Oxford 250: Young drivers up to snuff at Oxford Plains Speedway

OXFORD – Dave Farrington welcomes all young drivers to the sport as long as he is way out in front of them during a car race.

Farrington, 31, said there are plenty of talented young competitors, like 19-year-old Kate Re and 20-year-old Gabe Brown, who can come out on top in any race.

All three participated in Wednesday’s Oxford 250 media day at Turn 2 at Oxford Plains Speedway, and all three will be competing in an estimated field of 62 drivers at Sunday’s 50th annual Oxford 250.

Farrington said that he has seen more young people at various competitions, and added that it’s a good thing for racing.

“I was 16 when I started racing stock cars. I spent nine years in go-carts and was very successful in those,” Farrington, a Jay native who lives in Sabattus and is owner of D&B Racing in Lewiston. “First time jumping into a Super Late Model and there was a little debate that if it was a big step. It certainly was. But it took a year or two to get us involved in these kind of race cars, and then we stepped up, started knocking down doors to get some wins. We won our championship back in 2014 at Beech Ridge.

“But, yeah, I mean, younger drivers, you see a lot down South. Twelve-, 13-, 14-year-olds step in race cars and some of them will win it. So it is pretty impressive.”

Farrington is glad the youth movement continues, but he added with a smile, “As long as they are in my rearview mirror, not my windshield.”

NONE BUT THE BRAVE

Like Farrington and Brown, Re started out behind the wheel of a go-cart.

“Here we are,” Re, who is from Harrison, said. “After we picked up our first win a couple of weeks ago (at an OPS Saturday night race on July 30), I really feel a confidence boost going into the 250. I think we will have a good run this year.”

Re, who last year lent her car to Derek Griffith for the 250, takes her show on the road at other race tracks.

“I have the past couple of years,” she said. “I have been as far as Hickory, North Carolina … Connecticut, New Hampshire, places like that, but this year we strictly focus on racing here at home at Oxford, running Saturday nights.”

When she is not speeding the short oval, Re is doing what any racer does: working on her car in the garage.

“I love working on my car in the shop almost every night during the week,” she said. “It is a lot of fun getting my hands dirty during the week.

Re’s dad, Rick, was responsible for getting Kate hooked on tinkering and racing fast cars.

“He has really taught me to do it all, mostly on my own,” she said. “I graduated from Maine Connections Academy — an online high school — so I can focus more on racing. I am going to school for real estate.”

She likes the flexibility of the real estate field, but far as her racing career, she became the first female to race her way into the 250 through the qualifying heats in 2020, and she is the second female to win a Super Late Model feature at Oxford Plains Speedway.

Her father Rick said there is always a concern when she is behind the wheel, but that hasn’t stopped him from supporting his daughter’s aspirations.

“But the cars are safe. She has done this since she was 8 years old,” Rick said. “You can get hurt doing anything nowadays, playing football or soccer.”

Rick said that while auto racing is still dominated by males, it doesn’t matter who is behind the wheel.

“But once you put your helmet on, it is just like anybody else,” Rick said. “It doesn’t matter if male or female or what. I am very proud of what Kate has accomplished.”

Brown, a Conway, New Hampshire, native said he and Kate grew up together racing go-carts. He said she has always been impressive on the track.

“Her and her dad have put together a good team. I have raced with her since go-cart racing and I am pretty good friends with (them) and I am proud of what they have pulled off.”