By Lou Modestino
Forty-five days from today when the sound of racing engines and the smell of fresh paint and race fuel will fill the air. Saturday, April 12th is the date scheduled for the season opening PASS North season here at OPS. Ripley and Fletcher Ford of South Paris will be the headlining sponsor for the PASS Super Late Models, PASS Mods, PASS Sportsman and NELCAR Legends. 2pm is the scheduled post time. Rain date for the event is Sunday, April 13th. In event that the track is not ready to open due to wet grounds, Saturday, April 26th has been chosen as an alternate date. If all goes well with Mother Nature, Friday, April 11th from 11am-5pm has been chosen as a practice date for all divisions that race at Oxford.
Oxford Plains Speedway has something that any kind of race fan can enjoy in 2014. For people that like wild and entertaining events there are the $7,000 to win Colossal Carnage 150 Enduro, plus the five event Motor Mayham Series, and a Demolition Derby. If you like the super sleek, ultra fast PASS Super Late Model Series, the PASS Mods and the PASS Sportsman, they will be in competition three times including the season opening April 12th race, July 20th Oxford 250 and the season ending September 27th event.
Late Model lovers will enjoy the brand new PASS Northeast Late Model Series that will see three events hosted here at Oxford. The open wheel machines will be returning to OPS after several years’ absence as the ISMA Super Modifieds invade Oxford on Friday, June 20th for the Bentley Warren Classic. Also returning to OPS on Saturday, July 19th will be the NEMA Midgets and the NEMA Lites.
Don’t forget about the Oxford Championship Series that will be racing every Friday night from early May to September. This Series features the Pro Late Model division which is exploding with numbers and talent. It will be the veterans versus the young guns every week. Joining them will be the Street Stocks, Outlaws and Mini Cup cars. The Wednesday night Oxford Acceleration Series will feature the Outlaws, Runnin’ Rebels, Sport Trucks, Ladies and the return of the six cylinders in the Cruiser division. Last but not least we welcome Go-Kart racing back to OPS. There is something to wet everyone’s palate at Oxford Plains Speedway in 2014.
Our new PASS Tech team of Charlie and Jamie Rockwell are headed to Hawaii in April! Lucky Jamie won the all expense paid trip through a contest on the internet. Jamie can be found quite often surfing the net, and she came across a contest and entered it. Before long she received a message stating that she had won a trip to Hawaii. Concerned about it being a scam, she waited patiently to hear more about it, and lo and behold it was on the up and up. Congrats you lucky people.
Everyone that is planning to race at Oxford in 2014 needs to register their racecar to secure their number. There will be no duplicates and if you arrive at the track with a number that someone has already registered, you will be required to change the number on your racer even if you have had that number forever. Don’t delay, and don’t be upset with us if your number gets taken. You snooze, you lose!
February 28, 2014 is the deadline for 2013 reserved seat, Oxford 250 ticket holders to reserve and guarantee that they will get the same seats for 2014 seats. After 2/28/14, anyone may purchase reserved seats on a first come, first serve basis. To reserve your Oxford 250 reserved seats contact June at the OPS office. Call 207-539-8865.
With the excitement of Speedweeks 2014 behind us, Riverside Speedway is about to embark on its 50th anniversary season. Staff members have worked hard on updating forms and rules for all divisions, sponsors are being signed up and things are starting to progress nicely.
A major change for the 2014 season will be the combination of the Angels and Street Stocks divisions. “We made their rules the same last season and let them race together by choice. Now it just makes sense to combine the two divisions and have a great field of cars,” remarks track promoter Dan Fournier.
Opening weekend will start May 24th with a car show, an open practice and tire day. The following day on Sunday, May 25th.
Jessey Mueller is ready to be a champion. The 19-year-old Modified stock car driver will enter the Spring Green season opener at Vermont’s Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday, May 4 with just one goal: Winning.
Mueller was rather matter-of-fact about his plans: “We’re going to try to win every race – that’s the only reason we show up,” he said.
After winning nine races last summer, including four in the Bond Auto Parts Modified division at Devil’s Bowl, Mueller and his family team have been working in the off-season to improve their program at their Olmstedville, NY home base.
On the competition side, Mueller has studied under NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour crew chief Phil Moran and was part of the team that won the “UNOH Battle at the Beach” event at Daytona International Speedway in February. On the sponsorship end, Mueller’s No. 19 cars will carry new backing from MacMillen Construction, Precision Auto, and Liquor & Wine Warehouse to join longtime sponsors Mueller & Sons Heavy Duty Towing and Freihofer’s distributors Eric and Sherry Laundry.
Often donning a 10-gallon hat with the nickname “The Warren County Cowboy,” Mueller is hopeful that his goal of winning races may also pay off with championships at Devil’s Bowl Speedway and Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY, along with NASCAR Whelen All-American Series honors.
“I’m pretty excited to go after the championships,” Mueller said. I’ve learned a lot about how to make the cars work, and I feel pretty fortunate to have some new sponsors this year. For me, winning at the short tracks is what I want to be doing, and it feels like the season can’t start soon enough.”
Mueller is part of a strong contingent of drivers gunning for the Devil’s Bowl title. Veterans Ron Proctor, Leon Gonyo, and Vince Quenneville, Jr., are expected to challenge defending champion Todd Stone, along with emerging stars Dave Snow and Cody Sargen.
The season opens on Sunday, May 4 at 1:30pm with the historic Spring Green event for the American-Canadian Tour Late Models and the Bond Auto Parts Modified, Renegade and Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock divisions of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, VT, four miles north of Exit 2 on U.S. Route 4.