HERMON, Maine — Billy Childs Jr. of Leeds took the lead on lap 24 of the Eighth Annual PCT Communications/Trenton Marketplace IGA Ikey Dorr Memorial 100-lap race and held it through multiple restarts to capture the $2,500 winner’s check at Speedway 95 on Sunday.
Childs started ninth in the 28-car field and methodically worked his way to the front before what had been a smooth-running, caution-free event for the first 46 laps turned into a caution-filled survival challenge for the second half.
Only 10 of the 28 starters were around when the checkered flag flew on lap 100. Childs was able to defend his lead through all the starts and stops to claim the win, crossing the finish line 0.5 seconds ahead of Jeff Alley of Machias who finished second after starting seventh.
Alley was followed by Dean Clements of Brooks in third, who came from a 19th-place start to post his podium finish. Rounding out the top five were Zach Emerson of Sabattus and Cole Robinson of Clinton.
In the Darlings.com 150, 2018 Speedway 95 Late Model champion Kris Matchett of Skowhegan brought the crowd to its feet when he drove past race leader Brenton Parritt of Steuben, coming out of turn 4 on the final lap, to take the win and the $3,000 payday.
Matchett spent most of the race in the second spot, taking the lead from JR Robinson of Steuben following a lap-93 restart. Matchett led from then until Parritt passed him for the lead on lap 105.
Matchett chased Parritt for the next 44 laps, until Parritt was caught in slower traffic going into turn 3 on the final lap. Seeing Parritt slow momentarily, Matchett dove to the inside and put his car beside Parritt’s in turn three. Slight contact was made between the two as they raced through turn four and into the final sprint to the finish, with Matchett just nosing out Parritt for the win
Robinson finished in third, Joey Doyon of Winterport was fourth and Will Collins of Waldoboro took fifth.
Other Speedway 95 results
(Sunday) Caged Runners: 1. Zach Audet, Norridgewock; 2. Durbon Davis, Hermon; 3. Ethan Lyons, Skowhegan; 4. Dennis Burns, Carmel; 5. Jason Hyde, Glenburn
Demo Derby: 1. Josh Brown, Pownal; 2. Henry Boudreau, Hermon; 3. Zach Audet, Norridgewock
(Saturday) Kenny U-Pull Roadrunners (95 laps): 1. Brad Bellows, China; 2. Zach Audet, Norridgewock; 3. Robert Caruso, Kenduskeag
Cap’s Tavern Modified Enduros: 1. Keith Drost, Stetson; 2. Dustan Carrow, Winterport; 3. Brett McCullough, Kenduskeag; 4. Durbon Davis, Hermon; 5. Andrew Crosby, Hermon
Casella Waste Systems Sport Fours: 1. Zach Audet, Norridgewock; 2. Matt Glidden, Chelsea;
3. Jimmy Childs, Leeds; 4. Kalib Bernatchez, Vassalboro; 5. Isaac Rollins, Hudson
Lanpher wins PASS race at Oxford Plains
At Oxford, Reid Lanpher of Manchester nailed down his second Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Model victory of the season Sunday at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Lanpher, who started 11th, needed nearly the entire race to chase down six-time PASS North champion Johnny Clark of Farmingdale and take the race lead. Clark, who led the first 138 circuits in the 150-lap race, managed to hang on to second place after dominating most of the rain-delayed event.
The championship battle remained tight atop the PASS North points standings, with reigning series champion and 2018 leader DJ Shaw of Center Conway, New Hampshire, just one spot better than his closest championship rival, Travis Benjamin of Morril, another former series champion.
Ryan Robbins of Dixfield, a two-time OPS Super Late Model winner this year, raced with the leaders throughout the 150-lapper and finished fifth. Maine racers Joey Doiron of Berwick, Ben Rowe of Turner, Billy Rodgers of Old Orchard Beach, Mike Rowe of Turner and Rusty Poland of Windham rounded out the top 10.
Kate Re of Lovell led wire-to-wire and won her first-ever PASS Mods main event.
Re, 14, held off a determined Gary Shackford to earn her trip to victory lane. Shackford finished second and came up eight points shy of his first Mods championship. The Center Conway, New Hampshire, driver was a Street Stock champion at Oxford Plains Speedway about 15 years before winner Re was born.
Matty Sanborn of Windham followed up an impressive heat race victory with a third-place finish. Freeport’s Jariet Harrison pieced together a ride and claimed a fourth-place finish in front of Waterford’s Spencer Morse.
Ben Tinker of New Gloucester wrapped up his second consecutive PASS Mods championship with a sixth-place finish in a car usually driven by Patrick Sullivan. Tinker’s car was destroyed in a crash a couple of weeks prior, which ended the season for a couple of other competitors. The champion expressed a desire to move up into the Super Late Model ranks next season.
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