Top 50 Drivers in Oxford 250 History - No. 2-3

Every year since 1974, Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine has hosted the Oxford 250. The event has seen many different forms, cars, drivers and sanctioning bodies over the years, but it has also seen plenty of star power during that time.

In celebration of the 50th Annual Oxford 250 taking place on August 25-27, 2023, Racing America has assembled a ranking of the top 50 drivers in the history of the event. We will unveil them in installments leading up to the big weekend in August, where you can watch the Oxford 250 here on Racing America if you are unable to attend the golden anniversary event in person.

Top 50 Drivers in Oxford 250 History: 50-46 | 45-41 | 40-36 | 35-31 | 30-26 | 25-21 | 20-16 | 15-11 | 10-6 | 5-4

3 – Dave Dion

One of the most successful drivers from the Northeast, Dave Dion won the 1996 NASCAR Busch North Series championship. He is credited with 18 wins over the years in competition at Oxford Plains Speedway, including three victories in the Oxford 250.

His three Oxford 250 triumphs spanned three decades. The New Hampshire drivers won the second Oxford 250 in 1975 from the pole, finishing ahead of George Summers and L.D. Ottinger. A decade later, Dion won the 1985 Oxford 250 by leading just one lap – the final lap.

Dion’s third Oxford 250 win came in 1992, leading 155 laps and finishing ahead of Dale Shaw and Babe Branscombe. At the time, it made Dion the first three-time winner of the Oxford 250.

According to our friends at The Third Turn, Dave Dion’s 18 top-10 finishes in the Oxford 250 is five more than any other driver has in the event. 69.2 percent of Dion’s starts in the Oxford 250 ended with a top-10 finish … including his final appearance in 2006, when he finished seventh 31 years after that first win.

2 – Travis Benjamin

Another three-time winner in the Oxford 250, Travis Benjamin enjoyed a spell of three Oxford 250 victories in seven years during the 2010s. He is one of 68 drivers currently listed as entered for the 50th Oxford 250, where he’ll look to become the first four-time winner of the event.

Benjamin made sporadic appearances in the Oxford 250 between 1998 and 2006, with a best finish of fifth in 2006. Benjamin returned in 2013 and took the win, leading 86 laps. One year later, Benjamin became a back-to-back Oxford 250 winner after taking the top spot from Richie Dearborn with 24 laps to go.

Benjamin nearly scored a third win in four years in 2016, leading 159 laps but finishing second to Wayne Helliwell, Jr. after a late-race battle between the two for the win. A late charge allowed Benjamin to join the exclusive list of three-time winners in 2019, as he took the lead from Cassius Clark with 40 laps to go.

Benjamin has led 323 laps during his 12 Oxford 250 starts, finishing in the top 10 in exactly half of them. He’ll be trying to add to those numbers next week at Oxford Plains Speedway.

-Photo credit: Racing America