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2017 Race Stories and Photos |
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Follow Eddie on
race weekends at
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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13th |
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14th |
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Eddie MacDonald Victorious in
ACT
Season Final Race at Thompson
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Winning the final race of the season is always the sweetest and
Eddie MacDonald did just that with a dominant performance in the American
Canadian Tour's 75 lap feature at Thompson Motor Sports Park Sunoco World
Series of Racing Saturday night. The victory was especially sweet after a
disappointing 11th place finish in the Pro Stock feature on Friday night.
Saturday's ACT Late Model practice was reduced to one half hour due to
morning rain but the EXIT Realty/Hancock Electric Chevy ran in the top three
and posted a +3 rating in the heat. Eddie Mac started fifth then raced to a
second place finish to receive the fifth starting position for the season
finale on the fast, high-banked 5/8th of a mile oval.
When the green
flag waved, Eddie Mac wasted little time charging to the front and into the
second spot by lap seven. The first caution flag flew on lap 11 (the first
of six including a red flag) reset the field with Eddie Mac on the outside
pole. The veteran racer then powered past the #4 to the lead on the restart
only to give it back to the #4 after a lap 14 caution. However, the Freddie
Peterson owned Chevy challenged for the lead then powered to the top spot on
lap 19. A series of cautions plagued the first 28 laps yet Eddie Mac's
dominant restarts were no match for any competitors.
After the final
restart on lap 28, Eddie Mac pulled away from the field over the remaining
laps to post the win with the closest challenger a straight away behind with
the veteran driver saying, "This car was a lot of fun to drive today. I
could drive it anywhere and it was great in the turns. This is such a fast
track you need all the speed you can get coming out of the turns and this
car had it today. The first part of the race was pretty rough with all the
cautions but I was able to get great restarts. Everything worked well today
and it is awesome to win here."
"Rollie (LaChance) had a great set-up
in the car today and the crew worked hard like they always do to give me the
best car and our tire guy and spotter Dave "Logger" Ricker did a great job
calling the race." said Eddie Mac. "This makes up a little for last night
when the right rear tire went flat halfway through the Pro Stock race while
we were running third. We won the first PASS race here in the spring and to
win the final ACT race here is really something special."
"Our car
owner Freddie Peterson and his wife Sheila have been fantastic and to win
this tonight with them and their daughter April here is awesome. I have to
wish another important contributor to this team, Bobby Wood a speedy
recovery after recent surgery. Thanks to our sponsors particularly Kenny and
Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric in Quincy, Mass. and Derek Beatrice
from EXIT Realty Beatrice Associates in Middleton, Mass., as well as our K&N
owner Rob Grimm. There are always so many people necessary to make this
possible, we are very fortunate. "
As noted, the 60 lap Pro Stock
feature on Friday night began with Eddie Mac on the pole when the field was
inverted from first to ninth position. The Dave Lemieux owned Chevy
struggled with a tight condition in practice and continued in the first heat
race. Starting sixth, Eddie Mac was able to drive to the fourth position but
slipped back to fifth as a result of the tight condition. Adjustments were
made to loosen up the car for the feature.
With the inverted line-up
posted, Eddie Mac took the green flag to lead the field for the first 15
laps before Griffiths took the lead. Despite regaining the top spot briefly
on a lap 15 restart, Eddie Mac dropped to third behind Griffiths and
Randstrom. A lap 31 restart after a caution ended any chance of winning when
the right rear began going down finally sending the Rowley, Mass. driver to
the pits on lap 40. Returning to the track three laps down, the EXIT
Realty/Annie Mac Home Mortgages Chevy completed the final 20 laps to post
the 11th place run.
"It was not the finish we were looking for and I
feel bad the way it ended," said Eddie Mac. "After winning here in the
spring, we felt we had a pretty good chance to get the win but we fought the
car being tight. I don't know if we had anything for the top two guys but I
think we were a top three car. I have to thank car owner Dave Lemieux and
Brian Neal for everything they have done this season. We have the same crew
on both the late model and pro stock and we can't thank those guys enough
plus the guys who work in the shop. We are very fortunate to have such a
group of talented and dedicated people associated with our team."
"Special thanks to all our fans and supporters and I hope everyone has a
great off season, "said Eddie Mac. "We will probably take a little break
then get back at it for next season. Have fun and stay safe." |
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Photos
by Richard Casey |
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Photos by John DaDalt |
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Eddie Mac Posts Three Top Tens at Seekonk & Lee |
Eddie MacDonald piloted the EXIT Realty/Hancock Electric Late Model
Chevy to a third place finish in the DAV Fall Classic at Seekonk Speedway on
Saturday, then raced to a determined seventh place run in the EXIT
Realty/Grimm Construction Pro Stock Chevy in the final feature of the night.
The team then headed to Eddie Mac's family track, Lee USA Speedway for
Sunday's Pro Stock feature in the annual Oktoberfest to close out the racing
season at the Lee, N.H. facility.
With the team unable to participate
in the Friday practice session at Seekonk due to scheduling conflicts, the
crew arrived Saturday morning prepping both the late model and the pro stock
for the morning practice. Eddie Mac started third in the first of three pro
stock 12 lap heats to score a third place finish placing him in the seventh
slot in the feature. Eddie Mac drew the fourth slot in the third late model
12 lap heat then spent the rest of the time stuck on the outside with the
preferred lane on the bottom to finish fifth. The Freddie Peterson owned
Chevy would start 13th in the 50 lap feature.
When the green flag
waved for the late model feature, Eddie Mac stayed in line in the early laps
to let things materialize on the tricky one third of a mile oval known as
"The Cement Palace." Just driving in the bottom lane, Eddie Mac rode in the
9th position by lap 15 and into seventh by the caution on lap 22. With 15
laps to go, the #17 Ma was fifth and closing ground on the leaders and
finally took the third spot but was unable to chase down the leader to score
the third place run.
"The car was really good early on but I used up
the tires trying to get to the front," said Eddie Mac. "We needed a caution
to bunch the field up and I think if we had a few more laps I could have
moved into second place. We started too far back as a result of getting hung
out in the heat to have a great chance for the win but we are happy with
this finish. It was great to have Kenny and Scott Thompson from Hancock
Electric with us today. You could not ask for better people and we are
forever grateful for all the years of support.
