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By George Campbell

It was a local racer that won the ACT race at OPS Saturday night, but not one very many people had predicted would do so. Jeff White was able to hold off 7-time ACT Champ Brian Hoar and win his first ACT race – and earn an automatic starting position in the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway this fall.

Jeff’s win came in dominating fashion as he led all but three laps of the Big Jab 150. I was unable to catch up with White after the race for further details.

Brian Hoar padded his point lead with his runner up finish. It was his third Top-3 in four ACT Late Model Tour starts this season. After starting on the outside pole of the main feature, Hoar had a few strong side-by side runs with White and even led 3 laps, but had to settle for the second-place finish.

“We started on the front row, but we just didn’t have enough for Jeff,” Brian said after the race. “We were really trying to play it smart. We had a really good car [on] that last restart, it was just too tight. Overall, the car was awesome. It was well balanced throughout most of the race. I really thought we were going to have something for him (White) at the end there. We were a little off and those guys (White and his crew) were on the money. But all in all great night, awesome night.”

Hoar was able to add to his ACT Late Model Tour standings lead as he pursues a record eighth championship with RPM Motorsports.

Second generation ACT racer Brent Dragon of Milton, Vt., scored his first podium finish of the 2011 ACT Late Model Tour season with a third-plac. Dragon qualified well in his heat race and started the feature in the sixth position. Patience paid off as Dragon spent most of the 150-lap race in the fifth position, allowing him to make a final push in the closing laps of The Big Jab 150 to bring home a third place finish.

“When we showed up here, we had a pretty good car right off the trailer,” Dragon said. “Knew it was pretty good. Qualified real good through the heat and went into the feature thinking we had a pretty good shot at winning the race. On one of the restarts I missed a shift and it put us back to about 7th or 8th, and it pretty much took me most of the rest of the race to get there and we finally cleared those guys and got back up to fifth. And on the restart I knew we had a little more left and we were able to get by Joey (Polewarczyk) and T.J. Brackett. So to finish third it was a good night – a really good night.”

Joey Pole (97) racing with White (50). Eric LaFleche photo

Joey Polewarczyk won his consolation heat race to earn the ninth starting position. By lap 43 of the main event he had moved into 3rd place and by lap 57 it was Joey and the leader of the race #50 Jeff White battling it out for a number of laps. Joey could not keep his Ford down low and the race leader was very fast on the bottom. After the midway point in the 150-lap contest, he was content on running in the top five. Dragon nipped Joey for the third spot in the closing laps and Joey had to settle for fourth place.

Local OPS Late Model regular TJ Brackett rounded out the top five. The Buckfield racer started 7^th and ran a clean race up front to earn the impressive top five finish.

Another Oxford LMS regular followed Brackett to the checkers. Shawn Martin finished sixth in his #94 Oxford Networks car. He is a former track champion at OPS, and has two ACT wins under his belt at the historic track as well.  

"Our team was fortunate to make it in on the 1st round of qualifying this weekend, however, we were not happy with the car," Shawn said after the race. "The crew made a pretty good adjustment before the feature race.  We were running 7th when the 1st caution came out at lap 42.  We knew we were not going to remain in the top 10 if we did not make another adjustment on the car so my crew chief, Greg Letourneau, called me in and made a change.  The car then came to life and were able to race our way to a 6th place finish.  We were very pleased with the way to car reacted to changes and are looking forward to the rest of the race season."

Wayne Helliwell was the biggest mover in the 150 lap event as he came all the way from 32^nd to finished seventh. Eric Chase, Jeff Labrecque, Jr., and 2010 ACT Rookie of the Year Brad Babb completed the top ten. Brad had won his heat race earlier in the day.

Babb was the first of five consecutive Maine racers finishing 10-14. He was followed by Shane Green, Scott Luce, Ben Ashline and Tommy Ricker, all of Maine. Eric Williams of Vermont finished 15^th.

Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, finished 16th after taking the last transfer spot in the “B” feature to qualify in the 30th starting spot. A tight race car would make it difficult for Theriault to pass in the 150-lap feature. But his team, led by crew chief Mickey Green of West Paris continued to work on the car during the race and patience served him well as Austin was able to pick his way into a 16th lace finish.

“We came in a couple of times and try to make some adjustments on the car,” Austin said. “I’m proud of the whole crew – they worked their butts off.”

Another Buckfield racer, Tim Brackett finished 17^th, right behind Theriault.

Glen Luce (7) makes it three wide with Dave Farrington & Miles Chipman. 

Luce would win his consolation race to  earn his starting spot, but would finish the main event in 22nd place, one lap down.

A total of 41 ACT Late Models attempted to qualify for the 33 car field. The 150 lap event was completed in slightly over an hour with just three cautions slowing the field. Twelve cars field finished on the lead lap.

The ACT Late Model Tour has next weekend off before making its annual trip to White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, NH on Saturday, June 18 for a 150 lap event. The tour will then return to Oxford Plains for another 150 race on Saturday, June 25^th.

Dragon, White and Hoar in Victory Lane.

Photos courtesy of Eric LaFleche/VLFPhotos.com 

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