|
FRI.-SUN., AUGUST
28-30 |
|
|
|
Speed51
videos of the Oxford 250 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
SUPER LATE
MODELS at OPS 250
UNOFFICIAL RACE
RESULTS - 8-30-20 |
1) 54 - Johnny Clark
- 250 Laps
2) 88T - Jeff
Taylor - 250
3) 21 - Joey
Doiron - 250
4) 23 - Dave
Farrington Jr. - 250
5)
15 - Mike Hopkins - 250
6) 60s - DJ Shaw - 250
7)
99 - Ben Ashline - 250
8)
29s - Trevor Sanborn - 250
9) 94h - Garrett Hall - 250
10) 47b - Gabe Brown - 250
11) 9t - Alan Tardiff - 250
12) 7g - Curtis Gerry - 250
13) 32 - Derek Ramstrom -
250
14) 13 - Cassius
Clark - 249
15) 17ma -
Eddie MacDonald - 249
16)
29t - Austin Teras - 249
17) 4 - Ben Rowe - 249
18) 51 - Jon Peters - 248
19) 88b - Brandon Barker -
248
20) 81 - Dan Winter -
248
21) 24 - Mike Rowe -
248
22) 96 - Wyatt
Alexander - 247 |
23) 12 - Corey Bubar
- 247
24) 7b - Travis
Benjamin - 245
25) 90 -
Craig Weinstein - 245
26)
14 - Scott McDaniel - 243
27) 10 - Kate Re - 240
28) 20 - Joey Pastore - 237
29) 12g - Derek Griffith -
228
30) 3c - Josh Childs
- 220
31) 93ct - Ray
Christian III - 205
32) 1
- Kyle Desouza - 183
33)
8 - Calvin Rose Jr. - 171
34) 26p - Bubba Pollard - 155
35) 94 - Shawn Martin 113
36) 41 - Tracy Gordon - 101
37) 72 - Scott Robbins - 99
38) 85 - Travis Stearns - 91
39) 60b - Tim Brackett - 65
40) 72x - Ryan Kuhn - 46
41) 36 - Ryan Robbins - 32
42) 53 - Alan Wilson - 26
43) 14c - Anthony Costantino
- 23
44) 40vt - Nick
Sweet - 17 |
|
ENTRY LIST - OXFORD 250 - 8-30 |
 |
Clark Scores
Elusive
Oxford 250 Win;
Taylor Left Wondering |
Story by: Zach Evans,
Speed51 Content Supervisor –
Twiter: @ztevans |
Oxford, ME -
After a pit road
miscue during a lap 179
caution relegated Taylor to
10th, Clark took the lead
from Alan Tardiff and led
the rest of the way for his
first Oxford 250 win in 16
attempts.
Finally
climbing to the mountaintop
at Oxford nearly rendered
Clark speechless afterwards,
reflecting on a wild year on
and off the race track.
"It's unbelievable. It
really is. I don't know what
to say. It's been a crazy
year. Honestly, the fact
that it's been such a crazy
year is probably why we're
standing here."
"It's
been stressful to be a good
dad, be a good husband, and
be the best race car driver
you can be. The fact that
I've been able to slow down
a ton has been huge for me
and huge for my family,
everything, personally."
The victory was the
culmination of a year's
worth of effort for the
six-time PASS North champion
to finally score the elusive
win.
"We worked so
hard right from March," said
Clark. "We've got an awesome
relationship with Gary
Crooks and Port City Race
Cars. He has busted his a--
to get this company where
it's at, and I'm reaping the
rewards for it. We talked
almost nightly; you can ask
my wife.
"It's
unbelievable. We just worked
so hard. I know Jeff Taylor
has worked really hard to
get to victory lane here,
but man, we've worked really
busted a---- this season."
Taylor was another
home-state driver looking
for his first Oxford 250,
making his 23rd appearance
in the race in 2020.
Instead, he came away with
his third runner-up finish
in the event.
During
the lap 179 caution, Taylor
exited pit road after his
first pit stop of the night.
Believing he had driven
through the stop sign at pit
exit, Taylor took a
self-imposed pass-through
penalty on pit road rather
than forcing series
officials to penalize him.
