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NEWS
August 4, 2007
Heckbert cures seven-year itch;
Mooney, Tripp win; Patria, Hebert hit Grand Slam
OXFORD, Maine - After seven years away from Oxford Networks Late
Model victory lane, Leon Heckbert only needed three races of his
"un-retirement" to find the road back.
Heckbert stormed to the lead on lap 5
and steered car owner Mark Brackett's fast #5 into the winner's
circle in Saturday's New Balance Summer Celebration at Oxford Plains
Speedway.
Making the Wilton driver's comeback
win even sweeter was that Heckbert held off one of best in the local
business, two-time Late Model champion Travis Adams.
In preceding feature action, Skip
Tripp made it back-to-back Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Strictly
Stock wins for the first time in his career. Two-time Allen’s Mini
Stock champion Don Mooney held off current champion and point leader
Jimmy Childs for an impressive win.
And while Doug Degroat (Call of the
Wild RV Center Sport Truck) and Deanna Bisbee (Allen’s Ladies)
scored 20-lap Acceleration Series feature wins, Rick Hebert and
Dottie Patria clinched the respective Agren Appliance Grand Slam
titles.
Neon Leon holds off that neon
green machine
Heckbert won 11 Late Model features
between 1996 and 2000. He returned to the speedway after a lengthy
hiatus late last season, but a hard crash set back the Brackett
Mechanical team’s comeback hopes until July of this year.
Gary Chiasson won the first 10-lap
qualifier and set the pace for the first four laps of the main
event, but Heckbert wrestled away the lead with ease and opened up a
comfortable lead over the remainder of the 26-car pack.
Five caution flags slowed
Heckbert’s progress and left Adams lurking to the outside of the
front row on the final two restarts. Heckbert pulled off what has to
be described as a mild upset after the early-season dominance of
Adams and the speedway’s fleet of Race Basics-built chassis,
however, shaking off both side-by-side challenges and actually
extending his margin to three or four car lengths.
“Of course we started up front, but
it feels real great to get back in victory lane. Mark Brackett is
the man,” Heckbert said. “He‘s the only reason I'm back in a
Late Model car. I have to thank everybody who touches this car, and
Distance Racing for the best chassis on four wheels.”
Second wasn’t a bad way for
five-time feature winner Adams to rebound after a hard crash and his
first ‘DNF’ of the season cost him the division point lead a
week ago.
Adams subsequently reclaimed the top
spot from Ricky Rolfe, who suffered a flat tire and lost a lap to
the leaders on the 24th circuit. Rolfe finished 21st in the 26-car
field.
“All the work my father (Don) put
in this week certainly paid off. I’ve got to thank him. It was
kind of a busy week for us after bringing the car home in a basket.
My father picked up the slack and he had this car ready to go,”
Adams said. “I’m just very happy to put this thing back in the
top three. This car has always been very consistent, and I guess
wrecking didn’t hurt it too bad.”
Carey Martin shared the spotlight
with Rolfe a week ago in one of the closest finishes in OPS history.
He fell a little more than fender shy in another tremendous tussle,
this time with Glen Luce in a battle for third.
Luce was strong on the inside lane
throughout, and he survived a scrape with the resurgent Dale Verrill
on the next-to-last restart at lap 28.
“It wasn’t too bad. We had a bad
set of tires last week and we made the best of things this week,”
Luce said. “I’d like to say I’m sorry. Dale came down and I
had nowhere to go. I feel bad. That‘s not how I drive.”
Don Wentworth charged from the back
of the field to finish fifth.
It's a return Tripp for Skip
Tripp needed only nine laps to overtake Bob Crocker before settling
into a 10-car length advantage throughout the caution-free, 30-lap
Strictly sprint.
While Tommy Tompkins and Sumner
Sessions have run one-two in the Strictly point standings since
opening day, Tripp is third and gaining enough ground on the leaders
to be a factor in the final month of the championship chase.
"Richard and Kelly (of R.P.M.
Racing Engines) own this thing. Kelly told me she didn’t care how
much it cost if I could win two in a row, and I guess that ’s what
we did. They’re the best people in the world,” Tripp said.
“Everybody on the crew did it. I just drive it.”
