Joey Doiron celebrates July 3 after winning the Celebration of America 300 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford. Doiron placed second to Cole Butcher at last year’s Oxford 250. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

OXFORD — To look at this year’s field of the Oxford 250 is to almost look at the history of the event itself.

The 51st edition of Maine’s biggest auto race – which takes place Sunday at Oxford Plains Speedway – is littered with former champions, including 74-year-old Mike Rowe, the only driver to win the 250 in three decades (1984, 1997 and 2005), and his son, two-time winner Ben Rowe (2003, 2004).

Other former champs who are entered this year include Cassius Clark (2021), Johnny Clark (2020), Bubba Pollard (2018), Eddie MacDonald (2009, 2010) and Scott Robbins (2002).

Cole Butcher, the winner of the two most recent Oxford 250s, won’t be competing Sunday because of a suspension for aggressive driving, which opens the door for a past champion to add another title, or for a first-time winner.

Among the favorites to win a first 250 are Berwick’s Joey Doiron, the runner-up last year, and D.J. Shaw, who placed third.

“There’s a lot of talent here, a lot of good, competitive cars,” said Shaw, who is from Center Conway, New Hampshire. “You never know how the race is going to play out until we’re halfway (through it), really.”

Doiron already has one big victory at Oxford Plains Speedway this year, the $40,000 Celebration of America 300 on July 3.

“This is my favorite race every year,” Doiron said of the 250. “We’ve been close so many times. We haven’t raced the car that we won the (Celebration of America) 300 at Oxford with since then. We’ve been really good this year. It would be pretty unreal to win the three biggest races (in Oxford) in one year.”

Doiron also won the Stearns & Daughters LLC 150 at Oxford Plains on June 16.

“At the same time,” he continued, “I know how the Oxford 250 works, and having a good car doesn’t necessarily mean you’re going to win the race. All you can do is be the most prepared you can be for it and put yourself in position after the pit stop.”

Shaw is the current points leader (2,209) in the Pro All Star Series standings, followed by Johnny Clark (2,056) of Farmingdale and Dennis Spencer Jr. (1,951) of Oxford. The 250 is a PASS race, but drivers say that having points on the line will have no bearing on their race strategy.

“It doesn’t even cross your mind that it’s a points race,” Clark said. “For a 250, it’s a longer race, but it’s one of the hardest races you drive. No one is thinking about the points, everyone is just thinking of the finish line. Hopefully, we find ourselves in contention. We just have to be there by the end.”

At 250 laps, Sunday’s race is longer than a typical PASS or Oxford Plains Speedway Super Late Model championship series race. However, the Celebration of America 300 gave drivers practice at running a long race at Oxford Plains.

“Just making it through the race clean and run the race clean (is key),” said New Hampshire driver Derek Griffith, who was the runner-up to Doiron at the Celebration of America 300. “Anyone has a chance to win this thing at the end. We’ve seen some very chaotic endings in years past.

“There are so many factors that go into winning a 250. I’d love to put my name on the list. I’ve been close, but I’m pumped.”

The entry list includes Norway 20-year-old Kate Re, the only woman to ever earn a starting spot in the 250 through qualifying, which she first achieved back in 2020. She’s had a few podium finishes at Oxford Plains this season.

Trevor Sanborn leads Joe Pastore early in the Celebration of America 300 at Oxford Plains Speedway on July 3. Sanborn has four victories at OPS this year. Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal

The hottest driver at OPS in 2024 has been Trevor Sanborn of Cornish, who has won four times at the track. He also won an Oxford 250 qualifier in Caribou last month, meaning he has clinched at least a provisional spot in Sunday’s race.

There was another qualifier at Oxford Plains on Aug. 10 that guaranteed a provisional berth to the highest finisher who does not get into the main event through Sunday qualifying. Gray’s Austin Teras won that qualifier, Nick Cusack of Scarborough was second and Re came in third.

Pollard, who debuted in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on March 30 at the ToyotaCare 250 at Richmond Raceway in Virginia, is considered one of the drivers to beat.

“We always enjoy coming up here, it’s always a lot of fun,” said Pollard, who won his first Oxford 250 attempt in 2018. “I like the format. I like to race these guys on this racetrack. It’s one that we always enjoy coming to.

“(The track) is tough to get around,” Pollard continued. “(The surface) changes throughout the weekend, you just have to stay on top of it with tires. … I’ve got a lot of respect for the guys up here. They’re racers, and that’s what I like, it’s one of the reasons I like to come up here. They work on their own cars, and I’ve got a lot of respect for everyone, like (Shaw) and Johnny Clark, Mike Rowe, Ben (Rowe), just everybody. They’re good to be around and cool to race with.”

Butcher would have been one of the favorites, and a victory Sunday would have made him only the second driver, along with Ralph Nason (1998-2000), to win three consecutive Oxford 250s.

Cole Butcher passes Joey Doiron on Lap 224 of last year’s Oxford 250 on Sunday at Oxford Plains Speedway. Butcher held on for his second straight 250 win but isn’t eligible for this year’s race. Brewster Burns photo

Instead, it’s currently unknown whether Butcher will ever race in another 250. The Nova Scotia driver was banned by PASS, which is run by Oxford Plains Speedway owner Tom Mayberry, in March because of what was deemed an overly aggressive driving style. Butcher is also recovering from surgery for atrial fibrillation – an irregular heartbeat.

Both of Butcher’s Oxford 250 victories caused controversy, so some drivers are glad he’s has been banned. Others, though, wish they were able to compete against him.

“It sucks, I think,” Doiron said last week. “You want to beat the best guys, and he’s one of the best ones at Oxford. … It would have been a pretty cool story for him to go for three in a row like (Nason). He won’t be able to do that, unfortunately.”