Bigger and better things were ahead for Roger Brown.

That’s what the Lancaster, N.H., native expected after last year’s victory in the T.D. Banknorth 250. The fact that Brown is back to defend that title is a testament that last year’s win had its benefits.

But not everything has gone according to plan.

By the end of last year, Brown’s racing team was dismantled. Brown wasn’t even sure he had have a ride this year. Then a phone call came in May that offered him the chance to drive for the Lux/Hicks team, filling in for three-time 250 champion Mike Rowe.

“Winning a race like that is something that helps you,” Brown said. “It’s supposed to propel your career and help you do what you’re doing. Winning that money pretty much ended my racing team, but in the end, I think it will definitely have benefited me. I’ve gained a ton of recognition for it. Now everybody I talk to, they hear my name and they’re like, ‘Didn’t you win that race?’ That’s pretty cool. You gain a lot of confidence as a driver when you can win a race like that.”

Brown edged Dale Verrill by less than a car length in last year’s 250. It was Brown’s first attempt in the race that he had watched and admired for years. Suddenly, Roger Brown became a household name for New England race fans.

“It’s been fun,” Brown said. “I got a lot of notoriety from it. People notice me a lot now.”

It got him noticed enough that when Mike Lux and Jerry Hicks went looking for a driver, Brown was their choice. It helped that Brown was available. After finishing fifth in the ACT points standings, his race team of family and friends disbanded.

“The car owner pretty much saw that we were in the red numbers,” Brown said. “So it was like, ‘It’s time to go.’ It’s tough because we had a real good deal going and had come a long ways with it. So, to have to give up on it, that was hard.”

The call from Lux came with Brown contemplating his future. With Rowe more focused on his PASS North team this year, Lux and Hicks were looking for another driver. Brown was an obvious choice.

“Mike Rowe couldn’t commit to running the schedule they wanted to run,” Brown said. “Last year, after Mike (missed the 250), that really hurt them guys. So, they wanted something guaranteed. I weren’t doing anything. So it worked out pretty good.”

Brown has traded in his No. 99 car for Rowe’s No. 24. The team sold off the two cars it had last year and built a new one.

The early results have been disappointing.

“The car hasn’t been what we thought it was going to be,” Brown said. “They built a new car. We thought it was going to be the gold, but it really hasn’t been. We’ve struggled with it. We’ve struggled a lot more than we thought we would.”

Brown says Dave Bath, the team’s crew chief, has worked hard trying to find the right setup and might even overhaul it and start from scratch.

“We’ve got a lot of practice time,” Brown said. “I think we’ll be OK. If we can get the car to respond and do what we want it to do, we’ll definitely have it. Doing what he wants to do, I feel pretty confident that he’ll fix it.”

Brown started 30th out of 44 cars last year but won’t have to sweat out the qualifying thanks to his winner’s provisional. That will allow him to focus on preparing the car, while staying out of trouble.

“We can concentrate on making the car comfortable and having it race good,” said Brown. “If we get a good draw, we’ll go out and race for the poll.”

Brown is not sure exactly what his future with Lux and Hicks may be. Much will depend on Mike Rowe’s plans. If Brown has a good day Sunday, who knows what might transpire? Brown knows that better than anybody.

“Mike is still their driver,” Brown said. “If he can commit to what they want to do next year, then he’ll probably be back in the car. I’ve got some stuff I’m working on for next year because I’d like to race full time instead of part time. I’ve got some stuff that looks pretty promising. So, hopefully, that can get me back running full-time in the tour.”