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RACEDAY REWIND: Summer Slam Triple Crown Series at Oxford Plains Speedway

OXFORD, Maine -- A couple of dominating support-division performances and one surprisingly exciting Late Model feature finish.

Justin Karkos, Skip Tripp and Shawn Martin are the early leaders in the Oxford Plains Speedway Triple Crown Series this summer, and waiting a day because of rain did nothing to curb car counts or enthusiasm at the track on Sunday.

Here's a look back at the first round of the Summer Slam Series:

GWC Driver of the Week: Josh St. Clair

Three nights. Three wins. Two tracks.

Josh St. Clair won two Late Model features and, for good measure, a Super Street feature in a three-day span over the holiday weekend -- including a 75-lap main event at Unity Raceway last Friday night.

For that effort, St. Clair is the GWC Driver of the Week for July 6.

RECAP: Reno Gervais a first-timer at T-Road; St. Clair rolls at Wiscasset

Reno Gervais discovered you can go home again.

The two-time Tiger Sportsman champion returned to Thunder Road International Speedbowl this season to help celebrate the track's 50th anniversay -- and, on Sunday night, did a little celebrating himself.

Gervais won the 50-lap Late Model feature at Thunder Road for his first career victory in the division.

ON SITE: An outsider now, Shawn Martin finds inside track to victory lane

OXFORD, Maine -- It's been so long since Shawn Martin won a Late Model feature at Oxford Plains Speedway, he needed a cheat sheet in victory lane to remind himself to thank his sponsors.

How long had it been? Even Martin couldn't remember, but he won't have to think back that far anymore.

Martin pulled off a dramatic and surprising pass to the outside of 4-time track champion Travis Adams as the pair raced under the white flag, beating Adams at his own game to win the first round of the 50-lap Summer Slam Triple Crown Series on Sunday night.

Justin Wakefield wins PASS South event; Ben Rowe finishes 4th

Justin Wakefield won the Independence 150 at Hickory Motor Speedway on Sunday night.

It was the second event in three days for the PASS South Series, which raced in Greenville, S.C. on Friday night. Jay Fogleman won that event.

Four-time PASS North Series champion Ben Rowe finished fourth in an inactive car he borrowed from his father after his Richard Moody Racing team decided not to make the trip south. Rowe remains, unofficially, the PASS South points leader.

ON SITE: Skip Tripp takes physical battle in Strictly Stock feature at OPS

OXFORD, Maine -- Skip Tripp and Mike Short kept their tempers well hidden following a two-car battle for the Strictly Stock win on Sunday night.

Tripp held Short off on two restarts and a sideways battle to the checkered flag, as the defending division champion won the 50-lap Summer Slam Triple Crown Series event at Oxford Plains Speedway.

"He kind of got mad at me at the last restart, when he didn't quite have the hole and I got him," Tripp said of Short, referring to a restart before the halfway mark of the event.

ON SITE: Justin Karkos motors to Mini Stock win at Oxford Plains Speedway

OXFORD, Maine -- With a straight face, Justin Karkos expects the competition to believe he actually had a problem with his No. 51.

Karkos led every lap of the 50-lap Mini Stock feature at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday night, capturing round No. 1 in the Summer Slam Triple Crown Series. Karkos held off Jimmy Childs for the victory.

"I was a little bit nervous when I couldn't pull away from Jimmy, but he's a good driver," Karkos said. "I had motor problems, but I'll get that fixed."

ON SITE: Taking a look at the Summer Slam Triple Crown Series at Oxford Plains

CLICK HERE to see the complete gallery.

ON SITE: We've made the long Sunday drive over to Oxford Plains Speedway

OXFORD, Maine -- Well, we flipped a coin and ended up taking one of the single-worst road trips of the year over to Oxford Plains Speedway.

Not because there's fireworks on the schedule for tonight. Not because I've got a cough that's left my voice sounding like a pre-pubescent 14-year-old. Not because I'm apparently sitting in the only press box in Maine with assigned seating.

Nope. Because after 117 consecutive days of rain, it would seem every driver over the age of 65 decided to hit the road for a real "Sunday drive" today.

VIDEO: Tony Stewart on top in wild finish at Daytona International Speedway

Rain claims first round of Oxford's Triple Crown Series for a second time

Oxford Plains Speedway rained out for the second time in three days.

Track officials made the decision to pull the plug on Saturday night's Fourth of July program shortly before 3 p.m. A third attempt to run the first round of Oxford's Summer Slam Triple Crown Series will take place on Sunday night, July 5th.

The green flag flies at 6:30 p.m.

BREAKING NEWS: Maurice Young stepping out of Wiscasset's Late Model ranks

Less than halfway through the season, Maurice Young's Late Model campaign at Wiscasset Raceway is over.

Young confirmed Friday night that he has put his Late Model up for sale and will take a break from racing for most of the remainder of the summer.

"I'm done for a while," Young said via text message.

RECAP: St. Clair wins twice at Unity; Fogleman the man in PASS South

Josh St. Clair led every lap of the Late Model feature to complete a sweep at Unity Raceway on Friday night.

St. Clair led all 75 laps to beat both John Phippen and Dylan Turner -- on the same night he also took the Super Street checkered flags.

The third-generation St. Clair held off Kris Watson on the final lap for the Super Street win at Unity.

FEATURE: For Babb, watching his little girl grow up is the hardest thing to do

 

SCARBOROUGH, Maine -- Bobby Babb admits that when it comes to his children racing, he treats them differently. Not that he wants to; it's just a father's instinct.

When Babb watches his son, 16-year-old Bradley, he sees a younger version of himself -- taking the risks he took on the way to countless victories and track championships at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. When he watches his 19-year-old daughter, Kelsey, he has a completely different reaction.

A serious practice crash for Kelsey a month ago at the track only served to cement his feelings.

ON SITE: Rain forces early end to race program at Beech Ridge on Friday

SCARBOROUGH, Maine -- The Sport Series teams will have to wait another week.

Rain intervened just two laps into the scheduled 35-lap Sport Series feature at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Friday night, forcing the postponement of the event. The race will resume from the second lap next weekend as part of the track's Autograph Night program on Saturday, July 11.

The race was the only scheduled one not to be completed on Friday, a card which also included a fireworks celebration.