After 35 Years, NASCAR MOD Tour Comes Back to Oxford Plains in 2026

Key points

• The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (MOD Tour) will return to Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine, on Saturday, 2 May 2026, its first visit there in 35 years.
• Oxford Plains has branded the race as the All States Materials Group 150, with All States Materials Group serving as the title sponsor.
• The event is scheduled for a 2:45 p.m. start, with supporting practice, qualifying, and fan‑engagement activities throughout the day.
• NASCAR unveiled the 2026 Whelen Modified Tour schedule in October 2025, restoring Oxford Plains Speedway and Stafford Speedway to the calendar after long absences.
• The Modifieds had previously raced at Oxford Plains five times between the mid‑1980s and early 1990s, with their last appearance coming on a June 1991 date.
• Past Whelen Modified Tour winners at Oxford include NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans, former NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmy Spencer, and longtime NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor Mike McLaughlin, along with future Modified champion Jeff Fuller in the final 1991 outing.
• Oxford Plains Speedway President Tom Mayberry has publicly welcomed the return of the MOD Tour, calling it a “great show” fans will not want to miss.

Oxford(Oxford Daily)April 29,2026-Oxford, Maine, is preparing for a milestone weekend in regional motorsport history as the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (MOD Tour) returns to Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday, 2 May 2026, marking the first such visit in 35 years. The event, now branded as the All States Materials Group 150, is set to start at 2:45 p.m. and will feature a full afternoon of practice, qualifying, and in‑race fan activities at the Route 26 oval. Track officials and series organisers describe the return as part of a broader effort to revive classic Northeast short‑track venues on the MOD Tour calendar.

How did Oxford Plains land the MOD Tour date?

According to details released via the Oxford Plains Speedway website and social channels, the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour schedule was announced in Daytona Beach, Florida, on 23 October 2025 by NASCAR officials. That release confirmed Oxford Plains Speedway’s inclusion for 2 May 2026, alongside Stafford Speedway’s return and the season‑finale move back to Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.

An official statement from Oxford Plains Speedway’s public‑relations and scheduling channels noted that the 2026 racing calendar at the Naples, Maine‑based track would include 22 events, ranging from the Oxford 250, the Celebration of America 300, and the return of the MOD Tour to the historic half‑mile oval. Speedway staff presented the MOD Tour date as a key pillar of the season, designed to draw both local short‑track loyalists and wider NASCAR‑brand fans to the region.

What is the significance of a 35‑year absence?

The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour previously visited Oxford Plains Speedway five times between the mid‑1980s and early 1990s, with its last appearance recorded in June 1991. As reported by writers covering the 2026 comeback, those earlier events helped cement the track’s reputation as a destination for open‑wheeled Modifieds in the Northeast short‑track scene.

Among the names linked to victory at Oxford are NASCAR Hall of Famer Richie Evans, former Cup‑series driver Jimmy Spencer, long‑time NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Mike McLaughlin, and Jeff Fuller, who won the final MOD Tour race at Oxford in 1991 before later becoming a championship‑calibre driver himself. Highlighting this lineage, many coverage pieces on the 2026 return have framed the event as a “bridge” between the circuit’s traditional roots and its current touring‑series format.

Sponsorship, timing, and the day‑of programme

In April 2026, Oxford Plains Speedway announced that All States Materials Group (ASMG) had signed on as the primary partner for the MOD Tour date, with the race now titled the All States Materials Group 150. Track President Tom Mayberry said in an official release that the deal represented a “thrilled” partnership between the local materials company and the speedway, aimed at producing a high‑profile show that regional fans would “not want to miss.”

As detailed on the Oxford Plains Speedway website, the race‑day programme includes pits opening at 10:00 a.m. for NASCAR Modified teams, followed by rotating practice sessions for the local Oxford Championship Series (OCS) cars and two dedicated NASCAR Modified practice blocks from 1:30 p.m. to 3:10 p.m. The main event is slotted to start at 6:15 p.m., with qualifying pinned at 4:20 p.m. and a driver autograph session near the main entrance from 5:15 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Speedway officials have also encouraged advance ticket purchases, underscoring expectations of a strong gate for the historic return.

Why did NASCAR bring the MOD Tour back now?

Coverage from outlets reporting on the 2026 schedule, such as SpeedwayMedia.com, described the reinstatement of Oxford Plains and Stafford as part of a broader strategy to “blend tradition, competition, and fan-favourite venues” on the 16‑race MOD Tour slate. Writers on that publication noted that the move restores a track that had not hosted the series since 1991, while also balancing the calendar with newer dates and longer‑running events such as the Thompson‑based season‑finale.

