Oxford 250 just weeks away

We're less than six weeks to the running of the 34th annual Oxford 250, but I heard one person refer to the running of this year's race as the first of a new era.

For those of you living under a rock, it's because Late Models will run the race this year, not their Super Late Model (or Pro Stock) cousins.

I've already covered three "big" late Model races this year -- the New England Dodge Dealers 150, the Coastal 200 and the L-A Harley-Davidson 100 -- and I've come away with a few generalities about Late Model racing. It's important to note that the winners of all three of those races started up front.

1) NOT ENOUGH CAR: I never feel like any of the drivers in a 36-car starting field has more car than he/she can handle. So little power, so little test of man...

2) GUARANTEED FOR LIFE: Equipment doesn't seem to wear out after 100, 150 or even 200 laps. To wit: D.J. Shaw and Mike Rowe were the class of the field in Wiscasset's Coastal 200 -- in the heats, in the first segment and over the closing laps. Narrow tires aren't tested by crate engines, and guys have a tough time chasing people down over the long haul. The cars can be driven so deep into the turns, they seem to correct over-driving.

3) WEEKLY CROWD: I still agree with track owners and promoters that the Late Models are the way to go for a weekly program, as opposed to Super Late Models. They cost less for everyone and can put on a wicked 30- or 40-lap weekly show.

Still, last weekend's L-A Harley-Davidson 100 was a great race -- for any division. Shaw and Rowe, Eddie MacDonald and Brian Hoar, Jean Paul Cyr and a number of strong Oxford regulars. Maybe the 37 cars was a disappointment in number, but it was solid in terms of depth. The race itself featured challenges for spots througout the field (except for P1 and P2), and another 50 laps for that show would have made it a real winner.

There's hope for the Oxford 250 -- necessary pit stops for fuel will dictate that whoever wins will have to pass cars to do it. Of course, anytime a race pays the winner 50 grand, the competition will be wratcheted up. I have no doubts about that.