OXFORD — Early Oxford 250 favorites typically fall into one of three categories.

They are either a former winner of the event, one of the top performing touring series drivers that summer, or they’re the hottest driver in weekly competition at Oxford Plains Speedway. Dave Farrington Jr. falls squarely into the latter category, and he knows it.

Not that he’s all that comfortable with it.

“I guess I’m probably not a fan favorite now,” the 27-year-old Jay driver said after winning Sunday’s Pro All Stars Series 150-lap race at Oxford Plains. “I keep winning.”

The victory, while just the first PASS win of Farrington’s career, marked his fourth straight win overall at the track. He’s won three straight 50-lap features in Oxford’s weekly Super Late Model division, on Aug. 1, Aug. 8 and Aug. 15. With plans to skip this Saturday’s 100-lap event — with a guaranteed starting spot for the winner in the 47th annual Oxford 250 on Aug. 30 — a fifth straight Oxford win would mark the biggest of Farrington’s career.

“Heck, four wins in one season — four wins in four weeks — I can’t complain about that,” Farrington said. “We’ve been so close with PASS so many times. Had so many second places. I’ve always been right there, but this one was meant to be.”

Farrington is no stranger to extra-distance races.

He never had a home track to speak of as a young driver, instead opting to compete in select touring series races and special events at short tracks across Maine. Still, even with so many longer races in competition with regional touring series, learning how to win those starts has been a learning process.

Prior to Sunday, Farrington boasted just one other touring series victory of any kind — a win in a Granite State Pro Stock Series race in 2016.

 

“You have to tell yourself this isn’t a 50-lap race,” said Farrington, whose only full season with PASS was in 2017. “Everybody talks about saving your stuff in longer races. I know (early leaders on Sunday Joey Doiron and Scott Robbins) were going hard early, and we’ve probably been in that same position ourselves leading races early. It just doesn’t pay to lead the race that early. It’s just a matter of easing into it, don’t ever spin the tires, and have something left for the end.”

Farrington had enough left over the final 50 laps Sunday to hold off six-time PASS champion Johnny Clark and former Oxford Plains winner Derek Griffith on a couple of late restarts.

“When I won three in a row (Saturday) night, I thought four is going to be tough.,” Farrington said. “Alan (Wilson) and Curtis (Gerry) really made it tough. I had to earn it. I knew I had to earn it (Sunday), too, but she stuck with me the whole time.

“We obviously found what we had to do to make it last 150 laps.”

He also found enough to discover something he doesn’t normally enjoy. The spotlight.

As one of the clear-cut favorites for the upcoming Oxford 250, it won’t be easy for Farrington. He’ll unquestionably carry the bullseye on his back that others with recent Oxford success — like Gerry, after he ripped off five straight PASS wins at Oxford Plains from 2017-2018 — have had to manage entering Oxford 250s as one of the cars everybody is measuring themselves against.

Farrington would rather nobody notice the bright orange No. 23 — at least until after the checkered flag has fallen.

“I think a lot of people are gunning for this orange car now, unfortunately. We can’t come in as the underdog anymore,” Farrington said.

“When the media wants to come talk, of course I’m going to give everybody time, but I can’t say too much. We just stay diligent, keep maintaining what we have, make sure nothing’s changing or moving, and everybody’s come together as a team. We’ve obviously found something.”

 

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Wyatt Alexander of Ellsworth won the debut of the Granite State Pro Stock Series at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Saturday, the first GSPSS win of Alexander’s career and his first victory of any kind at the Scarborough track. … Five-time and defending track champion Chris Thorne of Sidney won the 40-lap Late Model feature at Wiscasset Speedway last weekend. … PASS owner Tom Mayberry and ACT owner Cris Michaud have teamed up to promote a pair of events at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park in Thompson, Connecticut, later this season, including the World Series of Speedway Racing Oct. 9-11. Both events will include the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at a track that has not opened yet this season.

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