OXFORD – Small neighborhoods lined with uneven rows of RVs and campers have sprouted up overnight. Some fans traveled hundreds of miles to stake their claim to a small patch of dirt on this dry and dusty parking lot.

For weeks, Oxford Plains Speedway has been overrun by legions of homesteaders hoping to set up shop for the raceway’s biggest event of the season – the Banknorth 250.

Take a drive by the track on Route 26 and it could be mistaken for an RV dealership. Rows and rows of mobile homes surround the oval track which is now filled to capacity. The smell of grilled food chokes the summer air as endless chatter about Sunday’s race is the only subject around the gas grill.

During the day, fans cross the vast parking lot by motorcycles, four-wheelers and minibikes while the grounds crew armed with blaring two-way radios tries to keep order.

“After the Matt Kenseth announcement (March 8), they started parking campers,” said OPS media coordinator Mark Turcotte. “Camping is free. We let them drop it off.

“It’s also a big party weekend and they plan their vacations around it. The phone was ringing off the hook for two weeks after the Kenseth announcement.

“We need our own zip code here.”

Turcotte estimated there are about 350 mobile homes on the premises and more keep coming as determined fans keep trying to move in.

“We’ve got people coming here who didn’t know there was a racetrack in Maine,” said Turcotte.

While the sun dashed in and out of the threatening clouds, a party of three were dining out on the roof of their camper in front of the noisy track.

“We’ve had this spot for over four weeks,” said Greg Tasker of Hartland. “We’ve been mowing and maintaining it.

“We’ve been watching the same campers ride around and try to find a spot.”

Camping seems to go hand-in-hand with auto racing fans who enjoy the camaraderie of the great outdoors at a racetrack.

“That’s the best part about coming here,” said Tasker’s friend, Wayne Peterson of St. Albans. “It’s probably the 20th time I’ve been here.”

But even though Kenseth and fellow Nextel driver Kurt Busch will be competing, their appearance makes no difference to Peterson.

“We would have come anyway,” he said. “It just spices it up.”

“It’s a spectacle,” said Garth Norris, shouting from the top of the camper as roaring race cars drove around the track. “I’ve camped here five or six years.”

For most auto racing fans, keeping up with the Jones is almost impossible to do.

George Jones, the 71-year-old patriarch from Wilton, has taken in 29 250 races with his family. And he isn’t about to slow down now.

“I still come to the 250 every year,” said Eric Jones, George’s son. “We are going to see a lot of racing.”

Eric’s mom, Jan, eventually became a fan, too.

“I grew to be,” said Jan Jones. “I enjoy it. We come every week to see the races.”

Dennis Smith of Leeds is an avid camper who wouldn’t miss this event for the world.

“This is also normal for us. We camp anyway,” said Smith. “It’s a camping trip for us.”

“I’ve raced here before,” said Carol Hanscom, Smith’s fiancee. “If you guys buy me a car, I’d race here again.”

Roland McFate of St. Johns, New Brunswick, says the five-and-half hour drive is worth a visit to OPS.

“We didn’t even know about the few NASCAR drivers,” said McFate, 64.

“We would have come here even if they (Busch and Kenseth) weren’t here,” said Tammy Whittemore of Madison.

Racing fans Travis Knight, 12, of Livemore Falls and his friend, Nathan Elliott, 13, of Dixfield decided to mix business with pleasure by selling lemonade at OPS.

“There’s a lot of action and speed. It’s a lot of fun,” said Elliott.

“It’s fun watching them go so fast,” added Knight as customers stepped up for a glass of their fine lemonade.

Wayne White of Carthage has a big stake in this 250. White is rooting for his nephew, Scott Robbins who won the event two years ago. White says his dream of a perfect finish is seeing his nephew standing in the winner’s circle next to second- and third-place finishers Busch and Kenseth.

Until the race, White says he enjoys camping down by this end of the raceway where fans are more mellow.

“This is the geriatric section,” said White with a smile. “This is the quiet people. We are quiet; we don’t get rowdy.”

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