The 150 lap Pro Stock
feature was a different story all together as severe tire issues plagued the
Dave Lemieux Chevy, yet the Rowley, Mass. veteran was able to score a
seventh place finish despite numerous trips to the pits for tires. Eddie Mac
battled a tight condition from the start but rode in the fifth position by
the 35th lap. The long green flag run allowed the leaders to lap the field
to the 6th car finally putting Eddie Mac down a lap on the 97th circuit. The
tire issues forced Eddie Mac to the pits on the lap 111 caution to replace
the shredded right rear to return to the track in the 9th spot and into
sixth by the lap 113 caution.
More tire issues pushed the #17 Ma
Chevy to 11th then brought out the caution on lap 126 when a flat left tire
sent him spinning down the front straightaway. With 20 laps to Eddie Mac was
eighth but headed to the pits on a lap 135 caution for more adjustments.
Still more adjustments were made on lap 138 caution and then a return to the
pits on caution lap 144 with a right front flat. Finally, with five to go
Eddie Mac drove from P.10 to the 7th place finish.
"It was a very
weird race from the start, "said Eddie Mac. "The car was tight in the turns
right from the green flag and once I got lapped we decided to come in for an
adjustment. The car didn't get any better than we started then the tires
started coming apart. The crew did an awesome job getting me in and out of
the pits and it was a tough seventh place finish. We missed all of Friday's
practice and that definitely hurt us but we brought the car home in one
piece and it wasn't until after the race we decided to go to Lee on Sunday."
On Sunday morning the crew waited out the early morning showers to ready
the pro stock for the 50 lap Lee feature at the family owned facility. Eddie
Mac started 13th and made his way to the 4th position by lap 28 but that was
as close to the lead as he would get as the car became extremely loose.
Eddie Mac was able to hang on to finish fourth to cap off the action packed
weekend.
"Rollie and I can't thank everyone enough for everything
this weekend. Our crew is fantastic and works tirelessly every race.
Everyone was beat this morning but there is no quit in this team. Car owners
Freddie Peterson, Dave Lemieux, Brian Neal are incredible along with our
sponsors Hancock Electric, EXIT Realty, Annie Mac and Grimm racing allows us
to do this. But my heroes are all the people we have as part of this team
that give unselfishly. I hope I don't forget anyone but thanks to: Kelyn,
Laura, Jolene, Rob, Ryan, Brian, Tom, JT, Joe, Craig, Hoppy, Dick, and
Jimmy. Thanks for all the support from our fans.
Eddie Mac and the
team will do it all again this weekend as part of the Thompson World Series
of Racing at Thompson Motor Sports Park on Friday and Saturday. Both the
late model and the pro stock will be in action. |
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Thank you to Rob and Karla for the loving years you have
shared with our racing team. The people pictured here are but a small
number of the lives you have touched through the years.
We will
always be members of "Grimm Nation."
You are truly special people! |
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Dover International
Speedway
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 29th |
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The National
Fallen Firefighters
Foundation
125
presented by
Carl Deputy & Son
Builders |
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Eddie MacDonald Posts Second Place Finish
in Final K&N
Race at Dover |
Eddie MacDonald drove from his 12th starting position to a
second place finish in the Grimm Racing Team's final appearance in the
NASCAR Pro Series East's Fallen Firefighter's Foundation 125 at Dover
International Speedway on Friday night as part of the Monster Energy Cup
weekend.
After eleven years, the team will no longer compete in the
K&N Series with Eddie Mac saying," It has been an incredible run and I
will be forever grateful for Rob and Karla Grimm for everything they
have done for us. They started out as team owners and quickly became
family. Rob, Karla, and the entire Grimm family welcomed us with open
arms and despite ending our racing team, we will always be a part of
"Grimm Nation." Words cannot describe how much they have done for our
team. We have been blessed to be a part of their family."
Eddie
Mac struggled in practice and qualifying to start 12th in the 15 car
field. When the green flag waved to start the 125 lap feature, the Grimm
Construction Chevy was tight in the center of the turns thus slowing the
speed down the straights. Crew chief Rollie LaChance called the veteran
driver to the pits during a caution on lap 11 for needed adjustments.
Eddie Mac returned to the track in 11th position for the lap 17 restart.
After a lap 40 caution and another pit stop for adjustments,
Eddie Mac was penalized with a drive through penalty putting the #71 a
lap down. NASCAR officials first stated the penalty was due to
improperly lining up for the restart on lap 45 then changed their minds
to say it was a speeding penalty on pit road. Regardless of which one it
actually was, Eddie Mac was a lap down to the field looking for the
"Lucky dog."
Another caution on lap 56 also served as the halfway
break. With four new Goodyear tires and a full tank, Eddie Mac rode in
the top ten competitively in the field but was still a lap down. A
caution on lap 88 finally placed the Grimm Construction/Multiple
Sclerosis Chevy back on the lead lap for the lap 95 restart. With the
handling much better, Eddie Mac raced in the seventh position by the
next, but not final, caution flag on lap 99. Eddie Mac grabbed the sixth
spot on lap 121 and appeared headed for that finish. However, a caution
on lap 123 sent the race into overtime for a green/white/checker finish.
Eddie Mac lined up on the outside for the final two laps on the
Monster Mile and took the white flag in that position. Sensing something
would happen to the top cars battling for the win on the last lap, the
cagey veteran positioned himself to take advantage of any slip up in
front. Suddenly going into turn one, all but the leader began bouncing
off one another scattering up and down the track. Eddie Mac drove
through the middle of the melee to come around to post his second place
finish.
"I thought it would get crazy at the end and I just had
to jump into the opening and it worked out," said the Rowley, Mass.
driver after the race. "We have had some pretty good success here but
certainly this is the sweetest because it is our last one. We really
wanted to end everything on a solid note and aside from winning, this
feels great. I am happy for Rob and all of "Grimm Nation" that came
today to have that finish. We have had the most amazing people
associated with this team and Rollie and I will be forever thankful. We
have been lucky to have the crew through the years that gave everything
we asked and more. This has been an incredible and humbling experience."
"Thank you Karla and Rob!" |
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K&N Pro East News and Notes - Dover |
Eddie MacDonald, a
longtime series staple, returns to competition this weekend at Dover.