That put the nine-time
Oxford Plains track champion
10th in the field with less
than 100 laps to go, a
distance he was unable to
make up in that span.
"I did it to myself, so
it's not really a luck
thing. I wasn't paying
enough attention coming out
of the pits. I screwed it up
getting out of the pits. I
decided to penalize myself.
"I don't know if that
was the right move or not,
but that's the one I made.
Inevitably, it cost us a
chance."
Along with
being a milestone victory
for the Maine standout, it
was a bounce-back
performance from a dismal
showing a month ago. When
the PASS North series
visited the bullring on July
18, Clark finished three
laps down in 26th place
during a 150-lap feature.
Despite that showing,
Clark knew they had the
pieces to contend for the
Oxford 250 this weekend, and
that they did.
"We've
been good here testing, but
In July we went three laps
down here. Our heads were
hanging when we left, but we
knew that it just didn't
work that day. We had
already found what would
work, we just had to get
back to it.
Joey
Doiron completed the podium,
with Dave Farrington, Jr.
and Mike Hopkins rounding
out the top five.
Fans who missed Sunday's
Oxford 250 can
click here to watch an
on-demand replay of
Speed51's live broadcast of
the race. |
|
 |
|
|
Poland, ME - (207) 890-0913
PASS MODS 75 at OPS 250
UNOFFICIAL RACE
RESULTS - 8-30-20 |
1) 34 - Spencer
Morse - 75 Laps
2) 19 -
Ben Tinker - 75
3) 11 -
Tyler King - 75
4) 13 -
Shawn Knight - 75
5) 64 -
Matty Sanborn - 75
6) 52
- Colby Benjamin - 75
7)
4x - Kris Matchett - 75
8) 18 - Justin Larson - 75
9) 12 - Kevin Durgin - 75
10) 4 - Milo Washer - 75
11) 09 - Ryan Ripley - 75
12) 41x - Mike Nichols - 74 |
13) 55 - Gary Dwinal
- 74
14) 35 - Bobby
Nadeau - 74
15) 66 - Jake
Madore - 74
16) 25 - Ryan
Nelson - 74
17) 7 -
Spencer Vaughan 73
18) 6t
- Troy Morse- - 61
19) 44
- Ashley Beyea - 54
20) 6
- Chanler Harrison - 41
21) 2 - Ajay Cates - 30
22) 28 - Mark Lunblad Jr. -
16
23) 33 - Bill Dixon -
12
24) 00 - JR Barill - 1 |
 |
|
|
PASS MODS 50 at OPS
250
UNOFFICIAL RACE
RESULTS - 8-30-20 |
1) 55 - Gary Dwinal
- 50 Laps
2) 19 - Ben
Tinker - 50
3) 12 - Kevin
Durgin - 50
4) 11 - Tyler
King - 50
5) 6t - Troy
Morse - 50
6) 4x - Kris
Matchett - 50
7) 13 -
Shawn Knight - 50
8) 35 -
Bobby Nadeau - 50
9) 64 -
Matty Sanborn - 50
10) 28
- Mark Lunblad - 50
11)
66 - Jake Madore - 50
12)
52 - Colby Benjamin - 50
13) 2 - Ajay Cates - 50 |
14) 00 - JR Barill -
50
15) 4 - Milo Washer -
50
16) 09 - Ryan Ripley -
50
17) 83 - Dan Brown- 49
18) 7 - Spencer Vaughan - 48
19) 34 - Spencer Morse - 45
20) 25 - Ryan Nelson - 40
21) 61 - Brad Hammond - 35
22) 33 - Bill Dixon - 19
23) 18 - Justin Larson - 15
24) 41x - Tracy Gordon - 15
25) 6 - Chanler Harrison -
15
26) 44 - Ashley Beyea
- 1 |
 |
|
|
Hebert Finally
Breaks Through at Oxford
to
Extend ACT Point Lead |
Oxford, ME --
Williamstown's Jimmy Hebert
finished a job he had come
close to so many times
before by winning the Oxford
Plains 150 at Maine's Oxford
Plains Speedway on Sunday,
August 30. Hebert took the
lead for good from Turner,
ME's Ben Rowe with 57 laps
to go and was never
seriously threatened from
there on his way to becoming
the first repeat winner of
the American-Canadian Tour
(ACT) season.
