OXFORD – When Ben Rowe’s hauler rolls into Oxford Plains Speedway for this Sunday’s Banknorth 250, it will be bringing a little bit of the magic that was 2003 for the 29-year-old Turner driver.

“We are bringing the same car as last year,” said Rowe. “Hopefully we can put it together in the same way.”

Rowe had a season most only could dream about last year. He won more than half of the Pro All-Star Series races (8) and finished in the top three in 13 of the 15 events as well as repeated as PASS Pro-Stock champion. On top of that, he claimed his first 250 win in what is billed as the premier short-track race in New England.

Despite his success on tracks throughout northern New England and maritime Canada, it was all sweeter with his victory at Oxford.

“I’ve been watching my dad in this race since I was a kid,” said Rowe. “To win this race is to beat the best drivers in the northeast.”

His 2003 victory eased the pain of a pair of second place finishes to Ralph Nason in 1999 and 2000. And it all but buried his infamous debut in 1996.

Rowe was on his way to winning the 250 in his first attempt when he ran out of gas in with less than three laps remaining in 1996. He learned the hard way from that just how prestigious the race is.

“No matter where I went, people knew what happened,” said Rowe.

But this is 2004 and times are different. He’s the defending champ.

He rolls into Oxford having what most would consider a successful season again in PASS racing. By most people’s standards anyway. After seven races, Rowe has a pair of wins and a pair of second place finishes. He is just 12 points behind the leader Johnny Clark.

“We aren’t having the year we had last year,” said Rowe. “We’ve won two and had a lot of top-fives, but that just shows you how good last year was.”

As he raced to victory last year, he said he remembered his father Mike Rowe’s advice: It was better to be the hunter than the hunted. Now he’s the hunted.

“I am going into this a lot calmer,” said Rowe. “There is a lot of pressure to win but it’s different.”

There was a general consensus from past winners that the feeling is mutual.

“Once you win it (the 250) you kind of relax a little more,” said 2001 Champion Gary Drew of Otisfield.

“It doesn’t bother me too much,” said father and two-time champion, Mike Rowe. It’s the draw that makes me nervous.”

Through all the notes of agreement, there was one of caution.

“We might have been a little too relaxed the next year,” said 2002 champion Scott Robbins. “Now that we lost one after we won one, maybe we will pay more attention to detail.”

It’s Banknorth 250 time again and this time Ben Rowe enters the fray on top. He will again get his wish to compete against some of the best drivers in the northeast. No wait, with Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch in the mix, make it some of the best drivers in the nation.

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