MacDonald, who leads all active drivers with 194 career series
starts, will make his fourth start of the season. A seven-time winner in
his career, including three wins at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and one
at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, has made 15 career starts at Dover.
He has five top fives at the track, including a career-best
runner-up finish in 2015. |
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Saturday, Sept. 23rd. |
New Hampshire
Motor Speedway
The 9th Annual
Act Invitational |
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Eddie MacDonald Finishes Seventh
in
Darkness at NHMS ACT Invitational
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Eddie MacDonald fought darkness and a wild field of drivers to
post a seventh place finish in the American Canadian Tour Invitational
at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday. In what can only be
described as the most bizarre race ever staged at the Loudon, NH mile
oval, the scheduled fifty lap event was mercilessly ended in darkness
after completing just eighteen laps.
Eddie Mac posted the fourth
fastest time in the morning practice and drew the 26th starting position
for the final race of the day at NHMS following the NASCAR trucks and
Whelen modifieds. The Hancock Electric/EXIT Realty Chevy owned by
Freddie Peterson won the event the last two Septembers and five
championships overall with Eddie Mac confident another victory could be
his.
"The car felt good in practice and I thought if we had some
long green flag runs, I would be able to pick my way through the field
and contend for the win at the end," said the Rowley, Mass. veteran
driver. "Unfortunately that never happened and it was just crazy out
there. I was careful going through the field and I just don't know what
some guys were doing. We needed at least a ten lap run but we never came
close to anything like that."
Before the first lap was completed,
three caution flags waved wasting 25 minutes with clean up and drivers
not lining up properly. A nice crowd remained after the modified race to
see the ACT feature but quickly left after the race was plagued with
early cautions and delays. Ten yellow flags and two red flags stretched
the time to two hours and as darkness enveloped the track, officials
finally called an end to the spectacle after only eighteen laps were
completed and three attempts to start the race failed. Perhaps the
structure of the race should be evaluated if the ACT cars return to
NHMS. Typically, slower cars are started in the front while the fastest
cars start in the rear of the field. It appears that the leaders are not
equipped to handle the high speed, demanding turns of the mile oval.
Despite the fiasco in front, Eddie Mac made his way through the grid
carefully from the 26th starting position to the 17th position by lap
seven. By lap 14, after a series of yellow flags and red flag, Eddie Mac
rode in the eighth spot and into seventh on lap 18, Eddie Mac's luck ran
out in missing the carnage all around as a car careened into the right
front and flattened the tire. As the caution waved at the completion of
the 18th lap, Eddie Mac pitted then returned to the track as darkness
loomed over the oval. Officials hoped to get to lap 26 to make it an
official race but a long red flag followed by three failed attempts to
restart forced officials to end the melee. Eddie Mac was awarded seventh
as officials decided to make the race official.
"It was just an
awful mess and I feel sorry for the fans and all the time, effort, and
money that went into this race," said a disappointed driver. "I don't
know what was going on up front but guys were running three and
sometimes four wide in the turns and you just cannot do that here. Plus
guys would not line up so that added to the time wasted. It is usually a
great race but tonight it was just a disaster."
"Our team owes a
great deal to our car owner Freddie Peterson and our K&N owner Rob Grimm
for all the support. Great thanks to our long time sponsor Kenny and
Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric. Derek Beatrice from Beatrice
Associates EXIT Realty and Annie Mac Home Mortgages are great sponsors
and we thank them. Of course, Rollie and I depend on our dedicated crew
and they do a fantastic job. Thanks go to all our fans that turned out
today."
Eddie Mac will compete in the final NASCAR K&N race of
the season on Friday, September 29 at Dover International Speedway. He
will also drive the late model and super late model at both the DAV
Classic at Seekonk on October 6&7, and also at Thompson's World Series
of Racing on Oct. 13 & 14. |
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Photos
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Photos
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ACT Posts $76,865 for NHMS Invitational
Eddie MacDonald going for third straight win on
the Magic Mile |
ACT PRESS RELEASE: A full
field of American Canadian Tour Late Model competitors will be at New
Hampshire Motor Speedway Saturday, September 23 for the Ninth Annual
running of the ACT Invitational with over $76,000 on the line.
Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, Mass. – driver
of the Hancock Electric/Exit Realty No. 17 – looms as the man to beat.
MacDonald has won five of the first eight ACT Invitationals, including
the last two. He has taken home over $39,000 in winnings since the
inaugural race in 2009.
The field will include 2012 winner Ray
Parent of Tiverton, RI, last year’s runner-up Jimmy Hebert of
Williamstown, Vt. and previous top-5 finishers Dillon Moltz, Patrick
Laperle, Aaron Fellows and John Donahue.
MacDonald took
advantage of a late restart in last year’s event to get the jump on
Hebert, who had the race in hand before the caution came out.
“We’ve been very fortunate in these races,” MacDonald said. “I remember
having fun racing hard with Nick Sweet right to the end to win in 2012.
That’s maybe the most memorable one.”
MacDonald started 31st in
a 41-car field a year ago. In 2013, he started 26th but was able to pull
away from multi-time ACT champion Wayne Helliwell Jr. in the closing
laps to claim his third Invitational win.
“The toughest part is
trying to get to the front,” MacDonald said. “There’s only 50 laps. You
have to pass at least one car every other lap usually.”
The ACT
Invitational is scheduled to take the green at 5 p.m. Saturday following
the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series UNOH 175. |
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FRI-SAT, AUG. 25-27 |
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4th at the 250! |
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Eddie Posts Determined Fourth Place Finish
in the Oxford
250
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Eddie MacDonald fought his way through a day wrought with
obstacles to take fourth place honors in the 44th Annual Oxford 250 at
Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday. True success in any endeavor is the
ability to face and overcome challenges in pursuit of the desired
outcome. Eddie Mac may have fallen short of the desire to win his third
Oxford 250 title but his finish is nothing short of spectacular.
With only 13 laps to go, Eddie Mac rode in second place before tires and
handling slowed the second place Dave Lemieux owned Chevy for the fourth
place run. The roller coaster day began on a high note with Eddie Mac
starting second in the second heat then powering to an easy win for a
guaranteed outside pole position for the main event. However, the 17Ma
entry failed tech negating the win and forced Eddie Mac into the first
scheduled consi race. Starting 14th, Eddie Mac ran three wide on the
outside hoping to finish in the top two in the 20 lap shootout to gain
entry into the feature. Disaster struck again when a flat tire forced
him to the pits. Eddie Mac returned but could only muster a sixth place
finish.
