OXFORD – Beverly Hills has Rodeo Drive, New Orleans has Bourbon Street, on Sunday, the garage area at Oxford Plains Speedway had Whorff Drive.

With father Bill Whorff, Jr., son Jeremie and someone from Mooresville, N.C. by the name of Matt Kenseth taking up prime real estate in the garage area of the Oxford track, it created a scene in the pits Sunday, the likes of which haven’t been seen in years.

“It’s pretty hectic at times,” said Dean Strout of Sabattus, a security guard from the Securitas Agency of Portland assigned to keep things in line by Kenseth’s stall. “Everyone has been great so far though. They are all here to have a good time.”

Garage protocol for the Banknorth 250 is pretty much first-come, first-serve. Many drivers return to the same patch of asphalt, cement, or dirt year after year. This year the Whorffs took matters into their own hands and created garage stalls on the main road through the pits. They donated the materials and the time to install concrete pads with a paved apron.

“Bill Jr., Jeremie, and myself came here last Sunday and put this in,” said Dave Ladd, a friend of the Whorff family. “We wanted a nice flat place to work. We were way down in the back last weekend and it just didn’t work.”

They sure did create a flat place to work, right in the middle of it all.

Whenever Kenseth was visible in his black and gold DeWalt racing suit, and sometimes even if he wasn’t there, people stood five deep outside the chained off stall. That’s right, chained off. The cars of the Whorff stable were the only ones that had security chains.

“It may not look it, but things have really been running smooth,” said Ladd. “Matt has come out to meet people a few times and other times we take things like hats and shirts back for him to sign.”

As many as 20 250 hopefuls were garaged on the other side of the Whorff camp. To get to and from the track, or the inspection area, cars capable of generating 700 horsepower and hitting speeds of 100 miles per hour were forced to negotiate what was the equivalent of downtown pedestrian traffic.

When Kenseth moved through the pits for the driver’s meeting and heat draw, he was followed by a large crowd. He patiently stopped to sign autographs while walking.

“It’s been congested,” said Robert Batchelor, another Securitas security guard from South Portland. “A lot of the fans are so focused on seeing Kenseth that they don’t pay attention to what is going on around them.”

Ladd playerd traffic cop for Bill Whorff, Jr as the No. 0 car came and went for practice. Others did the same for Jeremie, Kenseth, Scott Robbins, and Mike Maietta, Sr.

In the end, it was all about the fans and most got what they came for. A glimpse or photo with Matt Kenseth or Kurt Busch, or a signature on something.

Busch’s stall was deeper into the garage area where the road was much wider. The crowds looking for a peak of the driver of the No. 97 car had much less of an effect on the flow of traffic.

Mike Roe of Brockton, Mass., made the trip and was patiently waiting at the chain for Kenseth’s signature.

“I have met him before working on the crew for a Featherlite Modified team and I’ve shaken his hand before. I’m here partly because he’s here but also have had different things going on it recent years so I couldn’t make it. I used to come here many years ago.”

Roe owns a Pro Stock car that races at Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts.

For the security guards assigned to Whorff Drive, one was used to dealing with crowds, one wasn’t.

“This is the first time with something like this,” said Strout. “But the people have been great. I’ve seen a few interesting body parts get autographed but that’s about it.”

I work for campus security for Franklin Pierce College,” said Batchelor. “We have concerts and stuff so I am used to this.”

Both guards were offered the opportunity for the OPS assignment and both wanted be to there.

“I used to race go-carts as a kid,” said Batchelor. “I love the atmosphere.”

The pressure eased somewhat on the garage area as the green flag dropped for qualifying starting at 2 p.m. so Batchelor and Strout were assigned to other duties at the sold out event. From that point on the focus was on the track. But for a while, there was a little stretch of road in the Oxford Plains Speedway garage area, Whorff Drive, that was as busy as any in Maine.