TD Bank Oxford 250
Hoar, Paya Hope To Add Missing Piece To Resume
GEORGIA, Vt. – Between them, they have 14 ACT Late Model Tour championships, more wins than anybody in the history of ACT, the former track record at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and wins from Florida to the Canadian provinces. Name a big race in the northeast, and chances are Brian Hoar or car owner Rick Paya have won it.
There is one omission from that resume, however – one they aim to add this weekend in the 38th annual TD Bank Oxford 250 at historic Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine.
“This is the biggest short track race we run every year,” said Hoar, of Williston, Vt., who for several years held the New Hampshire Motor Speedway qualifying record in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. “There are some other big ones – everyone talks about Loudon, and that’s going to be big, but it doesn’t have the prestige. It doesn’t have all the years behind it. The Milk Bowl – that’s big, but it’s Barre big, Vermont big.
“As far as I’m concerned, all the ACT points races are big – but prestige-wise, this is what it’s all about. We want to get our names in the record books. That would really mean something.”
Hoar finished second a year ago in the Oxford 250 in the RPM Motorsports No. 37 GossCars.com Dodge. He’s one of the consensus picks to break through and win the marquee summer event which guarantees a winner’s share of at least $25,000.
“I think we’re definitely in the best position we’ve ever been in in going to Oxford for the 250,” said Hoar, who has won four of eight ACT starts this season and leads the series standings. “We’re very, very convinced that we have a very good setup. That being said, it’s the Oxford 250. Anything can happen. There’s so many cars, the luck of the draw, all of those things come into play.
“We’re prepped and prepared, and we’re going to go over and give it our best and try to win it.”
Paya believes that the team is ready for that winning performance.
“I want to win it, no kidding around,” Paya said. “I want the paycheck at the end, of course, but winning the ‘250’ would mean a lot more than that to both myself and Brian.
“It’s the one race that’s always eluded me. I’ve won a few others, but I’ve never won the ‘250.’ We’re going to do everything in our power to try and make that happen this year.”
RPM Motorsports will also branch out a bit this weekend. The team has entered a No. 37 Super Late Model in the PASS North Series event at Oxford Plains on Saturday night.
The race will mark the PASS debut of both Paya and Hoar.
“I first thought about doing it a few months ago,” Paya said. “I took one of our ACT cars and converted it over. It’s still all ACT-legal, and the setup is my ACT setup for Oxford.
“It will be interesting to see how we go. I think we might surprise some people. I’m excited to see how we stack up. I know how Brian stacks up as a driver, but I want to see how our team stacks up with their teams.”
Hoar said that pulling double-duty at Oxford will make for a nice change of pace during the race weekend.
“I’m really excited about it. As much as respect as I have for those guys, it will be fun to race with them,” Hoar said. “ACT has come a long way since we started running the Oxford 250 (in 2007), and the race has given credibility to our series and the level of talent we have.
“It will be nice to go over with our team and run the PASS race, too.”
And while the team expects to have some fun with the Super Late Model race on Saturday evening, the goal for the weekend is clear.
“I’m stealing the trophy,” Hoar said of the Oxford 250. “We’re not in this for the money – obviously, it’s the one race a year that could make a difference with that purse, but that’s not why we race. We wouldn’t be doing this if we were in it for the money.
“We want to add this race to our list.”