OXFORD – The skies and the weather radar forecast trouble Sunday morning. The lack of walk-up crowds at the gates was the result.

What was an average crowd at Sunday’s TD Banknorth 250 was hampered significantly by the weather.

“The weather has been a big disappointment this weekend,” said Bill Ryan, the track owner. “Most people, they make plans and they see rain, it’s like anything else, they’re not going to go outside.”

The 250 attendance is typically bolstered by fans buying tickets on race day, but with the rain starting just after 10 a.m., those numbers were significantly lower. Ryan didn’t have specific numbers, but the dent in the bleachers was obvious.

In recent years, Mother Nature has cooperated. Race fans have been blessed by sun and warm temperatures. This weekend, rain, clouds and thunderstorms threatened all weekend. Sunday, the rain started early and persisted for much of the day.

“It’s my 10th year, and it’s the first one that we’ve really been rain effected,” said Ryan. “If this happens only once every 10 years, we’ll be OK.”

The only sellout Ryan has had in recent years was in 2004, but the event has still drawn significant numbers. Though there were plenty of faithful in the stands Sunday, it was obviously dampened by the weather.

“It’s a huge crowd,” said Ryan. “Is it as huge as it would be if it were a bright sunny day? No. You look around and every spot in the parking lot is filled in. People are parked across the street and they’re parking on Route 26.”

Make up date?

During the driver’s meeting Sunday afternoon, the subject of a possible cancellation was raised by the drivers. They were curious about a potential makeup date, especially with Monday’s weather appearing questionable.

Ricky Rolfe, one of the hottest drivers in recent weeks, was in front of the crowd and mentioned that he would be unable to race Wednesday because of personel committments. That prompted one driver to shout out “Let’s race Wednesday then.”

Rain, rain, go away

If this whole process of postponing the 250 seems a bit odd, well, it should.

In the 35 years since the race began, there have been four previous rain events that have caused delays in the race. The most significant delay came in 1979. That year, Junior Hanley earned the pole position, but with the race pushed back to the following Sunday, Hanley was unable to attend.

The only other time the race finished on a day other than it started was in 1986, when it was pushed back one day to Monday. In 1988 and again in 1991, there were delays on Sunday, but the race concluded that same day.

Strong arm

To keep fans entertained between rain delays, there was a t-shirt cannon firing prizes into the crowd. At one point, a box of shirts was brought out and the cannon wasn’t even needed. Curtis Brown, of Lewiston, a member of the infield crew, stepped up to the starter’s platform and subesquently fired shirts into the crowd. He has almost as much distance as the cannon but much more accuracy.