Sylas Ripley Scores First Career Oxford Championship Series Super Late Model Win

On Saturday, Sylas Ripley made his mark in the Oxford Plains Speedway record books by leading from start to finish for his inaugural Super Late Model victory.

The 14-year-old took the lead in all 50 laps of the Oxford Championship Series Super Late Model feature, successfully fending off Tim Brackett in the final laps to secure the win.

“Ripley expressed, “It’s simply unbelievable. I want to extend my gratitude towards my mom, dad, Ryan, Kyle, Graham, Grant, Wayne, and everyone who came to support and help. It’s utterly incredible. This is my first victory with a full-size car.”

“Racing at this level is truly incredible, especially competing against such talented individuals. I would like to express my gratitude to Tim for a fair competition towards the end.”

This adds to an already exciting month of July for the third-generation driver from Maine. Earlier this month, Ripley joined Team Hornaday Development, partnering with Ron Hornaday, Jr.

Tim Brackett came in second, maintaining his streak of impressive finishes since his victory at the Pro All Stars Series at Oxford Plains in June. Despite this, he expressed dissatisfaction with the balance of his car during Saturday’s race.

“Brackett stated, ‘The car doesn’t perform well with two tires. With four tires, our practice performance was excellent. It seems that the car dislikes having only two tires. We now have an idea of what adjustments to make, but we have not yet achieved the optimal setup.'”

Kyle Salemi rebounded from a devastating Celebration of America 300, where his No. 63 was severely damaged during Tuesday night’s qualifiers, by securing a third-place finish on Saturday.

“Firstly, I want to express my gratitude to RSB Chassis for their exceptional work in manufacturing such an outstanding race car,” Salemi stated. “Following the previous week, they put in a great deal of effort to ensure our return here. We picked up this car last night, and our performance today is a testament to their hard work. I am deeply appreciative.”

The Oxford Championship Series is set to resume on Saturday, July 20. The race is slated to start at 6 p.m. ET.

-Photo credit: Oriana Lovell/O.L. Photos

Oxford Championship Series Unofficial Results
July 13, 2024