OXFORD – Even with an extra day, arrests at the TD Banknorth 250 race at the Oxford Plains Speedway were lower than last year.

Police made 12 arrests and issued 16 summonses at this year’s event. Although the number of summonses did not change, arrests were down from 17 in 2007 and 24 in 2006.

“Our busiest night was Saturday night,” said Sgt. Rickie Jack of the Oxford Police Department.

No arrests were made on Monday, the day the 250 race was run following a rain delay on Sunday.

Charges included disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, unlawful possession of prescription drugs, assault, and bail violations. One man, 28-year-old Jaybe Gerard Bourgoin of Auburn, was found to have an active arrest warrant out of Androscoggin County on an aggravated assault charge after he was arrested on a criminal trespass charge.

Jack credited the reduction in arrests to rainy weather conditions and police patrols of the ground. The Speedway’s security detail was joined by 23 officers from the Oxford, Norway, and Paris police departments working two day shifts and one night shift. Jack said some some officers worked 16-hour days.

“We want to see everyone having a good time, but you kind of have to limit that to ‘Are you having a good time or are you disturbing everyone else?'” Jack said. “We don’t want to see anyone getting hurt.”

Kalle Oakes, announcer at the Speedway, said he heard estimates of more than 500 campers on the grounds and 12,000 attendees over Saturday and Sunday.

“It’s hard to judge,” Oakes said. “We had a lot of people who came Monday who couldn’t come Sunday.”