OXFORD — A unique and sometimes difficult journey began in December of 2014 when students participating in Oxford Hills Middle School’s Aspire Higher race team program announced they had chosen a young driver from Waterford to pilot their partially-completed Super Late Model in 2015.

Through countless ups and downs, wrecks and other setbacks, both driver and students knew their day would come. Fix the car. Load it up, head for the track, try it again. Late in the 2015 season, it started to gel.

Their long trek to success was realized on Saturday, May 14, when Spencer Morse wheeled the No. 0 OHMS/Aspire Higher entry into Victory Lane at Oxford Plains Speedway after holding off longtime veteran Tracy Gordon in a hotly-contested 50-lap feature.

“It’s the dedication of these students and how hard they work for this race team that keeps me upbeat each and every day,” Morse said. “They never got down, they just kept working at it until things finally went our way. When Mitch Green from Crazy Horse Racing got our chassis set up right, the car was capable of running up front. That first win was such a confidence booster for all of us.”

The Super Late Model class at Oxford has a roster loaded with talented veterans. Read through the list and see names like three-time track champion Tim Brackett, two-time champion Shawn Martin, two-time champ and recent feature winner TJ Brackett, and it just goes on and on. To win a feature these days, everything has to come together just right.

“You can’t afford to be even a little bit off in chassis setup if you plan to run up front,” Morse explains. “These teams have people with tons of experience working with things like shocks, suspension adjustments and tires that are so crucial to going fast. I’m still learning what these cars need, yet we’re starting to get it figured out in our second season.”

Oxford’s handicap system dictates that feature winners start out back the following week. Now, it’s a challenge for Morse to come from the rear against such stiff competition. Yet as the season wears on, more of the big guns will face the very same challenge.

“You’ve already seen guys like Martin and both Bracketts in Victory Lane,” Morse explained. “So they will start in the back and have to work their way through traffic, as well. Our goal is to keep our car dialed in so I can follow those guys to the front. I think we have a shot at grabbing another win or two this year, but we’ll have to earn them, just like we did the first one.”

A number of students have played key roles in the success of the Aspire Higher program. Building, maintaining and fielding a competitive car in Oxford’s Super Late Model class can be a daunting task. A race team is a business, requiring marketing partners, promotional skills and administrative efforts behind the scenes. Morse says he’s been overwhelmed at the strong work ethic of so many students.

“I’ve been blessed to have the support of 60 kids involved with this program in one aspect or another. To have devoted students like William Perreault, Sully Poland, Luke Mowatt, Jessica Bickford, Alex Moore, Cam Richards, Kolby Dodge and Rachel Newcomb working so hard for us has been of great value. They all came out of their shells, so to speak, and have matured greatly through their roles with the team. They all act professionally, whether they’re making a sponsor presentation, or in the shop.”

Along with his recent victory in the premier weekly class, Morse is also excited about an opportunity to run a different car on a night when thousands will be watching. He will be driving Winthrop native Jeff White’s old American-Canadian Tour car at Oxford the night before the 250.

“Jeff and Lenny Thompson built that car a couple of years ago to run the ACT tour,” Morse adds. “They are converting a car over to Super Late Model rules, so they had that ACT car parked outside the shop. I kept driving by it, and one day I stopped in to talk with Lenny about it. After I bugged him just enough, we finally put a deal together for me to drive it on August 27. I have a great deal of respect for ACT teams and that series in general, so to run well in that race would be almost like making the 250.”

Without question, making the field for the 43rd annual HP Hood Oxford 250 on August 28 is the main goal for the Aspire Higher race team. It’s one of the nation’s most prestigious short track events, and Morse has been dreaming of competing in it since he knew it existed.

“We’re going to work hard the rest of the season to run up front weekly, stay up there in points and of course, make the show in the mighty 250. I still feel like I’m a low-buck Street Stock guy who gets to drive a Super Late Model. I love this opportunity I have with the OHMS students, and I’m excited to run that ACT car on such a huge weekend. Rewarding this team with good results makes me proud.”

pwhipple@sunjournal.com

Upcoming local schedule: Saturday, June 11, 2016
Oxford Plains Speedway – Championship Series – 7 p.m.
Beech Ridge Motor Speedway – NASCAR Nite Autograph Session – 7 p.m.
Wiscassett Speedway – Group 2, plus NEMA Nite – 6 p.m.