By Phil Whipple,Staff Writer

OXFORD – Kenny Harrison grabbed the lead from Dennis Spencer on Lap 61 and hung on to win the first 100-lap Iron Man Series feature for the Limited Sportsman division Saturday night at Oxford Plains Speedway.

South Paris native and OPS veteran Shane Green led the first 40 circuits until the handling on his machine started to go away.

In what was arguably the best race of the evening, Spencer and Harrsion went side-by-side for several laps during the mid stages of the event. Spencer got the upper hand on Lap 41 and took over the point, but he didn’t hold it for long. Harrison kept applying the pressure until he slipped past his rival 20 laps later.

“Dennis is one of the best drivers you’d ever want to battle with,” explained Harrison. “I knew he’d run me clean, and he did just that.

“I had a great car for the entire distance, and I need to thank my crew for preparing it so well. After starting out the new season with a win two weeks ago, this is what we needed to continue the momentum. I hope we can keep this going throughout the month of June.”

Jeff Taylor, Carey Martin, David Tripp, Jason Gaboury and Darick Barker were also feature winners Saturday on just the second night of racing at the track.

Barker picked up career win No. 3 in the 30-lap Mini Stock feature. The Jay driver held off a hard-charging Jim Childs to take top honors, while Dennis Scribner of Otisfield claimed third. Larry Melcher drove a smooth race to finish fourth while opening day winner Ted Audet rounded out the top five.

The race was slowed by just one caution early in the going when Don Frechette slammed the front-stretch wall. Frechette was uninjured and racing resumed after a brief cleanup.

Barker earned a 100-lap victory here last July.

Tripp captured the first of two 20-lap Strictly Stock features in a rare caution-free affair. In what is believed to be only the second occurence of its kind at Oxford, the Tripp family finished in the top three positions. Sabattus native Skip Tripp made a last-lap run on David but settled for second, while Kim Tripp of Oxford claimed third. Guy Childs of Turner and Poland’s Phil Mitchell III completed the top five.

Gaboury dove to the bottom of race leader David Weir with just two laps to go and went on to win the second Strictly Stock feature. Oxford veteran and local favorite Sumner Sessions crossed the stripe in second, while Auburn’s Mike Short took his second straight third-place finish. Weir faded slightly at the finish and settled for fourth while Mark Bowie finished fifth.

Taylor, the eight-time track champion at Oxford, returned to Victory Lane for the first time since June 28, 2003, with his 61st career trip to victory lane in the 50-lap Pro Stock feature. Taylor made a power move around the outside of early race leader Scott Moore to take over the point on lap 13 and cruised home from there.

Jeremie Whorff ran solidly in the top five all race long and finished second, while longtime OPS regular Jon Brill of Sebago claimed third. Ageless wonder Al Hammond and Bill Whorff Jr. completed the top five.

Martin received a gift in the 40-lap Late Model Stock feature when race leader Travis Adams of Canton pulled into the pits on Lap 36 with mechanical gremlins. Adams had survived five restarts in a caution-filled event and looked poised to snare the win until his car let him down.

Jon Brill of Sebago ran a clean race to come home in the runner-up position, while Otisfield’s Donnie Wentworth claimed third. Opening day winner Chuck Colby brought his machine home in fourth place while Mike Ferguson of Rangeley was fifth.