Adams makes statement, wins in
final TD Banknorth 250 tune-up race
OXFORD, Maine - Five other drivers have won a Oxford Networks Late Model
feature at Oxford Plains Speedway this season, but Travis Adams has been
around long enough to know there's something more meaningful about
multiple wins.
And then there's the biggest 40-lap win of all: The one in the final
weekly event before the TD Banknorth 250. It makes the victor one of the
pre-race favorites.
Some drivers shy from that label. Four championships and now 29 wins into
a brilliant career as one of Oxford's all-time greats, Adams drove
Saturday night like he was campaigning for it.
Adams rallied from a near-disaster when two cars tangled in front of him
on lap 2, then drove to the front with authority for his third triumph of
the season.
OXFORD, Maine - Five other drivers have won a Oxford Networks Late Model
feature at Oxford Plains Speedway this season, but Travis Adams has been
around long enough to know there's something more meaningful about
multiple wins.
And then there's the biggest 40-lap win of all: The one in the final
weekly event before the TD Banknorth 250. It makes the victor one of the
pre-race favorites.
Some drivers shy from that label. Four championships and now 29 wins into
a brilliant career as one of Oxford's all-time greats, Adams drove
Saturday night like he was campaigning for it.
Adams rallied from a near-disaster when two cars tangled in front of him
on lap 2, then drove to the front with authority for his third triumph of
the season.
Doing much of his work in the outside lane, as has become his custom,
Adams made the winning move around Ben Ashline on lap 29.
"I know Shawn Martin was out here last week kind of bragging about how he
was running half-throttle behind me (and Ricky Rolfe) last week," said
Adams. "That was all full-throttle right there. That's the only way to go
in the last race before the 250. That's as fast as I can go next week, so
hopefully that's a good indication."
Ashline was second, representing the third podium finish of the season for
the 18-year-old. Don Wentworth claimed third, with Shawn Knight edging Tim
Brackett in the closing laps for fourth.
Mike Short (Allen's Coffee Flavored Brandy Strictly Stock) and Jimmy
Childs (Allen's Mini Stock) also scored dramatic victories on WTOS Night.
Short was running third just five laps from the Strictly finish when
leaders Kim Tripp and Skip Tripp collided in turn three.?
The driver known as "Kim Dog" spun from the lead. Defending champion Skip
slowed to straighten his ride. Short steered clear and stayed on top for
the duration in claiming his third win.
"I guess I went to the outside at the right time," Short said.?
Skip Tripp, who was not penalized because Kim Tripp left most of the
inside racing groove open prior to the contact, held on for second and
padded his point lead.
B.J. Chapman, Gerry Burgess and Jerry Harrison completed the top five.
Childs shadowed rookie Jake Burns and pressured the leader into a late
mistake, yielding the two-time champion his second victory of the summer.
Burns drifted up the track in turn three on the next-to-last circuit and
Childs took advantage of the room, cleanly claiming the lead as the white
flag appeared.
"Jake is a great driver and he drove a great race, but just chalk that up
to experience," Childs said. "I was in the right place at the right time."
Ashley Marshall also snuck past Burns to pick up second. Justin Karkos
recovered from an early pit stop to finish fourth, with Jeff Beaule
winning a torrid battle with Kevin Bishop for fifth.
Dana Cook (Macdonald Motors Runnin' Rebel) and John Lizotte (Call of the
Wild RV Center Sport Truck) topped the Acceleration Series divisions for
their first wins of 2009.
Cook prevailed in his second start of the season in Dustin Salley's #8,
pulling away by a comfortable margin over Kyle Hewins and Troy Jordan.
Zach Audet and Scott Farrington followed.
Lizotte celebrated memorably after his 10-lap Truck victory, crashing with
another car while attempting to make tire doughnuts on the cool-down lap.
He proceeded to spin the tires, anyway, before taking a reverse victory
lap after securing his second career set of checkers. Jeff Schmidt
(second) and Jeremy Wagner (third) each enjoyed a career-best finish,
backed by Herb Farrar and Ryan Varney.
