Drew enjoying Oxford victory Champ grew up in racing family

Gary Drew said he is a “little behind on the rent.”

But his landlord won’t have to worry.

Drew has come into some money, $35,400 to be exact, courtesy of his triumph in the 28th annual Oxford True Value 250 Sunday night.

“First, I’m going to put some money in the bank and then I’ll pay the rent so we won’t get kicked out. We’ll spend it wisely,” said Drew, who enjoyed a memorable Monday.

“I couldn’t get the smile off my face today. It started last night. We had a big celebration in the parking lot,” said Drew. “I took a little nap today and I’ve been busy on the phone. A lot of friends have stopped in and I’ve talked to a lot of media people. People have been tooting their horns and hollering out windows when they’ve driven by the house. It has been unreal.”

The 36-year-old Drew, who started on the pole, grew up in a racing family as his father, Homer, was a pro stock racer at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough and Oxford who competed in three Oxford True Value 250s from 1974-76. His father couldn’t attend Sunday’s race due to health reasons but he said his father “was really excited for me.

“I remember watching my dad. He used to have some awesome races with Mike Rowe and Ralph Nason. I always wanted the chance to race with my father but health problems [heart] prevented it. Racing with Mike Rowe and Ralph Nason is like racing with my dad.”

Defending three-time champ Nason led from lap 43 to 156 when he got tangled up with Gray’s Paul Bosse and spun. Nason was able to regain control of his car just before Drew lapped him.

Nason wound up finishing third behind Drew and runner-up Scott Robbins of Dixfield.

Two-time Oxford True Value winner Rowe finished 25th.

Drew, who leads the pro stock division at Oxford Plains Speedway, said being a weekly racer at Oxford is a significant advantage for the 250.

“You know where the bumps and grooves are. You get dialed in for the Saturday night shows and that helps you in the open shows [like the 250]. It’s awfully easy to overdrive Oxford,” said Drew, who lives in Windham and began racing when he was 17 and drove open wheel modified cars.

The Raymond native eventually switched over to pro stock cars when modified racing was eliminated from Maine tracks.

“I took a few years off, in 1992 and ’93, for financial reasons. And I got burned out,” said Drew, who eventually built his own car and returned to racing.

He bought his Camaro from Jeff Taylor at Distance Racing Products Inc. just before last year’s Oxford True Value 250 and finished the year with a string of top fives in the pro stock division at Oxford.

He has won two Oxford Saturday races this year in building a 25-point lead over Taylor.

Drew, who works for Bosse at his A.L. Doggett Inc. construction company in Gray, said he and wife Kris may have three racing sons in 16-year-old Eric, a member of his crew; 13-year-old Garrett and 10-year-old Gary Jr.

“I told the youngest one, Gary Jr., that I’d buy him a go-cart if I won the Oxford 250. I’d like to get him into racing. I’ll have to see if Garrett wants to do it and we’re trying to get Eric time to run at Oxford on Wednesday nights,” said Drew, who credited primary sponsors Millennium Motors and Inofin Financing of Portland with making his memorable season a reality.

Maietta, Friend handle adversity

South Portland’s Mike Maietta Sr. and Detroit’s Adam Friend weren’t sure if they would be able to last the entire True Value 250.

But they did.

Maietta finished fifth and Friend wound up 15th.

“My shoulder is messed up from an accident at Beech Ridge on July 3. I went into the wall. I thought I was going to die. I’m still a little gun-shy,” said Maietta, who considered the impact the most substantial he has ever absorbed in 18 years of racing.

Friend said he was extremely ill.

“I think I had food poisoning. I didn’t sleep at all Saturday night. I was vomiting and had diarrhea,” said Friend. “I couldn’t even keep water down.”

Friend was finally able to get some nourishment just before the race.