OXFORD, Maine -- Ben Rowe of Turner, Maine again proved why his been one of the top Pro Stock division drivers in the northeast for the past three seasons. The 31st annual running of the Banknorth Oxford 250 is now in the record books and Rowe accomplished a couple of things in the process. He has now joined his famous father Mike as a two time winner. He also joined Geoffrey Bodine and Ralph Nason as back to back winners.

But it was how Rowe won the Banknorth Oxford 250 Sunday night that was the news maker. First of all it was the very first time that one of America's most famous short track races has played to a true eventual SRO crowd. It was a race in which three distinct segments unfolded. The first 132 laps were simply a fund raising effort by Johnny Clark. Clark had won the first qualifying race. A total six would accomodate the entry list of 87 on race weekend which was eventually pared down to 80 by virute of some mechanical failures and a couple of withdrawls. In fact heat winners included not only Clark, but Mike Rowe, Dale Shaw, Stan Meserve, Kevin Kimball, and Sam Sessions.

Sessions perhaps set the stage for the strategy changes for the rest of the day by coming from 11th on the grid and he did it 100% on the outside where several felt would not be possible. In heat one Clark led the parade for the four qualiyfing position with Henry Hudson second, Ricky Rolfe third, and Steve Knowlton fourth. He did that from the ninth position. In heat two Mike Rowe led the way with Tracy Gordon second, Bill Rodgers third, and Paul Bosse fourth. Shaw moved from sixth to first to win heat three. Jeff Taylor, Dave Gorvett, and Scott Chubbuck were the next three qualifiers. In heat four Stan Meserve was best with Scott Mulkern, Tony Ricci and Travis Khiel the top four. Nextel Cup regular Kurt Busch started fourth, but got bumped back to sixth literally. Kevin Kimball led from wire to wire in heat five and Gary Drew, Bub Bilodeau and Brockie Gerry rounding out the qualifiers.The sixth and final heat saw the incredible run by Sessions provide the excitement. Laperle, Al Hammond and Kirk Thibeau also moved into the Banknorth Oxford 250. Then in the middle it was anybody race as those who had made pit stops in the middle portion were working their way back into contention. The final third of the race appeared to be all about Alan Wilson, but as expected, the unexpected element played a pivitol part in the final outcome.

The first of three 20 lap consolation races was won by Rowe meaning the defending champion would start the race 25th. Cassius Clark, Mike Maietta Sr. and Dan McKeage also transfered to the 250. In race two it was former winner Larry Gelinas moving in. Andy Saunders, Donnie Whitten and Kurt Busch also transfered. In the third and final race Jay Sands led the entire way. Alan Wilson, Mike Maietta Jr. and Glenn Josselyn were the three remaining lucky participants. Reigning Nextel Cup Champion Matt Kenseth cut a tire in the early part of the race and would end up running the last chance qualifier at 50 laps. His car owner and Sunday teammate Billy Whorff Jr. also would be in the "houligan" race, along with 30 other. That race is a 50 lap race for a fair payday in itself, but only the winner gets the 250 starting option. Whorff, who was already a sure starter by virtue of an early season Oxford Plains Speedway win, needed the 50 lap run to make sure his car was right for the 250 so he ran the entire distance to get a double pass into one of America's premier short track races. Kenseth too had a provisional, a NASCAR Champions ticket, but he elected to get track experience and he drove to fifth from the 30th starting spot. That set the stage for the Banknorth 250. Earlier in the day support races were won by Jimmy Childs, Rusty Gaghan, Joe Hutter, and Kenny Harrison.

At the drop of the green 41 hopefuls raced to turn one and Johnny Clark was by far the best car on the speedway. Caution flags on lap 53, 60, 95, and 123 help or hindered the different game plans being formulated up and down pit road. Clark stayed on the track, while most of the other contenders had pitted at least once at that point. The next caution flag flew on lap 131 and that's when Clark pitted and Ben Rowe moved to the front for the first time. He'd hold the top spot until lap 167 when the seventh and final yellow flag would fly. Rowe pitted again for more tires and a splash of gas. Dale Shaw was the new leader, but he and Scott Chubbuck got into a shoving match on lap 174 with Shaw spinning and Chubbuck getting a stop and go penalty for his assistance. That penalty was served on lap 178 and Alan Wilson took over at that point. Rowe, Mike Rowe, Kenseth and Ricky Rolfe were swapping positions at the point, but it appeared that Ben was the best of those four and nobody appeared to have much for Wilson who's previous Banknorth 250 best finish was a pair of fourths.