TD Banknorth 250 Speedweek is here, with races scheduled Wednesday,
Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Go to www.oxfordplains.com for details and
ticket information.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps): 1. Travis Adams, Canton; 2. Ben
Ashline, Pittston; 3. Don Wentworth, Otisfield; 4. Shawn Knight, South
Paris; 5. Tim Brackett, Buckfield; 6. Travis Stearns, Auburn; 7. Al
Hammond, Paris; 8. Jeff White, Winthrop; 9. Shawn Martin, Turner; 10.
Carey Martin, Denmark; 11. Corey Morgan, Lewiston; 12. Scott Robbins,
Dixfield; 13. Kenny Harrison, Pownal; 14. Nick Brown, Bath; 15. Jason
Larrabee, Raymond; 16. Ron Charpentier Jr., Wales; 17. Gerald Parlin,
South Paris; 18. Tommy Ricker, Poland; 19. Matt Sanborn, West Baldwin; 20.
Gary Chiasson, Peru; 21. Bruce Haley, Minot.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps): 1. Mike Short,
Auburn; 2. Skip Tripp, Poland; 3. B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; 4. Gerry
Burgess, Sabattus; 5. Jerry Harrison, Freeport; 6. Larry Emerson, Durham;
7. Matt Williams, Brownfield; 8. Sumner Sessions, Norway; 9. Jeff Merrill,
Turner; 10. Mike St. Germain, Auburn; 11. Kim Tripp, Oxford; 12. Rick
Spaulding, Lisbon; 13. Derek Farrington, Freeport; 14. Tommy Tompkins,
Dixfield; 15. Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 16. Keith Stuart, Naples; 17. Ed
Burlock, Minot; 18. Richard Kimball, Standish.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY MINI STOCK (30 laps): 1. Jimmy Childs,
Leeds; 2. Ashley Marshall, Jay; 3. Jake Burns, Gray; 4. Justin Karkos,
Jay; 5. Jeff Beaule, Lewiston; 6. Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 7. Greg
Watkins, Bridgton; 8. Danny Morris, Auburn; 9. Steve Barker, Jay; 10.
Larry Melcher, Livermore Falls; 11. Matt Moore, South Paris; 12. Ken
Daigle Jr., Lisbon; 13. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 14. Darrell Moore, Mechanic
Falls; 15. Butch Keene, Turner; 16. Nik Coates, Lisbon; 17. Calvin Rose
Jr., Turner; 18. Wayne Titus, Minot.
MACDONALD MOTORS RUNNIN' REBEL (20 laps): 1. Dana Cook, Auburn; 2. Kyle
Hewins, Leeds; 3. Troy Jordan, Turner; 4. Zach Audet, Wilton; 5. Scott
Farrington, Minot; 6. Matt Dufault, Turner; 7. Jeff Hebert, Auburn; 8.
Mark Childs Jr., Mechanic Falls; 9. Corey Beaulieu, Oxford; 10. Jason
Berry, Turner; 11. Craig Farrington, Hebron; 12. Jamie Leavitt, Minot; 13.
Charlie Webster, Auburn; 14. Roger Bourgoin, Sabattus; 15. Nate Dubuc,
Auburn; 16. Gerard Cote, Oxford; 17. Doug Degroat, Oxford; 18. Jamie
Heath, Waterford; 19. Bill Dunphy, New Gloucester; 20. Randy Desmarais,
Auburn; 21. Michael Carver, Durham; 22. Kyle Treadwell, Auburn; 23. Rob
Lowe, Auburn; 24. Ryan Hewins, Leeds; 25. Craig Bartlett, Denmark; 26.
John Childs, Leeds; 27. Gene White, Lisbon.
CALL OF THE WILD RV CENTER SPORT TRUCK (10 laps): 1. John Lizotte,
Mechanic Falls; 2. Jeff Schmidt, Mechanic Falls; 3. Jeremy Wagner, Bryant
Pond; 4. Herb Farrar, Sumner; 5. Ryan Varney, South Paris; 6. Ryan Farrar,
Oxford; 7. Corey Williams, Sumner.
