photo by Norm Marx
151ST career main event win for Hall of Famer tops busy racing card
Oxford, ME – Mike Rowe of Turner, Maine raced to his 151st Oxford Plains Speedway main event win, earning a trip to victory lane in his maiden voyage aboard Peter Petit’s lucky number 7 in AIM Recycling Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model competition at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday afternoon, while Joey ‘Pole’ Polewarczyk prevailed in the co-headlining ACT Late Model Tour 150-lapper.
Rowe, a 64-year-old veteran, multi-time track champion and all-around legend at the speedway where he was a track titlist a full four decades ago, waged a race-long battle with reigning series champion DJ Shaw of Conway, New Hampshire for supremacy in a thrilling 150-lapper for the ultra-quick AIM Super Late Models.
Shaw kept the pressure on through much of the opening day test, yet Rowe was able to slam the door shut and keep it that way, earning his first trip to victory lane in his first start with Petit, clearly a career highlight for the car owner.
Westbrook’s Tony Ricci was fast all day long and raced to a career-best third-place finish in the AIM Recycling Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model class.
David Oliver of Standish overcame a disadvantageous starting position to post a fourth-place finish after some outstanding work in the cockpit in the HP Hood 21. Garrett Hall of Scarborough impressed with an outstanding fifth-place finish in the Super Late Model finale.
Rounding out the top ten were Cassius Clark of Farmington, Reid Lanpher of Manchester;Joey Dorion of Berwick; Brian Hoar of Colchester, Vermont and Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg, Vermont.
Joey Polewarczyk of Merrimack, New Hampshire led wire-to-wire in the 150-lap co-headline race for the American-Canadian Tour Late Models presented by Dave’s Small Engine and Walker Mowers.
“Joey Pole’s” chief rival en route to the checkered flag was Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Dover, New Hampshire, claiming runner-up honors after several tough battles from his ninth starting position aboard the Bruce Berharndt Ford.
Nick Sweet of Barre, Vermont nailed down a third-place finish aboard the Eric Chase 40 after pressuring the eventual winner for a healthy portion of the 150-lapper.
Perhaps the most impressive drive of the day in the ACT race was turned in by Emily Packard of East Montpelier, Vermont. , going wheel-to-wheel throughout the event to move from 20th starting position to end up in fourth position.
Jimmy Herbert of Williamstown, Vermont rounded out the top five in the ACT 150. Rounding out the top ten were Jeff White, Travis Stearns, Mike Ziter, Rich Dubeau and Jonathan Bouvrette.
Reigning and multi-time PASS Mod kingpin Andy Shaw of Center Conway, New Hampshire kicked off his title defense with the Sumner Sessions-owned zero team in championship style, scoring the top step on the podium following a competitive 35-lapper for the PASS open-wheelers.
Shaw’s closest rival under the checkered flag was Newburgh racer Scott Alexander, with fourth-generation OPS hotshoe Ryan Robbins grabbing the final trophy. Buxton’s Doug McClure crossed the finish line in fourth position, followed by heat race winner Matt Sanborn of Westbrook.
In the 25-lap main event for Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Street Stocks Oxford’s Josh Childs got an early jump on Zach Emerson of Sabattus, and fended off several challenges from Emerson to kick off his season in triumphant fashion. Turner’s Calvin Rose, Jr. outgunned Naples racer Keith Stuart in a race-long battle for third position, and the final trophy offered. Richard Spaulding of Lisbon rounded out the top five.
Anthony Nocella of Woburn, Massachusetts raced from the back of the pack into victory lane in a non-stop 30-lap feature event for the Wicked Cool Midgets. Kevin Hutchens of Waterboro took advantage of a front row starting spot and built an impressive lead while Nocella patiently moved into contention, making his winning move with only a couple of laps remaining. DJ Moniz of Fairhaven, MA claimed the final podium position.
