OXFORD – The line of cars crawling west toward Oxford Plains Speedway along Route 26 would have been long enough to circle the 3/8-mile oval more than three times – and that was at noon.

By 2 p.m., when the first qualifying race started, the line was more than two miles long. The parking lot adjacent to the track was packed, and homes and businesses along the road were offering parking for speedway patrons shut out of the main grounds.

In the lot itself, hundreds of cars sat side by side, many with the tailgates down as owners and friends gathered around, sharing racing stories, food and beverages. Hard-core fans packed the grandstands, pits and even the edges of the fences surrounding the track itself.

People crowded into the wooden seating area overlooking the front stretch, many dressed in multicolored racing attire that made the seats from the other side of the track look like a disjointed rainbow that had exploded and splattered in several different directions.

It was hot, though not as hot as in 2003, but hot, nonetheless. Some fans removed clothing and bought up concessions at a record pace to try to stay cool.

“It’s warm out here, but it’s a lot better than the last couple of days,” said Chris Roy of Lewiston. “Anyone that complains about heat on a day like this can go home, honestly. There are plenty of fans here that think this is perfect.”

But after all that, the question in many people’s minds still lingered. Why the Banknorth 250 rather than other similar races across the region and even the weekly ones at Oxford Plains Speedway?

“I think the biggest thing about this race is the fact that everyone has to qualify,” Roy said. “It’s not like a normal race, where it’s one race and you’re done. It makes it more interesting.”

Much of the added interest in this year’s race had to do with the addition of two current Nextel Cup drivers, Matt Kenseth and Kurt Busch. Kenseth is the reigning Nextel Cup champion, and Busch is one of the circuit’s top young drivers. Both of them had a lot of fans present Sunday.

“Kenseth is my driver,” said Joyce Richardson. “I would be here anyway, but it’s especially great because he’s here.”

Others who would have been there, no matter what, are the racing fans who take time from their schedules to show up at least once a week at the oval to show support for friends and family who race in the weekly series.

“I’m here two or three times a month at least,” Roy said. “Honestly, I don’t care that Kenseth and Busch are here. Don’t get me wrong, it’s great for the event and it was kind of neat to see them here, but I would have been here, regardless.”

Whatever their reasons, the fans, thousands of them, were at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday. A crowd of more than 14,000 people, the largest ever, watched as Ben Rowe circled the oval 250 times to win the annual race for the second year in a row.

Crowded? Sure.

But worth it?

“Oh, it’s definitely worth it,” Roy said. “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else today.”