May 17, 2026

Story courtesy of Racing America

It was a family feud on Saturday evening at Oxford Plains Speedway, as Max Rowe held off his grandfather, Mike Rowe, for the win in the Mid-Coast Excavation Super Late Models.

Max and Mike Rowe battled side-by-side in the closing laps of the 50-lap feature, with the younger Rowe holding on for his second career Oxford Championship Series Super Late Model win.

While the late-race battle was thrilling for fans and will certainly be a story the family will share for years to come, the last person Max Rowe wanted to see battling him for the win was the winningest driver in the history of Oxford Plains Speedway.

Still, he was up to the task, pulling away for the win by 1.2 seconds just before flashing under the checkered flag. He led all 50 laps of the contest, maintaining the pace

"That was definitely not what I wanted those last 10 laps," said Max Rowe in victory lane. "It stayed the same the whole race, it was great. I can't thank my team enough for all they do."

While Max Rowe topped the leaderboard the whole race, Mike Rowe drove from sixth up to second. When Mike Rowe moved into the second spot near the halfway mark on the race, Max Rowe's objective was simple.

"I better get going," said Max Rowe.

Mike Rowe didn't pull any punches in the battle with his grandson. However, he battled a loose handling race car in the closing laps and settled for second.

"He did a hell of a job to hold me off," said Mike Rowe. "I was giving everything I had. I want to thank everybody for coming out tonight. I hope you enjoyed that show.

"I would have if I could have. I got real loose there with three or four to go. I own this car. He did a hell of a job to hold me off, that was something else."

A regular at Oxford Plains Speedway, Tom Abele, Jr. finished fifth in Oxford Championship Series points one season ago, making the trip from Connecticut. After a battle of his own with Mike Rowe, Abele finished third in Saturday's contest.

"Four-hour ride every week," said Abele, Jr. "We did probably four or five runs this morning. Honestly, every run was getting better. We were on old tires, practicing, the car was just getting good all day long. We decided not to run a few rounds of practice, just scuff [tires] in the last round."

The next event for the Oxford Championship Series is scheduled for Saturday, May 23, with post time at 6 p.m. ET. Super Late Models, Limited Sportsmen, Street Stocks, Mad Bombers, Thunder Stocks, Runnin' Rebels and Rookies will all be in action.

June 20 Event to Feature 6,000-Plus Free Tickets Plus SLM Oxford 250 Qualifier

Naples, Maine — 5/13/2026 — Officials with Oxford Plains Speedway (OPS) and the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) announced today full details of the upcoming OPS Fan Appreciation Night scheduled for Saturday, June 20.  Since its initial unveiling, the event has grown even bigger, with more free tickets and a 125-lap SLM qualifier for the 53^rd Oxford 250.

Over 6,000 FREE general admission tickets will be available from over 40 sponsors who have partnered with the speedway in a unique sponsorship program made available to local businesses. A full list of participants will be posted at www.oxfordplains.com and www.proallstarsseries.com.

Headlining the card is a 125-lap points-paying event for the Mid-Coast Excavation Super Late Models, with $3,000 going to the winner and $550 to start.  Additionally, the “Kickoff to the Celebration of America” will be an Oxford 250 qualifier for the top-finishing driver in need of a provisional at the August 30 race. The entry form is now available on the OPS and PASS websites.

OPS has also released the full schedule of events for the late June spectacular, which will also feature the remaining six Oxford Championship Series weekly divisions as a part of a night that promises to be one of the biggest in 2026.

“We have been working on this event since late 2025,” said OPS President Tom Mayberry. “We are trying to pull out all the stops to make this a very special event for fans and competitors.”

Mayberry went on to note that pit admission will remain the normal weekly rate, and not the special event pricing.  Mayberry also noted that the purse structure for the Super Late Model event includes added start money to cover the entry fee and some fuel costs for the extra-distance race.

“We didn’t want our weekly competitors to have to pay more at the pit gate for this special event.  So, we decided it was best to keep the pit gate the same.  We also increased the normal start money to cover the entry fees and more for the SLM drivers,” said Mayberry.

In addition to more than 6,000 free admission tickets distributed by the fine partners of Oxford Plains Speedway, Fan Appreciation Night plans call for multiple food trucks, several types of giveaways, the T-shirt cannon, a fan meet-and-greet with an autograph session, special displays, food and drink specials, kid’s gifts, and the track mascot.

All of this will come on top of an amazing night of racing! The Mid-Coast Excavation Super Late Models have a special 125-lap event as part of a full card of Oxford Championship Series action, including the Dow Excavating Limited Sportsmen, Spaulding Roofing Specialist Street Stocks, Green Lawn Solutions Mad Bombers, KHM Thunder Stocks, 207 Flight School Runnin’ Rebels, and Aroma Joe’s Rookies.

Mayberry added that one of the biggest objectives is to give the partners involved something they can be proud to be a part of without a great deal of cost.  At the same time, the hope is some of these tickets will help expose new fans to some great racing at OPS. Partners chose from three different packages, all of which have at least 100 tickets to give away, to be a part of this historic night. 

