Having speed at Oxford Plains Speedway has rarely been a problem for Joey Doiron, but having it when it matters most has seemed to elude the Berwick native.
Doiron was fast again Sunday night at Oxford Plains, including at the end, when he crossed the finish line first to win the Honey Badger Bar & Grill 150 Pro All Stars Series race. It was Doiron’s second PASS Super Late Model win of the season, but his first in the No. 21 Distance Racing-built car. Doiron previously won at Lee Speedway in New Hampshire in his No. 20 Dale Shaw-built car.
Doiron said the No. 21 car, owned by Greg and Terri Curtis from Belfast, is raced only at Oxford Plains.
“It’s always good to get a win in the summer before the (Oxford) 250,” Doiron said Monday. “It builds confidence knowing you have a car capable enough to win, but the 250 takes a lot of other things to fall your way in order to win. There’s been multiple years I felt like we had the fastest car in the race, but still haven’t been able to seal the deal at the end. Hopefully we can build on (Sunday) night and try to find a little more speed for (the 250 in August).”
Doiron finished third in last year’s 250, and was the runner-up in 2013. He finished 10th in the Oxford Championship Series weekly SLM feature Saturday night (which was won by Ben Ashline).
Doiron started in the middle of the field for Sunday night’s PASS race, but by the end he was ahead of runner-up Dennis Spencer Jr. and the rest of the finishers.
“Just keeping forward drive in the car for the whole race,” Doiron said of his key to victory. “We have always been fast in practice and ran top five in that car but just didn’t have enough at the end to race for the win.”
Dave Farrington Jr. of Sabattus — who won back-to-back SLM features on June 26 and July 5 — rounded out the podium, while Dixfield’s Ryan Robbins took fourth and Trevor Sanborn was fifth.
Sanborn’s top five was a bounce-back from a back-of-the-pack finish in Saturday night’s weekly SLM feature.
Amara Parker, 14, pushes her one-year-old brother, Talon Sanborn, in a race car stroller Saturday decorated to match his father Trevor Sanborn’s car during the lineup at Oxford Plains Speedway. Parker raced earlier in the day. Andree Kehn/Sun Journal
Sunday’s other PASS feature might have been the race of the night. Max Cookson edged out Jimmy Emerson at the finish line for the win in the PASS Mods feature.
“It was really, really close,” the Pittsfield native said. “Jim and I were 0.000 (apart) at the line. Oxford has been a track we have struggled at, so it felt good to finally put everything together and win there.”
Brandon Varney of Mechanic Falls was third for his first-career PASS Mods podium finish.
The American-Canadian Tour also was in action Sunday at Oxford Plains. Mike Hopkins started on the pole and finished with the win, becoming the sixth different winner in six ACT Late Model races this season, and the fifth straight first-time winner on the tour. Derek Gluchacki was the runner-up and Nick Sweet was third in the 150-lap feature.
The Oxford Championship Series Limited Late Models also competed Sunday, with Shawn Knight capturing the feature ahead of Jim Davis and series points leader Jordan Russell.
SATURDAY NIGHT SPECIAL
Saturday was a full day of racing after rain washed out Friday’s scheduled event. Ashline’s SLM feature win over Gray’s Austin Teras and Scott Moore of Anson was the nightcap.
Other feature winners from Saturday: Luke Mowatt (Bandits), Maddy Herrick (Rookies), Eric Hodgkins (Figure 8s), Breeanna Spaulding (Ladies), Chris Giguere (Rebels), Will Dunphy (Outlaws), Jeremy Decoster (Cruisers), Ryan Farrar (Sport Trucks), Kyle Hewins (4-Cylinder Figures 8s).
INAUGURAL DUEL
Drivers from Beech Ridge and Wiscasset Speedway converged on Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Saturday for a first-ever Sport Series/Super Street crossover event between Beech Ridge’s Sport Series competitors and Wiscasset’s Super Street division racers. The Ward and Sons Construction 100 was the first event of the Beech Ridge/Wiscasset Challenge, with a second 100-lap race scheduled for Sept. 25 at Wiscasset.
Nate Leavitt outdueled Richard Pelton and Frank Wear for the win in a race that featured 30 cars starting. Joe Pastore was fourth and Matt Beers was the highest-finishing Wiscasset competitor in fifth.
OTHER RACING AT THE RIDGE
Saturday featured plenty of regular Beech Ridge competition on the Scarborough track. Winners from Saturday include David Oliver (Pro Series), Travis Lovejoy (Wildcats), Colby Meserve (Legends), Brandon Johnson (Mad Bomber Varsity), Alex Wilson (Mad Bomber JV), Matt Merrill (Mighty Trucks) and Dustin Salley (Beetle Bug).
WISCASSET WINNERS
The Super Street racers at Wiscasset were due for a scheduled off night Saturday as part of the track’s Group 1 divisions, but the Group 2 cars took to the pavement for some racing, in addition to a 100-lap enduro (which was won by Ben Audet). Winners include Chris Thorne (Late Model Sportsman), Jimmy Childs (Outlaw Mini), Bernie Dinsmore (Strictly Streets) and Adam Chadbourne (Modifieds).
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