After two days of establishing fast times in practice,
the EXIT Realty/Grimm Construction Chevy was considered one of the early
favorites. Eddie Mac's only hope to make the field happened when
officials gave a Past Champion's Provisional. The 38th staring position
in the 44 car field was not great but at least the Rowley, Mass. veteran
driver made the starting grid. Two hundred and fifty laps is a long race
and anything can and usually does happen, so the team remained
optimistic Eddie Mac would provide some magic.
Unfortunately,
another shoe dropped when only six laps in, Eddie Mac caught the tail
end of a wreck sending him over the turn three banking. The car returned
to the track with the right front fender dangling. After the pit crew
did an incredible job, Eddie Mac returned to track wounded but not done.
Again, more bad news when the wreck apparently dislodged the radio wire
from his helmet making it nearly impossible to hear the driver. Hand
signals and infrequent audible responses from Eddie Mac were needed for
the remaining 244 laps. Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse,
officials put the 17Ma one lap down as they said Eddie Mac passed the
pace car on his way to the pits.
Instead of giving up with the
dizzying array of negative circumstances, Eddie Mac began a steady drive
to the front, passing many cars on the bottom as the car drove to the
front with no right side fender. By lap 100, the veteran driver rode in
the 19th position. With most of the leaders pitting for tires, Eddie Mac
continued to drive to the front telling crew chief Rollie LaChance, "I
have a plan" to stay out a long as possible. By lap 162 the strategy
paid off with the car in the fifth spot before finally stopping for
tires and fuel on lap 172.
"The tires were absolutely perfect and
while others were falling off, mine were not," said Eddie Mac. "I wish
we could have kept going but we needed fuel and fresh tires. The new
ones were not quite as good and even though I got up to second place
late in the race the car was tight and losing forward grip. It was a
frustrating day with everything that happened but we had a shot at the
end and that is what counts." With 50 laps to go Eddie Mac took over
third and set his sights on D.J Shaw for second place. A lap 223 caution
gave Eddie Mac the inside starting position and when the green flag wave
quickly dispatched Shaw for second.
"The car was really tight by
then and I just couldn't catch the #7," said Eddie Mac. "I didn't have
any forward drive and couldn't hold the spot and ended up fourth. You
always want to win but with everything we had to overcome, this is a
victory for the whole team. No one gave up and that is the true mark of
a champion. You have bad luck but when you compile the list of things
that happened today, this fourth place finish was a huge success."
"Great thanks go to the car owner Dave Lemieux (Lemieux Home
Builders) and all Brian Neal (Neal Excavating) does to help this team,"
said Eddie Mac. "Thanks also to Derek Beatrice from EXIT Realty in
Middleton, Mass. and our K&N team owner Rob Grimm for all his support.
Special thanks to our Late Model owner Freddie Peterson and Bobby Wood
for really helping out this week. Fielding a car for three days is
expensive and these guys jumped in to help. Of course, Rollie and I owe
a huge debt of gratitude to the crew for all the hard work and never say
die attitude. I hope I get them all but we owe a lot to David, Jolene,
Rob, Craig Ryan, Rachel, Laura, Hoppy, Tom, Brian, Dick, and Nikko. Many
thanks to my girlfriend Kelyn for all the support and it is great fun to
share this with my father and mother." |
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Photos
by Richard Casey |
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Photos by Norm
Marx |
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Eddie's Friday Practice at
Oxford for The 250
Eddie ran in
the top three all afternoon. Practice continues on Saturday with three
more sessions on Sunday morning before qualifying heats begin at 1:30.
Our thanks to our sponsors (in the pictures) for making this possible.
Special thanks this week to Freddie Peterson and Bobby Wood for their
support. |
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www.beechridge.com
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 12th |
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Eddie MacDonald Dominates for Win
at Beech Ridge Motor
Speedway |
Eddie MacDonald started third in the American Canadian Tour’s
Coastal 100 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine on
Saturday night to power to his first ACT win of the season. Eddie Mac
passed second place finisher Scott Payea on the 41st lap and maintained
the lead to post the dominant win.
Driving the Exit
Realty/Hancock Electric Chevy owned by Freddie Peterson, the win was
especially pleasing for the team in honoring one of its team members who
lost his cancer battle with Eddie Mac saying, “It is great to win this
for Donnie Higinbotham who passed recently. Donnie had a huge impact on
our team and was just an incredible person. Besides doing anything to
help his team, he did it without fanfare and was extremely well liked
and respected. He always had a smile on his face. Donnie worked for
Freddie and Sheila (Peterson)for many years and was a great mechanic. He
was one of a kind and loved everything about racing. We will miss him
terribly. I hope he is looking down on us with that big smile of his on
his face.”
Eddie Mac started the day posting the third fastest
practice time in the first practice session then scoring the fastest
time in the second round. By virtue of his +3 finish in the first heat,
the Rowley, Mass. veteran started third on the grid in the 21 car field.
When the green flag waved the inside lane did not go allowing Payea and
two others from the outside row to move to the front, However, once
Eddie Mac cleared the 04, he began his run back to the front passing
both inside and outside. By the 28th lap, Eddie Mac powered to second
place with his sights on Payea.
Eddie Mac was all over Payea finally
taking the lead on a strong outside pass on lap 41. The lead for the
remaining 59 laps was never in question to post the win by a comfortable
three car length margin.
“The car was really fast and handled
great in the turns,” said the winning driver in Victory Lane. “We
changed a lot of things in the car leading up to the race hoping it
would work out and it did tonight. It had all the speed I needed but it
was phenomenal in the turns. It is so much fun to drive a car like this
and I have to thank Rollie (LaChance crew chief) and the crew for the
great set up and all the hard work. None of this is possible without a
lot of support and help.”
“I thank our sponsors starting with
Kenny and Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric in Quincy, Mass. who have
been with us for many years. Thanks also to Derek Beatrice from Exit
Realty in Middleton, Mass., and Annie Mac Home Mortgages. Of course the
reason we are able to run the late model and pro stock is due to our
longtime K&N owner Rob Grimm and we are forever grateful for everything
he has done for us. We are lucky to have the support from so many great
people.”