Free tickets are being issued now to the following businesses for distribution: 207 Flight School, Russell & Sons Towing & Recovery, Creative Cleanouts by Josh, Spaulding Roofing Specialist, HawkEye Refrigeration, Gary’s Olde Town Tavern, Henry’s Concrete,he Belfast Variety, Just in Time Recreation, Rejuvenate Canna, Cannibis Haven/Smokers Haven Maine, Community Credit Union, Littlefield Excavation, K&K Property Maintenance, Kennebec Equipment Rental, and General Dynamics.

Also participating are Roy's All Steak Hamburgers, 32 Signs & Designs, USNE Power, Maine Metal Buildings, Maine Recreation, Troy Morse Trucking, Hanscom Plumbing and Heating, DT Asphalt, Call of the Wild, Cindy Dan Realtor Broker at Maine Real Estate Experts, Maine-ly Concrete Pumping, Imagine Concrete Masonry, Varsity Lettering, and Landshark Performance.

Additionally, WD Matthews Machinery Company, Lone Mountain Riverfront Campground, Bonang Concrete, Dale Shaw Racecars, PBNJ Yardworks, Sabre Yachts, Petit Motorsports, and the Got Matty! 64 Racing Team have signed up and will have free tickets. Finally, WOXO Country 92.7 and 100.7 FM will also be doing free ticket drawings for the two weeks leading up to the event as well as a live broadcast at the track on race day.

For more information and details on these programs, please contact Kevin Varney at 207-577-1836, email opsmarketing50@gmail.com, or inquire via social media.

Fan Appreciation Night is part of an action-packed 2026 season at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway. Other highlights of the 2026 calendar include the return of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour on June 6, the 53^rd Oxford 250 Weekend on August 28-30, and the Celebration of America 300 on July 1-2.

Oxford Plains Speedway weekly racing continues this Saturday, May 16 at 6:00pm. All seven OCS divisions will be in action as the track switches to its traditional Saturday night racing following two Sunday shows to open the season.

For more information on Oxford Plains Speedway, visit www.oxfordplains.com.

For more information on the Pro All Stars Series, visit www.proallstarsseries.com.

To take advantage of marketing opportunities with the Pro All Stars Series or Oxford Plains Speedway, or to purchase lap sponsorships for the 2026 Oxford 250, please call 207-577-1836 or inquire at OPSmarketing50@gmail.com.

For technical information concerning all PASS divisions, please contact passracing@roadrunner.com or call Jason Ricker at 704-881-4429.

Don't forget to "Like"  the Pro All Stars Series, OPS, NESS, and the PASS MODS Touring Series on Facebook: 

facebook.com/ProAllStarsSeries

facebook.com/p/Official-Page-of-Oxford-Plains-Speedway

https://www.facebook.com/NESupers

https://www.facebook.com/passmods

Photo by Oriana Lovell/O.L Photos

Brandon Barker returned to victory lane at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, scoring his first win at the track since 2022.

May 11, 2026

Story courtesy of Racing America

Brandon Barker returned to victory lane at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, scoring his first win at the track since 2022.

Barker moved from third to first in the opening laps of Sunday's Mid-Coast Excavation 50-lap feature and pulled away to the win, crossing the line ahead of Ryan Littlefield and Scott McDaniel.

The victory gives Landshark Performance back-to-back wins at Oxford Plains Speedway to start the Oxford Championship Series, as Brandon Varney won the season opener in April.

"The guys at Landshark know what they're doing," said Barker. "I can't thank them enough, Kyle, Eric, Mickey, Larry. They work hard on these things, and that's why it's sitting where it's sitting.

"Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers about that. We'll try again next week."

Littlefield led the first seven laps of Sunday's race before Barker moved into the top spot. From there, his focus switched to fending off defending track champion Scott McDaniel for the second spot.

"[Barker] was putting the pressure on me," Littlefield said. "I thought I could hold him off for a little while, and the car got really free. One thing led to another, he got underneath me, and he took the spot. It's just racing, you know, he had the better car at the end of the day.

"It was still fun to race, and I'm happy to hold off Scott. He was coming quick, I just had to my marks and stay steady so I can keep him off and he wouldn't get me."

McDaniel now has a pair of third-place finishes to start the 2026 season at Oxford Plains. He chased Mike Rowe for second in the season opener before finishing third behind Barker and Littlefield on Sunday.

"Third place is good," said McDaniel. "I think if I could have just gotten to the inside a little earlier, maybe I could have stayed with Brandon. Third place is still a good run."

Other winners on Sunday include Michael Harrison (Limited Sportsmen), Jimmy Childs (Street Stocks), Cole McIntire (Mad Bombers), Karson Hewins (Thunder Stocks), David Cook (Runnin' Rebels), and Jace Pastore (Rookies)

The Oxford Championship Series is back in action on Saturday, May 16. Post time is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET, with coverage on RacingAmerica.TV.

Photo by Oriana Lovell/O.L Photos