Fans who have followed Super Late Model racing in northern New England the last few years know the name Derek Griffith.

The 19-year-old driver from Hudson, N.H., has been tearing it up around the northeast this summer after winning the Granite State Pro Stock Series crown in 2015.

Griffith added another career milestone over the weekend, as he held off defending HP Hood Oxford 250 champion Glen Luce to claim the Dave’s Small Engines Trophy Dash Saturday night at Oxford Plains Speedway. 

With his victory, Griffith became the thirteenth different winner in as many SLM points races at Oxford in 2016. Luce appeared to have a shot at breaking the amazing streak, yet settled for second, while two-time Late Model champion Shawn Martin of Turner charged up from deep in the field to finish third.

Super Late Model rookie and 2015 Street Stock champion Josh Childs battled up front early before fading to fourth, while point leader Tim Brackett of Buckfield wheeled his way to fifth after starting eighteenth on the 21-car grid.

Turner-based veteran Matt Dufault recorded his fifth feature victory in Street Stock action Saturday. Dufault starting seventh and quickly reeled in early leader Matt Williams. Points rival and fellow Turner resident Calvin Rose Jr. steadily worked his way into contention to challenge Dufault, yet unlike the previous week, failed to overtake the cagey veteran.

Lisbon’s Richard Spaulding filled out the podium with a solid run in third, while Williams settled for fourth. Sabattus-based veteran Zach Emerson completed the top five in a hotly-contested 30-lap tilt.

Waterford veteran Jamie Heath powered his way to victory in the 20-lap Bandit feature. Heath started fourteenth on the grid, somehow managed to gain eight spots on the first lap and began reeling in early leader Charlie Hall.

Heath prevailed on a restart battle, while Tyler Green claimed third behind Hall. Kyle Hewins of Leeds and Waterford’s Bill Grover rounded out the top five.

Kyle Kilgore notched his second Figure 8 victory of the season on a night when the stars were out, both in the sky and on the track. Turner legend Mike Rowe, on hand for a practice session in advance of Sunday night’s PASS North 150, competed the in the race for a little fun.

The three-time 250 winner led the action-packed feature, yet was forced wide allowing Kilgore to capitalize. Eric Hodgkins of Minot came home third, while Greg Durgin and Lisbon’s Robert Morey finished fourth and fifth, respectively. The Figure 8 battles get more and more interesting as the weeks go by.

Cusack finds redemption at Beech Ridge

Just over one week ago, third-generation driver Nick Cusack gave it all he had to secure a win at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. The skilled driver from Scarborough fell just short in that bid, finishing .006 seconds behind 2014 track champion and current point leader Dave Farrington Jr. of Jay. 

On Saturday night, it was Cusack’s turn to shine as he held off Curtis Gerry to win the 40-lap NASCAR Pro Series feature. Cusack was running in the sixth position with 10 laps remaining before making his impressive charge into contention.

Brandon Barker of Windham finished just over a second behind Gerry in third, while Dan Winter and 1996 Oxford 250 winner Larry Gelinas completed the top five. The Pro Series feature went caution-free, as did the Sport Series and Wildcat features.

In fact, veteran flagman Eddie Walsh never had the chance to wave his yellow flag all evening in a fine program of ultra-clean competition in Scarborough.

Frank Wear prevailed over Clyde Hennessey in a tight battle for Sport Series warriors. The veteran from Buxton won by a scant .153-second margin, while Windham’s Reggie Leeman filled out the podium in third. Donny Morse, also of Windham, powered his way to fourth, with Sally Gherardi rock-solid in fifth.

Kristina Nadeau claimed a 30-lap battle royale for Wildcats teams. The Buxton driver held off Beech Ridge icons Cole Watson (second) and Lewis Anderson (third) for top honors. Recent winner Chaz Briggs kept his consistent season alive with a solid fourth-place run, while Dave Cameron was fifth.

Saunders claims Boss Hogg 100 at Wiscasset

One of the real “iron men” in eastern Maine Pro Stock competition picked up another big victory on the mid-coast last Saturday night.

Ellsworth native Andy Saunders fended off challenges from Scott Chubbuck and Dillon Moltz before pulling away to win the annual Boss Hogg 100 at Wiscasset Speedway. Saunders, the current Pro Stock point leader at Wiscasset, took home over $4,600 in purse money for his efforts.

The Boss Hogg 100 was first held in 1991 with Hall-of-Famer Mike Rowe winning the inaugural edition. After former owner Doug White dropped the race from Wiscasset’s schedule during his tenure, current track owner Richard Jordan brought it back in 2014 to continue the event’s rich history.

Moltz, of Waterford, CT, led early and earned runner-up honors, while Chubbuck recovered from a mid-race spin to finish third. Sanford’s Jacob Dore crossed the stripe in fourth, while two-time Oxford 250 winner Travis Benjamin of Morrill completed the top five. The Boss Hogg 100 was created by former track owner Dave St. Clair, who competed in Saturday’s race and just missed a top-ten finish.

Michael Harrison of Pownal held off New Gloucester veteran Donald Mooney to claim the 20-lap feature for Thunder 4 Mini teams. Travis Pouilliot of Skowhegan filled out the podium in third, while Joe Katula of Lisbon and Warren’s Devan Robinson finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

Kamren Knowles continued his impressive 2016 season with a victory in New England 4-Cylinder Pro Stock action. The young athlete from West Gardiner outgunned Jamie Wright and RJ Pinkham for top honors, while Conner Wenners and Craig Dunn rounded out the top five.

Mark Lucas is another driver on a hot streak in 2016. The veteran from Harpswell powered his way to victory in a 25-lap tilt for Super Street warriors. Lucas held off runner-up Cody Buzzell of Madison and Randolph-based Cory Creamer to earn the big trophy. Hometown favorite Josh Bailey of Wiscasset drove to a solid fourth-place finish, while Benton’s Barry Poulin crossed the line in fifth.

pwhipple@sunjournal.com

 

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