Rolfe, Tripp, Karkos end early-season droughts with Fan Appreciation Night wins

By On May 31, 2009 · Leave a Comment

Rolfe, Tripp, Karkos end early-season droughts with Fan Appreciation Night wins

OXFORD, Maine – Early-season struggles ended with a vengeance Saturday night as Ricky Rolfe, Skip Tripp and Justin Karkos captured Championship Series feature wins at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Rolfe passed Tim Brackett, Jeff White and Scott Luce in the outside lane over the final 20 circuits to capture the 40-lap Oxford Networks Late Model main event on 99.9 The Wolf Fan Appreciation Night.
Perennially a top driver in the headline division, Rolfe was snakebitten in his first two outings of the year. He led the New England Dodge Dealers ACT 150 on May 17 before being beset by carburetor troubles on a restart. In last week’s Champ Series opener, Rolfe ran in the top three before a late-race tangle with Brackett.

He took the lead from Luce for keeps on lap 29.
Four-time division champion Travis Adams made a similar ascent in the outside lane in the final five laps to claim second. Luce, a former champion bidding for his first OPS win since 1999, nailed down third in front of White and Brackett.
Tripp, the 2008 Allen’s Coffee Brandy Strictly Stock champion, captured his first checkered flag in more than a calendar year. Tripp chased down surprising Mike St. Germain and made his winning move one lap after the halfway point of the 30-lapper.
Two multi-car tangles shuffled the running order in the closing laps. Point leader Zach Emerson missed the carnage to snag second, while Kenny Harrison rallied from his involvement in one of the incidents to run third. Matt Williams and Jeff Merrill followed.
Karkos could be a three-time winner by now in Allen’s Mini Stock. Instead, a post-race disqualification on opening day and a cut tire while leading last Saturday dropped him deep in the early point standings.
Nobody could stay in Karkos’ vapor trail after he latched onto the lead at lap 7. Six drivers battled for runner-up honors throughout, with Larry Melcher landing the spot ahead of Jimmy Childs, rookie and point leader Calvin Rose Jr. and Darrell Moore.
Acceleration Series Agren Appliance Saturday Showdown activity produced two first-time career winners in sophomore drivers Ross Spurling (Call of the Wild Sport Truck) and Dustin Salley (Macdonald Motors Runnin’ Rebel ‘B’).
Spurling held off Ryan Farrar’s last-lap challenge for the pick-up score. Kevin Oliver was third.
Scott Farrington and Jason Berry applied the pressure in the Rebel ‘B’ go-round, but Salley prevailed by a car length.
Kyle Hewins became the first two-time winner at the speedway this spring, making it two consecutive victories in Runnin’ Rebel ‘A’ competition.
OPS launches its 11th season of the Acceleration Series on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.

OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps): 1. Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township; 2. Travis Adams, Canton; 3. Scott Luce, Strong; 4. Jeff White, Winthrop; 5. Tim Brackett, Oxford; 6. Corey Morgan, Lewiston; 7. Don Wentworth, Otisfield; 8. Shawn Knight, South Paris; 9. Doug Coombs, Livermore; 10. Tommy Ricker, Poland; 11. Scott Robbins, Dixfield; 12. Travis Stearns, Auburn; 13. Shawn Martin, Turner; 14. Matt Sanborn, West Baldwin; 15. Gary Chiasson, Peru; 16. Gerald Parlin, South Paris; 17. Ben Ashline, Pittston; 18. Jason Larrabee, Raymond; 19. Randy Sanborn, West Baldwin; 20. Kenny Harrison, Pownal.

ALLEN’S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (20 laps): 1. Skip Tripp, Poland; 2. Zach Emerson, Sabattus; 3. Kenny Harrison, Pownal; 4. Matt Williams, Brownfield; 5. Jeff Merrill, Turner; 6. Mike Short, Auburn; 7. Keith Stuart, Naples; 8. Mac Hannan Jr., Union; 9. B.J. Chapman, Bridgton; 10. Mike St. Germain, Auburn; 11. Kurt Hewins, Leeds; 12. Ben Krauter, Raymond; 13. Jon Brill, Bridgton; 14. Larry Emerson, Durham; 15. Rick Spaulding, Lisbon; 16. Kim Tripp, Oxford; 17. Derek Farrington, Freeport; 18. Richard Kimball, Standish.

ALLEN’S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY STRICTLY STOCK (20 laps): 1. Justin Karkos, Jay; 2. Larry Melcher, Livermore Falls; 3. Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 4. Calvin Rose Jr., Turner; 5. Darrell Moore, Mechanic Falls; 6. Ashley Marshall, Jay; 7. Jeff Beaule, Lewiston; 8. Steve Barker, Jay; 9. Jeff Moon, Gray; 10. Greg Watkins, Bridgton; 11. Shane Kaherl, Jay; 12. Matt Moore, South Paris; 13. Jake Burns, Gray; 14. Nathan Guptill, North Turner; 15. Ken Daigle Jr., Lisbon; 16. Kevin Bishop, South Paris; 17. Nik Coates, Lisbon; 18. Dale Brackett, Oxford.

MACDONALD MOTORS RUNNIN’ REBEL ‘A’ (20 laps): 1. Kyle Hewins, Leeds; 2. Jamie Heath, Waterford; 3. Corey Beaulieu, Oxford; 4. Charlie Webster, Auburn; 5. John Childs, Leeds; 6. Matt Dufault, Turner; 7. Ryan Philbrick, Greenwood; 8. Brady Romano, Livermore Falls; 9. Roger Bourgoin, Mechanic Falls; 10. Gerard Cote, Oxford; 11. Troy Jordan, Turner; 12. Cody Smith, Oxford; 13. Nate Dubuc, Auburn; 14. Ryan Hewins, Leeds; 15. Doug Degroat, Oxford.

MACDONALD MOTORS RUNNIN’ REBEL ‘B’ (20 laps): 1. Dustin Salley, Auburn; 2. Scott Farrington, Minot; 3. Jason Berry, Turner; 4. Zach Audet, Wilton; 5. Craig Bartlett, Denmark; 6. Randy Desmarais, Auburn; 7. Charlie Hall, Oxford; 8. Ellery Phillips Jr., Turner; 9. Chad Coolidge, Norway; 10. Craig Farrington, Hebron; 11. James Record, Oxford; 12. Gene White, Lisbon.

CALL OF THE WILD SPORT TRUCK (20 laps): 1. Ross Spurling, New Gloucester; 2. Ryan Farrar, Oxford; 3. Kevin Oliver, Gray; 4. Jeff Schmidt, Mechanic Falls; 5. Doug Stevens, West Sumner; 6. Corey Williams, Sumner; 7. John Lizotte, Mechanic Falls; 8. Kevin Rumery, Hollis.

 
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