May 1, 2016 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
Oxford, Maine — Shawn Martin of Turner charged around the outside of his Budweiser Super Late Model rivals, including reigning champion Timmy Brackett of Buckfield at the scheduled halfway point, and five laps later crossed under yellow and checkered flags to claim victory in a 30-lap headline race at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday afternoon.
Martin, who started sixth, was pulling away from all rivals when the race was cut short. Brackett and fellow Buckfield competitor Kyle Treadwell were second and third-place finishers, respectively. Rookie Super Late Model driver Josh Childs of Oxford posted an impressive fourth-place finish, and was gaining on frontrunners when the race was cut short.
Opening Day Budweiser Championship Series Super Late Model winner Glen Luce of Turner rounded out the top five after lining up behind three-quarters of his rivals on the starting grid for the 30-lapper. Dennis Spencer, Jr., of Oxford, led much of the early half of the race before finishing seventh.
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Apr 25, 2016 | Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
Reigning Oxford 250 kingpin wins Budweiser Championship Series opener
Oxford, Maine — Glen Luce of Turner followed up his most successful racing season ever with an opening day victory in the Budweiser Championship Series Super Late Model division season-opener Sunday afternoon at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Luce, who fulfilled the goal of most every Maine stock car racer with a $31,000-plus victory in last year’s Oxford 250, nailed down this 50-lap triumph after an early battle for the lead with Norway’s Chris Coolidge.
Late in the going Luce had to turn back a challenge from Buckfield’s Timmy Brackett, the track’s reigning Super Late Model champion. Brackett finished up .036-seconds behind the winner at the line, with Coolidge coasting home in third position.
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Apr 21, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
Oxford American Racer Three Stars Announced.
(Heather Aube Photo)
Waterbury, VT – The American Racer Three Star program will continue in 2016. The program is designed to recognize three teams in no particular order of performance that had outstanding races at ACT US tour events. There are no specific criteria for deciding who might receive the award of a free American Racer Tire (value $125.00), but a special effort by a team, exceptional race, just plain old hard luck, or other accepted reason to give the award is used to decide the recipients.
The three stars are chosen by officials and they will receive certificates for use of a free American Racer tire at a future Tour race of their choosing during 2016.
The awarding of the stars does not allow for anybody in the top three to receive the recognition. That being said, both eventual winner Bobby Therrien, and second place competitor Roland Robinson, JR certainly deserve credit for their outstanding and sometimes dominant runs at OPS. There efforts at Oxford certainly made for some speculation from the “rail-birds” at what kind of exciting season the 2016 year will be. Big congratulations to both teams for what was first class efforts.
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Apr 19, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
photo by RPM 360
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – Emily Packard piloted her 9x Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels car across the finish line in the thirteenth position in the thrilling 2016 American Canadian Tour season opener at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday. “I was in seventh place when the last caution came out,” said the 19 year old, “but we were the eighteenth car in line when we took that final restart. Unfortunately, the ACT rules don’t have the lap cars drop back, and there were just a lot of lap cars between me and the leaders. There was really nowhere for me to go, I was stuck in the middle, and we ended up thirteenth. We had a much better car than our finish reflects, and I am confident with how good the car will be for the remaining races.”
When the cars rolled out for the first practice, Packard hit the track taking the time to feel out the car for all the changes that had been made in the off season. During each practice the team, with input from Joe Polewarczyk Sr., would make subtle changes to the car to get it to handle more like Emily wanted. “Today was kind of a learning day,” said Packard, “a lot about learning the new set-up in the car and the partnership and how we would work together. It took a little bit to get the car from a set up that Joey (Pole) would typically run, to something that would suit my driving style and go good for us. The first couple of practices the car was bottoming out pretty bad, but once we got it up off the track it started running really good.” By the final practice, with the car driving to her liking, she cracked the top ten on the speed charts with an eighth fastest time.
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Apr 19, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
photo by Norm Marx
Eddie MacDonald spent the weekend racing, literally, after posting an impressive eighth place finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Pittlite 125 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night then flying into Boston on Sunday morning then race to Oxford Plains Speedway to score a third place finish in the ACT Tour’s Oxford 100 later that afternoon.
Nothing was easy for the Grimm Racing team beginning Wednesday evening when the lift gate on the hauler malfunctioned and unable to close with the car loaded in the top. With the gate stuck eight feet in the air, two ramp trucks and a construction forklift were called into service to free the car. One ramp truck was place on top of the other and supported by the forklift, the Grimm Construction/Multiple Sclerosis Chevy was rolled from the hauler on to the ramp truck and eventually lowered to the ground. The car and the equipment were loaded into two car trailers the following morning for the trek to Bristol.
“That was something you do not see every day,” laughed Eddie Mac. “We knew the weekend would be hectic making two races in Tennessee then Maine in two days, so to start out like this was definitely strange. Fortunately Rob (Grimm) knew the right people to call to get the car down and those guys worked until one in the morning. Then early the next morning Rob’s guys showed up to help us load the trailers for the trip. It was a huge relief to get to the track that night without anything else happening. Racing was easy after all that.”
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Apr 18, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
Therrien Races to Victory in ACT Opener at Oxford, (Heather Aube photo)
Waterbury, VT – Hinesburg, VT’s Bobby Therrien passed defending American Canadian Tour Champion Wayne Helliwell Jr. on lap 49 and never looked back winning the Oxford 100 going away on Sunday, April 17th at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Therrien led the final 51 laps, holding off Steuben ME’s Rowland Robinson Jr. on a pair of late restarts to win the 2016 ACT season opener. It was Therrien’s second career victory and first since 2013.
Robinson came home second to earn his first career podium finish with ACT. Former Oxford winner Eddie “The Outlaw” MacDonald charged from 16th on the starting grid to finish third.
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