OXFORD – Nobody can ever accuse Jeff Taylor of coasting his way into a championship. The undisputed king of Pro Stock racing at Oxford Plains Speedway took the lead from Chuck Colby on lap 21 and proceeded to notch his 69th career victory and clinch his record ninth track championship Saturday night at the 3/8-mile oval.

Saturday night marked the end of an era at Oxford, with both the Pro Stock and Limited Sportsman divisions running their final races. Another noteworthy milestone was marked as OPS veteran Al Hammond ran what was possibly his final race at the speedway.

In a demonstration of class and appreciation of a great career, Taylor handed his checkered flag off to Hammond after the finish for a ceremonial salute to his legions of fans.

“I really wanted to win the last one,” Taylor said as he fought back tears. “Al has been here since I was a kid. It’s sad to think he won’t be back. I want to thank everyone who made this possible, especially my dad. We lost my mom, and it’s been difficult. But this feels great, I’m as proud as can be.”

Donnie Wentworth, David Tripp, Scott Belskis and Rich Sirois were also feature winners Saturday.

Colby hung on for second in the Pro Stock race, while Scott King of Livermore claimed third. Oxford’s Chris Kennison had one of his best runs in recent weeks in fourth, while Tommy Tompkins filled out the top five. Three cautions slowed the pace, none for serious incidents.

In earlier feature action, Sirois survived a late-race altercation with rookie of the year Adam Polvinen to capture an exciting 30-lap Mini Stock feature. The Leeds driver was making his first start of the year, and looked as if he never missed a beat. Rookie campaigner Ashley Marshall notched a career-best second, coming absolutely unglued in Victory Lane.

Jim Childs, who locked up the 2006 Mini Stock crown the previous week, came from 15th to finish third. Danny Morris, the 2005 champion from Auburn, finished his season with a strong run in fourth, while Don Frechette completed the top five. Only one caution slowed the proceedings, brought out by a multi-car incident on the second lap.

Belskis picked up his second victory of 2006 in a wire-to-wire Strictly Stock feature. The Dixfield native took the lead from Matt Moore on lap two and cruised home to a convincing win. OPS veteran Tommy Tompkins made a big late-race charge to claim second, while Danny Smart finished third. Jeff Moon and Kim Tripp completed the top five.

In dramatic fashion, Gray’s Ben Tinker captured the divisional championship by the slimmest of margins over Zach Emerson. He almost lost it in a scary moment early when Skip Tripp spun out right in front of him.

“I’ve never been nervous before a race until tonight,” said Tinker. “I didn’t know if we could pull it off, first Skip spun, then I thought I felt some sort of vibration soon after that. It probably was in my head, I don’t know. It just feels great to win this title.”

Wentworth survived a four-lap shootout to claim the 40-lap feature for Late Models. The Otisfield driver led wire-to-wire and held off a late charge from Shawn Martin for top honors. Martin had the crowd on its feet as he charged from his 15th starting position up the outside groove into contention. Sophomore sensation T.J. Watson recorded his best finish since the season opener in late April in third, while Dale Verrill was fourth. Canton native Travis Adams clinched his second LMS championship with a solid fifth place run.

“We did what we had to do here tonight,” said Adams. “We kept the front end on it, and didn’t get involved in anything that would hurt our chances. I’m happy for Donnie (Wentworth). Nobody deserves to win more than he does after the past two seasons of hard luck. A big thanks to my team. It’s thanks to them we have our second title.”

Tripp ran away with the final Limited Sportsman feature at Oxford. The hometown favorite became the event’s fourth different leader when he drove past Terry Merrill on lap nine. With no cautions, it was smooth sailing to Victory Lane. Merrill hung on for second, while Carey Martin notched his fifth career Limited championship with a solid third. Tommy Ricker and Freeport’s Neil Martin rounded out the top five.

“It’s really a bittersweet night,” said Martin. “I’m thrilled to have won titles for two different car owners. The final race for this division is hard to imagine, but I understand the need for it to end. It sure has been a great run for me and this team.”