Travis Benjamin won the 46th running of the Oxford 250, his record-tying third victory in the prestigious race. Take a look back here at the day that was in Oxford 250 and Oxford Plains Speedway history.
— 8:51 p.m. — One more (last?) update from Travis Barrett.
Unofficial #Oxford250 top 10: pic.twitter.com/TU0X7hkXWf
— Travis Barrett (@TBarrettGWC) August 26, 2019
— 8:39 p.m. — Travis Benjamin of Belfast has won the 46th running of the Oxford 250. It is a record-tying third 250 win for Benjamin, who won back-to-back in 2013 and 2014. Derek Griffith is the runner-up. DJ Shaw, Johnny Clark and Mike Hopkins round out the top five.
— 8:32 p.m. — Caution with four laps to go. Tim Brackett goes spinning on backstretch to start a chain. And Benjamin had pulled away…
— 8:24 p.m. — A caution with 12 laps to go has made Travis Benjamin’s large lead vanish.
— 8:20 p.m. — Just 25 laps to go, Travis Benjamin has pulled away from DJ Shaw and Eddie MacDonald, with the leaders mixing it up with lapped cars.
— 8:13 p.m. — With 50 to go, Cassius Clark has pulled away, but Travis Benjamin is trying to reel him back in. Derek Griffith in third, ahead of DJ Shaw and Eddie MacDonald.
— 7:58 p.m. — Just as soon as the field goes to green after the third caution, a fourth comes out. Jake Johnson slams the outside wall out of turn four at the restart. Alan Tardiff was just starting to lead the field, ahead of Trevor Sanborn, Nick Sweet, Dave Farrington Jr. and Cassius Clark.
— 7:47 p.m. — The third caution of the night comes out at lap 178. Tardiff’s massive lead is now gone. Pit strategies should come into play now.
— 7:44 p.m. — At lap 168, defending race winner Bubba Pollard has taken his car off the track and into the garage area.
— 7:38 p.m. — With 100 laps to go Alan Tardiff has opened up a three-plus second lead over Jake Johnson, after Tardiff got to the front at lap 131.
— 7:32 p.m. — At lap 125 of 250, Jake Johnson leads the Oxford 250 after drawing the dead last heat position of the 57 cars entered. DJ Shaw is second, Ray Christian III is third.
— 7:24 p.m. — At lap 100, PASS North points leader DJ Shaw is in the lead, after a lap 98 caution brought the top five to pit road. Jake Johnson is in second, former 250 winner Scott Robbins in third.
— 7:12 p.m. — At 75 laps in, Eddie MacDonald, Cassius Clark and Ryan Kuhn have pulled away, each 1-2 car lengths apart.
— 7:05 p.m. — At lap 50, Nick Sweet holds onto the lead ahead of two-time winner Eddie MacDonald soon after a restart.
— 7:00 p.m. — It takes 48 laps for the first caution of the 46th Oxford 250. Former winner Joey Polewarczyk Jr. goes for a spin, leaders Nick Sweet and Eddie MacDonald slam the brakes to avoid the danger. Three-time winner Mike Rowe and defending winner Bubba Pollard are both already a lap down.
— At 6:46 p.m., Ryan Kuhn leads the 46th Oxford 250 field to green … though two-time winner Eddie MacDonald gets right by him from the outside pole and clears Kuhn for the front spot.
— 6:43 p.m. — A powerful moment on the frontstretch as Grand Marshall Bob Bahre gives the “Gentlemen, Start Your Engines” call, followed by a roar from the crowd and the roar of 44 cars’ engines firing up.
— 6:29 p.m. — Our Adam Robinson with the great panoramic shot of the 44 cars that will battle for the 46th oxford 250 title all parked on the Oxford Plains Speedway frontstretch.
Oxford 250@Sports_SJ pic.twitter.com/evY9iX8gMS
— Adam Robinson (@FunkFlashyRob) August 25, 2019
— 6:24 p.m. — Here’s a cool photo for any local racing fan. Bob Bahre is the grand marshall for this year’s Oxford 250.
