OXFORD — Nearly two months removed from the third annual Celebration of America 300, Oxford Plains Speedway hosts an even more prestigious race Sunday — the Oxford 250.
With a field of racing teams hailing from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, North Carolina, Georgia and even Canada, drivers will aim to win one of the premier auto racing events in New England.
“The Oxford 250’s something that you look forward to every year, so no matter what your race schedule looks like, I always have it circled that we want to come here,” said Brandon Barker. “The (Celebration of America 300 is) a big deal, but there’s nothing like the 250 laps around here.”
Barker finished 18th at the Celebration of America 300 in July, but placed third in the Oxford 250 qualifier race on Aug. 15. Three-time Oxford 250 champion Mike Rowe finished first in the qualifier.
“Definitely (Oxford Plains Speedway) is my home track, and I just love this place and we get around here good,” Rowe said. “And if you can get the tires right, we’re going to do OK.”
Rowe is no stranger to the podium at Oxford Plains Speedway. The 76-year-old Turner resident won the race in 1984, 1997 and 2005. He also placed second in 2002 and third in 1998.
If Rowe were to win this weekend, he would become the first four-time champion.
Here are some additional storylines to follow:
Wide-open field
Only six former champions are entered this year.
Mike Rowe, Ben Rowe, Eddie MacDonald, Johnny Clark, Scott Robbins and Bubba Pollard have all notched Oxford 250 wins — the most recent being Clark in 2020.
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Several other drivers are poised for a breakthrough win, including DJ Shaw, who has finished third three years in a row. Other possible contenders include Gabe Brown and Alexendre Tardif, who rounded out the podium at the Celebration of America 300 in July.
No pressure, no problem
Joey Doiron spoke candidly at media day on Wednesday about a subpar 2026 for him and his team.
As a result of his up-and-down season, Doiron said he’s not a favorite to win Sunday like he has been in years past, which could work to his advantage.
The Berwick driver finished 26th in 2025.
“Honestly, I feel like it’s a lot less pressure,” Doiron said. “I came into this race probably the last five years as the favorite and it hasn’t worked out, so I feel like coming in this year, kind of under the radar — I felt like we’ve had good speed, we’ve just, every time we have good speed, we blow a tire, so I don’t have many good finishes to show for it, but hopefully our speed will be there this weekend and we can make a few gains.”
Back in the fold
As he has been in recent years, Pollard was a late addition to the entry list. The Georgia native has been a staple in the field since 2018, when he held off New Hampshire racer Joey Polewarczyk Jr. to win the race.
Since that victory, Pollard has remained among the top drivers in the field. He finished 10th in 2021 and was runner-up to Jeff Taylor in 2024. Last season, Pollard placed fourth.
Pollard is coming off a victory in his native state, winning the Georgia Summer Nationals in the ASA Southern Super Series last week at Cordel Motor Speedway.
Racing for green
There is a grand total of $128,795 that will be disbursed Sunday. The winner receives $25,000, the runner-up gets $7,000, and third place is worth $5,000. The payouts decrease from there, with the last-place finisher getting $1,250.
There are also bonuses for lap leaders, and for winning the last-chance qualifier to get into the main field.