OXFORD – Traction may not be plentiful on the newly paved outside line around Oxford Plains Speedway just yet.

Alan Wilson demonstrated Saturday night, though, that there’s one scenario in which being on the high side isn’t such a disadvantage — on a restart.

The driver from Hebron who has been winning races at OPS for more than a quarter-century put his foot to the floorboard at the drop of the final green flag with three laps to go, pulled in front of Jeff White and squeaked out his first Pro Stock triumph in two years.

“I guess there’s three laps of bite out there,” said Wilson. “We needed the car to loosen up, and that caution gave us what we needed. After that, I just let it all hang out.”

Wilson’s victory was the 48th of his career at OPS, putting him 10th on the speedway’s all-time list. White was denied his first win in the track’s premier class.

“I knew he was fast, and he got me where he needed to get me … on the takeoff,” said White. “Lesson learned, I guess, from an old veteran.”

Tommy Tompkins, Mike Maietta Jr. and Ricky Rolfe completed the lead quintet. The caution flag for a plume of smoke from Scott Moore’s car on lap 32 was the only stoppage of the main event.

Travis Adams, Kenny Harrison, Butch Keene, Darryl Cook and Joe Hutter also scored feature wins on the first night racing card of the year.

Strange that Adams needed the moon and stars to bring out his best, because all the young Late Model Stock driver has been seeking is a little daylight. Between his recovery from a broken ankle and motor problems in his car too numerous to mention, the opening stretch of the campaign has been one for the dumpster.

“This is the best therapy a guy can have, right here,” said Adams. “It’s been very discouraging. We’ve had the motor out of this car at home every week.” Adams led from wire-to-wire, beating T.J. Brackett and Corey Morgan to the line.

Harrison is the dominant driver of the dominant car in Oxford Plains Speedway’s Limited Sportsman division at the moment, and second isn’t close.

For all the talk about new asphalt, tires, traction and the favorability of one lane over another, Harrison went inside, outside and between cars, passing them at a clip of better than one per lap to win his second 25-lap feature of a season that is less than a month old.

“It’s early in the season, and we’re off to a good start, but I know bad days could come,” said Harrison. “I hope it isn’t soon. I’m just having a good time right now.” With the triumph, the 2001 division champion moved into a tie with Conrad Labbe, Jeff Milot and John Drew for third on the all-time Limited (nee Street Stock) victory list with 22 triumphs. Only third-place finisher Carey Martin (25) and the late Keith Bisbee (23) have won more frequently.

Dana Grover edged Martin for second.

Keene’s charge out of the final turn yielded him the win by less than a foot over Ralph Felker in a non-stop, 20-lap Mini Stock scramble.

After chasing Billy Childs Sr. for the first two races in April and shadowing Volkswagen teammate Dennis Scribner to the stripe last Sunday, Keene was poised to underscore his division title defense by returning to his customary winning ways.

“I don’t think they keep records for finishing second,” said Keene, who broke a tie with Childs for the most feature victories since the Mini Stock division was reclassified in 1995 with 17.

Cook was awarded the Strictly Stock ‘A’ encounter after the car of apparent winner Jon Brill failed the post-race inspection due to low frame height.

In a battle of two perennial Strictly Stock contenders who inherited their current rides two weeks ago, Hutter handled Chris Coolidge on a mid-race restart and led a five-car freight train to the finish of the ‘B’ feature.

koakes