Ryan Kuhn, pole-sitter for the 46th #Oxford250, shakes the hand of race creator and former @OPSpeedway and @NHMS owner Bob Bahre. @Sports_SJ #mesports @PASSSLM14 pic.twitter.com/pfCkdbUHxc
— Wil Kramlich (@WilTalkSports) August 25, 2019
— 6:17 p.m. — This is what the field will (should?) look like for the 46th Oxford 250.
UPDATED (yet again): (un)OFFICIAL #Oxford250 starting lineup, including provisionals. @PASSSLM14 pic.twitter.com/jaLocicTwi
— Travis Barrett (@TBarrettGWC) August 25, 2019
— 6:14 p.m. — The pit crews are coming out. The cars will soon follow.
All the pit crews lining up on pit lane ahead of the 46th #Oxford250. @Sports_SJ #mesports pic.twitter.com/HXbukcLl8C
— Wil Kramlich (@WilTalkSports) August 25, 2019
— 6:08 p.m. — All the other division features are done, now it’s time for a short break on the track before the 46th Oxford 250 driver introductions.
— 5:55 p.m. — While we wait for the North East Mini Stock Tour feature to finish up (the last race before the main event) here is what we hope is the final, official word on the Oxford 250 starting lineup.
OFFICIALLY (?) it will be a 44-car starting field for the #Oxford250. Evan Hallstrom, Dan Winter and Glen Luce have all been given additional provisionals.
— Travis Barrett (@TBarrettGWC) August 25, 2019
— 5:15 p.m. — This very well may be the starting lineup for the 46th Oxford 250. But these things can sometimes change between the end of the LCR and the start of the feature. Stay tuned!
UPDATED: Unofficial #Oxford250 starting lineup (through all 3 rounds of qualifying), with provisionals. More could still be added, per @PASSSLM14 officials. pic.twitter.com/TZHe7AkRRL
— Travis Barrett (@TBarrettGWC) August 25, 2019
— 5:10 p.m. — Austin Teras has won the Last Chance Race to get into the Oxford 250. He held off Evan Hallstrom and former 250 champ Jeremie Whorff to race his way into the big dance.
— 5:05 p.m. — Only 10 cars come out on the track for the Last Chance Race. Gray, Maine native Austin Teras was leading when a caution came out on lap 13.
— 5:01 p.m. — A little more clarity from Travis Barrett, as the 50-lap Last Chance Race has started.
Ok, just got the word on the provisionals. They're going to Ashton Tucker, Shawn Martin, Calvin Rose, Rusty Poland, Gabe Brown, Mike Rowe and Bryan Kruczek. #Oxford250
— Travis Barrett (@TBarrettGWC) August 25, 2019
— 4:55 p.m. — Some Travis Barrett insight on the possible provisional spots into the Oxford 250.
As for the fourth one, I think (!) I've narrowed it down to Evan Hallstrom, Dan Winter and Bryan Kruczek.
— Travis Barrett (@TBarrettGWC) August 25, 2019
— 3:39 p.m. — Another update from KJ/MS reporter Travis Barrett, who has compiled the 33 drivers that have raced their way into the 46th Oxford 250 so far. Provisionals will now be given out, then a 50-lap Last Chance Race will determine the final qualifiers into the field. Right now on the track is the first feature of the day, the Oxford Street Stocks. Oxford Rebels and NELCAR Legends will follow before the Last Chance Race.
UPDATED: Unofficial starting lineup for @PASSSLM14 #Oxford250 (through consi-round qualifying). pic.twitter.com/RTcDEd6qEP
— Travis Barrett (@TBarrettGWC) August 25, 2019
— 3:45 p.m. — Two-time 250 champ Ben Rowe was the winner of the second consolation qualifier race, which got off to a rough start when outside pole-sitter Ashton Tucker couldn’t get going at the drop of the green flag. Garrett Hall got into the back of him, but Hall was able to hold onto the fourth spot, which was the final transfer spot. Tracy Gordon and Kyle DeSouza also qualified from the consi.
