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JARRacing
PHOTOGRAPHY GO KART SERIES
May 16, 2008
Three's the number on wild night
at OPS
OXFORD, Maine – Three was a magic number with double meanings
Friday night in the JARRacing Photography Go Kart Series at Oxford
Plains Speedway.
Spencer Morse, Tyler Braunschweig and
Jacob Hendsbee each became the third different winner in their
division over as many weeks this spring. In Hendsbee's case, his
Blue Plate victory was the first of his OPS career.
On the flip side, pun slightly
intended, three was the number of red flags due to rollovers on a
wild night of competition. The good news is that Neil Bernier,
Spencer Thompson and Avery Spear all either drove or pushed their
karts away from the scene. In fact, Bernier was the only one unable
to continue in his race.
In other action, the trio of Brandon
Varney, Evan Armington and Stephen Beattie each backed up their wins
a week ago with a repeat performance.
Braunschweig's victory in the
Unrestricted feature was perhaps the most unlikely of the evening.
That's because he was one of the competitors involved in a lap 15
wreck that caught a piece of every driver except Michael Olanovich
and Ricky Morse in the 12-car field.
Charlie Tyler, who led the race
before he and Robbie Wentworth got together to trigger the melee
with five laps to go, surged from third to first on the ensuing
restart. Braunschweig zeroed in, however, and took the lead just
after the pack took the two-to-go signal.
Tyler held on for second in front of
Kyle Metivier, a rookie in the age-15-and-up division. Olanovich
guarded fourth for his best-ever Oxford finish, trailed by Dan
Pelletier Jr. in the three-time kart champion's first start of the
season.
Morse denied Metivier and Brady Smith
in an intense Gold Plate battle. The reigning division champion took
command after Tyler King set the pace for the first 14 circuits.
King backed up his heat victory with
a solid fourth-place run. Ryan Phillips raced from the rear of the
field to fifth in his initial OPS appearance of '08.
Hendsbee swapped the lead with Varney
twice before cementing his claim to Blue Plate top honors on lap
6.
Defending champ Troy Davis couldn't
shake the lapped car of Cody Chiasson and mount a challenge,
settling for second. Continuing the theme of drivers excelling in
their inaugural Oxford showing, Chris Staples Jr. claimed third
ahead of Varney and a resurgent Thompson.
Armington had no issues after
pilfering the Purple Plate leadership from triple-threat driver
Varney on lap 5.
Varney and Dylan Haskell each fell a
lap down due to separate spins, allowing Zachary Rich to tighten his
clamps on second. Varney held on for his second trophy of the night
in third.
Box Stock was Varney's time to shine.
The 2006 division champ pedaled around Brodie Morse on lap 5 and
held Ethan Matot at bay for the balance. Wade Blanchette -- another
of those drivers making his first start of the campaign -- took
third, with Morse and rookie Ethan Brown giving chase.
Beattie was awarded the Star Champ
win when race officials ruled that he spun after contact from Mike
Ricker prior to the white flag. Ricker was the only other kart in
the sprint. Officially, last year's champion led every lap.
JARRacing Go Kart action continues
next Friday, May 23 at 6:30 p.m. OPS competition on the full,
3/8-mile oval roars back to life Saturday with Sun Journal Night at
6:30 p.m.
UNRESTRICTED (20 laps): 1.
Tyler Braunschweig, West Newfield; 2. Charlie Tyler, Buxton; 3. Kyle
Metivier, Lisbon; 4. Michael Olanovich, Saco; 5. Dan Pelletier Jr.,
East Poland; 6. Ricky Morse, Hollis; 7.
Robbie Wentworth, Conway, N.H.; 8. Brenton Roubo, Saco; 9. Paul
Lund, Buxton; 10. Jeff Roubo, Saco; 11. Kevin Varney, Lewiston. DQ:
Kayla Ashline, Pittston.
Lap leaders: Tyler 1-14, Wentworth 15, Tyler 16-18,
Braunschweig 19-20.
Heat winner: Tyler.
STAR CHAMP (20 laps): 1. Stephen Beattie, Conway,
N.H.; 2. Mike Ricker, Sebago.
Lap leaders: Beattie 1-20.
Heat winner: Beattie.
GOLD PLATE (20 laps): 1. Spencer Morse, Waterford; 2. Kyle
Metivier, Lisbon; 3.
Brady Smith, Porter; 4. Tyler
King, Livermore Falls; 5. Ryan Phillips, Buxton; 6. Katrina Bright,
Wilton; 7. Josh Brown, South Paris; 8. Neil
Bernier, Minot; 9. Dave Blackwell, Brunswick; 10. Garrett Leiter,
Livermore Falls.
Lap leaders: King 1-14, Morse 15-20.
Heat winner: King.
BLUE PLATE (20 laps): 1. Jacob Hendsbee, Whitefield; 2. Troy
Davis, Windham; 3. Chris Staples Jr., Brunswick; 4. Brandon Varney,
Lewiston; 5. Spencer Thompson, Oxford; 6, Cody Chiasson, Peru; 7. Avery Spear,
Oxford.
Lap leaders: Varney 1-3, Hendsbee 4, Varney 5, Hendsbee
6-20.
Heat winner: Thompson.
PURPLE PLATE (20 laps): 1. Evan Armington, Lovell; 2. Zachary Rich, Casco;
3. Brandon Varney, Lewiston; 4. Dylan Haskell, West Baldwin.
Lap leaders: Varney 1-4, Armington 5-20.
Heat winner: Armington.
BOX STOCK (20 laps): 1. Brandon Varney,
Lewiston; 2. Ethan Matot, Casco; 3. Wade Blanchette, Buxton; 4.
Brodie Morse, Waterford; 5. Ethan Brown,
South Paris; 6. Cameron Gaghan, Winthrop; 7. Chase Staples, Durham.
Lap leaders: Morse 1-4, Varney 5-20.
Heat winner: Matot.
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(207) 645-4571
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