OXFORD – Ricky Morse of St. Albans had never been in a pro stock car until Sunday afternoon.

Hours later, he climbed into his 1999 Chevy Monte Carlo to make his debut in the wealthiest and most prestigious race in Maine: the Oxford True Value 250.

Morse qualified by winning the late model sportsmen 50-lapper on Saturday night at Oxford Plains Speedway.

The 42-year-old Morse has been racing for only four years, beginning in the street stock division at Hermon’s Speedway 95. He moved up to the late model sportsmen class the next year and moved to Oxford Plains Speedway two years ago.

“We’re tickled pink. It’s a dream [come true],” said Morse, whose son Josh is his crew chief. Another son, Patrick, is also on the crew and will head to NASCAR school in North Carolina in January to learn the ins and outs of stock cars and the race business.

“Hopefully, he’ll learn a lot and come back and help dad out,” smiled Morse.

Morse said there is a big difference between the late model sportsmen and pro stock divisions. The primary difference is the tires. Pro stocks use 10-inch tires while the late model sportsmen race eight-inch tires.

“The difference is night and day,” said Morse. “When you run on eight-inch tires, you’re always average. You’re always wondering what is going to happen. With the 10-inch tires, you can feel what’s going to happen. It’s like driving a new car. It’s like climbing out of a Ford Escort into a Cadillac.”

He ran in the heat and consolation races Sunday afternoon but since he had already qualified, “I didn’t race. I didn’t want to get in anybody’s way and dub them up. We were already in and they were still trying to get in.”

Morse figures he won “nine or 10 races” in the street stock and late model sportsmen divisions at Speedway 95 but Saturday night’s win was his first in two years at Oxford.

“After my first year in the street stock class, I saw a Chevy Beretta late model car on the side of the road. I bought it and it’s the same car I have today. I took it to Jeff Taylor at Distance Racing Products and he put new clips on it and changed it over to a Monte Carlo,” said Morse. “Jeff is the reason we’re here. Jeff did miracles with the car.”

He didn’t have high expectations for the Oxford True Value 250 race but didn’t care.

“We’re going to be real patient and real smart and we hope to finish. If the car is raceable, we’ll race it. A top 20 finish would be a miracle,” said Morse, a Nokomis High School of Newport graduate.

Son following in dad’s footsteps

The youngest of the 84 entrants was 18-year-old Ryan Moore of Scarborough and he qualified for his first Oxford 250 by winning a consolation race.

He is the son of Busch North series regular Kelly Moore.

“We’re excited. We have a real good car,” said Ryan Moore about his Chevy Monte Carlo.

He went on to finish third in the race.

He had been a regular at OPS for two years and won the late model sportsmen division a year ago before moving to the ACT-Dodge tour this year.

“I’m having fun on the ACT tour. It’s real competitive,” said Moore, a recent graduate of Scarborough High School. “I’m learning a lot.”

He is the leader in points among rookies.

He said he has benefited from his dad’s expertise. Kelly was spotting for his son on Sunday.

“My dad is definitely a good teacher,” said Ryan.

Kelly said his job as a spotter is basically one of “letting him know when someone gets inside of him. He’s pretty calm out there.”

Moore was pleased his son qualified.

“We want to put some laps on him and put him in a big race,” said Kelly Moore who is currently leading the Busch North points series.

Marino memories

Tony Marino has observed the growth of the Oxford True Value 250 over its 29 years.

Marino was working on the crew for Al Hammond of South Paris on Sunday. Hammond failed to qualify. He has been involved with several teams over the years.

Marino was a Busch Grand National crew chief for Morgan Shepherd and Mike Skinner and said the Oxford True Value 250 is special.

“This is the grass roots of racing. This is where everybody started,” said Marino. “I’ve seen Bobby Allison race here and Morgan Shepherd used to come every year. Bobby Allison won his first modified race here.”

He said the race is extremely competitive “because everybody is more equal now. The rules are made so that everybody is equal.”

He said his most memorable Oxford 250 occurred in 1991.

“That was the year Ricky Craven won. He was the favorite. Everybody wanted him to win,” said Marino who feels all of them have been memorable in their own way.

There have been seven Winston Cup points champions who raced at Oxford: Allison, Jeff Gordon, Dale Jarrett, Bobby and Terry Labone, Rusty Wallace and Darrell Waltrip.