OXFORD, Maine — The Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour began day one of the first doubleheader weekend for the international touring series in some time at the famed Oxford Plains Speedway as part of the 52nd annual All That’s Metal Oxford 250 weekend.
Gabe Brown claimed the pole position with an incredible ‘+6’ earned in his qualifying heat race while Erick Sands, Cole Littlewood and Trevor Sanborn all started around the former Oxford Plains Speedway and defending Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour champion. Brown shot out front early with Erick Sands hot in his tire tracks around the infamous white cement curb that lines the corners of Oxford’s tricky oval.
A pair of early cautions plagued the opening laps, but played into Sands’ hands with the Derry, New Hampshire driver back out front where he likes. Sands would lead a handful of laps before giving way to Brown once again as the Center Conway driver seemed keen to show the way.
Trouble claimed Quebec Challenge Series leader Jeff Cote on lap 74, leaving him just thirty-five laps to try and climb back up through the field. Several late race spin cautions slowed the pace, this time Brown found himself surrounded by Derek Gluchacki and Jimmy Renfrew Jr. Brown, fighting hard with a broken left rear shock just after the halfway point, had all he could do to fend off the two front runners and a final caution with five laps remaining left it all on the line.
Gabe Brown never faltered, keeping his Bolt Depot Chevrolet ahead of Derek Gluchacki at the line with Renfrew keeping pace for third over Erick Sands and Trevor Sanborn. Jonathan Bouvrette had a fantastic day at Oxford on Friday with a sixth place finish with Jesse Switser in seventh, Jeremy Sorel taking eighth, rookie Colby Meserve stole ninth at his hometrack and William Larue rounding out the top ten.
With the win, Gabe Brown unofficially clasped the Quebec Challenge Series championship over Jeff Cote, Jesse Switser, Alexendre Tardif and Raphael Lessard.