As the opportunities were fading away Ben Rowe picked it up a notch and started the chase. Wilson was on cruise control for more than 70 laps at that point and while Rowe was narrowing the gap everybody watching was saying the same thing, "not enough time to make up the difference". And that appeared to be the case, but on lap 238 something seemed to be changing. Wilson was slowing and sliding at the same time and Rowe wasn't that far back. On lap 239 disaster struck as Wilson washed up the race track, scrapped the outside retaining wall and faded back to fifth in the blink of an eye. With less than four miles to go Alan Wilson lost the biggest day of his racing career. With Rowe now safely ahead of Ricky Rolfe and Matt Kenseth it was a simple 10 lap dash to a winners check of some $29,700 and two straight. Without taking anything away from any of the other 40, the Kenseth drive was classic in the fact that he started 41st, used his background in his road to Nextel Cup, to analyze every developing incident and hardly put a scratch on the car in the process. Mike Rowe again proved that OPS is his personal favorite with yet another top five. Fourth this time out. Wilson was fifth, but the heartache was evident as he stood and shook his head in disbelief. "I guess it just wasn't meant to be" which is what a class race like Alan Wilson would say in a situation like that. Rowe was asked after the race if the Kenseth and Busch fan fare had taked away some of his rightfully expected pre race hype. Rowe proclaimed that it was just fine with him. With all the media focusing their attention on the two Nextel Cup superstars that left Rowe and car owner Tom Estes the time to concentrate on their plan and actually took a lot of pressure off the team.

SATURDAY, JULY 17 MAINE-LY ACTION SPORTS NIGHT

Oxford, ME---With the threat of thunder and lightening growing on the distant horizon New England Dodge American Canadian Tour director Tom Curley put out the hustle up command to get a jump on the start of the Maine-ly Action Sports 100 at Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday night. And hurry they did, but a couple of early caution flags for spin and minor crashes used up to much time and the predicted storm arrived at lap 44 and eventually postponed the remaining 56 laps. 43 ACT and OPS Late Models help swell a very crowded pit area. After four heats, two consi races and a "B" Feature the 36 car field took the post and Ricky Morse, the OPS regular from St. Albans was the class of the field. Jon Brill and Dale Shaw too were strong, but the outcome of this one will wait until August 7 for the completion.

ACT and OPS management announced that the returning date of August 7 will become a blockbuster ACT / OPS night. The remaining 56 laps of the race will be continued with the field running as they were when the rain came. After that and the tradition support races from the other four OPS weekly racing ACT will again go through the qualifying process for the New England Dodge Dealers ACT 100.

In the OPS support division races leading up the ACT / Maine-ly Action Sports 100 Troy Morse broke the ice and scored his initial Limited Sportsman feature win. He took the lead on lap five of the 35 lap finale to outrace Doug Poland and defending division champion Carey Martin. Steve Bennett Jr. and Terry Merrill rounded out the top five. In the two 20 lap Strictly Stock main events Guy Childs got around Don Harvey with two to go to get his win and deny Harvey of his first ever win, but it did give the likable racer his first ever trophy as the runner up. Jim David Jr, Jim Duguay and Rick Thompson rounded out the top five. In the second event, again a caution free race like race one was, Rick Valentine scored his first ever win and led wire to wire in the process. David Vaughn was second and Ben Tinker continued a great night with third. Phil Mitchell III and Jerry Freve rounded out the top five.

Larry Melcher seems to crash, win, crash, win and so the roller coaster goes for the second year Mini Stock driver. Melcher moved around early leaders Jimmy Robbins and Danny Morris on lap fourteen of the scheduled thirty to post his third win of the year. Morris then was able to hold off a fast closing Billy Childs Sr. for the runner up spot. Ted Audet and Dan Sirois would round out the top five.