Eddie Mac will pilot the Dave Lemieux owned Pro Stock in
the famed Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway on August 27. |
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U.S. PRO STOCK
SUPER
LATE MODEL
NATIONAL
WEDNESDAY
JULY 19, 2017 |
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Fourth
Place Finish for Eddie
at Seekonk Speedway
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Eddie MacDonald returned to Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday, July
19 after a one week rain delay to score a fourth place finish in the
$10,000 to win U.S. Pro Stock/SLM National Championship. The Rowley,
Mass. driver had the taste of a win only to be denied when the right
front tire began to lose pressure with 25 laps to go in the 200 lap
feature.
"We were so close to winning the race and I could
really feel we had a great chance," said the frustrated driver after the
race. "We battled for the top spot in the first half of the race and
through the second 100 laps. The car was really fast and it handled
great. It was exciting and knew we had a shot at the win but with about
25 laps the handling started to go away. I thought I had a flat and it
got worse as the laps ran down and I was really loose. I was running
second but there was no way I could get to the front. I almost got spun
out from behind with 20 to go and all I could do was to just hang on and
hope the tire stayed up until the checkers."
Once in tech after
the race, the crew of the EXIT Realty/Grimm Construction Chevy found the
PSI in the right front to be 18, far below the tire pressure needed. The
#17 Chevy owned by Dave Lemieux (Lemieux Builders) with strong support
from Brian Neal (Neal Excavating) demonstrated from the beginning of
practice it was one of the top competitors. After posting solid practice
times, Eddie Mac time trialed in the eighth position to start third in
the second of three heats and easily scored the win to gain the outside
pole position in the 21 car field.
When the green flag waved to
start the first of two one hundred laps segments, pole sitter Joey Pole
and Eddie Mac dominated the first round finishing 1-2. After a 20 minute
break the cars returned to the track with Eddie Mac starting in the
fourth spot on the grid as a result of inverting the top five finishers
from segment one.
Eddie Mac moved into third after 15 laps (115)
and into second place on lap 139. Lapped traffic slowed the action as
Eddie Mac tried to negotiate by the lappers and catch the #59. Cautions
on lap 169 and lap 176 put Eddie Mac in the unfavorable outside position
then had to fight for the bottom groove with Joey Pole. The deflating
tire made it impossible for Eddie Mac to maintain second place and slid
to third. By lap 184 it was clear Eddie Mac would be lucky to make it to
the end but the cagey veteran did just that. With Pole fading, Eddie Mac
was drilled sideways by eventual winner Derek Griffith and that forced
Eddie Mac to make a super save and into fourth place where he would take
the checkered flag.
"It was an incredible race and we were so
close it is very frustrating to not win as good as the car was all
night," said Eddie Mac. "It is a lot of fun to drive a car that good and
I have to thank Rollie (LaChance) and the crew for giving me the chance
to win. Dave (Lemieux) and Brian (Neal) do everything possible to give
us the best car possible. Paul Rinaldi builds great motors and it showed
tonight. Our racing is possible because of the support of our K&N owner
Rob Grimm, Derek Beatrice from EXIT Realty, and Annie Mac Home Mortgage.
It was an extremely hot day and everyone is worn out especially the crew
and it would have been nice to win. We had a shot at the $10,000 but
about seven pounds of air cost us. All in all, it was a great day that
fell a little short. Thanks again to everyone involved. I want to
recognize a friend and long-time member of our racing family, Donnie
Higinbotham who is seriously ill and in Hospice. Our thoughts are with
Donnie and his family. Donnie is truly a wonderful guy and is loved by
all of us. He will be missed." |
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United Site Services 70 |
New Hampshire
Motor Speedway
SATURDAY, JULY 15th |
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Twelfth Place Finish for Eddie MacDonald
at New
Hampshire Motor Speedway
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Eddie MacDonald scored a 12th place finish in the K&N Pro Series
East's United Site Services 70 at NHMS on Saturday, July 15. The K&N
series returned to the Loudon track for the annual NASCAR Cup weekend.
Eddie Mac posted a 15th place start in qualifying but was moved to
the 20th position after sustaining an infraction in tech. The Grimm
Construction Chevy moved into the 12th position despite fighting a loose
condition. Eddie Mac never got the caution he needed to bunch up the
field that quickly spread out after the only caution on lap four. The 70
lap feature took only 39 minutes and forty-five seconds to run leaving
no opportunity to make any significant progress.
"The car was just a
little loose but we could not pit to make any adjustments because we
would lose a couple of laps," said Eddie Mac. "The leaders were just so
fast, everyone except the top six cars remained on the lead lap. You
have to have a lot of speed in the straights and you really have to turn
well in the corners. I was loose off so I had to wait to mash the
throttle when the car straightened out and that kills your speed. It was
pretty frustrating to ride like that and the caution we were hoping for
never came."
By lap 30 Eddie Mac rode in the 12th position but by
then the field was strung out single file around the one mile oval with
the leader lapping most of the cars. Eventual winner Todd Gilliland
passed Eddie Mac on lap 41. The Rowley, Mass. veteran drove the
remaining 29 laps all alone to post the 12th place finish.
"We
definitely thought we would run much better that we did," said Eddie
Mac. "We have run well here in the past but with the incredible level of
competition in this series now our car had to be perfect and it just did
not handle well enough. You don't need to be off by much and that is
what happened. It would have been interesting to find out if we had a
chance to make an adjustment if we could have moved up a number of spots
but we didn't have anything for the top cars."
"I really have to
thank our team owner Rob Grimm for all he has done," said Eddie Mac
after the race. "Also, our crew does an amazing job and Rollie
(LaChance) and I are thankful for all the hard work and commitment.
Everyone has full time jobs and rearrange their schedules to be here for
us. It is great fun to run here in front of family and friends and we
look forward to this race each year."
Eddie Mac will next drive
the Grimm Construction/Multiple Sclerosis Chevy at Dover International
Speedway on September 29.
NBCSN will televise the United Site
Services 70 on July 20 at 6 PM. |
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K&N Pro East Stat Advance - NHMS |
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm
Construction Chevrolet)
- Making his second consecutive series
start and third of the season as part of a part-time schedule.