— 3:33 p.m. — After a pair of cautions got the first of two consolation qualifying races off to a slow start Ben Ashline sped to victory in the 20-lap race. Scott McDaniel, Joey Polewarczyk Jr. and Dave Farrington Jr. also qualified for the 250 out of the consi.
— 3:09 p.m. — With some down time before the SLMs are back on the track, here is who has made the Oxford 250 so far, and where they will be starting. The next step is two 20-lap consolation races, with the top four from each being added to the field.
Unofficial #Oxford250 starting lineup (through 1st-round). @PASSSLM14 pic.twitter.com/Gyf6xRIUYj
— Travis Barrett (@TBarrettGWC) August 25, 2019
— 2:40 p.m. — So a quick rundown after the qualifying heats for the Oxford 250: Ryan Kuhn will sit on the pole after winning heat No. 1. Eddie MacDonald will start on the outside of the front row. Cassius Clark, Derek Griffith and Cole Butcher also won heats to make up the top five starting spots.
On the track now are the Oxford Street Stocks heats, then it will be Oxford Rebels, PASS Mods and NELCAR Legends before the PASS SLMs are back on the track for two consolation qualifying races.
— 2:37 p.m. — Excitement is high for this year’s Oxford 250 apparently.
An OPS official just told these are the most campers in the250’s long and storied history! #Oxford250 pic.twitter.com/3ClEFpVplN
— Dave Eid (@DaveEidWGME) August 25, 2019
— 2:35 — Look at that full grandstand parking lot at Oxford Plains Speedway. The seats inside are just as packed. The photo is from Andy Austin, the voice of Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.
People are parking off site and walking to the track. Packed house/crowd. #Oxford250 #250dayinamerica pic.twitter.com/14NNA1MC8B
— Andy Austin (@andyaustinmaine) August 25, 2019
— 2:33 p.m. — Cole Butcher stayed at the front, and out of trouble, to win the fifth and final PASS SLM heat. Alan Tardiff, Jake Johnson and cousins Ryan and Scott Robbins all transferred in to the feature. There were four cautions in the 20-lap heat.
— 2:19 p.m. — Derek Griffith made a move to the front to try and keep ahead of 2017 race winner Curtis Gerry for the win in heat No. 4. Ray Christian III, Trevor Sanborn and Brandon Barker all transfer in qualifying.
— 2:13 p.m. — Cassius Clark drives away to win heat No. 2. Johnny Clark, TJ Brackett, Adam Gray and Josh Childs are the top five that qualify for the feature.
— 2:07 p.m. — Eddie MacDonald hogged the top spot in heat No. 2. PASS North points leader DJ Shaw finished right behind in second. Mike Hopkins, Reid Lanpher and Craig Weinstein all transfer into the 250.
— 1:58 p.m. — Heat No. 1 is complete. Ryan Kuhn, Nick Sweet (a favorite?), Travis Benjamin (two-time winner), Bubba Pollard and Tim Brackett (multi-time track champ) are the five drivers to qualify in to the feature.
— 1:51: p.m. — The SLMs are on the track for heat races. Defending race winner Bubba Pollard is in heat No. 1, but will have to try and get through some traffic in the 20-lap qualifying race.
— 1:35 p.m. — On the track first for heat races is the North East Mini Stock Tour. After those heat races are done it will be time for Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models (a.k.a. the 250 cars)
— 1:20 p.m. — Travis Barrett of the Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel is locked in to all the details for today’s Oxford 250. Below are the starting lineups for the five Super Late Model heat races. The top five get into the 250, the rest move on to one of two consolation races.
Heat race lineups for today’s #Oxford250. NH’s Jeremy Davis draws pole for first heat. @PASSSLM14 pic.twitter.com/Na4rhnXA77
— Travis Barrett (@TBarrettGWC) August 25, 2019
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