NAPLES, ME (April 17) – For Maine race fans the wait is finally over as short track racing returns this weekend to Oxford Plains Speedway. Following a weekend off due to bad weather, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Super Late Models will make their first stop of the season in Maine on Sunday for the Honey Badger Bar & Grill 150. And if that’s not enough, a full slate of weekly racing at Oxford Plains Speedway will kick off on Saturday afternoon at 4 PM, featuring the Super Late Models
Memorable PASS North finishes at Oxford Plains are part of the track’s legend. In the 2016 Honey Badger Bar & Grill 150, three of the biggest names in PASS history battled three-wide late in the going to determine the victor. The all-time winningest driver in PASS, Ben Rowe, prevailed over six-time series champion, Johnny Clark, and the eventual 2016 champion, DJ Shaw, in one of the most exciting finishes Maine race fans have ever seen.
But, in 2018, it is a relatively new name that is taking not only New England race fans by storm, but short trackers around the country. Hudson, NH’s Derek Griffith started the PASS National Championship off by capturing a hard fought win in South Carolina at Dillon Motor Speedway. Griffith then followed it up with a dominant win in The Icebreaker at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway.
“We are really happy with how the season has started off so far,” says Griffith, driver of the LCM Motorsports #12 Chevrolet. “We already have as many wins as we did last year in PASS…hopefully we can keep up the momentum.”
As Griffith looks to join Cassius Clark and Ben Rowe as the only drivers to ever capture the PASS North title and PASS National Championship, another goal continues to be to win the 45th Annual Oxford 250. With a top prize of over $25,000 to win, winning the biggest single-day motorsports event in the world begins with a good run at Oxford Plains this weekend to start the season.
“The early races at Oxford are only going to help us as we get closer to the 250,” says Griffith. “We seem to be getting better and better every time we go there. We would definitely love to get a win at Oxford this year.”
That will not be easy though with a stacked field for Sunday afternoon’s Honey Badger Bar & Grill 150, including former Oxford 250 winners, Ben Rowe, Travis Benjamin, Curtis Gerry, Glen Luce, and Wayne Helliwell, Jr. Former PASS champions, Johnny Clark, Cassius Clark, and DJ Shaw are entered as well as top series runners like Dave Farrington, Jr., Tracy Gordon, Kelly Moore, and Garrett Hall. Among the drivers entered from Canada are New Brunswick’s Lonnie Sommerville and Nova Scotia’s Jarrett Butcher. Currently, nearly 30 drivers are entered with more expected this weekend.
All the action gets under way on Saturday at Oxford Plains Speedway with open practice for all competing divisions, followed by local division racing at 4 PM. On Sunday, racing is slated to begin at 2 PM for the PASS North Super Late Models, PASS Modifieds, and Street Stocks.
The Honey Badger Bar & Grill is located on the grounds of Oxford Plains Speedway will be open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday and Sunday.
PASS Super Late Model entry forms for Oxford Plains Speedway, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Star Speedway, Concord Speedway, Thunder Road International Speedbowl, Petty International Raceway, Speedway 95 and the 45th Annual Oxford 250 can be found at ProAllStarsSeries.com.
The Pro All Stars Series is recognized as North America’s premier sanctioning body for asphalt Super Late Models and boasts such marquee events as the legendary Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway and PASS South’s Easter Bunny 150 at the historic Hickory Motor Speedway, and in 2018, the Inaugural PASS Commonwealth Classic at Richmond Raceway. For technical information concerning all PASS divisions please send questions to passracing@roadrunner.com. For media or marketing questions, please contact Alan Dietz at 704-231-2039 or alandietzpass@live.com. And, don’t forget to “Like” the Pro All Stars Series on Facebook or follow us on Twitter @PASSSLM14 to keep up with breaking news as it happens
