Rowe’s wait is over

Of the many things that could be said of Ben Rowe’s racing career, chief among them is that the second-generation star never needs to tax the memory bank when citing the date and location of his last win.

An entire year without one? Unthinkable.

The bad news for Rowe is that he did endure that streak. The good news: It’s over, after his Pro All Stars Series win at Canaan Fair Speedway in New Hampshire last Saturday night.

It was Rowe’s first win for new car owner Scott Mulkern after a prolific run with Richard Moody Racing that included four PASS titles. Rowe hadn’t been to victory lane since June 2009.

“We know we can beat the best teams out there. Everybody’s upbeat, everybody’s positive and everybody wants to work hard to keep winning,” Rowe said. “Ninety percent of this team is volunteer, and a win just boosts their spirits and everybody wants to get involved and do stuff to help the team.”

Rowe returns Saturday to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, a track that has been good to his family over the years.

Mike Rowe is the reigning Pro Series champ at Beech Ridge. His son enters the 150-lap main event as one of the touring co-favorites along with current point leader Johnny Clark and Trevor Sanborn.

“It’s so flat and round. It’s very, very easy to overdrive Beech Ridge and get yourself in trouble,” Ben Rowe said. “Maybe that’s what we all want to do there.”

Saturday’s qualifying races begin at 6 p.m.

Breaking through

Of the eight Acceleration Series features contested Wednesday night at Oxford Plains Speedway, three checkered flags went to first-time winners.

Mike Blue and Pat Maloy won the ‘A’ and ‘B’ Outlaw features, respectively.

“I’ve been racing off-and-on for five years, and that was my first,” Blue said.

Missy Morgan held off six-time 2010 feature winner and former division champion Vanna Brackett to win the Ladies race. Morgan, wife of Late Model driver Corey Morgan, was last season’s rookie of the year.

Hitchin’ a ride

One of Oxford’s most colorful characters has secured a one-shot ride in the TD Bank 250 on July 18.

Shane Green, a winner of more than 50 features in the support classes at OPS, will jump into a late model as teammate to 16-year-old Austin Theriault of Fort Kent.

“Austin is a great kid who I really think we’ll see racing on TV someday,” Green said. “They offered me the chance and they’re going to pay for all the fuel and tires. I couldn’t say no.”

Green struck up a friendship with the Theriault family while competing at their home track, Caribou’s Spud Speedway, in a recent PASS Sportsman race.

He has competed at OPS sparingly since winning the Limited Sportsman division was disbanded in 2006.