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Leads all active drivers with three career wins at NHMS, including a
sweep of the two races at the track in 2008.
- In 28 career starts at
NHMS, MacDonald has five top fives, 14 top 10s and seven qualifying
efforts inside the top five.
- Has seven career series wins, most
recently at Bristol in 2014. |
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Busch
North Throwback 100 |
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park
SATURDAY, JULY 8th |
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Eddie MacDonald Finishes Thirteenth in the
K&N Pro
Series East Race at Thompson
|
Eddie MacDonald returned to Thompson Speedway Motor Sports Park
for Saturday's Busch North Throwback 100 after an eight year series
hiatus to post a thirteenth place finish. The Grimm Racing Team honored
legendary Busch North driver Andy Santerre by displaying the Aubuchon
Hardware paint scheme for the race. While the period wrap was a huge hit
with Santerre and Busch North fans, the desired outcome was not
achieved.
Eddie Mac started the 100 lap feature event in the 15th
position and appeared to have a competitive car early on but the car
developed a loose condition by lap 20 with the Rowley veteran saying,
"It felt good early in the race and I was able to pass cars but then it
really started getting loose so we decided to pit on the lap 31 caution
for a minor adjustment. Even that little bit just flipped it and it was
too tight. We made another pit stop but the car never got to where we
needed it to be. In hindsight, we probably should have left it alone but
we were trying to make something happen."
After the lap 56
restart the Aubuchon Hardware/Grimm Construction Chevy raced from its
17th starting spot on the grid after pitting to the 12th position but
the effects of the ill handling car took a toll on the brakes with Eddie
Mac saying, "I was trying to drive the car in just like the others but
when the car is not turning the way you want, you end up using a lot
more brake. It ended up boiling the fluid so by the last 20 laps I had
to keep pumping them and by the end the pedal was all the way to the
floor. I didn't even think it was going to stop when I got back to the
pit."
Eddie Mac did manage to hold off a serious challenger from
the #9 car over the last 20 laps to hold on to the 13th place finish
with the disappointed driver saying, "We really wanted to have a good
showing for Andy (Santerre) and also to remember Rob Grimm's first race
as team owner. Rob bought the team during the 2007 season and Thompson
was our first race together. Rollie (LaChance) and I are forever in his
debt for everything he and his wife Carla have done for us."
"When we first started together it was quite a different series,"
recounted Eddie Mac, "It was more of a regional series but changed
dramatically. I am proud of how competitive Grimm Construction has been
through the years. This series is highly competitive now with most of
the teams from the South with access to all the Cup technology and if
you are just a little off as we were today, you are in for a tough
outing. We have made significant changes to our other K&N car and hope
to be able to compete for the win at Loudon this Saturday. We have three
K&N wins at our home track and would like to add another. I just want to
thank Andy (Santerre) for spending so much time with us this weekend. He
has been a friend of mine and Rollie for many years and it was an honor
to race his colors. I also want to thank the crew members for all their
hard work in the rain and heat over the two days. We had so many friends
stop by to wish us well it was awesome."
Eddie Mac and the Grimm
Racing Team will compete in the KNPSE United Site Services 70 on July 15
at New Hampshire Motor Speedway as part of the NASCAR Cup weekend.
Practice is schedule for Friday beginning at 4pm, with qualifying slated
to begin at 7pm. Saturday's race will take the green flag at 6:45pm. |
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K&N Pro East Stat Advance - Thompson |
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm
Construction Chevrolet)
- Making his first series start since
Bristol as part of a part-time schedule.
- Won at Thompson in 2005,
the only driver entered this weekend with a K&N Pro Series win at the
track.
- In nine career starts at Thompson, MacDonald has one win,
three top 10s and five qualifying efforts inside the top 10.
- Has
seven career series wins, most recently at Bristol in 2014.
- Will
honor four-time series champion Andy Santerre as part of the throwback
event. |
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Eddie MacDonald to Honor Andy Santerre
at Thompson Busch
North Throwback 100
|
When the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East announced the race at
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Saturday, July 8 would be named
the Busch North Throwback 100, Eddie MacDonald's first thought was to
honor the driver who meant so much to the series and a young
impressionable driver. K&N series official's encouraged current teams to
adopt a former Busch North team's paint scheme. Both Eddie Mac and team
owner Rob Grimm quickly decided to wrap the Grimm Construction Chevy in
the Aubuchon Hardware paint scheme made famous by their legendary
driver, Andy Santerre.
"This is very special that we are able to
do this to honor one of the truly great drivers anywhere," said Eddie
Mac while preparing the car for the Thompson race. "I have always looked
up to Andy as a driver and as a person. What made him so great just
wasn't just his incredible driving ability but the way he treated
everyone. Andy would go out of his way to help anyone even though he was
competing against that driver. He wanted everyone to do well and knew
that made the series stronger. If there was one driver to emulate, it
was Andy."
On Tuesday Warren Hamilton arrived at the Newburyport
shop to begin the transformation from the #71 Grimm Construction Chevy
to the green , white, and orange color scheme that frequented many
victory lanes during Santerre's record breaking career and that brought
back a memory shared by Eddie Mac and Rob Grimm.
"I was talking
with Rob and we were both excited about the wrap and talked about our
first race together at Thompson in 2007," said Eddie Mac. "Rob had just
purchased the team and he recalled that during our practice we lost our
power steering pump. We didn't have a spare and all of a sudden there is
Andy with a pump for us to use. That is the kind of guy Andy was and is
still to this day. Rob never forgot Andy's act of kindness and that
established the type of atmosphere he wanted for his team."
Practice for the Busch North Throwback 100 will begin on Friday on the
fast, high-banked 5/8ths of a mile oval and the fantastic news is that
Andy will be on hand to help Eddie Mac and the team prepare the car for
the race. Andy will also be on hand on Saturday to be honored along with
past Busch North drivers. Thompson hosted the North series for over
twenty years and the K&N series returns to the track for the first time
in eight years.
