OXFORD — It took Roger Brown nearly 150 laps to move from his starting 30th position into the lead, and once he had his No. 99 car there, he wasn’t about to let it go.

Showing flashes of brilliance on nearly every re-start he made among the 15 cautions at the 34th annual TD Banknorth 250 on Sunday, Brown held off Dale Verrill and Scott Payea after the final re-start with 17 to run to win his first 250 title at the 3/8ths-of-a-mile oval.

Brown, of Lancaster, N.H., finished second in the L-A Harley Davidson feature earlier this year at Oxford Plains Speedway, and was dominant Sunday, leading more than 100 laps, and all but one of the final 100 laps run.

Fifty-nine-year-old Dale Verrill, proving that racing knows no age limits, made it one of the tighter finishes in recent memory with a dash up the outside lane with less than a lap to go, and finished less than a half a car behind Brown. Scott Payea, Jon Brill and Dennis Spencer Jr. rounded out the Top 5.

Lap 147 brings out the caution flag again as a couple of cars, including Brad Hammond, spin on the back stretch. A host of cars — including second-place Eddie MacDonald — pit. MacDonald passes the pace car, though, and goes to the end of the longest line on the re-start. Slowly, Travis Adams has regained some track position, but may be too far down to be a factor. He’s had the fastest car on the track in the last 10 to 15 laps, though. The current Top 5 are Carey Martin, Roger Brown, Joey Laquerre, Jeff White and Tim Brackett.

Eddie MacDonald is mounting a charge on the outside as Carey Martin in the No. 18 car tried to hold on at Lap 115. Martin is keeping in front, but not by much.

Advertisement

Carey Martin and Eddie MacDonald are breaking away.

Carey Martin wrestles the lead away on Lap 96.

Jean-Paul Cyr has fallen a lap back after stalling on the back stretch. He got a push to his pit, but he’s now going to be two-plus laps down. Back to green.

The No. 7vt car of Eric Williams spun into the dirt by turn 2, and many of the driver — including Terry Labonte, pit. Ninety laps completed, Rolfe still in front.

Under caution. 65 laps gone, 185 to go. Ricky Rolfe is in front, and the biggest mover so far is pre-race favorite Jean-Paul Cyr. Up from 18th, he now sits in 10th.

Through 14 laps, not much movement up front. More of a feeling out process. Brad Leighton has pulled into second, and Randy Potter has made a small move in the middle of the field.

Advertisement

Scott Robbins, Gary Chiasson, Ryan Nolin and Billy Childs Jr. all won last chance races to advance to the big race, the TD Banknorth 250.

Terry Labonte, Kevin Lepage, Travis Adams and Jamie Aube all received provisional entries into the finale.

A look at who has qualified, before the final four “last-chance” races:

1. Shawn Martin; 2. Ricky Rolfe; 3. Brad Leighton; 4. Eddie MacDonald; 5. Don Wentworth; 6. Jon Brill; 7. Carey Martin; 8. John Donahue; 9. Dale Shaw; 10. Kurt Hewins; 11. T.J. Watson; 12. Dale Verrill; 13. Josh St. Clair; 14. Brent Dragon; 15. Tommy Ricker; 16. Scott Payea; 17. Trampas Demers; 18. Jean-Paul Cyr; 19. Ron Henry; 20. Randy Potter; 21. Peter Potvin III; 22. David Avery; 23. Jeff White; 24. Cris Michaud; 25. Eric Williams; 26. Jeremie Whorff; 27. Dennis Spencer Jr.; 28. Karl Allard; 29. Corey Williams; 30. Roger Brown; 31. A.J. Begin; 32. Eric Chase; 33. Zach Emerson; 34. Brad Hammond; 35. Tim Brackett; 36. Joey Laquerre

Copy the Story Link

Only subscribers are eligible to post comments. Please subscribe or login first for digital access. Here’s why.

Use the form below to reset your password. When you've submitted your account email, we will send an email with a reset code.