OXFORD, Me. — Geoff Bodine. Ben Rowe. And now, Eddie MacDonald.

MacDonald joined a short and elite list on Sunday night at Oxford Plains Speedway as a back-to-back winner of the historic TD Bank Oxford 250. The Rowley, Mass., driver inherited the lead when Brad Leighton cut a tire on lap 203, then ran away to his second-straight win in the richest short track race in the country.

“A little luck was involved there. We were trying to save tires when Brad Leighton was leading, and he had an unbelievably fast car,” said MacDonald.

While MacDonald may have gotten lucky, he earned his place up front; Leighton led a total of 188 laps — to the tune of $100 per lap — but MacDonald was inside the top five for the entire distance and was hounding Leighton for the lead when the tire went flat.

“It seemed like we were catching [Leighton] at the end before he had his problem, but I’m sure the tire was going down,” MacDonald said. “It’s just fortunate that luck was on our side. He probably did alright with the lap bonus. People asked me if I wanted to lead all the laps and win the race, but I said that the most important one is the last one, and that’s the only one I cared about.”

MacDonald lead the final 48 laps and pocketed $29,800 in purse and lap money. MacDonald is now in the company of Bodine and Rowe, the only other drivers with back-to-back Oxford 250 wins since 1974. Bodine (1980-81) went to a successful NASCAR career that included a Daytona 500 victory, and Rowe (2003-04) is the defending Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model national champion. Only one driver, Ralph Nason, has won three consecutive Oxford 250s.

Brian Hoar of Williston, Vt., lead the first 12 laps from the pole position before giving way to Dave Pembroke, and then Center Harbor, N.H., driver Leighton one lap later. The field pitted during a caution on lap 140, allowing Hoar to lead one more lap, but again Leighton moved ahead on lap 141.

Having changed only one tire at the lap 140 stop, Hoar’s car fell slightly off the pace; he pitted a second time on lap 203 when Leighton had his problem, then stormed through the field to claim the runner-up position.

Oxford Plains Speedway regular Corey Morgan of Lewiston, Me., took a surprise third-place finish after a late battle with Brent Dragon. Morgan fell a lap behind the leaders early in the event, then made his lap up under the green flag. Dragon, of Milton, Vt., finished fourth, and Leighton recovered for fifth.

Nick Sweet was sixth, the first car one lap down. Sweet, of Barre, Vt., was running fifth when he broke a rear axle on the final lap and spun off the track. Patrick Laperle was seventh, followed by Don Wentworth, Pembroke, and Ricky Rolfe.

NASCAR Nationwide Series point leader Brad Keselowski of Rochester Hills, Mich., finished 22nd, two laps behind MacDonald.

The race was completed in just one hour and 41 minutes, and was slowed by only six cautions, including one for Sweet as the race ended. Seventy-nine drivers attempted to qualify for 39 starting spots.

UNOFFICIAL FINISH — TD Bank 250
Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, Me.

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (9) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass.
2. (1) Brian Hoar, Williston, Vt.
3. (27) Corey Morgan, Lewiston, Me.
4. (12) Brent Dragon, Milton, Vt.
5. (5) Brad Leighton, Center Harbor, N.H.
6. (23) Nick Sweet, Barre, Vt.
7. (32) Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, Que.
8. (7) Don Wentworth, Otisfield, Me.
9. (3) Dave Pembroke, Middlesex, Vt.
10. (30) Ricky Rolfe, Albany Twp., Me.
11. (21) Travis Stearns, Auburn, Me.
12. (19) Glen Luce, Turner, Me.
13. (17) Shawn Martin, Turner, Me.
14. (37) Dennis Spencer, Jr., Oxford, Me.
15. (11) Tim Brackett, Buckfield, Me.
16. (8) Scott Dragon, Colchester, Vt.
17. (2) Jay Laquerre, East Montpelier, Vt.
18. (14) Donnie Lashua, Canaan, N.H.
19. (18) Travis Adams, Canton, Me.
20. (28) Karl Allard, St-Felicien, Que.
21. (29) Tommy Ricker, Poland, Me.
22. (39) Brad Keselowski, Rochester Hills, Mich.
23. (35) Ben Rowe, Turner, Me.
24. (4) Shane Green, South Paris, Me.
25. (34) Eric Williams, Hyde Park, Vt.
26. (24) Ben Ashline, Pittston, Me.
27. (33) Scott Luce, Strong, Me.
28. (20) Brad Babb, Windham, Me.
29. (13) Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, N.H.
30. (15) Jeff Taylor, Farmington, Me.
31. (6) Jeff White, Winthrop, Me.
32. (26) Quinny Welch, Lancaster, N.H.
33. (16) T.J. Brackett, Buckfield, Me.
34. (22) Ryan Vanasse, Warwick, R.I.
35. (10) Cris Michaud, Northfield, Vt.
36. (38) Roger Brown, Lancaster, N.H.
37. (31) Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Dracut, Mass.
38. (25) Billy Childs, Jr., Leeds, Me.
39. (36) Dale Verrill, South Paris, Me.

PHOTOS:
1. Eddie MacDonald celebrates his second-straight TD Bank 250 victory at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday night. (Troy Germain/VMM photo)