11:05 p.m. – Other drivers to repeat as Oxford 250 champions: Geoff Bodine (1980, ’81), Ralph Nason (’98, ’99, ’00), Ben Rowe (’03, ’04), Eddie MacDonald (’09, ’10) and Travis Benjamin (’13, ’14).

10:37 p.m. – Cole Butcher wins second straight Oxford 250. He’s the sixth driver to repeat.

10:32 p.m. – Five drivers have gone back-t0-back in the Oxford 250. If Cole Butcher holds on for 13 more laps, he’ll be the sixth.

10:30 p.m. – Cole Butcher has put some distance between himself and Joey Doiron.

10:18 p.m. – Yet another caution onlap 212. Doiron in lead. Butcher up to second, then DJ Shaw. Johnny Clark falls to fourth and Cookson is fifth.

10:14 p.m. – Doiron, Johnny Clark, Butcher, DJ Shaw and Cookson are the top five. Another caution on lap 208.

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10:03 – Caution lap 201. Doiron, Johnny Clark, Cookson, DJ Shaw and Cole Butcher are the top five.

10:02 – Max Cookson back up to third.

9:59 – Johnny Clark in second. He and Joey Doiron are pulling away.

9:56 – Barker pits. Lead goes to Joey Doiron, who got the final provisional, takes lead with 67 laps remaining.

9:54 – Curtis Gerry involved in an incident. That pushes him even farther back. Another caution on 183. Third caution in three laps after a long stretch of green racing.

9:52 – Joey Doiron up to second after starting last. Ben Rowe is third.

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9:51 – Brandon Barker’s No. 88 car in first after mass pit.

9:48 – Gerry and Renfew will lose their spots because they the first pit.

9:46 – Now Gerry and Renfrew pit.

9:45 – Curtis Gerry decides to not pit. Just about everyone else is.

9:43 – Caution on 180th lap. Will leaders finally pit?

9:42 – Pole winner Jimmy Renfrew up to second. Cookson back to fourth. Renfrew has fought back from the early incident.

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9:39 – TJ Brackett passes Cookson for second place. Good run today by Brackett.

9:36 – Curtis Gerry has pulled away from Max Cookson. Neither has pitted.

9:32 – Curtis Gerry overtakes Max Cookson on 140th lap. TJ Brackett in third.

9:28 – Halfway through race, Cookson holding onto lead. Gerry second, then Ben Rowe, TJ Brackett and Dillon Moltz.

9:25 – Cookson, probably realizing that Gerry is on a tear, makes a aggressive move to lap Mike Rowe. It worked.

9:24 – Gerry now up to second. Cookson still first, now battling lapped traffic (again).

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9:22 – Curtis Gerry up to fourth.

9:20 – Cookson leads on 100th lap, followed by Farrington and Ben Rowe.

9:16 – Last-chance qualifier Curtis Gerry has worked his way into the top 10.

9:10 – Crash on lap 81 affects several cars.

9:08 – Still on 76th lap caution. Ben Rowe fourth, Mike Hopkins fifth, DJ Shaw sixth, Garrett Lamb seventh. Then Nick Cusack, Brandon Barker, Gabe Brown in 10th.

9:04 – Caution on lap 76. Cookson leads, then Dave Farrington and TJ Brackett. The Cookson-Farrington-Brackett trio has controlled the top three for a while.

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9:02 – Cookson still in 1st after 70 laps.

8:57 – Cookson leads, Dave Farrington Jr. second and TJ Brackett is third. Ben Rowe has worked his way up to fourth. Mike Hopkins fifth.

8:54 – Caution on 61st lap after a skirmish involving Mike Rowe and Jeff Taylor.

8:53 – Cookson trying to lap his other car, which is being driven by 2018 champion Bubba Pollard.

8:51 – After 50 laps, Cookson leads, Farrington second and TJ Brackett third.

8:49 – The leaders are already going through lapped traffic.

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8:47 – TJ Brackett moves past Hopkins into third.  Cookson still leads and Farrington is second.

8:43 – Cookson takes lead on lap 22.

8:40 – Johnny Clark pits during caution. So does Joe Pastore.

