T.J. Brackett Outguns Father to Score Pro Late Model Victory at Oxford Plains Speedway
Carey Martin prevails in PASS Sportsman Series special
Oxford, Maine — TJ Brackett of Buckfield extended his lead in the Oxford Plains Speedway Pro Late Model Championship Series point standings, posting his first win of the season on Friday night.
Brackett’s win was particularly-rewarding, as he outgunned his father, former OPS track champion Timmy Brackett, an Oxford native now also living in Buckfield, for top honors.
“That was as much fun as I’ve ever had in a racecar,” the winner told the crowd from victory lane. “I’ve never had the chance to race Dad for the win.
“Next time it’s mine” the elder Brackett chimed in. “We’ll see,” the youngster replied.
Multi-time Late Model track champion Shawn Martin of Turner raced from the back of the starting grid to post a third-place finish. Donnie Wentworth of Otisfield led more laps than anyone en route to a fourth-place finish. Tommy Stilphen, the 14-year-old rookie from Arundel, followed up his first career win with a fifth-place performance.
Carey Martin of Denmark claimed victory in the 75-lap Pro All Stars Series Sportsman division main event. Martin, a five-time champion of the similar Limited Sportsman class at Oxford Plains Speedway that was discontinued following the 2006 season, chased early frontrunner Ricky Burgess, Jr. of Waterville in the non-stop, caution-free race.
Burgess, impressive in all of his first-year starts on the regional touring series, built a healthy lead over the first half of the race. Former series champion Martin reeled him in and went by to take a lead he would not relinquish, though the outcome may have been in doubt if a caution flag had waved to bunch up the field.
Joey Pastore of Gorham raced from dead last on the starting grid to finish in second position, hoping throughout the second half of the event for that yellow caution flag that never appeared to tighten up the field. Dan McKeage of Gorham, also a former Sportsman champion, ended up in third position after winning the previous series event at Scarborough’s Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. Craig Smith of East Waterboro swapped positions with McKeage throughout the race, but settled for fourth as the checkered flag waved. Early leader Burgess rounded out the top-five.
First-year Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Street Stock division competitor Josh Childs of Leeds prevailed in a wild, caution-filled 30-lap feature event for the class. Childs took command of the race from fellow rookie Dan Brown of Peru, who had set the pace for the first 19 laps.
Several caution flags shuffled the field, and damaged the cars and hopes of several contenders, including early leader Brown, who got turned around in the late going and ended up with a 15th-place finish.
Childs was chased under the checkered flag by three-time and defending division champion Kurt Hewins of Leeds. Corey Morgan of Lewiston dodged the chaos and claimed the final podium position in a car that was certainly not up to par. Zach Emerson of Sabattus was the fourth-place finisher, in front of Tyson Jordan of Poland, the most recent winner in the class entering Friday night’s action.
Reigning division champion Rob Greenleaf of West Bath led the entire distance in a non-stop 30-lap feature race for the Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Mini Stock class, posting his second victory of the young season. Greenleaf made an early three-wide move to take the lead away from Brady Romano of Livermore Falls.
Rookie Justin Larsen of Peru, seeking his second straight win after a career-first victory in the class in the previous event, chased Greenleaf throughout the race, but never mounted a serious challenge to the winner’s lead.
The best battle in the class was for third position, with Jimmy Childs of Leeds using a borrowed car to hold off point leader Calvin Rose, Jr., of Turner, after a spirited battle lasting through most of the event. Rookie Ryan Glover of Rumford rounded out the top-five.
Corey Morgan of Lewiston romped to his third victory of the season in the 25-lap main event for the Ripley & Fletcher Ford Outlaw Sportsman division. Starting from 13th position, Morgan beat the other top point chasers through traffic early in the race, and held on to the lead as several of his fastest rivals got caught up in various altercations.
Guy Childs of Turner was the best of the rest, racing three-wide at times in an attempt to stay close to Morgan. Kyle Treadwell of Auburn was Morgan’s biggest threat during the event, but fell off the pace a bit in the closing laps and settled for a third-place finish. Mike Haynes of Livermore Falls crossed the line in fourth position, followed by Gray’s Steve Moon, who led several laps early in the race.
Oxford Plains Speedway is located on Route 26 in Oxford, Maine. For more information visit oxfordplains.com or call (207) 539-8865.
