(Oxford) Breeanna Spaulding has won a lot of Ladies Features at Oxford Plains Speedway.
This season the 28-year-old picked up where she left off winning three of the first four races.
But suddenly things changed, and Breeanna hadn’t won in over a month.
However, last night the also-rans ended, and it was time for that long-awaited victory lap.
“I was driving a different car tonight,” said Breeanna after the race. “The other one had been running badly, and we finally found out why. In the hold in the fuel tank there was plastic still in it.”
The different car made last night’s race a pleasant one.
“It was kind of nice watching them in the mirror,” said Breeanna with a laugh afterwards.
The “them” she referenced were two 15-year-olds, Maddy Herrick and Amara Parker.
In eight weeks of racing, the winner has been either Breeanna (4), Maddy (2), or Amara (2).
Kasie Kolbe won the Ladies 8-lap heat last night and was off to a good start in the 20-lap feature before the front tire blew several laps into the feature.
Kasie shares the car with her cousin Skip Tripp. Ironically, Skip had a flat in the July 8th Outlaws feature on the same side and it cost him dearly in that race.
Kasie’s flat led to a caution and a restart with Breeanna on the pole and Maddy on the outside.
Breeanna resumed the lead right away with Maddy and Amara close by in Lap 4.
Both Maddy and Amara tried, during the final sixteen laps, to use the second groove to get past Breeanna. It didn’t work for either of them, in fact, they each gave up second when they attempted it.
“There was no second groove,” said Maddy Herrick who finished second afterwards. “The track was wicked slick. We’re still getting used to racing on hot days.”
Breeanna got a little wide on the final turn. “It was the last lap,” she said. “I was getting excited, and I gave up the bottom a little bit.”
Maddy has been first or second for the last four weeks. “We were there speed wise,” she said. “A few more laps and I probably could have got her. I’ll take second. She’s very good.”
“We think we have a winning car,” Maddy added. “We’ll learn from this and be better next week.”
Maddy is also the goalie on the Oxford Hills girls’ soccer team. I covered her game last year against Brunswick. “Soccer preseason starts soon,” she said. “It’s a lot of work but I like it.”
My intention was to cover the Outlaws, but their feature was moved to last. The Ladies were first.
Impressive run by Jake Dobson in the Outlaws’ heat. Skip Tripp passed everyone else, but Jake won his first heat by holding Skip off for the final four laps of the 8-lap race.
McClelland Miscellanea 