The voice of Oxford Plains Speedway speaks

Since 1971, fans who make the trek to Oxford Plains Speedway, including those who go only to watch the Oxford 250, have heard the voice of one man echo around the one-third-mile speedway and its adjacent grounds.

Bob Walker, after all, is the voice of OPS racing.

The 47-year-old Walker can also be heard as a co-host of the “Inside Motor Sports” radio talk show on WOXO-FM (92.7) in Norway, and WTBM-FM (100.7) in Rumford on Wednesday nights at 6:30 p.m.

After graduating from Eastern New Mexico State University and the Elkins Institute in Atlanta in the early ’70s, Walker returned to Western Maine and became the track announcer at Oxford Plains.

NEWS motor sports writer John Nash spoke with Walker about his career and his 19-year involvement with the True Value Oxford 250.

Bangor Daily News – In the 19 years you’ve been announcing the Oxford 250, what is your greatest memory?

Bob Walker – The Butch Lindley/Geoff Bodine race in 1980. They ran nose-to-tail for the entire 250 laps. Lindley ran out of gas on the white flag lap and Bodine ran out of gas as he took the checkered flag. He barely coasted around. All told, they ran 232 of 250 laps like that.

BDN – What is it about the race which attracts the fans/drivers.

B.W. – The money attracts that drivers, but the mystique attracts the fans. The hottest guy in NASCAR could roll into town and not even qualify for the race. It’s one of those things. The prestige, the money – you throw out all the variables and what should happen never does. Hot dog teams come in all cocky and it usually turns around and bites them. This race is kind of a catalyst for the rest of the season. Teams turn around there seasons here.

BDN – How much has the race changed over the years?

B.W. – It was a “run what you brung.” The evolution of the sport changed it. The evoloution of the industry changed it. It started in the ’80s and by 1985 the transition was complete.

BDN – Have the changes been better for the race?

B.W. – The racing is better. The slam/bang is gone, but the racing itself is better. Racing has come through the same evolution. The days of beat-and-bang are basically gone. The one thing I miss the most was the 15th-place point car from Speedway 95 could make the race with the last qualifying spot. That’s the part I miss. But the part I like is you end up with 40 of the best cars and drivers going into the Oxford 250.

BDN – Did you ever expect it to become a quarter-million dollar race?

B.W. – No. When we had this race in ’74, it was a $25,000 purse. It was the same the next year. Then it began to grow and grow and grow. I don’t think (former OPS owner) Bob Bahre would have thought it would have grown like it did. NASCAR’s been involved in all but one and once the tours started, it really grew into what it is. I think when all is rehashed five and 10 years down the road, keeping it as a sanctioned event will bear out as the proper move.

BDN – Who’s the biggest villain in Oxford 250 history?

B.W. – Oh, Tommy Ellis. He won the race (in 1983) and it was the biggest race of his career. He was super successful at the time. He was the terror of the division. (After winning), he said “It was a miracle (he won) after driving around all that Saturday night junk,” meaning all the cars from Unity, Speedway 95, Seekonk, and the good cars. He wasn’t being a wise mouth, though. That was just Tommy Ellis. It was his personality. If he won a race in South Boston, Va., he would have said something like that. Tommy is the villian and to this day they still boo him.

BDN – How did you get involved in announcing stock car racing?

B.W. – I went to work at the track in January of ’71. My dad owned a race car in the ’50s and we ran it. I stayed with the course. I had been a pit steward at Oxford and Beech Ridge. I went to college at Eastern New Mexcio University with a golf package and then the Elkins Institute in Atlanta. I got a job at the radio station in Norway through help of Bob Bahre and started doing the announcing at the track.