Two-time TD Bank Oxford 250 champion Eddie MacDonald might be even tougher when he faces the same competition at bigger, faster New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

MacDonald won his heat race Friday and will start on the pole for today’s American-Canadian Tour All-Star Challenge in Loudon. N.H.

The driver from Rowley, Mass., passed 14 cars from his starting position in the second of three 20-lap qualifying races and won the pole by virtue of the resulting “plus/minus” seed.

He is no rookie at the Magic Mile. MacDonald won the 2009 ACT Invitational — one of two prior late model events at Loudon — as well as multiple K&N Pro Series East checkered flags.

“Experience really helps out here,” said MacDonald. “When you get to the lighter car you can drive it so much harder and you can get into the third groove. We have an advantage of having run a lot of laps here. It’s going to be a lot of fun.

MacDonald won Oxford’s big race in 2009 and 2010 and finished fourth in the 38th edition last month.

Vermont veteran Joey Laquerre starts from the outside of the front row.

Laquerre raced from 17th to sixth, the final transfer position, in the opening heat.

That could be a good dress rehearsal for Saturday’s main event. The ACT cars will run 25 laps in the morning, then invert the field and wage a 50-lap finale in the late afternoon.

The best combined finish in the two races will earn the win.

“We had a bad tire that started to go away on us. Otherwise the car was good,” said Laquerre. “If we are up front, that means you (probably will be) in the rear for the second heat. You have to take your time and be careful.”

Fifty-five cars attempted to qualify. There was a second round of 20-lap last-chance races to set the starting grid of 44.

Brian Hoar and Aaron Fellows joined MacDonald as heat winners. John Donahue recovered from a first-round crash to win his consolation round.

Patrick Laperle crossed the stripe first in the other last-chance encounter.

By virtue of the plus/minus handicap system, New Hampshire’s Wayne Helliwell, Jr., 17-year-old Fort Kent driver Austin Theriault and Donald Theetge of Quebec will start third through fifth.

Hoar, Alex Labbe, Tom Carey Jr., Mark Lamberton and Donnie Lashua will take the green sixth through 10th.

Theriault is joined in the Maine contingent by Brad Babb of Windham, 13th; Ricky Rolfe of Albany Township, 14th; Ben Ashline of Pittston, 21st; Shawn Martin of Turner, 22nd; Scott Luce of Strong, 37th; Glen Luce of Turner, 38th; Dave Farrington Jr. of Jay, 39th; Dennis Spencer Jr. of Turner, 40th; and Rowland Robinson Jr. of Birch Harbor, 44th.

Tommy Ricker of Poland failed to qualify along with Patrick Floyd, Patrick Cliche, Ken Baird,  Guy Caron, Yannick Tremblay, Jimmy Hebert, Matt Anderson, Ricky Roberts, Jimmy Linardy and Ben Lynch.

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