OXFORD – Oxford Plains Speedway owner Bill Ryan has bought the Mountain View Sports Park on Route 26.

“We’re very excited about this new venture,” said Mark Turcotte, who will manage the park for Ryan under its new name, Oxford Plains Snow Tubing.

Ryan, a former sports marketing attorney, became sole owner of Oxford Plains Speedway in 1999. For the past two years, he has owned a third Route 26 recreation business, Oxford Plains Fun Park, which offers miniature golf and a go kart track.

“This will give him something to do during the winter,” Turcotte said. “Snow tubing is great family fun and the perfect cure for cabin fever.”

Ryan closed on the deal Dec. 8 with Mike Cowan. When Cowan opened the park eight years ago, it was the first snow tubing park in the state.

Turcotte said crews have been making artificial snow on the hill, which will open for business Dec. 18. The grooming will create a series of bumps on the hill so tubers can go airborne as they descend.

“We’re considering the possibility of adding a snowboarding hill in the future,” Turcotte said. “This is totally new to us, and will keep us busy. It looks like it could be really lucrative.”

The tubing park has seen good attendance in the past few winters. About half of the park’s business had come from school and other group outings.

Under its new owners, Oxford Plains Snow Tubing will be open an extra night, from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursday, with a lift ticket special of $9 for two hours. The regular price is $13 for two hours, $20 for an all-day pass, or $99 a season.

The park will also be open Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. Weekend hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. It will also be open during holidays and school vacations, Turcotte said.

Since purchasing the racetrack, Ryan has added a Wednesday night racing series and a Friday night go kart series. He’s added several high profile touring series to the racing schedule, and plans more for next year, including freestyle motocross, monster trucks and the Northeast Freestyle Streetbike Championships, Turcotte said.

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