Joey Polewarczyk Jr. of Hudson, N.H., will be looking to make amends this weekend when the ACT Late Model Tour rolls into Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine, for the ACT 150 on Saturday, June 19. This marks the second Oxford visit of the season for the series, and Polewarczyk is anxious to make the return. He failed to qualify for the ACT race at Oxford in May, despite owning two career wins at the facility. Sixth in the standings, Polewarczyk is trying to get Ford Racing its first win in the ACT Late Model Tour ranks.
WHO: Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Hudson, N.H.
TEAM: Pole’s Automotive/NH Precision No. 97 Ford
BEST CAREER OXFORD PLAINS SPEEDWAY FINISH: 1st (2 times; most recently, June 2009)
LAST RACE AT OXFORD PLAINS SPEEDWAY: DNQ (May, 2010)
WHAT: ACT Late Model Tour ACT 150
WHERE: Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, Maine (.375-mile oval)
WHEN: 6:30 p.m., Saturday, June 19
ACT Late Model Tour
LAST RACE: June 11, Lee USA Speedway, Lee, N.H. (8th)
NEXT RACE: Saturday, June 26, White Mountain Motorsports Park, N. Woodstock, N.H.
POINTS POSITION: 6th
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JOEY, HAVE YOU EVER BEEN THIS ANXIOUS TO RETURN TO A TRACK ON THE SCHEDULE?
Ever since that day last month (that I didn’t qualify for the race), I’ve wanted to come back to Oxford. Since that race, I just lie in bed every night thinking about it. Oxford has always been one of our best tracks, so it was really hard not to qualify there.
Some things were out of our hands, and some things — sure we could have handled them better. But either way, it left a sour taste in my mouth. We’re going into this weekend looking for a win. We really are, because if there’s any place we know we can do it, it’s Oxford.
YOU STARTED LAST IN A 40-LAP FEATURE AT OXFORD LAST SATURDAY AND FINISHED 11TH IN A CAUTION-FREE RACE. DID YOU GET WHAT YOU WANTED OUT OF THAT NIGHT?
We did. We went back last week just to make sure we’d be good when we got back there this weekend.
Forty laps, it’s just not a lot of time to get to the front with no yellow. We’re feeling pretty good as far as going into next week. That’s just what we wanted to do. It was a pretty good night.
THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE FOR CARS TO RUN AN EXTRA-DISTANCE RACE AT OXFORD BEFORE THE TD BANK 250 NEXT MONTH. DO YOU VIEW THIS AS A TUNE-UP FOR THAT EVENT?
Not really, no. Right now, we’re just worrying about this weekend. Obviously, if you can go and have a good weekend this weekend, you’ll be thinking, ‘We’re going to be good at the 250.’ But we’re going this weekend worrying about winning this race or finishing in the top-5.
If you go into this race and get too caught up in preparing for the 250 and finish 15th, well you’ve just made it so you’ve got a lot more work ahead of you before next month.