Local social‑media posts and track‑run announcements by Oxford Plains Speedway emphasised that the Modified‑Tour return sits alongside other marquee 2026 dates, including the 53rd running of the Oxford 250 and the Celebration of America 300, positioning the venue as a multi‑weekend hub for Northeast short‑track and touring‑series racing. Commenting on the expanded calendar, track‑side sources have suggested that the inclusion of national‑brand touring‑series events aims to bolster regional sponsorship interest and attract drivers from outside the core Northeast Modified pool.

How are fans and stakeholders reacting?

Fan‑centric coverage on platforms such as Facebook’s Oxford Plains Speedway official page and independent motorsport blogs has highlighted enthusiasm for the MOD Tour’s return after 35 years, with some posts calling the 2026 date a “bucket‑list” outing for longtime attendees. Photographers and podcasters covering short‑track and NASCAR Modified racing, such as those featured on the Black Flagged Podcast and associated social channels, have noted that only a small segment of the modern fan base attended Oxford’s earlier MOD Tour visits, making the 2 May 2026 event a way to reintroduce the venue to a younger audience.

At the same time, series‑focused analyses of the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season on Wikipedia‑style overviews and race‑schedule summaries have framed the Oxford return as a nod to heritage, while also noting that the track’s inclusion coincides with a larger restructuring of the calendar, including changes to lap counts at other venues such as Riverhead Raceway. Observers in these pieces have suggested that exposing the modern MOD‑Tour generation to older‑style short‑tracks like Oxford could help preserve the series’ identity amid growing competition from other regional and national touring formats.

Background of the development

The return of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to Oxford Plains Speedway in 2026 is the latest chapter in a decades‑long relationship between the track and open‑wheeled Modified racing. Oxford Plains first hosted the predecessor to the Whelen Modified Tour in the mid‑1980s, as the series solidified its place in the Northeast short‑track landscape and helped launch or boost the careers of future NASCAR stars. Over the late 1980s and early 1990s, the track alternated between local feature events and occasional MOD‑Tour stops, with the June 1991 race won by Jeff Fuller marking the last official MOD‑Tour outing until the 2026 announcement.

During the years between 1991 and 2026, Oxford Plains concentrated on its core short‑track programme, including the Oxford 250 and other regional series, while the Whelen Modified Tour recalibrated its schedule around established Northeast venues such as Thompson, Stafford, and Riverhead. NASCAR’s October 2025 schedule release, carried by motorsport‑media outlets including SpeedwayMedia.com, signalled a deliberate shift toward rediscovering historic short‑track markets, with Oxford and Stafford highlighted as returning stops. The subsequent sponsorship deal with All States Materials Group gave the Oxford date both a commercial backing and a clear event branding, reinforcing the track’s role in the broader MOD‑Tour narrative.

For the local community around Oxford and Naples, Maine, the 2026 return also represents a potential economic and cultural boost, with track officials stressing the anticipated influx of visiting teams, sponsors, and fans over the race weekend. The speedway’s public‑relations materials have positioned the All States Materials Group 150 as a showcase of Northeast motorsport heritage, deliberately linking the upcoming May 2026 event to the legacy of earlier MOD‑Tour winners such as Richie Evans, Jimmy Spencer, Mike McLaughlin, and Jeff Fuller.

How could this development affect the particular audience

For short‑track fans in New England and the broader Northeast, the MOD Tour’s return to Oxford Plains Speedway in May 2026 offers a rare chance to see a national‑brand touring series compete at a historic half‑mile oval that many have only known through past‑era stories or archival footage. Regular attendees of the Oxford 250 and local OCS race nights may view the event as a way to experience Modified‑Tour‑level competition without leaving the regional short‑track ecosystem, potentially strengthening their attachment to the venue and to the broader NASCAR‑sanctioned short‑track scene.

For drivers and teams on the 2026 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the Oxford date introduces a new yet traditional challenge: a track that last hosted the series when many current racers were not yet born, yet one that carries the prestige associated with past champions like Richie Evans and Jeff Fuller. Performing well at Oxford could enhance a driver’s reputation among Northeast short‑track die‑hards and open doors to more regional sponsorship, while also testing their adaptability on a historic short‑track that differs in character from more modern venues on the schedule.

From a media and industry perspective, the Oxford return provides motorsport journalists and digital‑content creators with a ready‑made narrative: a “return after 35 years” hook that can attract both longtime fans and younger viewers who may not be familiar with the track’s modified‑tour history. For local outlets and track‑run social‑media channels, the All States Materials Group 150 offers a focal point for coverage, ticket‑promotion campaigns, and behind‑the‑scenes features on the drivers, teams, and community impact of the event. In sum, the 2026 Oxford Plains return could help reinforce the MOD Tour’s place in the regional sporting landscape while simultaneously deepening the bond between the series and its core Northeast audience.