OXFORD, Maine — Move over Wayne Helliwell, Nick Sweet is the hottest driver in Late Model racing in the past month. And he’s coming to win the TD Bank 250.

Sweet has scored two consecutive victories at Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl, three in the last four races, and four wins overall. He has claimed the three big weekly races this season: the Memorial Day Classic, the Vermont Governor’s Cup, and the Mid-Season Championship. Sweet carries a near one race cushion in the Thunder Road point standings, and is tied atop the point standings with Dave Pembroke for the Vermont State Late Model Championship.

“Right now, the biggest thing is a lot of guys have their cars a little bit unbalanced,” Sweet explained. “You watch me get in other cars and I do the same exact thing. This car is just transferring weight perfect. I know we’ve worked with it a lot of years to finally get it to where we like it, and now we’re really good. Let’s just carry this momentum and keep going.”

The Barre, Vt., hotshoe finished second in last year’s TD Bank 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway to NASCAR star Kyle Busch. The 27-year-old racer had mixed feelings about his runner-up performance last year.

“We had a great car today, but I think I got outdriven at the end of the race,” Sweet said after last year’s TD Bank 250. “That restart, I don’t think I’ll make that mistake again. [Busch] definitely taught me something today. It’s one of those deals. It’s driving me nuts right now, but if I’m going to lose to someone I guess it might as well be Kyle Busch.”

“I just hate losing.”

The wave of momentum Sweet is riding into this year’s TD Bank 250 may be insurmountable for other drivers to overcome. Sweet credits his recent success to his new job: the head mechanic for Mad Dog Motorsports, which is owned by fellow racer Eric Chase.

“Working on them full-time, I really believe that helps broaden my shoulders,” Sweet said. “I know exactly what I want when I go out there and they give me what I want. It makes it easier to drive when I get what I want. It’s like I’m a little spoiled brat.”

Sweet has a personal goal entering the TD Bank 250 with the momentum they have: win three feature races in a row.

“We’re carrying a lot of momentum going in,” Sweet said. “I want to make it three-in-a-row. That’s my dream come true right there. If I can do that, then I’ll be proud of myself. Not proud yet.”

“I believe right now, with the momentum, it’s like a snowball effect. You just keep working and working and working, and the guys I have behind me, there is no doubt in my mind that if I drive a good race and we get the car set, we’re going to win that 250.”

Would the humble Sweet really make that kind of bold of prediction?

“That’s why I said it. Watch out, we’re coming.”