The first TD Banknorth Oxford 250 with Late Model cars instead of Pro Stocks was a success as 97 cars and approximately 12,000 spectators turned out.

“Things went great,” said Oxford Plains Speedway owner Bill Ryan. “It was no different than any other 250. You had great competition. The only difference was that there were 19 more cars than last year. If we had a Pro Stock race, we probably would have had only 30 cars given what I’ve seen in other Pro Stock races.”

Forty-four cars started the 34th annual TD Banknorth Oxford 250.

“The crowd was the same it has been the past few years. We only had one year, 2004, that we sold it out. That will be our goal for next year,” said Ryan.

For the second straight year, there was a relative unknown who won the race as Roger Brown of Lancaster, N.H., who was ninth in points in the American-Canadian Tour, took the checkered flag one year after Jeremie Whorff of Bath captured it.

Ryan said he wasn’t the least bit skeptical about the race’s success as a Late Model event.

“For the most part, you had the same drivers [as you would in the Pro Stocks]. And the Models are the common race car across northern New England. There are very few Pro Stocks,” said Ryan noting that the Late Models are significantly cheaper than the Pro Stocks.

Brown said he never could have entered the race if it was a Pro Stock race because he couldn’t afford a Pro Stock car.

“The only difference between the Late Models and the Pro Stocks is six or seventh-tenths of a second [per lap],” said Ryan.

Turner’s Mike and Ben Rowe, who have combined for five TD Banknorth Oxford 250 championships, were not able to make the race because a Pro All-Stars Series Super Late Model race in Nova Scotia, the IWK 250, was postponed Saturday and run on Sunday.

Mike Rowe won the IWK 250, Ben Rowe was second and Nextel Cup and Busch series driver Regan Smith was third. Former Nextel Cup driver Ricky Craven of Newburgh was 26th.

Ben Rowe said they got back just before the race started and would have been back a little earlier but they didn’t rush after they were told over the phone by Josh Moody, co-owner of Ben Rowe’s team, that they weren’t going to be granted past champions’ provisionals by Ryan.

“We even chartered a plane so we’d be back,” said a disappointed Ben Rowe, who had Jeff Taylor try to qualify his car. Taylor failed to earn a spot in the race.

Rowe felt Ryan could have given awarded them provisionals if he wanted to but decided not to.

“A provisional goes to the most recent past champion who makes every effort to qualify his car. Anybody involved in the race knows how provisionals work,” explained Ryan. “So [two-time winner] Jamie Aube got the provisional.”

If Taylor had qualified the car, Rowe could have driven it but would have had to start in the back.

“It was our deal and we didn’t get the car qualified,” acknowledged Ben Rowe.

Ryan said he intends to schedule next year’s TD Banknorth 250 on the off weekend for NASCAR Nextel Cup and will again try to land some Cup drivers to spice up the field. Kevin Lepage finished 21st and Terry Labonte was 42nd on Sunday.

Spud Speedway opening a success

What do Colton Charette, Jason Forbes, Jeff Willette and Mark Graves have in common?

They were the first winners at the re-opening of Caribou’s Spud Speedway last Sunday.

It was the first time there had been racing at the speedway since 2000.

New owner Greg Veinote, who bought the track from Ralph and Nancy Nason, said he had a “grin on his face” after the successful re-opening.

“The grandstands were around three-quarters full and we had 32-34 cars,” said Veinote. “And we’ll probably double that number this weekend.

“When you sink six months of work into something and you get support like that, you get a warm and fuzzy feeling all over,” said Veinote.

Charette won the Young Guns race for 13-16 year-olds; Forbes won the Northern Lights race for four-cylinder cars and Willette won the Street Stock class for six- and eight-cylinder cars.

Veinote said Charette was driving a standard for the first time ever.

The crowd wasn’t leaving after those three races so he put together a 15-lap hooligan race for all vehicles and Graves won it in his four-cylinder Ford Escort.

There will be a free practice session on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. and Sunday’s racing will begin at 1 p.m.

Rain plaguing Beech Ridge

Beech Ridge Motor Speedway owner Andy Cusack is being followed by a black cloud.

Literally.

The Scarborough-based track has had four Saturday night shows, one Thursday Thunder entry level race card and a Pro All-Stars Series race washed out by rain.

The PASS race was made up but the others won’t be.

“It’s frustrating. This is four years running [of bad weather]. I’ve never seen anything like it,” said Cusack, who has lost several practice dates as well.

Cusack said one of the most frustrating aspects is the car counts have been strong across the board.

“That’s the good news,” said Cusack.

On Saturdays, he has been getting 17-21 Pro Stock cars; up to 30 apiece in the Wildcats (eight-cylinder) and Sport Series (one notch down for Pro Stocks) series and 22-24 in the growing Roadrunner (six cylinder cars) division.

The Thursday Thunder class for those who have raced four years or less has attracted a dozen in the Ladies Division, 15-18 in the Four-Cylinder Trucks and 30-40 in the Mad Bombers (eight cylinder cars) and Beetle Bugs (four-cylinder cars).

Cusack said due to the high car counts in the Mad Bombers and Beetle Bugs, they have two classes in each division.

Now all he needs is some sun.