Oxford, ME — On a busy Saturday prelude to Sunday’s 50th annual Oxford 250, the American-Canadian Tour invaded the iconic Oxford Plains Speedway with thirty-eight teams from across New England and Quebec, Canada. Each looking for glory as part of one of the Northeast’s premier stock car racing weekends, the pressure was on for everyone to perform with only one able to claim the memorable win.

Four heat race qualifiers set the 38-car field for the Oxford 125 with Quebec’s Alexendre Tardif, New Hampshire’s Ryan Olsen and Jeffrey Labrecque Jr. and Vermont’s Jaden Perry taking the qualifying wins. By virtue of his +5 earned in heat one, Tardif would lead the field to green with Connecticut’s Anthony Bellow to his outside in the Modified-standout’s first try behind the wheel of an ACT Late Model.

Tardif took charge early with a rear-view mirror full of top rookie Andrew Molleur at the onset. A hard-charging Derek Gluchacki also made the quick jump to third by lap 10 after starting in 11th. While the North Dartmouth, Massachusetts powerhouse settled in to stalk Tardif he would eventually take over the lead on lap 41 before the first caution was brough out the next lap for a stalled Peyton Lanphear along the frontstretch.

A duel between Gluchacki and Gabe Brown brought the field back to green while a major wreck started off the bumper of Jimmy Renfrew Jr. and sent Brooks Clark around in turn three to restack the field once again. Under green flag conditions, Brown would nab the upper hand on lap 48 to lead over Gluchacki. Dave MacDonald called out the caution flag once once more on lap 75 with Brown again taking the restart lead.

Behind the leaders and desperate to make up lost ground, Renfrew took his 00NH R&R Race Parts Ford Mustang to the highside. Charging along the Angel’s Expressway, Renfrew took his rig four-wide around the Oxford oval in a bid to rejoin the top-10. Now with the pressure on from D.J. Shaw, Brown continued to hold his own out front until slowed on lap 110. A massive battle at the front saw Brown lead the restart while Tardif and Shaw ran nose-to-tail with him at the front, the three jumping inside and outside of each other for the lead. Two more cautions would rerack the three again and again before the final showdown with four to go.

With Tardif to his outside, Brown put the pedal down and charged his #60ME Dale Shaw throwback to his first career American-Canadian Tour checkers at the track that started it all for the Center Conway, New Hampshire young-gun just six-years ago. D.J. Shaw ran a smart race all the way to a second-place finish followed by a hard-charging and consistent Joey Polewarczyk to round out the podium. North Haverhill, New Hampshire’s Ryan Olsen took down his career-best finish of fourth followed by Derek Gluchacki in fifth.

Alexendre ‘Fireball’ Tardif came home sixth followed by Jimmy Renfrew Jr. and top rookie Andrew Molleur in seventh and eighth. Erick Sands brought home another strong top-10 at Oxford followed by Lee USA Speedway winner Brandon Barker in the Chad Sullivan machine.

The American-Canadian Tour concludes a three-in-a-row stretch next Sunday at the Home of the American-Canadian Tour, Barre, Vermont’s Thunder Road International Speedbowl. The 45th Labor Day Classic 200 presented by New England Federal Credit Union on Sunday, September 3rd sets the ACT Tour powerhouses against the tried and true Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model hot-shoes in a fight to the finish and join a cast of legends upon the Granite Monuments at the iconic institution. The full card of racing will also include the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, rk Miles Street Stocks and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors.

For more information, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @ACTTour.

Oxford Plains Speedway – Oxford, ME

Saturday, August 26, 2023

The Oxford 125

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

American-Canadian Tour Oxford 125 – (125 Laps)

1. 60ME Gabe Brown Center Conway, NH

2. 04VT D.J. Shaw Center Conway, NH

3. 97NH Joey Polewarczyk Hudson, NH

4. 61NH Ryan Olsen N. Haverhill, NH

5. 03MA Derek Gluchacki North Dartmouth, MA

6. 21QC Alexendre Tardif Notre Dame des Pins, QC

7. 00NH Jimmy Renfrew Jr. Candia, NH