Auto racing: Bryan Kruczek conquers Oxford Plains one hundred fifty
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OXFORD — Bryan Kruczek heats up when the sun goes down at Oxford Plains Speedway. The Vermont driving force raced to his second win of the season at the American-Canadian Tour with a victory in the Oxford Plains a hundred and fifty on the night time earlier than the 250. Any time you may win at Oxford is right. It doesn’t count,” Kruczek said. “If I could win in a wheelbarrow race right here, I might.” Kruczek’s earlier win on the song in April had that means because it changed into his first professional win at the excursion. However, Saturday night’s victory changed into simply as unique.
This one supposed lots. (Car proprietor Bobby Webber Jr.), when we made the deal to drive this car, he stated, ‘The handiest issue I need you to do is win at night before the 250.’ And I said, ‘OK, that’s the deal.’ And we carried out the aim,” Kruczek said. After Kruczek’s warmth race, he scrapped the car’s setup and “went lower back to what we had within the spring simply because it changed into going to chill off.” It took him 1/2 of the 150-lap race to get to the front after starting within the 13th function in the 36-automobile discipline; however, as soon as he grabbed the lead, he by no means allowed it to cross. One caution proper after taking the lead and some other 12 laps chief may want to have spelled trouble but didn’t. Neither did the yellow flag flying with thirteen to move.
Kruczek said the win offers him a confidence boost “to have a respectable run at the least” in Sunday’s Oxford 250, which he’s entered in conjunction with fellow Saturday night time competition Bobby Therrien and Ryan Kuhn. Seasonably cool temperatures in Sunday night’s forecast have to help tighten up Kruzcek’s vehicle, as he prefers. I always have an unfastened race vehicle, so if it tightens the music, I’m usually much higher,” he stated. Saturday night’s fundamental characteristic was also unique for second-region finisher Stephen Donahue, a rookie on the ACT Tour.
I imply I’ve watched 250s right here, again after they were Late Models — my dad’s run here a couple of instances, he’s completed third right here,” Donahue stated. “And it’s virtually cool because this isn’t my favorite song to return to. I sincerely have struggled to force the track and how it wishes to be pushed. It confirmed these days, wherein the car was just true enough to wherein we have been capable of bolting a few new tires on, and it stayed all the way through, which that automobile is superb at doing. It remains constant; it doesn’t fall off. A pinnacle three right here could be extraordinary.
Donahue started 5th just before Jesse Switser, from whom Kruczek took the lead after Switser led more than 30 laps. Therrien had the lead before that, taking it from pole-sitter Cody LeBlanc at lap 9. Veteran Scott Payea finished third, which he said was “sort of like a win to us. We struggled all day, and we threw four springs at her right before the characteristic, so to compete for upfront right here, it feels genuinely good,” he said. Series points chief Rich Dubeau battled to a fourth-place display after beginning 16th. Payea’s cousin, Dylan Payea, rounded out the top five. Kuhn completed in fourth, while Therrien fell back to a 27th-location end after dropping the lead.
In different Saturday night motions, Kyle Hewins ruled the 30-lap Street Stocks race to kick off the features. Hewins pulled the Jordan Russell-owned car far from runner-up Skip Tripp, who held off a few one-of-a-kind challenges, such as third-place finisher Shawn Knight. Hewins stated his group placed extra rubber in the right facet after their warmness race, making the distinction. He thanked Russell for letting him drive the automobile Saturday night.
The Wicked Good Vintage racers ran divisions, and the early overdue version department went first with an exciting 25-lap feature. Keith Smalley received it in the end, but it was no longer without a fight from South Paris driver Kevin Waterhouse. The neighborhood racer had a difficult conflict on the last lap, simply edging Dean Grant at the stripe. Mike Teague made the second Wicked Good Vintage race appear like a motorway force, pulling away half of a lap into the 25-lap outlaw characteristic. Patrick Verner and Sylvain Massicotte battled for 2nd, nicely at the back of Teague but conveniently in advance of the rest of the sector. Before the ACT cars placed on the principal event, the North East Classic Lites motors dueled for 25 laps. Tom Harwood took the win ahead of Duane Skofield and Derrick Marsan.