"I am just so happy to be able to represent Andy
this weekend," said Eddie Mac. "Now I just hope we can run as fast as
him!" |
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New
England
Short Track Showdown |
New Hampshire
Motor Speedway
-
SATURDAY, JULY 1st |
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Tenth Career Win for Eddie MacDonald
at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway
|
When Eddie MacDonald took the checkered flag in the inaugural
New England Short Track Showdown at NHMS in the Granite State Pro Stock
Series on Saturday, he joined elite company in posting his tenth win at
Loudon. Eddie Mac now shares the record for the most wins with Mike
Stefanik and Ted Christopher. However, the Rowley, Mass. veteran racer
is the first driver to have wins in four divisions, with victories in
three K&N Pro Series East, five in the American Canadian Tour, one Pro
All Star Series, and now the Granite State.
"When I first started
racing I just hoped someday to race here," reflected Eddie Mac after the
race. "It was incredible to get my first win here and never did I think
I would share the most wins with TC and Mike. I owe a lot of people for
my success beginning with my family, Rollie LaChance and his family, car
owners Rob Grimm, Freddie Peterson, and Dave Lemieux, and all of our
sponsors through the years. You can't do this without the hard work and
dedication of all the crew members. I want to especially thank my
girlfriend Kelyn Harrell who supports me in all of this. It is truly
humbling to share the record with those guys."
Despite missing
practice on Friday, Eddie Mac posted the second fastest speed in the
second of three twenty minute practice periods on Saturday to draw the
third starting position in the first heat. The Grimm Construction/EXIT
Realty Chevy powered to the lead on the first of the eight lap
qualifying heat to win the pole for the 50 lap feature in the 26 car
field on the mile oval.
Two red flags in the first three laps
sent a number of cars to the pits as the rocky start eliminated a number
of possible contenders but all appearances indicated that Eddie Mac
would not be denied his record tying win. With powerful restarts, Eddie
Mac was able to open up a two to three car length lead while riding
comfortably in the top position. Twenty laps' later things changed when
the rear deck lid broke loose allowing two cars to pass.
"I
can't believe how much that affected the car," said Eddie Mac. "I felt
the lid break free and got sucked down in the car and it really make the
car extremely loose. Two cars got by me but I knew we could fix it
during the competition at the halfway break. What I didn't expect was
the blistered right rear tire that certainly would not have lasted much
longer. We were very lucky we had that caution when we did. The crew
fixed the lid and gave me two new right side tires for the final 21 laps
and I was confident I could get the lead back on the restart."
Starting third, Eddie Mac dove to the bottom of the track to battle D.J.
Shaw side by side for the lead when the green flag waved. One lap later,
the Dave Lemieux Chevy powered to the lead and quickly established a
three to four car length lead over Shaw on the remaining laps for the
dominant victory. Possibly Dave Lemieux may have some bragging rights as
well as an owner winning both events entered at NHMS.
"I owe so
much to our (NASCAR) K&N owner Rob Grimm who supports our racing
efforts," said Eddie Mac. "We are racing the K&N series at Thompson next
Saturday then back here the following week as part of the Cup weekend so
hopefully we can get him a win or two. Thanks to Dave Lemieux who has
been great and has gone above and beyond to get us here. Paul Rinaldi
builds great motors and it showed today. Rollie had a great set up and
the car handled perfectly. Thanks to Derek Beatrice from EXIT Realty for
his support and we appreciate Annie Mac Home Mortgage coming on board
with us today. As I said, I owe so many people for our success and I
hope everyone enjoys this and knows you have been an integral part. We
hope to see all our fans at Thompson on Saturday." |
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Photos
by
Richard
Casey |
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Photos by Chris Roy |
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New Hampshire
Motor Speedway |
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Busy
July for Eddie MacDonald Begins
at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
|
Eddie MacDonald is scheduled to compete in the first-ever New
England Short Track Showdown at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the
Granite State Pro Stock Series on July 1st. The following week on July
8, Eddie Mac will take the green flag in the K&N Pro Series East Series'
NASCAR Busch North Throwback 100 at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
The K&N East Series will complete its northern swing at NHMS as part of
the Cup weekend with the United Site Services 70 on July 15.
Eddie Mac won the first Pro Stock/Super Late Model event held at NHMS
and hopes to duplicate the win in the inaugural Short Track Showdown
saying, "We are really excited to go to Loudon for this race. Anytime
you get to race there it is always something to look forward to and hope
we can put on a good show. The same car we won with two years ago there
is almost ready and we can't wait for the race. It is a 50 lap race so
everyone will be going hard from the start. It should be exciting and a
number of Granite State cars are scheduled to be there so it should be a
very competitive field. Hopefully we can get another win for car owner
Dave Lemieux and sponsor Derek Beatrice from EXIT Realty Beatrice
Associates in Middleton, Mass.
The Showdown will feature four
divisions with the Valenti Modifieds, North East Mini Stock Tour, and an
open Street Stock event in addition to the Granite State Pro Stock
Series. A full day of practice beginning at 9:00 am is scheduled for
Friday and a full slate of practice, heats, and features will begin at
9:00 am, on Saturday.
The K&N Pro Series East will return to
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park for the NASCAR Busch North Throwback
100 with teams encouraged to revive paint schemes from that era. Eddie
Mac's first Thompson victory came in 2005 and has gone on to notch ACT
and Pro Stock victories at the Connecticut speedway, the most recent a
Pro Stock win in the Icebreaker this spring. Eddie Mac will pilot the
Grimm Construction Chevy owned by Rob Grimm of Waymart, Pa.
"Thompson
is a fast, fun track to drive," said Eddie Mac. "It seems so long ago
(2005) that we got our K&N win there. We have had others there but to
get that K&N win is really something special. With the high-banked turns
and the long straights, it makes for great racing. Our association with
Rob Grimm began at Thompson so it would be special to get a win there.
We are working on a "Throwback" paint scheme that will definitely please
a lot of people, so hopefully that will happen. We hope to make that
announcement soon."
The following week, the K&N series returns to
New Hampshire Motor Speedway for its annual participation in the big
NASCAR Cup weekend. The Rowley, Mass. veteran driver has three career
K&N wins at the track saying, "We have run well at NHMS in the past and
hope to get back in contention this year. We have made a lot of changes
to the car and hope that all this pays off. The field is extremely
competitive but we feel all our experience at the track gives us an
advantage. It is only 70 laps so everyone will be charging when the
green drops so it will be a wild dash to get to the front. It should be
a lot of fun and hopefully we will be there at the end."
