskell, Casco.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps): 1. Travis Adams, Canton; 2. Don Wentworth, Otisfield; 3. Tommy Ricker, Poland; 4. Tim Brackett, Buckfield; 5. Gary Chiasson, Peru; 6. Corey Morgan, Lewiston; 7. Shawn Martin, Turner; 8. Ricky Morse, St. Albans; 9. Ben Ashline, Pittston; 10. Billy Childs Jr., Leeds; 11. Shawn Knight, South Paris; 12. Al Hammond, Paris; 13. Tyler Knightly, Paris; 14. Gerald Parlin, South Paris; 15. Jeff White, Winthrop; 16. Travis Stearns, Auburn; 17. Kenny Harrison, Pownal; 18. Jason Larrabee, Raymond.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY MINI STOCK (30 laps): 1. Calvin Rose Jr., Turner; 2. Justin Karkos, Jay; 3. Butch Keene, Turner; 4. Jake Burns, Gray; 5. Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 6. Jeff Beaule, Lewiston; 7. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 8. Darrell Moore, Mechanic Falls; 9. Steve Barker, Jay; 10. Matt Moore, South Paris; 11. Ken Daigle Jr., Wales; 12. Greg Watkins, Bridgton; 13. Nik Coates, Lisbon; 14. Dale Brackett, Oxford; 15. Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 16. Larry Melcher, Livermore Falls; 17. Ashley Marshall, Jay; 18. Dan Morris, Auburn.
MACDONALD MOTORS RUNNIN' REBEL (20 laps): 1. Ryan Hewins, Leeds; 2. Derek Cook, Livermore Falls; 3. Scott Farrington, Minot; 4. Troy Jordan, Turner; 5. Jeff Hebert, Auburn; 6. Doug Degroat, Oxford; 7. Roger Bourgoin, Sabattus; 8. Kyle Hewins, Leeds; 9. Gerard Cote, Oxford; 10. Zach Audet, Wilton; 11. Matt Dufault, Turner; 12. Jamie Heath, Waterford; 13. Dustin Salley, Auburn; 14. Mark Childs Jr., Mechanic Falls; 15. Corey Beaulieu, Oxford; 16. Nate Dubuc, Auburn; 17. Bill Dunphy, New Gloucester; 18. John Childs, Leeds; 19. John Mason, Bethel; 20. Bob Lucas, Peru; 21. Jason Cyr, Turner.
CALL OF THE WILD RV CENTER SPORT TRUCK (10 laps): 1. Kevin Oliver, Gray; 2. Corey Williams, Sumner; 3. Jeremy Wagner, Bryant Pond; 4. Jeff Schmidt, Mechanic Falls; 5. John Lizotte, Mechanic Falls. DQ: Brad Corson, Sumner.