AIM Recycling Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model 150 presented by Kenny U Pull It: 1 7 Mike Rowe, Turner; 2 60 DJ Shaw, Center Conway, NH; 3 55 Tony Ricci, Westbrook; 4 David Oliver, Standish; 5 94x Garrett Hall, Scarborough; 6 77 Cassius Clark, Farmington; 7 59 Reid Lanpher, Manchester; 8 73 Joey Doiron, Berwick; 9 37 Brian Hoar, Colchester, VT; 10 5x Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg, VT; 11 33 Richie Dearborn, Hollis; 12 60 Tim Brackett, Buckfield; 13 09 Jeremy Davis, Tamworth, NH; 14 7 Glen Luce, Turner; 15 84 Scott Mulkern, Falmouth; 16 Bobby Timmons, Windham; 17 54 Johnny Clark, Farmingdale; 18 4 Ben Rowe, Turner; 19 88 Jeff Taylor, Farmington; 20 22 Scott Farrington, Minot; 21 20 Mike Landry, Oakland; 22 23 Dave Farrington, Jr., Jay; 23 00 Bryan Kruczek, Newmarkt, NH; 24 17 Travis Benjamin, Morrill; 25 5 Dillon Moltz, Waterford, CT; 26 11 Tyler King, Livermore Falls; 27 94 Shawn Martin, Turner; 28 55 Brent Dragon, Milton, VT; 29 73 Adam Polvinen, Auburn; 30 71 Raphael Lessard, St. Joseph Beauce, QC; 31 97 Joey Polewarczyk, Merrimack, NH; 32 15 Mike Hopkins, Hermon; 33 Travis Stearns, Auburn; 34 Shawn Knight, South Paris; 35 61 TJ Brackett, Buckfield; 36 14 Scott McDaniel, Livermore, 37 29 Trevor Sanborn, Parsonsfield; 38 80 Kyle DeSouza, East Providence, RI.
Dave’s Small Engine Walker Mowers 150 American-Canadian Tour Late Models: 1 Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Merrimack, NH; 2 Wayne Helliwell Jr., Dover, NH; 3 Nick Sweet, Barre, VT; 4 Emily Packard, East Montpelier, VT; 5 Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, VT; 6 Jeff White, Winthrop; 7 Travis Stearns, Auburn, 8 Mike Ziter, Williamstown, VT; Rich Dubeau, Plainfield, NH; 10 Jonathan Bouvrette, Blainville, QC; 11 Brandon Atkins, AuSable Forks, NY; 12 Rowland Robinson Jr., Steuben; 13. Larry Gelinas, Buxton; 14 Aaron Fellows, Croydon, NH; 15 Jeremy Welch, Tamworth, NH; 16 Glenn Martel, Belmont, NH; 17 Ray Parent, Tiverton, RI; 18. (16) Quinny Welch, Lancaster, NH; 19 Corey Mason, Groveton, NH; 20 Bryan Mason, Stark, NH; 21 Bobby Pelland, Cranston, RI; 22 Jimmy Linardy, Somerville, MA; 23 Matt Anderson, Franklin, NH; 24 Bradley Babb, Windham; 25 Kyle Welch, Newport, NH; 26 Boomer Morris, Barre, VT
PASS Mods (35 laps) 1 0 Andy Shaw, Center Conway, NH; 2 17a Scott Alexander, Newburgh; 3 36 Ryan Robbins, Dixfield; 4 22 Doug McClure, Buxton; 5 64 Matt Sanborn, Westbrook; 6 89 Ryan Phillips, Buxton; 7 33 Billy Dixon, Waterboro.
Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Street Stocks (25 laps) 1 3 Josh Childs, Oxford; 2 23 Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 3 8 Calvin Rose, Jr., Turner; 4 8 Keith Stuart, Naples; 5 36 Richard Spaulding, Lisbon; 6 4 Jordan Russell, Norway; 7 1 Billy Childs, Jr., Leeds; 8 24 Jonathan Emerson, Sabattus; 9 26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston; 10 777 Mike St. Germain, Auburn; 11 99 Paul Harmon.
Wicked Cool Midgets (30 laps) 1 76 Anthony Nocella, Woburn; 2 27 Kevin Hutchins, East Waterboro; 3 18 DJ Moniz, Fairhaven, MA; 4 25 Richie Morrocco, Plainville, MA; 5 44 Christian Briggs, Acushnet, MA; 6 30 Paul Scally, Randolph, MA; 7 42 Juris Kupris, Williamsburg, NY; 8 2 Jim Cataldo, Sterling, MA; 9 46 Andy Barrows, New Ipswich, NH; 10 37 John Townsend, New Gloucester.