Victory Lane at TD Banknorth 250 is Wide Open this Weekend

By George Campbell

It’s Oxford 250 time again. I know it’s the TD Banknorth 250, and I will refer to it for the rest of this column, but for me growing up less than ten miles from Oxford Plains Speedway in the 1970’s & 80’s, this has always been the Oxford 250.

This race has had as much of a rich tradition and real racing excitement as ANY race it the country. I won’t rehash the history of this great event here, but I will say this was always the big event on my racing calendar since I have been a race fan.

I have had the great fortune to attend races at major speedways from Daytona to Las Vegas, from Charlotte to Watkins Glen and bullrings from Holland, NY to New Smyrna, FLA to all over the Northeast. Hundreds of races in all. But I have always said, this is the big one. This is the most exciting day in all of racing for me. From the early drawing of starting position in the heats to the last chance race to the last green flag lap, there is no better day of racing in the world.

I have been talking to race fans across the country that once they found I was from Maine, could be from my slight accent, they wanted to know about the 250. 

The names that entered this race are as impressive as any race track in the country. The list of winners is impressive, any the list of those that want to be on that short list is long. From one shot wonders to the best NASCAR has had to offer. The biggest names in the sport have tried their skill in this event. Some of the least known have also had their shot at fame. Ask  Ricky Craven what this race did for his career. Ask Mike Rowe and Dave Dion what their 250 wins meant to them.

There was a time in the 1990’s where this race seemed to have lost a little bit of the luster it once had. I thank the current track owner, Bill Ryan, for bringing back the glory to this crown jewel of short track racing. 

This years TD Banknorth 250 could produce a winner that makes his living in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. There are no less than four NEXTEL Cup drivers entered in this years event. Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, JJ Yeley and Ricky Craven