For
Hebert, it was a victory
that had been within reach
on multiple occasions prior
to Sunday. In nine previous
starts at Oxford, he had
posted six top-5 finishes
with a pair of runner-up
results. His elusive first
win at the historic 3/8-mile
track also put him in the
driver's seat for his first
ACT championship with three
point-counting events
remaining.
Hebert
started 10th in the 28-car
field and spent the first
third of the event
conserving his Hebert
Excavation Chevrolet as the
field tussled in front of
him. Polesitter Marcel J.
Gravel of Wolcott, VT led
the first five laps before
Steuben, ME's Rowland
Robinson Jr. got underneath
him on the backstretch to
snatch the top spot.
Robinson's stay at the front
was also short-lived as
Candia, NH's Jimmy Renfrew
pulled a similar move six
laps later to lead an ACT
event for the first time.
Renfrew paced the field
for the next 42 circuits as
Robinson, Gravel, Rowe, Ryan
Kuhn, and others fought to
position themselves for the
long haul. Rowe was up to
the second spot by lap 40,
and after looking to the
outside of Renfrew multiple
times, he finally made it
stick on the high groove to
move in front on lap 54.
The long green-flag run
came to an end on lap 69
when Robinson and Renfrew
tried to split a lapped car
on the front chute. Robinson
bounced off Renfrew's
driver-side door entering
turn one, and the contact
sent Robinson spinning to
bring out the first caution.
His misfortune moved Milton,
VT's Dylan Payea into the
third spot with Hebert right
behind him for the restart.
When the green flag came
back out, Hebert decided it
was time to go. He had
slashed his way to the
second spot when the second
caution flew seven laps
later after Connor McDougal
got turned around. Hebert
restarted outside Rowe and
rode the rim to put a nose
out front for the next four
circuits.
The point
leader couldn't make it
stick, though, and fell back
in behind Rowe on lap 81.
After stalking the
multi-time Pro All Stars
Series (PASS) champion for
the next 13 laps, Hebert got
a great run through turn two
and dove beneath Rowe
exiting the corner to fly
into the lead.
After
dodging a bullet on lap 98
when Matt Anderson and Dave
MacDonald spun right in
front of the leaders coming
out of turn four, Hebert
pulled out to a huge
advantage with New Sharon,
ME's Dillon Moltz moving
into second. However, the
gap was instantly erased
when Jimmy Linardy spun in
turn three to trigger
caution number four.
On the backstretch following
the restart, Rowe slid
underneath Moltz on the back
chute to regain second. Both
Moltz and Payea then went
for the low lane entering
turn three and got together.
Each made great saves coming
to the frontstretch, but the
field got bunched up behind
them, and Anderson was the
innocent victim as he looped
it for the fifth and final
yellow.
That meant
one last 15-lap sprint to
decide the winner. Hebert
easily outpowered Rowe on
the restart, and although
Rowe tried to keep pace,
Hebert was simply too strong
as he captured his seventh
career ACT Late Model Tour
victory.
Rowe
finished second for his best
run of the year in a limited
ACT schedule. Newmarket,
NH's Bryan Kruczek continued
his mid-season resurgence by
completing the podium after
making several passes in the
third groove. Payea had his
best career ACT result in
fourth. Moltz, Kuhn, D.J.
Shaw, Renfrew, Robinson, and
Derek Gluchacki completed
the top-10. The result
unofficially gives Hebert a
39-point edge over Shaw in
the overall standings.
The ACT Late Model Tour
makes its second visit of
the year to Barre, VT's
Thunder Road on Sunday,
September 6 at 1:00pm for
the Optical Expressions
Berlin Labor Day Classic.
Both the ACT and
Maplewood/Irving Oil Late
Model regulars will go at
for 200 green-flag laps.
They'll be joined by Thunder
Road's Lenny's Shoe &
Apparel Flying Tigers, Allen
Lumber Street Stocks, and
Burnett Scrap Metals Road
Warriors.
Admission
is $25 for adults and $5 for
kids ages 12 and under with
limited fan attendance.
Advance tickets are on sale
now at
https://happsnow.com/event/Thunder-Road-Speedbowl.
