OXFORD, Me. — A champion is out, and a former winner is in at Sunday’s TD Bank 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Seven-time American-Canadian Tour champion Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton has left the #22 Caron Motorsports team and will be replaced by former Oxford 250 winner Roger Brown of Lancaster, N.H.
Cyr ran the first six ACT Late Model Tour events for car owner Gary Caron, but has left the team after lackluster results. Brown, who scored a popular win in the 2007 Oxford 250, has been idle since the end of the 2008 season.
“Hell yeah, I’m back,” said Brown while en route to the Caron Motorsports garage in Shelburne on Thursday morning. “I’m going over the check the car out right now.”
Brown said he believes the agreement with the Caron team is for the TD Bank 250 only, but that there may be a possibility for more races in the future.
“I haven’t even talked to the Carons yet,” Brown said. “I got a call on Tuesday from (crew member) Keith Williams asking if I wanted to drive. I guess Jean wants to do something different.”
Cyr, whose best ACT finish this season was 13th in the Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road in May, says his departure from the Caron team was best for everyone involved.
“It wasn’t benefitting anyone by me staying there,” Cyr said. “Gary and his son Kyle and Keith Williams are great people. They put in a great effort and did a great service for me, but something just wasn’t working. There was something screwy with the old car we were using, and I believe they’re switching over to Kyle’s newer car.”
Cyr said he will purchase a new McColl Racing Enterprises chassis in Ontario and build his own team with the goal of racing full-time in 2011. He will also return to his most familiar number, 32.
“Whether right or wrong, something needed to change,” said Cyr. “I have no idea how well we’ll do. I had enough money to buy the car and that’s it. We’re starting over, so to speak. I’ll be at Beech Ridge (on July 24), but I won’t be at Twin State (on July 30). We’re basically just trying to build something so we’ll be ready for next year.”
Cyr said he appreciated the partnership with the Caron team, which was a race-to-race agreement.
“This was originally a two or three race deal to begin with, but we tried to keep going,” Cyr said. “It’s heartbreaking for me more than anything because Gary, Kyle, and Keith have been so damn good through it all. I had three other offers to drive different cars at the 250 this weekend, but I said if I’m not going to do it for the Carons then I’m not going to do it for anybody.”
Cyr won six of his seven ACT Late Model Tour championships and 18 of his 19 career series wins driving for his own team. His 2007 title came with Rick Paya’s RPM Motorsports, and his 2009 Thunder Road track championship came while driving for car owner Joey Laquerre.
In addition to his Oxford 250 victory, Brown owns a pair of ACT Late Model Tour victories, the last of which came at Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway in 2006. He was the 2003 ACT Rookie of the Year and finished in the top five in series point standings twice.
“I’m excited for it,” said Brown. “It should go okay. We have all kinds of practice time on Saturday and if we can’t figure the car out by Sunday, then we won’t ever figure it out I guess. I’m just happy to be back.”
PHOTOS:
1. Roger Brown in victory lane at the 2007 TD Bank Oxford 250. (JARRacing Photography photo)