FRIDAY, JULY 16 ISMA MAINE CLASSIC

Oxford, ME---Chris Perley earned the moniker of the Rowley Rocket more than a dozen years ago and Friday night at Oxford Plains Speedway he lived up to that and more in the 75 lap 5th annual Maine Classic for the ISMA Supermodifieds. After winning the last two ISMA tour events Perley was thinking that the most perfect race car that Vic Miller has given him was ready for the "Three-pete" and how right he was. After several drivers, including former Oxford winner Nokie Fornoro set a blistering pace Perley's Shea Concrete Products creation was coming to life and by half way he was on the move up through the field. With only a couple of cautions to flow the 75 lap blast it would be pure speed and handling that would dictate the eventual outcome. While Perley was clicking off laps in the upper 12 second range, not bad time around a perfect 3/8 mile oval, Pat Abold of Pennellville, NY was finding the long run to his liking also. And while that kind of good thing might have been a factor on some nights, this time it wasn't enough. Brad Lichty of Innerkip, Ontario too was nearly perfect throughout the night, but again Perley and Abold were just a click on the watch faster and that made all the difference. Former winner Fornoro struggled in the late going and last years winner Bobby Santos III struggled for most of the night, although he was coming into it but that was far to late to become a factor. Dave McKnight had a burst of speed at one point, but never got near the top three and Scott Martel saw a top five effort fall away on the last lap with a bad right rear tire.

Corey Morgan finally broke the ice in the 40 lap main event for the Lee Auto Mall Late Model Stock division. After trailing Steve Reny for fifteen laps he drove around the early leader and never looked back after that, even throught the lap twenty two and lap twenty seven caution flag periods, the only two of the race. Jon Brill, the outstanding rookie of the year candidate, got close to Morgan on the restart phases of the race, but after one racing lap he had to simply settle back and let the event run it's course. Chris Hatstat scored a season best with a third place effort with Buddy Leavitt, who was looking for his fourth straight top three finish eventually finishing fourth. Shawn Martin rounded out the top five.

Four different drivers managed to lead the 35 lap Limited Sportsman race, with Steve Bennett Sr. being the leader when it matter the most. Casey Mack would lead the first three circuits before Shawn Knight, a Wal-Mart Rookie of the year hopeful, took the front position. Then Troy Morse became the leader and from laps eight to twenty six it appeared he might be headed toward the top podium position and his first division fin. But then along came the Senior Bennett and all of that changed quickly. With only a caution flag to regroup the field on lap four it was all determined on the open race track. Morse did stay second and point challenger Terry Merrill rounding out the top three. Tommy Ricker and current point leader Dennis Spencer Jr. did complete the top five standings.

A pair of 20 lap Strictly Stock division races handled the 44 car field. In the opening round ageless Bobby DiPompo led the first lap, rookie Jason Gaboury then led to lap 12 and then former champion Jimmy Duguay took control. But lady luck has seen fit to abandon Duguay completely this year and he blew a tire on the white flag lap handing the win back to Gaboury who now has two wins in his rookie season. Jerry Freve moved up to second on the Duguay situation and Rusty Gaghan also moved up to third. Joe Hutter and Bill Dunphy rounded out the the top five. In the second 20 lap race Guy Childs set the early pace before Kim Tripp took command on lap eight and he was never tested after that. Childs tried to regain the top spot on lap nine, but faded quickly from that point on. Ben Tinker did race his way to second at the finish with Jeff Merrill picking up the third spot. Zach Emerson and Mike Short were fourth and fifth.

Defending Mini Stock division champion Billy Childs Sr. had no problem in winning yet another 30 lap main event. He took the lead from Darick Barker on lap seventeen after Barker had driven around Ralph Felker for the lead on lap nine. Childs than ran away from the field leaving the real racing to Barker and his son Jimmy Childs. They stayed in those two spot and with the race going caution free it was all a matter of speed that determined this race. Chris Varney and Jeff Prindall rounded out the top five.