Jeremie Whorff will never forget the 2006 TD Banknorth Oxford 250.

The Topsham native, who had failed to qualify for the race in his three previous attempts, took the checkered flag and his father, Bill Whorff Jr., followed him across the finish line.

The 23-year-old Whorff said he “definitely” feels added pressure entering Sunday’s 34th annual TD Banknorth Oxford 250.

“The year before I won the 250, I entered the 250 thinking I was going to do the best I can. Now that I’ve won it, I still plan on doing the best I can but there’s that pressure that you need to strive to be better,” said Whorff. “Your crew is looking at you like ‘Hey you won this thing last year, you should be able to do it pretty close if not better this year.”

The race will be run in Late Model cars instead of Pro Stocks for the first time this year and Whorff said it is quite an adjustment.

“It’s a lot different. We went testing the other day. It’s definitely not like a Pro Stock or Super Late Model by any means,” said Whorff. “You don’t have the power and I noticed a lot of difference on the rubber, on the eight-inch tires [compared to the 10-inch pro stock tires]. You can’t drive it in as deep. You can’t throw it around as well as you can a Super Late Model. The car they gave me was definitely smoother than my Pro Stock car. I really enjoyed running it.”

Whorff said he is looking forward to the race.

“I’m really excited to run this year opposed to any other year,” said Whorff. “It’s going to be a great time. There are a lot of competitive people coming up there and, in the Late Model series, the cars are so much closer than the Super Late Models. So it will be a really good competition for everybody.”

Whorff said his father won’t race on Sunday.

“He’s been running Saturday nights at Beech Ridge [Motor Speedway in Scarborough] and he doesn’t have a Late Model car to run,” said the younger Whorff.

Younger Shaw driver to watch

One of the young drivers to watch for in the TD Banknorth Oxford 250 will be 17-year-old D.J. Shaw, who will be making his race debut.

He is the son of veteran driver Dale Shaw, who will also enter the race.

D.J. Shaw won the Coastal 200 at Wiscasset Raceway and the Governor’s Cup 150-lap race at Lee USA-Speedway (N.H.) earlier this season.

Both were Late Model races.

In the Coastal 200, he beat three-time Oxford 250 winner Mike Rowe.

“It was definitely a big win. To beat Mike Rowe in a race at Wiscasset [is huge]. He’s been a champion at Wiscasset. It was neat to be able to race against him,” said Shaw.

He is looking forward to his first Oxford 250.

“It will be the longest race I’ve ever been in. It’ll be a learning experience,” said Shaw, who races weekly at Beech Ridge in the Pro Stock and also occasionally runs on the PASS tour and the ACT series.

He will be driving a car his father built.

“I feel pretty good with the car. I’ve raced it twice at Oxford so far this year and we’ve done pretty good with it. I can’t complain. The car goes good just about every time we run it,” said Shaw.

He knows it won’t be easy to get into the race because the heat races are challenging.

“It would be neat if I got in the race and to be around for the end. Our goal if we get in is to finish and if we finish, hopefully it will be a pretty good [placing],” said Shaw, who is from Center Conway, N.H.

Oxford 250 full of champs

The 178 entrants in the TD Banknorth Oxford 250 have collaborated for 145 series championships, track division championships or wins in the TD Banknorth Oxford 250.

Leading the group is Turner’s Mike Rowe, who has 14 championships including three Oxford 250 wins.

Rowe has seven Oxford divisional titles, a Wiscasset Raceway championship and he has won three pro stock touring series.

His son, Ben, has nine titles including two Oxford 250 wins.

Two of the latest entrants are Brad Leighton of Center Harbor, N.H., and Mario Gosselin of St. Marie, Quebec.

Leighton is second in career Busch East wins with 24 and he won the points title in 1999 and 2000.

Gosselin has two Nextel Cup starts and three Busch series races to his credit and has three wins and 14 top-fives in 32 ARCA (Automobile Racing Club of America) races. He also has two Hooters Pro Cup championships (’95, ’97).

Oxford 250

MULTIPLE WINNERS

THREE VICTORIES

Dave Dion (1975, 1985, 1992)

Ralph Nason (1998, 1999, 2000)

Mike Rowe (1984, 1997, 2005)

TWO VICTORIES

Geoff Bodine (1980, 1981)

Chuck Bown (1986, 1990)

Jamie Aube (1987, 1989)

Ben Rowe (2003, 2004)