Ryan Moore is contending for the NASCAR Busch North Series championship. Ricky Rolfe ranks second in pursuit of the Oxford Plains Speedway Pro Stock title.

So much for the OPS Late Model Stock regulars’ home track advantage in its annual encounters with the ACT Dodge Tour.

Oxford swept its first two 100-lap ACT events, with Moore dominating the 2001 race and Rolfe outpowering the visitors in 2002.

With those two winning track championships and tackling new challenges, the Oxford contingent struggled in the third round of the renewed rivalry.

Patrick Laperle led a group of six drivers from Canada and Vermont at the front of the Maine-ly Action Sports 100 on July 12.

Rather than keep the bragging rights for a year, however, the ACT Dodge Tour competitors have an immediate chance to back up that performance and find out what the locals learned three weeks ago in Saturday night’s return engagement at OPS.

Qualifying heats for the 100-lap main event begin at 7 p.m.

Last month, Laperle edged Todd Stone, who won the most recent ACT race at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H., last Saturday night.

“I have no doubt that we’re a contender,” said Stone. “Another good run at Oxford will show that to everybody.”

Travis Adams of Canton finished seventh in the July race, followes immediately by Turner’s Shawn Martin.

Most of their fellow OPS drivers experienced early trouble or were caught up in accidents.

Adams, a three-time OPS feature winner, led 38 laps in that race before fading. He’s tied with Jerry Harrison and Ron Henry in the chase for a championship that could go to any of 10 drivers with five points races remaining.

“We’ve got a power edge on the tour cars. But we have to prove it over 100 laps,” Henry said. “I had an oil leak last time around, and I’m glad to be getting a second chance against them.”

Henry is one of the few local drivers still competing in the division that ACT director Tom Curley introduced at OPS in 1995, when he managed the Route 26 facility.

Moore and Rolfe are the latest in a long line of talented drivers to graduate from the class. Ben Rowe, Scott Robbins, Nick Nichols, Brad Hammond and Dennis Spencer Jr. also moved into the Pro Stock ranks.

While that personnel turnover has created relative parity in weekly competition, it may have given the more experienced touring drivers a slight edge for the first time.

The new asphalt at Oxford didn’t even the playing field, either, although Curley doesn’t expect the Green Mountain gang to have it easy in the rematch.

“The new surface there is in keeping with Oxford’s reputation as one of the best venues in the Northeast,” said Curley.

“After watching the Maine-ly Action 100, I know our guys are looking forward to another race there and another go at the Oxford teams. They didn’t fare as well as usual the last time out, but you have to think they have some advantages on their home track. They’ll be a force on Saturday.”

Brent Dragon, who finished sixth in July, leads Jean-Paul Cyr by nine points in the ACT standings. Scott Dragon, Dave Pembroke and Jamie Fisher round out the top five.

Seventh-place Pete Fecteau qualified for the True Value 250 in his ACT ride.

LMS logjam

Sixty-two points separate Adams, Harrison and Henry from 10th-place Mike Stickney in a wild scramble for the OPS Late Model Stock championship.

Corey Morgan is three points back in fourth place. Rookie David Raymond trails the leaders by 11, two ahead of Ron Charpentier Jr.

Shawn Martin, John Donahue and Jeff Moon are also in contention to succeed Rolfe as division champion.

PASS tonight

Ben Rowe of Turner is defending champion, current point leader and a four-time feature winner on the Pro All Stars Series.

Tonight, Rowe shoots for his second straight PASS win at Wiscasset Raceway. Rowe picked up the checkered flag in the Coastal 200 in June.

The 150-lap event was originally a September date at Star Speedway. That brings the number of PASS races at Wiscasset this season to five, including another 150-lapper on Sept. 7 and the 400-lap Big Dawg Challenge on Oct. 12.

Joe Bessey won the season-opening Wiscasset Quick Stop 150 in April.

Time trials begins at 6:30 p.m. The main event is set for approximately 9:15 p.m.

koakes@sunjournal.com

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