8:38 – Mike Rowe spins on lap 15. Garrett Hall spins at about the same spot on the next lap, bring out the caution. Mike Hopkins still in the lead. Cookson second, then Dave Farrington third.

8:35 – Max Cookson is in third. The race has restarted.

8:33 – Contact between Renfrew and Butcher on lap 7. Butcher gets sent to the back. Mike Hopkins takes over lead. Mike Rowe in second.

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8:30 – And they’re off. Jimmy Renfrew has led teh first four laps. Defending champ Cole Butcher is right behind.

8:23 – The cars are taking laps around the track.

8:16 p.m. – The 50th Oxford 250 is about to start. Have consistent internet for the first time all day. Hopefully it holds up.

8:06 – Drivers are being introduced. Race should start soon. Jimmy Renfrew Jr. will start on the pole.

Cars line up for the start of the Oxford 250 after a nearly two-hour delay due to rain. Lee Horton/Sun Journal

8:01 – Three-time Oxford 250 champion Dave Dion was at the track today. Read Wil Kramlich’s story about Dion, who is serving as grand marshal:

Related

Oxford 250: Three-time winner Dave Dion returns as race’s grand marshal

7:49 p.m. – The cars are lining up! The race should be starting soon.

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Rain falls at the Oxford Plains Speedway during the festivities of the 50th running of the Oxford 250. Wil Kramlich/Sun Journal

6:50 – The rain has stopped, but the track is still wet.

6:36 – Some reading to pass the time:

Related

The top 10 heartbreaks in Oxford 250 history

Related

The top 10 drivers in Oxford 250 history

6:13 p.m. – Rain falling. The Oxford 250 will be delayed for an unknown amount of time.

Curtis Gerry won the final spot in the feature race by being Joey Doiron in the last-chance qualifier, which also is called the Hooligan Race. Kind of a fun name.

 

4:36 – Jeff Taylor opens up large lead in final consolation heat.

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4:34 – Correction: top four qualify.
4:19 – Ryan Moore takes a big lead in first consi before first caution brings the field back together.
4:17 – The consolation races have started. Top three advance.

Related

Complete Oxford 250 coverage

2:47 – Read more about Austin Theriault coming out of retirement to race in this year’s Oxford 250: https://stage.sunjournal.com/2023/08/22/oxford-250-austin-theriault-returning-teaming-up-with-travis-mills-foundation/


2:28 – Joey Doiron’s car doesn’t pass inspection after qualifying, which moves 2020 champion Johnny Clark into the field.

2:26 – Max Cookson wins final qualifying heat.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CwdTwpIsIwF/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==


2:04 – Internet problems. Two qualifying heats done. Five from each heat qualify.

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1:08 p.m. – Five heats. Ten drivers per heat.

12:47 p.m. – Turner’s Mike Rowe, a three-time Oxford 250 champion, will start on the poll in the fourth heat.

12:39 – The draw is ongoing. Jimmy Renfrew Jr. picked the No. 1 pill.

*******

Here we are, the day of the 50th running of the Oxford 250.

Can’t make it to Oxford Plains Speedway? We’ve got you covered. Check back about 1 p.m. when the action gets started.

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In the meantime, check out our coverage from the past weeks. Among the things you’ll find there:

• The top 10 drivers and top 10 heartbreaking finishes of the Oxford 250’s first five decades.

• Kalle Oakes’ annual prediction, as well as his and Sun Journal assistant sports editor Wil Kramlich’s favorite Oxford 250s of all-time.

• An education on the history of one of the nation’s most prestigious short-track races through a decade-by-decade series of recaps of the first 49 races.

• A story about Oxford Plains Speedway’s current owner Tom Mayberry’s longtime connection to the 250, as well as a look at this year’s sponsor, Dennis Spencer Jr., who is still chasing his Oxford 250 dreams.

• Young drivers such as Kate Re, Gabe Brown and Austin Teras are looking to be part of the race’s storied history. Maybe they’ll compete like a young Austin Theriault did a decade ago. Speaking of Theriault, who is still a young one, he is coming out of retirement to run the 50th 250 to try to finally win as well as help a good cause.

• Photos. And more photos.

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