Please visit
www.thunderroadvt.com for
information on face mask
policies and other health
and safety guidelines. For
those who can't attend
in-person, the Northeast
Sports Network is offering a
$25 live pay-per-view
broadcast at
www.NSNsports.net/sponsors/racing.
For more information,
contact the ACT offices at
(802) 244-6963,
media@acttour.com, or visit
www.acttour.com. You can
also get updates on Facebook
and Twitter at @ACTTour.
-
ACT
LATE MODEL TOUR
OXFORD PLAINS 150 -
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos., Start Pos., Driver,
Car #, Hometown, Laps
1.
( 10 ) Jimmy Hebert ( 58VT )
, Williamstown, VT , 150
Laps
2. ( 4 ) Ben Rowe (
4ME ) , Turner, ME , 150
Laps
3. ( 8 ) Bryan
Kruczek ( 19NH ) ,
Newmarket, NH , 150 Laps
4. ( 9 ) Dylan Payea ( 7NH )
, Milton, VT , 150 Laps
5. ( 14 ) Dillon Moltz ( 5ME
) , New Sharon, ME , 150
Laps
6. ( 11 ) Ryan Kuhn
( 72MA ) , E.Bridgewater, MA
, 150 Laps
7. ( 17 ) D.J.
Shaw ( 04VT ) , Center
Conway, NH , 150 Laps
8.
( 2 ) Jimmy Renfrew Jr. (
00NH ) , Candia, NH , 150
Laps
9. ( 3 ) Rowland
Robinson, Jr. ( 28ME ) ,
Steuben, ME , 150 Laps
10. ( 16 ) #Derek Gluchacki
( 03MA ) , Dartmouth, MA ,
150 Laps
11. ( 19 )
Brockton Davis ( 47NH ) ,
Whitefield, NH , 150 Laps
12. ( 15 ) Christopher
Pelkey ( 64VT ) ,
Graniteville, VT , 150 Laps
13. ( 5 ) Max Dolliver ( 0NH
) , Londonderry, NH , 150
Laps
14. ( 18 ) Jesse
Switser ( 25NH ) , W. Burke,
VT , 150 Laps
15. ( 7 )
Ryan Olsen ( 61NH ) , N.
Haverhill, NH , 150 Laps
16. ( 12 ) Stephen Donahue (
2VT ) , Graniteville, VT ,
149 Laps
17. ( 21 )
Connor MacDougal ( 8NH ) ,
Rochester, NH , 149 Laps
18. ( 1 ) #Marcel J. Gravel
( 86VT ) , Wolcott, VT , 149
Laps
19. ( 25 ) Reilly
Lanphear ( 21VT ) ,
Waterbury, VT , 148 Laps
20. ( 22 ) James Linardy (
77MA ) , Somerville, MA ,
148 Laps
21. ( 26 ) Mike
Benevides ( 50RI ) ,
Westerly, RI , 148 Laps
22. ( 23 ) #David MacDonald
( 69ME ) , New Gloucester,
ME , 147 Laps
23. ( 27 )
Matt Anderson ( 49NH ) ,
Andover, NH , 147 Laps
24. ( 13 ) Joey Laquerre (
15VT ) , E. Montpelier, VT ,
115 Laps
25. ( 6 ) John
Donahue ( 26VT ) ,
Graniteville, VT , 80 Laps
26. ( 28 ) Garret Leiter (
20ME ) , Winslow, ME , 64
Laps
27. ( 20 ) #Tom
Carey III ( 5MA ) , New
Salem, MA , 1 Laps
28. (
24 ) Jeff Lebrecque Jr. (
12NH ) , Rochester, NH , 0
Laps |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE LIVE
250 VIDEO TICKET |
|
The 47th Annual Oxford
250 is moving forward as
scheduled at Oxford Plains
Speedway, and fans worldwide
will be able to enjoy the
prestigious event via a
pay-per-view broadcast on
Speed51. Oxford Plains
Speedway, the Pro All Stars
Series (PASS) and Speed51
have partnered to provide a
live broadcast of the Super
Late Model crown jewel event
on August 28-30.
