Wiscasset, Oxford fight for Fridays

Call it the Friday night fights, stock car-racing style.

Last night, Oxford Plains Speedway and Wiscasset Raceway went head-to-head with their regular weekly racing cards, setting up a slight rivalry for fans Since owner Dave St. Clair reopened Wiscasset Raceway and started racing on Friday nights, fans and drivers have flocked to the high-banked, one-third-mile oval.

Now Oxford, under the auspices of the Vermont-based American Canadian Tour, has switched its regular racing cards from Saturday nights to Friday – a move that could send some shock waves through the state’s stock car racing community.

Both parties are taking a wait-and-see approach, but they claim the move won’t affect their tracks enough to make a difference.

“I don’t think there will be any problem,” St. Clair said. “We have our fans, they have theirs. We have our drivers, they have theirs. I don’t see a problem.”

“I think competition is healthy,” said ACT spokeswoman Marjorie Parker. “I don’t know what kind of affect it will have on him or us. I don’t think one event will decide it. We’ll see.”

St. Clair’s biggest question concerning the move by Curley and Co. was “why?”

“It’s been a Saturday night track for all these years,” St. Clair said. “I don’t know what their thought is. My honest opinion is that it will hurt them more than me. Time will tell. If they stay Friday night, I guess it worked. If they switch back to Saturdays, then it didn’t.”

Oxford switched to Fridays so the track wouldn’t be running against Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough. Both tracks are sanctioned by ACT which has six ovals under its umbrella.

“We felt it would benefit both (OPS and Beech Ridge),” Parker said. “It wouldn’t split the fan base or the car count. Oxford was in trouble with car counts and fan counts dwindling. Moving to Friday nights allows racers and their fans to still have a weekend left.”

Despite published reports, Parker said ACT was not trying to put a stronghold on New England’s non-ACT tracks like Wiscasset and White Mountain Motorsports Park.

“This business is too fickle for that,” Parker said. “Drivers need other places to race. Dave has done a masterful job bringing back a facility that was in trouble. He’s working hard at it and we wish him the best.”

Oxford Plains is holding a doubleheader weekend.

Besides last night’s regular racing card, back-to-back rainouts of the Jungle Jim Trophy Dash, originally slated for Mother’s Day, has moved the race to Sunday at 1 p.m.

Oxford Dragway will hold its grand opening this Saturday with free admission for spectators. Gates open at 1:30 p.m., time trials start at 2 p.m., and eliminations begin at 6 p.m.

It is the first day of the points series. The track has been resurfaced, and has a new timing system.

AT OXFORD PLAINS SPEEDWAY Compacts

1. Bill Thibeault, Norway; 2. Mike Morris, Turner; 3. Dave Mooney, New Gloucester Super Street

1. Don Wentworth, Bridgton; 2. Mark Cyr, Mexico; 3. Jeff White, Winthrop Strictly Stock (B feature)

1. Paul Martin, Harrison Strictly Stock (A feature)

1. Derrick Pratt, Brunswick; 2. Ivan Lippincott, Harrison; 3. Doug Duguay , Rumford; Kim Tripp, Oxford (disqualified) Charger

1. Chris Hatstat, East Stoneham; 2. Gary Shackford, North Conway, N.H.; 3. Michael Rand, Bridgton