Aug 29, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway, Touring Series News
Oxford, ME – Colchester, VT’s Scott Payea emerged as the victor in a heavyweight thriller at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday, August 27, beating out Eddie MacDonald, Dillon Moltz, and Brad Babb for his third American-Canadian Tour (ACT) win of the season in the Dave’s Small Engines/Ferris Mowers 100.
Payea, Babb, and MacDonald had engaged in a three-way battle for more than half the race, with Payea and Babb swapping the lead numerous times while MacDonald lurked in the wings. Payea finally gained the edge for good shortly after a lap-79 caution for Emily Packard’s spin, sweeping around the outside of Babb for the event’s 13th lead change. The title contender then held on through two more restarts for his eighth career ACT Late Model Tour victory and first at Oxford.
Hinesburg, VT’s Bobby Therrien, the winner at Oxford in the ACT season opener, led the first five laps from the pole before Rich Dubeau got around him following a hard duel to lead his first laps ever in ACT competition. Babb followed Dubeau up the outside line, then swung to the outside himself to nab the point on lap 18.
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Aug 29, 2016 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway, PASS, Touring Series News
PR- Eric LaFleche / Photo – John Miller
Oxford 250 ‘Practice Saturday’ proves to give young New Hampshire driver more confidence for Sunday
(Oxford, ME) – When more than sixty Super Late Model teams head to Oxford Plains Speedway for the richest one-day asphalt short track race in the United States, the Oxford 250; the day before race-day is extremely important for race teams to get acclimated to the tricky 3/8th-mile oval.
Derek took the Hitman Industries/Provencher Insurance/Chuck Taylor No. 12 Toyota Camry out on four separate occasions during the three-hour practice session, Griffith steadily improved as the day practice went on. Early on, the Hudson, NH native peeled off a 15.814 second lap. The team decided to tweak the set-up to ensure the car would be very good on long green-flag runs, during the 250-lap main event on Sunday, August 28th.
“We planned on running a bunch of laps today to perfect the set-up said Griffith, we were 10th fastest for the entire 3-hours but our car didn’t drop off, there are cars that turned faster laps but seemed to slow, as the laps went on. Louie [Crew Chief Louie Mechalides] set us up with a car that is very consistent. It’s a neutral set-up, this is the most comfortable I’ve ever felt here, the car is great and we’re not changing a thing.” (more…)
Aug 29, 2016 | Beech Ridge, Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News
Oxford, Maine – For many, Super Late Model practice for the 43rd Annual HP Hood Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway may have been the highlight of Friday’s full, action-packed racing card to some, eight divisions of competition were presented to race fans after a full afternoon and more of on-track action leading up to the Sunday, August 28 climax to the biggest one-day event in Super Late Model racing.
Matt Williams of Brownfield prevailed in the headline 30-lap main event for the Allen’s Coffee Flavored Brandy Street Stock division, posting his second consecutive win in the top support class for the weekly Super Late Model chart-toppers. Williams claimed his second straight victory after getting a late start at competing this year.
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Aug 29, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road
Jason Allen of Barre shows off his trophy in Victory Lane after claiming victory in the Late Model feature on Jet Service Envelope/Accura Printing Night at Thunder Road. (Alan Ward photo)
Barre, VT – Jason Allen of Barre ran down pole-sitter David Whitcomb of Essex Jct. halfway through the race and stayed on top the rest of the way to claim victory in the Thunder Road Late Models on Jet Service Envelope/Accura Printing Night on the final Thursday night event of the season.
Allen started fifth in the 24-car main event field, moved into second on the eighth lap, and erased Whitcomb’s 15-car length lead grab first place on the 24th lap. Whitcomb couldn’t catch back up to Allen, but was able to maintain his position and finished the caution-free race in second place. The victory was Allen’s first of the season, and the second of his Late Model career at Thunder Road.
Marcel Gravel of Wolcott finished in third place. Tyler Cahoon of Danville, who won his heat and semi-feature and would have earned a $1300 bonus from Maplewood for the Triple Crown with a feature victory, was fourth. Cody Blake of Barre finished fifth, and was followed in the top 10 by Kyle Pembroke of Montpelier, Matt White of Northfield, Nick Sweet of Barre, Scott Dragon of Milton, and Jason Corliss of Barre.
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Aug 25, 2016 | Maine Racing News, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, PASS, Touring Series News
PASS Photo
NAPLES, ME (August 23) – Since the inaugural HP Hood Oxford 250 in 1974, Oxford Plains Speedway’s location has helped insure that the “best of the best” in short track racing would have a chance to take on one another. Being in Maine, the HP Hood Oxford 250 has seen the top short trackers from New England, the Midwest, and Canada participate against one another over the last 40 years. But since it’s earliest days, the HP Hood Oxford 250 has been a showcase for talent from the Southeastern short track ranks. South Carolina’s legendary Butch Lindley took the checkered flag in 1976, while North Carolina’s Bob Pressley would take the win two years later, followed by Virginia’s Tommy Ellis in 1983. Drivers like Harry Gant, Morgan Shepherd, Tommy Houston, Jimmy Hensley and others made regular stops at the 250 throughout the 1980s and early 1990s.
The tradition continues today as another strong contingent of drivers and teams will be making the trip up from Dixie. Defending Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Model champion, Tate Fogleman, from Durham, NC will be attempting his fourth straight HP Hood Oxford 250 this weekend. Fogleman hopes to better the performance of his dad, Jay, who finished third in 2013.
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Aug 25, 2016 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway, PASS, Touring Series News
PR- Eric LaFleche / Photo – Lindsay Ellison
New Hampshire native is looking to continue building confidence with solid Oxford 250 finish
(Oxford Plains, ME) – Derek Griffith and the No. 12 Provencher Insurance/Hitman Industries racing team will roll into Oxford Plains Speedway for the Hudson, New Hampshire natives second attempt in the prestigious 250-lap Super Late Model event.
The 43rd annual H.P. Hood Oxford 250 is considered by many to be one of the biggest short track racing events in the United States and Griffith, along with over fifty other drivers will be fighting for 40 starting spots in the event that commands a minimum $25,000 winner’s share.
Derek is entering this year’s event with much more experience and success competing with the Pro All Stars Series (PASS). Griffith who recently visited victory lane with the series by capturing the 150-lap event at Lee USA Speedway see’s the 2016 attempt in a much different light than last year, he explains; “In 2015 we really didn’t have much experience at Oxford Plains Speedway, it’s a tricky 3/8th mile oval that really only laps and seat-time can help.
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