Tough to get into a groove at Oxford

Friday, July 29, 2005

LOCAL AUTO RACING: Steve Craig

One year, it is a concern about tires and how they'll hold up. Another year the proper time to pit is the cause for tension.

This year the worriers among the TD Banknorth 250 contestants seem to be fixated on the outside groove at the three-eighths mile Oxford Plains Speedway. Or, more accurately stated, the lack of an outside groove.

"There's no outside groove there at all," said Bob Clark, crew chief for the No. 54 Clark Motorsports entry driven by his brother, Johnny Clark. "At the two PASS races there this year, it's all been bump-and-run to get by guys."

As local fans have heard, there were some demonstrative temper tantrums during and after the second race.

"That's 100 percent the reason why," said Bob Clark. "If there's not two grooves, there's not much you can do."

Not everyone agreed with Clark's assessment of the track being completely void of a second groove. None other than Mr. 149 wins at OPS, Mike Rowe, said there is an outer lane, "you just have to tiptoe around."

Rowe explained that rather than completing a pass on the outside in less than two laps, now it takes a more patient incremental approach.

Rowe also pointed out that since the bottom groove is the preferred path, it would be crowded.

"If you've got to pass some cars, you've got to run out there," on the high groove, he said.

For those looking for a sleeper pick to win the $25,000 prize on Sunday, OPS owner Bill Ryan pointed to Jeff Taylor, who lives in Norridgewock. Taylor has shown in recent weeks he can work the outside. An eight-time track champ, Taylor has never won the 250. He was second (to Dave Whitlock) in 1995 but has been less of a factor recently due primarily to his heavy demands as the owner and primary employee at Distance Racing, which provides chassis to many of the top drivers - including SP2 Motorsports which fields Rowe's car.

As was the case last year, two Nextel Cup regulars will be in the field. Matt Kenseth will be making a return engagement after going from last to third in the 2004 race won by Ben Rowe. He'll again be driving a car prepared by Whorff Motorsports. As was the case last year, Bill Whorff Jr., has had virtually no communication with Kenseth and doesn't expect to see or hear from him until Sunday morning.

Last year that seemed to bother Whorff a bit. This year, Whorff is not the least concerned. After all, his association with Kenseth, "reeled us in a good sponsor in AAA," Whorff said.

The other star attraction is Kyle Busch, a Nextel Cup rookie who has already posted five top-five and two other top-10 finishes in his inaugural season. His older brother, Kurt, was 13th in last year's 250, then won at New Hampshire International Speedway the next week before going on to win the Nextel Cup title.

Kyle is unlikely to duplicate that feat (he's 20th in Nextel Cup points) but he's already impressed Mike Rowe following a Tuesday test session at OPS.

"He's here to win this race. That's the only thing he's here for," Rowe said. "He's a heck of a shoe for a 20-year-old."

DIFFERENT PLACE, different type of race: There's another race happening in Maine this weekend that, like the 250, is well known on the national level. The difference is, very few Mainers have ever seen or even heard of the Maine Forest Rally.

Taking place today and Saturday, the Maine Forest Rally is the fifth of just eight stops on the Rally America National Rally Championship. The event will draw top teams from both the U.S. and Canada to gravel logging roads in the Bethel area.

World Rally champion Stig Blomquist is making a return engagement after winning the 1999 Maine Rally. Current North American champ Pat Richard is definitely a driver to beat, while former motocross champ and X-Games star Travis Pastrana is a rally rookie.

Today's racing will consist of four separate stage races, with five held on Saturday. Drivers and their co-drivers take their (mostly) foreign-made all-wheel machines over distances ranging from a half-mile to 13 miles per stage, starting incrementally.

The idea is to go as fast as possible - getting airborne is very likely - without hitting a barrier. The barriers are rocks and trees, rather than a concrete wall. For more information about the Maine Forest Rally, including schedule and spectator areas, go to www.maineforestrally.com.

Steve Craig covers local auto racing for the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram. He can be reached at:

stevenccraig@comcast.net

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