The rumbling engines and bright flashes of color that helped define Sunday’s TD Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway were only part of the whole picture. More than 10,000 fans flocked to the Mecca of Maine auto racing.

Some people were there to catch a glimpse of two Nextel Cup Series drivers. Some were there to watch a friend or loved one in the race, and a small fraction of the total number of people were there to work, either for the raceway or for a driver or team.

By now, you know that Mike Rowe won the race with an exciting, late-race pass. But, long before Rowe even fired his engine, his team was hard at work securing his car. Pit crews danced delicate steps, trying to shave seconds off of their drivers’ times, and fans gathered to pay tribute to their favorite racers and enjoy each others’ company.

Thanks to a timely ride in an airplane and a long day in the pits, chief photographer Russ Dillingham and staff photographer Ashleigh D. Starke captured some of those moments.