PORTLAND – Eddie MacDonald schmoozed with reporters, smiled for cameras and talked a little about making history Sunday at the annual TD Bank 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway.

Wearing a light blue polo shirt and blue jeans, the current king of Oxford joined a smattering of drivers at a Thursday morning meet-and-greet just three days ahead of Maine’s most prestigious race.

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Eddie MacDonald, left, with Oxford Plains Speedway owner Bill Ryan Jr., said there was a time he didn't like racing at Oxford Plains. Now he's "the one to beat" in the TD Bank 250 on Sunday night. Gordon Chibroski/Staff Photographer

The defending TD Bank 250 champ, looking confident and relaxed, was back in Maine.

“I don’t get too worked up about too much,” said MacDonald, 30, of Rowley, Mass. “It doesn’t really get you anywhere. I put enough pressure on myself as it is. It doesn’t matter if it’s a go-kart race down at the beach or a truck race or a heat race, I go to win.”

Lately, that’s all MacDonald has done at Oxford Plains.

He’s already won twice this year at the three-eighths mile asphalt track, taking the checkered flag at a pair of American-Canadian Tour 150-lap features.

Of course, those races pale in comparison to winning the 250, which several drivers Thursday said can define a career, let alone a season.

Now MacDonald is chasing a second straight title that would put him in rare company. Only three drivers — Geoff Bodine (1980-81), Ben Rowe (2003-04) and Ralph Nason (1998-2000) — have won consecutive 250s.

MacDonald once ranked Oxford Plains among his least-favorite places to race.

“It’s amazing,” he said. “Quite awhile ago, when I first came to this track 13, 14 years ago, I hated the place. I ran mainly Lee Speedway (in Lee, N.H.), and Oxford was so much different. You have to drive it totally different, the setup, everything.

“I really hated coming here and never really wanted to come here. You hate pulling into a racetrack and not really being excited to be here. I always wanted to run in the 250 and to win it, but it’s such a tough place to get around.

“But to come here and be able to think of this as one of my better tracks is now kind of cool. Now when I come to Oxford, it’s exciting.”

And with good reason.

MacDonald, whose crew chief is Rollie LaChance of New Gloucester, won the ACT Big Jab 150 on May 16. He led the final 96 laps, although he needed to hold off late-charging Oxford Plains regular Tommy Ricker.

MacDonald returned June 19 and again raced to victory, this time in the ACT 150.

At last year’s 250, MacDonald led the final 82 laps to win the race and a $35,300 purse.

He said then, “It’s got to be the biggest win I’ve had,” and it still rings true today.

“With the history behind the race and the prestige, it just meant a lot to win it,” he said.

The victory came against a deep field that had a NASCAR feel to it with the presence of Kenny and Steve Wallace.

It also helped ease the sting of the 2008 race, which MacDonald controlled early before watching NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Kevin Harvick storm to victory lane.

MacDonald held the lead in that race as late as Lap 132, but he unraveled after Harvick passed him with a crossover move shortly thereafter. MacDonald led 119 of the first 126 laps but finished eighth.

“That was a disappointing day,” MacDonald said. “We led the first half of the race and we put four new tires and then got quite a bit slower. For some reason we didn’t match up. But it was cool to be able to run with (Harvick) and lead him for awhile.”

Fellow drivers Thursday said MacDonald is the favorite on Sunday.

“He’s going to be very tough,” said Glen Luce, who finished 18th last season and runner-up to Harvick in 2008. “If he doesn’t have any misfortune, he’s the one to be beaten.”

Added Joey Polewarczyk Jr., who finished 15th last season and third in 2008: “He’s the one to beat. He’s dominated lately.”

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