Crocker
returned to competition in late June after sitting out most of the
last two seasons. Like Heckbert, his out-of-the-blue return to the
podium proved that he hasn’t forgotten the way around the tricky,
3/8-mile oval.
"It
took us a lot of work there, but I think we’ve finally got it. My
crew chief, Travis Mains, has been doing a lot of hard work for me.
We’ve been fighting it all year, but we’re getting closer and
closer and we’re finally getting there," Crocker said.
Like Adams in the Late Model ranks,
Sessions endured a grinding wreck last Saturday night that nearly
destroyed his ride and cost him the series point lead.
His return trip didn’t start much
better, with Sessions stuck in the proverbial rocking chair in the
heat race and unable to follow Tripp, Tompkins and the other
traditionally fast cars to the front. Sessions finally broke free in
the second groove midway through the main event, moving into third
near the halfway mark and erasing most of Crocker’s cushion in the
runner-up spot.
Time ran out on “The Big O,” but
third was A-OK with Sessions.
“In the lineup there, everybody had
a lot better heat race than I did. So I was up back and didn’t
think we had much chance at a third place, but that’s how our
season has gone,” Sessions said. “A lot of the credit goes to
Rick Morse and Rick’s Custom Engines. When I call on it (the
powerplant), that baby does a heck of a job.”
Chris Burgess improved upon last
week’s best finish of his rookie season by a spot, running fourth
ahead of Tompkins.
With four points races remaining,
Tompkins enjoys a scant 854-851 lead over Sessions in a battle of
friendly rivals chasing the first championship of careers that span
portions of three decades.
Champs play it straight in mighty
Mini clash
Mooney held Jimmy Childs at bay in a
tight battle of Allen's Mini Stock champions for his second 30-lap
triumph of the season. The driver of the #80 took advantage of a
rare front-row starting spot and led for the duration.
Not without a challenge from Childs,
however. He reached Mooney’s back bumper on several occasions but
wisely didn’t attempt to force the issue while extending his
narrow point edge over Adam Polvinen.
“It had some handling issues, but
Jimmy ran me clean. He might have had a little faster car than we
did tonight, but it all worked out and I have to thank him for
that,” Mooney said.
Last week’s similarly tough battle
with Shane Kaherl probably remained on Childs’ mind. That ended
with Childs trying to make the winning move on the inside and both
leaders spinning wildly into a turn three sand pile.
“I’m happy with second. We’ve
been struggling with the car all day. We bent something last week on
that dirt pile and it isn’t quite right,” Childs said. “I
think I’ll probably get it fixed.”
Childs now leads Polvinen by 30
points with more than three-quarters of the campaign in the
books.
Bill Thibeault warded off a stern
challenge from Polvinen and a late-arriving Kevin Bishop to claim
third. Bishop continued his impressive late-season surge with his
third fifth-place finish in the last five races.
Grand Slam leaders finish what they
started
Patria’s fifth-place finish was
enough to give her the nod over Cathy Manchester in a tie-breaker
for the Agren Appliance Grand Slam in the Ladies division.
Feature wins in the first two rounds
left Patria with the edge over Manchester, who finished third in the
finale.
Bisbee brought her mom Debbie
Martin’s 2006 championship car to the track for only the second
time this season and rode off with a convincing victory in the #3.
She also posted a previous Wednesday night win in Randy
Robitaille’s #51.
Kimberly Sessions remained on a hot
streak with her second-place run in the Ladies. Manchester held off
Christina Spaulding for third and forced a tie for the title.
Hebert needed to keep Lee Spurling in
sight to take the Truck title and did so, with Spurling claiming
second and Hebert third behind Degroat.
“We had a pretty bad push, but it
wasn’t going too bad,” Hebert said. “ These guys are fun to
race with. They’re good guys and good drivers, and we have a lot
of fun.”
Recent first-time winner and new
father Ryan Farrar was a strong fourth in front of Roger
Allard.
The Championship Series returns next
Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with the American-Canadian Tour Time Warner
Cable 100, part of the L/A Harley-Davidson Late Model Challenge.