Three days of action from
the weekend will be
available and fans can watch
it all with a three-day
video ticket for only $50.
Individual video tickets for
each day of racing are also
available; however, the
three-day ticket offers a
savings of $20 compared to
the individual ticket
prices. A video ticket
to watch Sunday's 47th
Annual Oxford 250 is
available for $40, while
Saturday's ticket is $20 and
Friday's ticket is $10.
Currently, officials at
Oxford Plains Speedway are
working with the state of
Maine to gain approval to
have more fans in the
grandstands. However, with
current restrictions on
spectators, front grandstand
tickets for the Oxford 250
are currently unavailable.
The live pay-per-view
broadcast on Speed51 will
allow fans worldwide the
opportunity to watch the
prestigious race if they're
not able to buy a ticket.
"Everyone is always excited
for the Oxford 250 with how
prestigious this race is to
the entire community," said
PASS President Tom Mayberry.
"In this time we are in
there is an extremely
limited number of tickets we
can sell. The pay-per-view
with Speed51 will allow fans
who cannot purchase a
physical ticket the
opportunity to still watch
the race. We are looking
forward to all the exciting
racing action of the Oxford
250 weekend."
The live broadcast of
Oxford 250 weekend will
begin on Friday, August 28
with a full plate of local
racing divisions on the
schedule. Street
Stocks will headline the
racing card with a 35-lap
main event. Rookies,
Trucks, Cruisers, Ladies,
Bandits, Outlaws and Rebels
will also be in action.
Fans who purchase a
three-day video ticket or
Friday only video ticket
will also be able to enjoy a
portion of the day's Super
Late Model practice session.
On Saturday night, the
American-Canadian Tour (ACT)
will headline the racing
with a 150-lap main event.
PASS Modifieds, Street
Stocks, Classic Lites and
Wicked Good Vintage Cars
will also be in action
during the night.
That all leads up to a
full day of racing on Sunday
with the PASS Super Late
Models battling for $25,000
in the 47th Annual Oxford
250. The
always-entertaining heat
races and qualifying rounds
will also be shown on the
live Speed51 broadcast.
Additionally, the PASS
Modifieds will be in action
for a special 75-lap
feature. The North
East Mini Stock Tour, Street
Stocks and Rebels will
battle around the 3/8-mile
Oxford oval prior to the
main event.
Currently, 59 Super Late
Models are entered for the
Oxford 250. The entry
list features a handful of
former race winners,
including three-time and
defending winner Travis
Benjamin, 2018 winner Bubba
Pollard, 2017 winner Curtis
Gerry, two-time winner Eddie
MacDonald, two-time winner
Ben Rowe, three-time winner
Mike Rowe and 2002 race
winner Scott Robbins.
They will be joined by a
full field of drivers who
will be hungry for their
first win in the crown jewel
event.
ARCA driver Derek
Griffith #12G, defending
PASS North champion DJ Shaw
#60, six-time PASS North
champion Johnny Clark,
Canadian standout Cole
Butcher, nine-time Oxford
track champion Jeff Taylor
and former PASS North
champion Cassius Clark are
just a few of the names
chasing their first Oxford
250 win.
Don't miss out on the
exciting weekend of racing
from Oxford, Maine.
Order your video ticket for
the 47th Annual Oxford 250
today by
clicking here.
|
|
|
|
2020 OXFORD 250 LAP BOARD |
|
PASS
MODS 75 LAP BOARD |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
Lady
Luck a Big Factor for
the 250 |
Oxford, ME
- With the 47th Annual
Oxford 250 less than two
weeks away the attention
turns to who will add one of
the most prestigious short
track racing crown jewels to
their racing resume. Looking
at the list of winners in
the nearly half a century
old race shows a who's who
of racing. From Kyle Busch,
Kevin Harvick, Mike and Ben
Rowe, Dave Dion, and Geoff
Bodine to Ricky Craven,
Travis Benjamin, Dick
McCabe, Junior Hanley and
Bubba Pollard, the list of
Oxford 250 champions is
quite literally littered
with some of the most
successful drivers in
American auto racing
history. There is one list,
however, that some very
accomplished drivers would
rather take their name off
and that's the list of
non-winners of the Oxford
250.
