Mike Rowe geared up, and other takeaways from Oxford 250 Media Day
Three-time Oxford 250 champion Mike Rowe of Turner gives an interview during the race’s media day Wednesday at Oxford Plains Speedway. (Anna Chadwick/Staff Photographer) Purchase this image
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OXFORD — The biggest auto racing week in Maine has arrived.
Oxford 250 week kicked off with the annual media day Wednesday at Oxford Plains Speedway. Several of the top drivers from the Pro All Star Series North were on hand, including three-time 250 champion and Maine racing legend Mike Rowe.
Here are five takeaways looking ahead to the race’s 53rd edition.
New Hampshire natives
In an Oxford 250 racing field dominated by Mainers, Jimmy Renfrew Jr., Kyle Salemi, Gabe Brown and DJ Shaw are holding things down on the New Hampshire front.
“Obviously, this is the biggest race in New England, so I think that at the end of the day, everybody, not just Maine drivers or New Hampshire drivers — people come from Connecticut and Canada — everybody wants to win this race,” Renfrew said. “So it’s one of the crown jewel races in the country, like the Snowball Derby, Winchester 400, stuff like that.”
Renfrew is from Candia, New Hampshire, and Salemi is from Nashua, while Brown and Shaw are from Center Conway.
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“All of us are strong contenders, in my opinion, to take the checkered flag back to New Hampshire, so hopefully it goes to New Hampshire, but hopefully it goes to my house, and we’ll try to be the one to get it done this time and make everybody proud,” Shaw said.
Shaw won the Celebration of America 300 in July. He will look to replicate that result Sunday and secure his first Oxford 250 victory after his third consecutive third-place finish in 2025.
“Even (at the Celebration of America 300), we weren’t the best short-run car; the runs of that race fell perfectly for us,” Shaw said. “And had it been 10 laps shorter, it wasn’t a long enough race. So, need to fire off a little better, just be a little better overall on balance. And I feel like we’re close, we just need to hone in on those things and take the next step to be consistently at the front all day.”
Rowe ready to go
At 76 years old and with three Oxford 250 titles to his name, Rowe is as dialed in as ever for Sunday’s race.
“The crew’s doing a great job for me right now, and if they get the car right like they did last week, we’ve got as good a shot as anybody,” Rowe said.
Rowe placed 32nd in the Celebration of America 300 in July but won the Oxford 250 Qualifier on Aug. 15. This weekend, he’ll be racing alongside his son, two-time 250 champion Ben Rowe, who notched a top-10 finish in July’s race.
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“My son’s going to be in it, my grandson’s going to be racing Friday night, so there’s time for me to step aside and let them guys race and me watch them,” said Rowe, who won the Oxford 250 in 1984, 1997 and 2005.
Hall looks to point trajectory upward
From the outside looking in, Garrett Hall is having a successful season, ranking fifth in PASS North points (2,078). However, the 31-year-old from Scarborough is quick to point out that the season has been more of a roller coaster.
“It’s really hard to have one foot to stand on as to what the right thing or the wrong thing is to do,” Hall said. “We’ve really just had unfortunate luck all year long. Just unfortunate circumstances out of our control. Hopefully, we can make all the right moves this weekend and capitalize.”
While Hall is squarely in the PASS North title fight, he may be comparing his luck to last season’s success, which included a run from last to first to win the Celebration of America 300. He then placed 15th in the Oxford 250.
“(Auto racing) can be a lucky sport, but I also think you have to create your own luck,” Hall said. “This year hasn’t been horrible, but it also hasn’t been great. We’ve had finishes in fourth or fifth place, but it’s not where we are used to being. We just have to dig deep and put all our eggs in one basket this weekend.”
Robie confident after first PASS win
Windham’s Cole Robie, just 17, picked up his first PASS victory last week, edging Jimmy Renfrew Jr. to win the Riverside 150 in Groveton, New Hampshire.
“That first (win) is always a little bittersweet,” Robie said. “Once you get that, you know the feeling that you want in the car, and you know that feeling you need to get in the car every time you go.”
The win continues a strong season for Robie, who is fourth (2,082 points) in the PASS North standings. With a victory under his belt, his confidence heading into the Oxford 250 has grown significantly.
“Coming into this week, it probably would be hard to wrap my head around getting a 250 win without first getting a PASS win,” Robie said. “Now, getting a PASS win, I know I can go out and beat these guys, with the right timing and if everything goes my way.”
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Tagged: auto racing, oxford 250
Dave Dyer is in his second stint with the Kennebec Journal/Morning Sentinel. Dave was previously with the company from 2012-2015 and returned in late 2016. He spent most of 2016 doing freelance sports. More by Dave Dyer
Jimmy covers sports for the Sun Journal, primarily contributing to the Varsity Maine team. He is from Hagerstown, Maryland, and graduated from the University of Richmond in May of 2025 with a B.A. in journalism. More by Jimmy James