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (40 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (3) #5 Leon Heckbert, Wilton, 40
2. (15) #03 Travis Adams, Canton, 40
3. (13) #7 Glen Luce, Turner, 40
4. (12) #18 Carey
Martin, Denmark, 40
5. (21) #63 Don Wentworth, Otisfield, 40
6. (6) #69 Dave MacDonald, New Gloucester, 40
7. (20) #8 Dennis Spencer Jr., Oxford, 40
8. (17) #94 Shawn Martin, Turner, 40
9. (4) #04 T.J. Watson, Harpswell, 40
10. (19) #07 Scott Luce, Strong, 40
11. (10) #77 Jon Brill, Bridgton, 40
12. (5) #6 Tommy Ricker, Poland, 40
13. (8) #26 Corey Morgan, Lewiston, 40
14. (23) #01 Perley Childs III, Auburn, 40
15. (1) #70 Gary Chiasson, Peru, 40
16. (7) #0 Scott
Hodgdon, Minot, 40
17. (18) #2 Zach Emerson, Sabattus, 40
18. (22) #1 Shane Green, South Paris, 40
19. (25) #44 Neil Martin, Freeport, 40
20. (24) #3 B.J. Chapman, Bridgton, 40
21. (16) #51 Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township, 39
22. (2) #15 Ben Ashline, Pittston, 39
23. (26) #40 Rick
Valentine, Greene, 39
24. (9) #56 Dale Verrill, Paris, 28
25. (14) #29 Ricky Morse, St. Albans, 28
26. (11) #85 Travis Stearns, Gray, 5
Lap leaders: Chiasson 1-4, Heckbert 5-40.
Cautions: 5 (laps 5, 24, 28, 29, 29)
Time of race: 31 minutes, 38.607 seconds
Margin of victory: 0.497 seconds
Fast lap: Leon Heckbert, 16.269 seconds
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY
STRICTLY STOCK (30 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (7) #12 Skip Tripp, Sabattus, 30
2. (1) #54 Bob
Crocker, Freeport, 30
3. (12) #0 Sumner Sessions, Norway, 30
4. (3) #13 Chris Burgess, Lewiston, 30
5. (9) #113 Tommy Tompkins, Dixfield, 30
6. (6) #63 Matt Williams, Brownfield, 30
7. (2) #07 Rick Thompson, Naples, 30
8. (13) #56 Mike Short, Auburn, 30
9. (5) #57 Glen Henderson, Sabattus, 30
10. (17) #Todd Hall, Auburn, 30
11. (8) #24 Larry Emerson, Durham, 30
12. (10) #23 Zach
Emerson, Sabattus, 30
13. (15) #36 Ron Charpentier Jr., Wales, 30
14. (11) #42 Kim Tripp, Oxford, 30
15. (16) #53 Dick Damon, Livermore, 29
16. (14) #82 Ben Krauter, Raymond, 29
17. (4) #18 Reggie Houghton, Carthage, 29
Lap leaders: Crocker 1-8, S. Tripp 9-30.
Cautions: None
Time of race: 9 minutes, 24.912 seconds
Margin of victory: 0.993 seconds
Fast lap: Skip Tripp, 18.609 seconds
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY
MINI STOCK (30 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (2) #80 Don Mooney, New Gloucester, 30
2. (8) #10 Jimmy
Childs, Leeds, 30
3. (3) #8 Bill Thibeault, Oxford, 30
4. (12) #73 Adam Polvinen, Oxford, 30
5. (9) #08 Kevin Bishop, South Paris, 30
6. (13) #74 Bill Irving, New Gloucester, 30
7. (5) #35 Dale Brackett, Oxford, 30
8. (6) #90 Dale Durgin, Norway, 30
9. (11) #77 Ashley Marshall, Jay, 30
10. (15) #29 Greg Watkins, Bridgton, 30
11. (1) #55 Darick Barker, Jay, 28
12. (7) #12 Bill
Childs Sr., Leeds, 19
13. (14) #19 Shane Kaherl, Jay, 19
14. (10) #9 Bob Guptill, Mechanic Falls, 19
15. (4) #07 Al Roberti, South Paris, 8
16. (16) #44 Jim Robbins, Dixfield, 3
DNS #90K Bob Mooney, Lewiston
DNS #16 Don Frechette, Turner
Lap leaders: Don Mooney 1-30.