In its 46 years
of history to this point,
the Oxford 250 is known as a
race that demands a perfect
day. From the luck of the
draw to get a good heat race
starting spot, to the
dynamic of mid-day
qualifying that leads into a
sunset green flag and
ultimately a finish under
the lights on a finicky 3/8
mile oval, winning teams
must be prepared to react to
ever changing conditions.
And any team that
successfully accomplishes
that must still hope and
pray that lady luck is on
their side. Six time Pro All
Star Series (PASS) champion
Johnny Clark has more than
once fallen victim to the
fickle lady luck. "One year
we led around 125 laps and
had a dominant car when we
got caught up in a crash not
of our doing late in the
race that took us out.
Another year we were leading
with less than a 20 to go
when a late race spin
brought Mike Rowe to my rear
bumper on fresh tires and I
just couldn't hold him off.
We just haven't had the
breaks go our way yet."
Clark is not alone.
Looking back in history some
of the biggest names in
Short track racing never
held a 250 trophy. Robbie
Crouch, Morgan Shepherd,
Homer Drew, Leland Kangas,
and Dale Shaw all ended
their racing careers without
a 250 triumph, while
veritable dark horses like
Jeremie Whorff, Larry
Gelinas, and Don Biederman
have had lady luck on their
side and enjoyed the spoils
of victory.
Defending
PASS champion DJ Shaw hopes
to finally etch the family
name in the record books
once and for all. "Nobody in
the family has ever won it,
so it would be huge for all
of us if I could finally
pull it off!" said Shaw. "It
would certainly be the
highest achievement I could
ever get in my life." DJ
grew up watching several
family members compete in
and fall just short of
victory in the Crown Jewel.
Father Dale participated in
over twenty 250's and fell
about a half a car length
short of victory to Dave
Dion in 1992.
Certainly one of the most
successful drivers in Oxford
Plains Speedway (OPS)
history is nine time
champion Jeff Taylor who has
also yet to carry the
checkered flag. Taylor, a
perennial favorite when he
races, has twice been
runner-up and nearly a dozen
times finished in the top 10
in his 20+ starts in the
250. On more the one
occasion the chassis builder
has appeared on his way to
victory, but has thus far
been denied in a certain
Hall of Fame career. Taylor
dominated a 100 lap open
race at OPS earlier in the
2020 season to serve notice
this may be his year, if
Lady Luck decides to shine
her light on his way.
Timmy Bracket,
unofficially the record
holder for the most laps
ever turned at OPS in
history, is another multi
time champion who has not
seen much luck in the Oxford
250. When asked what it
would mean to him to win the
race at this point in his
career, "It would be a dream
come true- Icing on the cake
for my racing career. For a
Saturday Night Racer it's
the biggest win you could
have." Bracket, a 35 year
veteran at OPS and likely
approaching the twilight of
his career was also asked if
his career concludes without
that elusive win, would that
be ok. "I guess it would
have to be ok because it's a
very difficult race to win,
especially for a regular
racer and I've given it
plenty of shots. Though I
this year is my best
chance!"
Clark and
Shaw when asked the same
question expressed a bit
more regret. "It would eat
at me," Clark said.
"Probably more than it would
anyone else. We have won a
lot of big money races, we
have 40 Pass wins and six
championships, but the one
thing that's missing is the
250." Shaw echoed the
Clark's comments. "I
wouldn't feel unsuccessful,
but I certainly would feel
like my career wasn't
complete, like there was
something missing."
These four drivers are not
alone on the entry list in
their quest for their first
250 triumph after a dozen or
more starts. Cassius Clark
has led 100's of laps in
previous races. Alan Wilson
was less than a dozen laps
from victory in 2004 before
an off track excursion.
Kelly Moore has over 20
starts and a championship at
OPS. Shawn Martin is a 20+
year veteran at the oval.
Jeff White has lead laps and
been in a nearly 15 races.
Tracey Gordon was overtaken
by Ralph Nason late in the
1998 edition.
We are
less than two weeks away.
Tune in August 30th to find
out if one of these drivers
can finally shake the monkey
off their back or if we will
have another repeat winner.
Race fans will be able to
watch the Oxford 250 via a
live PAY-PER-VIEW BROADCAST
on Speed51. Discounted
three-day tickets can be
purchased today for $50.
