Mike Rowe wins Oxford Plains opener

Mike Rowe of Turner opened the 1990 Maine racing season by posting a late model sportsman feature victory at Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday.

On the 23rd lap of the late model sportsman feature race, Rowe and Dale Shaw of Center Conway, N.H., found themselves on the front row of a restart. Rowe got the jump at the start and held off all comers over the final 12 laps to post the win.

Rick Craven of Concord, N.H., was second followed by Bub Bilodeau of Scarborough and Mike Johnson of Hollis.

In other divisions, Brian Burgess of North Leeds won the six-cylinder charger class while Gary Shackford of North Conway, N.H., won the street stock and Mike Kimball of Gardiner won the compact division.

At Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough Sunday, modified driver Lou Weatherbee of Windham posted the hat trick by winning the feature race, the heat race, and the prerace pretty car contest. Spike Mattatal of Scarborough was second.

Barry Babb of Windham won the late model sportsman heat and feature while Paul Johnson of Hollis was second.

Butch Buzzell of Baldwin won the limited feature. – – –

At Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, defending NASCAR Busch Grand National North champion Jamie Aube of North Ferrisburg, Vt., got his 1990 season off on the right foot by winning the tour’s season-opening Diet Coke 100.

Second place went to 1987 GNN champ Joey Kourafas of Randolph, Mass., while Shaw was third.

Rounding out the top five were Rowe and Bob Dragon of Milton, Vt.

For Craven, a Newburgh native, his first race as a GNN tour driver went well early as the 23-year-old started the race in the sixth spot and blew by the field to lead laps 6 through 35. On the 35th lap, however, Craven blew an engine, finishing his day in 27th place. Thirty-one cars started the feature.