RACE RESULTS – 99.9 The Wolf Oxford Championship Series Fan Appreciation Night – Friday, May 31 (finishing position, car number, driver name, hometown)
Pro Late Model (40 laps) 1 61 T.J. Brackett, Buckfield; 2 60 Tim Brackett, Buckfield; 3 94 Shawn Martin, Turner; 4 63 Don Wentworth, Otisfield; 5 70 Tommy Stilphen, Arundel; 6 6 Tommy Ricker, Poland; 7 18 Thom Bell, Minot; 8 3 Vanna Brackett, Buckfield; 9 22 Scott Farrington, Minot; 10 71 Gary Chiasson, Peru; 11 72 Chris Coolidge, Norway; 12 73 Adam Polvinen, Oxford; 13 68 Dale Shaw, Center Conway NH.
Pro All Stars Series Sportsman (75 laps) 1 18 Carey Martin, North Bridgton; 2 20 Joe Pastore, Gorham; 3 40 Dan McKeage, Gorham; 4 15 Craig Smith, East Waterboro; 5 34 Spencer Morse, Waterford; 6 44 Rusty Poland, Windham; 7 60 Scott Dorr, Portland; 8 36 Nathan Leavitt, Buxton; 9 32 Jeff Marshall, Lunenburg VT; 10 94 Garrett Hall, Scarborough; 11 5 Chris Warming, Buxton; 12 58 Danny Bubar, Windham; 13 01 Rob Drew, Lovell; 14 51 Bill Ahern, Billerica MA.
Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Street Stock (30 laps) 1 3 Josh Childs, Leeds; 2 55 Kurt Hewins, Leeds; 3 26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston; 4 23 Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 5 69 Tyson Jordan, Poland; 6 63 Matt Williams, Brownfield; 7 9 Ryan Robbins, Dixfield; 8 1 Billy Childs, Jr., Leeds; 9 34 Spencer Morse, Waterford; 10 12 Skip Tripp, Poland; 11 24 Larry Emerson, Durham; 12 8 Keith Stuart, Naples; 13 05 Glen Reynolds, Turner; 14 7 Mike St. Germain, Auburn; 15 83 Dan Brown, Peru; 16 58 David Whittier, Poland; 17 5 Ryan Hewins, Leeds; 18 60 Richard Wentworth, Conway NH; 19 36 Rick Spaulding, Lewiston; 20 96 Matt Dufault, Turner; 21 08 Robbie Wentworth, Conway NH; 22 04 Zach Bowie, Sabattus; 23 14 Mike Roe, West Paris.
Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Mini Stock (30 laps) 1 2 Rob Greenleaf, West Bath; 2 18 Justin Larsen, Peru; 3 41 Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 4 8 Calvin Rose, Jr., Turner; 5 06 Ryan Glover, Rumford; 6 29 Brandon Palmer, Bridgton; 7 4 Nik Coates, Lisbon; 8 83 Brady Romano, Livermore Falls; 9 07 Jake Roberti, South Paris; DNS 16 Mike Ward, Harrison; DNS 19 Shane Kaherl, Jay.
Ripley & Fletcher Ford Outlaw Sportsman (25 laps) 1 26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston; 2 5 Guy Childs, Turner; 3 44 Kyle Treadwell, Auburn; 4 67 Mike Haynes, Livermore Falls; 5 19 Steve Moon, Gray; 6 73 Troy Jordan, Turner; 7 96 Jason Webster, Gorham; 8 51 Kyle Hewins, Leeds; 9 77 David Vaughn, Naples; 10 28 Josh Toothaker, Sabattus; 11 14 Scott Hethcoat, Danville Jct.; 12 38 Addison Bowie, Auburn; 13 97 Shannon Judd, Jay; 14 71 Jamie Heath, Waterford; 15 89 Kyle Curtis, Oxford; 16 10 Scott Ellis, Lewiston; 17 23 John White, N/A; 18 63 Bob Ferguson, New Gloucester; 19 6 Todd Bisbee, South Paris; 20 61 Matt Kiley, Oxford; 21 39 Gerry Freve, Buckfield; 22 21 Rachel Dubois, Sabattus.
Sources: Oxford Plains Speedway PR