OXFORD – Scott Robbins couldn’t help but be relaxed Monday morning.

With a full day of a qualifying and consolation heats ahead, the Dixfield driver wasn’t worried.

After earning the poll during Sunday’s rain-soaked shortened qualifying, Robbins was enjoying his guaranteed spot in the 250 and the security it provided.

“It’s pretty nice,” said Robbins, who won the 250 in 2002. “I got a good night’s sleep. It’s different because I got to go home. Usually it’s a one-day thing. It’s a weird feeling coming back this morning because we’ve already qualified, we’re in the poll and we’ve got a practice session. It’s a good feeling, but it’s a little different.”

A year ago, Robbins had to scrap his way into the race. He endured some car problems after an accident and then won a last chance race to get in. Needless to say, it hasn’t been as hectic this year. He even avoided the temptation of overthinking about the main event as he waited Monday.

“We were all ready, in case we did it (Sunday) night,” Robbins said. “The whole crew is in a good frame of mind. Last year, we raced all day and won our last chance race. We were all tired. Things were all over the place, and then we had to go out there and race.”

Poland’s Tommy Ricker was equally pleased with his results Sunday and his chance to relish his qualifying in the second heat. So pleased that his wife could barely tolerate it.

“My wife told me to call my son or call somebody because she was like “I don’t want to listen to it all night,'” Ricker said. “I was pumped up. I was all excited. I had a couple of teas, and I sat back and relaxed and slept good.”

Ricker had waited for his chance for a shot at the 250 during the Pro Stock years. When the race became a Late Model affair, he jumped at the chance. He’s qualified on his first try each of the last two years.

“My son (Jason) called me from North Carolina,” Richer said. “He asked ‘Did you sleep last night?’ I said that I had no problem sleeping. It’s great. The biggest thing about the 250 is qualifying in the heat races. You don’t have to struggle all day and don’t have to worry about things going on.”

Ricker’s win in his qualifying heat put him in on the outside poll to start the race. While enjoying Sunday’s achievement, he couldn’t help but start thinking ahead.

“To sit on the outside poll, I’m thinking ‘Oh man, what the hell am I going to do?’ said Ricker. “You do play it around in your head a little bit. What am I going to do? I’m on the outside poll. I think that’s going to happen.”

Ricker’s night didn’t last long. He had car problems on lap 9 when smoke began pouring out of his car. It was helped into pit row where it stayed.

For others, the extra wait wasn’t as enjoyable. Turner’s Shawn Martin finished fifth in his heat race Sunday, narrowly missing out on qualifying.

“It’s definitely nerve-wracking,” Martin said. “It’s another day of pressure.”

It did have its benefits though.

“We kind of needed it,” he said. “We were really good at practice yesterday morning. Then the rain came and tightened the track up tremendously, and we weren’t very good in our heat race.”

Still, Martin was in position to qualify but was edged out by Travis Adams late in the race.

“I was definitely a little bummed out,” Martin said. “I probably should have slipped down on the line with a couple laps to go. I probably could have been in.”

The practice session Monday morning provided a chance to prepare for his consolation race. He started on the outside poll. He made his consolation race look easy. He jumped ahead at the start. Despite a few cautions that allowed others to keep close, Martin was able to cruise to earn the 24th spot in the race.

“The second groove isn’t that great,” said Martin, who is fourth in the points standings at OPS. “We’ve been practicing up there all morning.”

Ricky Rolfe also failed to qualify Sunday and needed consolation races to better his position in the main event. He wasn’t overly concerned thanks to a provisional he earned after winning an automatic qualifier at OPS a couple Saturdays ago.

“I’ve got a provisional to fall back on,” said Rolfe, one of the prerace favorites. “I just can’t wreck it between now and the start of the race.”

Rolfe started behind the pack in his consolation race. He stayed on the outside and failed to gain much ground. He pitted on lap 12 and returned but remained at the back of the pack.

He couldn’t catch Glen Luce in the last chance race and had to settle for his provisional.