Order your video ticket for
the 47th Annual Oxford 250
today by
clicking here.
For more information
visit
oxfordplains.com.
For marketing
opportunities with the
Oxford 250, PASS, or Oxford
Plains please call
207-693-6497 and email
passracing@roadrunner.com
or 207-577-1836 and email
opsmarketing@yahoo.com.
To Sponsor a Lap or Several
(207) 693-6497. |
|
|
|
 |
|
The 250 IS A GO! |
Oxford, ME
-- Pro All Stars Series
(PASS) President Tom
Mayberry held an impromptu
meeting with drivers,
owners, and crew members
following the July 18th PASS
race at Oxford Plains
Speedway to answer a few
questions about the upcoming
47th Annual Oxford 250.
Chief on the minds of most
that were in attendance was
would there, in fact, be an
Oxford 250 in 2020?
Mayberry answered that
question right away. "There
will be an Oxford 250 this
year," he announced to the
socially distanced crowd of
nearly 100 in attendance,
"we met the other day and
decided that we were going
to run this race with or
without fans. We just feel
like we owe it to the
drivers who prepare all year
for this and we want to keep
it going."
Mayberry's
surprise announcement was
met with a lot of surprised
looks and cheers from those
in attendance. Mayberry
further shocked the crowd
when he announced the purse,
normally in excess of
$100,000 throughout the
field, would remain largely
the same with the only
planned alteration will be
to the traditional lap
leader program. "We have
been crunching the numbers,
and we are definitely taking
a big gamble, but we just
feel like this is a marquee
event in the world of Super
Late Model racing and it
should have a purse
appropriate for such an
event," Mayberry said days
later, "certainly we hope we
can gather enough sponsor
interest to make it a
well-rounded event for
everyone."
Two time
250 champion Ben Rowe when
asked his reaction to the
announcement, "I was very
surprised, Mostly because I
know what goes into (a big
event like) the 250. You
need the people, the
camping, you need to fill
the stands, you need the car
count, and you need all of
it as a promoter to pay that
kind of purse."
Mayberry announced that the
traditional $100 lap leader
program, introduced by the
late Bob Bahre in 1981,
would see some alteration
for the 2020 event. "In the
past any laps that were not
sold were covered by Oxford
Plains Speedway. We are not
able to do that this year
with the restrictions during
these times," Mayberry
relayed. "So the amount of
lap money will be divided by
the lap leaders. For example
if half the laps are sold,
the lap leaders will get $50
per lap instead of the
normal $100. We hope that
through the support of
sponsors and fans that all
the laps will be sold and
the full amount will be paid
out to lap leaders. Either
way the full amount of the
posted purse money for
finishing positions will be
paid."
In addition,
Mayberry was quick to point
out that even if very
limited fans are allowed,
there will be a Pay-Per-View
(PPV) broadcast so everyone
will have access to the
event. In years past while
upwards of 10,000+ have
attended the popular 3 day
event in person, the PPV's
were still wildly popular.
This year's PPV is expected
to set viewer records both
locally and regionally.
"With everything that's
going on, and so many
questions still to be
answered, and so many things
that are just out of our
control, we felt like it was
important to make sure
everyone had the opportunity
to view one of the year's
biggest races," he said.
With several weeks left
before the big weekend, the
entire Oxford Plains staff
is still trying to work out
the rest of the details.
Questions left unanswered as
of this writing are how many
fans will be allowed in the
grandstands, will camping be
allowed, and will the
schedule change. "We have
been on the phone almost
every day and we just don't
have all those answers yet.
Believe me, we won't keep it
a secret when we get
details," Mayberry pointed
out. "All we can do is keep
moving forward and hope for
the best, but one way or
another, we are running this
race."
For marketing
opportunities with the
Oxford 250, PASS or Oxford
Plains please call
207-693-6497 and email
passracing@roadrunner.com
or 207-577-1836 and email
opsmarketing@yahoo.com.
To
sponsor a lap or several,
call (207) 693-6497.
- |
|
2020 OXFORD 250 LAP BOARD |
|
PASS
MODS 75 LAP BOARD |
|
|
|
