OXFORD — The largest crowd so far of the 2011 season came to Oxford Dragway Friday night. They were there to witness the return after an absence of more than a decade, of a pair of the “Kings of the Sport” in what was to be a best-of-three match race.

However, thanks in part to Hurricane Irene, only one car could make the program. The legendary Jimmy King, and the King and Marshall Top Fuel Dragster, made two valiant attempts to make full throttle passes down Maine’s premiere drag strip.

Although the car was making in excess of 2,000 horsepower, driver Ray Helger, from Little Compton, R.I., discovered that the clutch assembly in the car was malfunctioning, and on both passes, the car launched into huge wheel stands right off the starting line. Even though the performance was not what everyone was hoping for, the sheer ferocity of the car, created a spectacle that the crowd will not soon forget.

Meanwhile, Ray’s son, Corey Helger brought his wicked alcohol burning 1923 T Altered Dragster to fill in for the missing fueler, and amazed everyone with 800-foot burnouts and four-second elapsed time passes on the 1/8-mile layout.

In other racing action, Matt Gagnon of Poland took the win in the Sleds/Bikes Class. Pontiacs dominated all of the car categories as Ron Childs of Lewiston won the Nostalgia category in his Pontiac Sunbird. Then in the Uncle Henry’s Street and ProStreet Eliminators, Dan Poirier of Minot (Firebird) and Jim Turner of Litchfield (GTO) won their respective classes.