Cautions: 1 (lap 19)
Time of race: 17 minutes, 30.878 seconds
Margin of victory: 0.083 seconds
Fast lap: Jimmy Childs, 18.374 seconds
CALL OF THE WILD RV CENTER SPORT TRUCK (20 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (2) #84 Doug
Degroat, Oxford, 20
2. (11) #17 Lee Spurling, New Gloucester, 20
3. (13) #19 Rick Hebert, Peru, 20
4. (8) #69 Ryan Farrar, Oxford, 20
5. (15) #68 Roger Allard, Harpswell, 20
6. (12) #26 Yogi
Hiscock, Jay, 20
7. (4) #54x Devon Smith, Norway, 20
8. (10) #28 Kevin Oliver, Graym 20
9. (3) #41 Doug
Stevens, West Sumner, 20
10. (7) #71 Corey Williams, Sumner, 19
11. (16) #40 Tom Libby, Gorham, 19
12. (17) #139 Earl Lowe, Sumner, 19
13. (14) #63 Brent Westberry, Buckfield, 18
14. (5) #88 Joe Farrar, Oxford, 15
15. (6) #69x Brian Farrar, Sumner, 14
16. (1) #13 Mike Blash, Oxford, 11
17. (9) #7 Marvin Hamilton, New Gloucester, 8
Lap leaders: Blash 1, Degroat 2-20.
Cautions: None
Time of race: 6 minutes, 45 seconds.
ALLEN'S COFFEE FLAVORED BRANDY LADIES (20 laps)
Fin. (Start) No., driver, hometown, laps completed
1. (1) #3 Deanna
Bisbee, South Paris, 20
2. (3) #2 Kimberly Sessions, Auburn, 20
3. (5) #69 Cathy
Manchester, Gray, 20
4. (7) #00 Christina Spaulding, Lewiston, 20
5. (4) #34 Dottie
Patria, Turner, 20
6. (2) #13 Missy Roussel, Oxford, 20
7. (8) #92 Debbie Marston, Hartford, 20
8. (6) #29 Shannon Wheeler, Auburn, 19
9. (9) #44 Annie Chartier, Mexico, 18
Lap leaders: Bisbee 1-20.
Cautions: None
Time of race: 6 minutes, 43 seconds
HEAT RESULTS
LATE MODEL #1
1. Gary Chiasson
2. Ben Ashline
3. Leon Heckbert
4. Rick Valentine
5. T.J. Watson
6. Tommy Ricker
7. Dave MacDonald
8. Shane Green
9. Scott Hodgdon
10. Corey Morgan
11. B.J. Chapman
12. Neil Martin
13. Perley Childs III
LATE MODEL #2
1. Dale Verrill
2. Jon Brill
3. Travis Stearns
4. Carey Martin
5. Glen Luce
6. Ricky Morse
7. Travis Adams
8. Scott Luce
9, Ricky Rolfe
10. Dennis Spencer Jr.
11. Shawn Martin
12. Zach Emerson
13. Don Wentworth
STRICTLY #1
1. Bob Crocker
2. Rick Thompson
3. Ben Krauter
4. Ron Charpentier Jr.
5. Chris Burgess
6. Reggie Houghton
7. Dick Damon
DQ Todd Hall
STRICTLY #2
1. Glen Henderson
2. Matt Williams
3. Skip Tripp
4. Larry Emerson
5. Tommy Tompkins
6. Zach Emerson
7. Kim Tripp
8. Sumner Sessions
9. Mike Short
MINI #1
1. Darick Barker
2. Don Mooney
3. Bill Thibeault
4. Al Roberti
5. Dale Brackett
6. Dale Durgin
7. Bob Mooney
8. Bill Childs Sr.
9. Jim Robbins
MINI #2
1. Jimmy Childs
2. Kevin Bishop
3. Bob Guptill
4. Ashley Marshall
5. Adam Polvinen
6. Bill Irving
7. Shane Kaherl
8. Greg Watkins
9. Don Frechette
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Photos by Trudy Marshall from
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