OXFORD — Mike Rowe, Ben Rowe, Travis Benjamin and Glen Luce have become synonymous with the Oxford 250 and Oxford Plains Speedway. They are names race fans know well.

Chances are that many fans have never heard of Seth Holbrook. Holbrook, though, has had a hand in six Oxford 250 victories, including last year when he served as crew chief for Glen Luce.

Holbrook, of Turner, is again Luce’s crew chief for the 43rd annual Oxford 250, which is expected to start around 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Qualifying begins at 1:30 p.m.

“He loves racing. He really loves it,” Ben Rowe said of Holbrook. “He pursued it down south, he worked his butt off and got in with the right bunch of people, and he learned. He’s like a sponge. He learned from all of those people and brought it back here.”

Holbrook has won the Oxford 250 three times as a crew chief. In addition to Luce’s victory, Holbrook was crew chief for Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch’s win in 2011 and Mike Rowe’s record-tying third victory in 2005.

Holbrook was in charge of Rowe’s tires when he won his second Oxford 250 in 1997. He also had a hand in Benjamin’s back-to-back victories in 2013 and 2014, building the shocks for the car that Benjamin maneuvered around the finicky contours of Oxford Plains.

“It’s like they always say, if you surround yourself with good people, good things will happen,” said Holbrook. “But this is our Daytona 500. If you’re in full-bodied racing in the northeast, this is your Daytona 500.”

“He’s like a son to me, he really is,” said Mike Rowe, who has 151 wins at OPS. “He’s really good. He did a lot for me in racing, and we won a lot of races together. He’s a top-notch person, and he’s good at what he does. He’s right at the top of the chart.”

Holbrook, 44, grew up cheering on Mike Rowe from the grandstands in the late 1970s, which he said are his earliest memories of racing. He started helping out at the race shop and in the pit area, and over the years made enough contacts to turn racing into his career. By the late 2000s, he was flying all across the country to work with super late model teams for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Ben Rowe only worked directly with Holbrook for one season, when the two ran the No. 48 out of the Mulkern Racing camp for car owners Scott and Vickie Mulkern of Falmouth in 2010. But the four-time Pro All Stars Series champion still turns to Holbrook whenever he’s stumped by something he sees on the racetrack.

And, he says, he’s not alone.

“He helps us directly or indirectly,” Rowe said. “If I have a question, he’s there to answer it. I bet he has a hand in two dozen cars here this weekend, one way or another, whether it’s a shock (he’s built) or just talking with people. He’s had success and people see that.”

“He’s on the go, and he’ll help anybody out,” Mike Rowe said. “He’ll do anything for anyone if they ask, and that means a lot.”

As much preparation as there is for every team when it comes to the Oxford 250 – Holbrook said the weeks leading into the race should be the busiest of the year for any team serious about winning it – there are myriad variables that must be accounted for. From the qualifying draw to the nearly 10 hours of practice time over the weekend to tire management, there are many things drivers and crew chiefs must wrestle with. Holbrook, though, believes the real racing begins after qualifying.

“The qualifying draw doesn’t mean anything any more,” Holbrook said. “I’ve won with all different pit strategies, all different scenarios. Mike started 38th (in 2005), Kyle started fourth, Glen started 22nd.

“It’s all about reading into what’s going to go on with the track from the day into the night. It’s trying to picture that. Oxford is always changing. It’s trying to get a read on what’s going to happen.”

Holbrook was asked to pick out his favorite 250 win.

“Glen’s win (last year) was the one that meant the most,” Holbrook said. “Glen wasn’t expected to win, our team wasn’t expected to win. You’re supposed to win here with Mike Rowe and Kyle Busch.”

Sunday night could make another memory for Holbrook.