Eddie
Mac has posted nine wins at NHMS including five American Canadian Tour
Bond Invitational wins, one Pro Stock/SLM win, to go along with the
three K&N wins. The most recent honor for Eddie Mac and the team was the
induction of his famous "flame" late model into the North East Motor
Sports Museum just down the street from the main entrance to the track
on route 106.
"We hope to have a very successful three weeks with
other races possibly added, so we are excited and will look forward to
seeing a lot of our fans who have greatly supported us through the
years,' said Eddie Mac. |
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Sunday, June 11th
19th
Community Bank 150 |
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Tire Issue Ends Eddie MacDonald's Race at Thunder Road |
Eddie MacDonald battled tire issues from the beginning of the
American Canadian Tour's Community Bank 150 at Barre's Thunder Road in
Vermont on Sunday, June 11 to finish 19th. The race, originally
scheduled for April 30 and postponed due to rain, gave new track owners
time to make significant changes to the facility, including new hot top
for the track. While their intentions were good the end result created a
tire-eating monster.
Driving the EXIT Realty/Hancock Electric
Chevy, Eddie Mac took the green flag in the 18th position in the
Community Bank 150 after posting a win in the consi race. The Freddie
Peterson owned ride survived some early crashes to move inside the top
ten. However the tire issues that plagued some competitors early also
affected Eddie Mac with the driver saying, "The car just got looser in
the turns and I felt a vibration around lap 30. We were running around
ninth place but I could feel the right rear tire starting to come
apart."
Unfortunately for Eddie Mac he became one of the 11 race
cautions with a spin on lap 41 coming out of turn four. The crew quickly
changed tires with Eddie Mac returning to the track in the seventeenth
position. Because of the known tire issues, ACT officials planned a
break at lap 75 in the 150 lap event so teams could change right side
tires. For many, it was a matter of too little too late as the carnage
continued when racing resumed with the hot track too much for the tires
with the #17 Ma. no exception. With the mismatched tire now serving the
right rear, the plan was to make it to the halfway flag to get new
rubber.
By the caution flag on lap 59, Eddie Mac rode in the
12th saying, "I was trying to make it to the break but the tire was
coming apart and then I got pushed up the track, the tire let go and I
went over the banking in turn two. That ended our day. It is so
disappointing to have to race like that. The new owners really have been
working hard to improve the place and believed adding the hot top would
be a huge improvement. It just didn't work out and unfortunately a lot
of guys wrecked and we tore up the front of our car. I feel terrible it
happened."
The crash on lap 65 ended the day for Eddie Mac to
post the 19th place finish. Only five cars finished on the lead lap with
a pit full of angry drivers and crew.
"It was a real hot day and
I have to thank the crew for all the hard work," said Eddie Mac. "It was
a tough day but these guys never give up and Rollie and I can't thank
them enough. We couldn't do this without car owners Sheila and Freddie
Peterson, Derek Beatrice from EXIT Realty, and Scott and Kenny Thompson
from Hancock Electric. We have some work to do but we will get it fixed
and be back on the track. There isn't much to say. It was just a bad
day." |
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North East Motor Sports Museum
922 NH Rt 106, Loudon, NH
www.nemsmuseum.com |
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Eddie MacDonald’s Famous
“Flame” Car on Display
in the North East Motor Sports Museum
|
The #17 Late Model "Flame" car driven by Eddie MacDonald to
three ACT Invitational titles at NHMS, two Oxford 250 wins with
countless victories throughout the northeast for over a decade took its
place of honor in new North East Motor Sports Museum located a half-mile
south of the entrance to New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New
Hampshire.
"Words cannot describe how honored I am to have our car in
this special place," said Eddie Mac when delivering his car to the
museum. "Dick Berggren came to the shop a few months ago to ask us to
display the car at this incredible facility. Rollie (LaChance) and I
quickly agreed that this car should be part of this historic collection
of New England racing. It is truly humbling. I know racing fans who love
our sport as much as we do will be thrilled sharing all the memories.
This facility offers something for everyone."
"Of course, this
car and our success would not be possible without the help of many
people including my family and Rollie's family," reflected Eddie Mac.
"Through the years, we have been fortunate to have so many dedicated
crew members who worked countless hours to prepare this car every time
we raced. So many people supported our efforts especially Rob Grimm, our
K&N team owner, Kenny and Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric, Derek
Beatrice from EXIT Realty, and NEMO. It is special to share this today
with my father and two "old" crew members Herbie Wing and Dick Casey who
worked unbelievable hours so I could have all the fun. I have to give
special thanks to the man responsible for the "Flames," John Tiernan. We
won a lot of races and I am forever grateful for all the people who
helped get this car to its place of honor."
According to the
pamphlet, "The North East Motor Sports Museum was created by racers,
race fans, their families and local contractors who donated their labor,
skills, ideas, dollars and materials. The Museum was truly built by the
racing community." Dick Berggren, the moving force for the museum's
creation, shared some of the offerings given by racers, families, and
race fans to make this facility a one of a kind in the northeast.
Berggren was quick to point out the huge commitment both financially and
construction involvement of legendary Supermodified driver Bentley
Warren as an integral catalyst to get the project up and running.
The North East Motor Sports Museum is a non-profit, strictly
volunteer operation in the beautiful 10,000 square foot facility
featuring in addition to race cars and motorcycles, a huge display of
trophies, pictures, equipment, and a library. The Museum will open its
doors to the public on June 12. For a preview, go to NEMSmuseum.com and
on Facebook.
"I encourage all the race fans to visit this museum
the next time you are in the area," said Eddie Mac. "To be part of this
is awesome and I am so proud to have our car represent all the hard work
and commitment of so many people. This museum is filled with stories
just like ours that show the love people have for this sport." |
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Sunday, May
21st |
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FIFTH at MONTMAGNY with PASS SLM |
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Top Five Finish for Eddie MacDonald
at Autodrome
Montmagny in Canada |
Eddie MacDonald, driving the EXIT Realty/Grimm Construction
Chevy, scored a fifth place finish in the Pro All Star Series (PASS) 150
lap feature on Sunday, May 21 at Autodrome Montmagny in Quebec. The
Rowley, Mass driver started tail in the seventeen car field due to a
weight mix up. Eddie Mac drove the Dave Lemieux owned Pro Stock/SLM
through the stellar competition to post the fifth place run.
Eddie Mac posted the fastest time in both practices and was poised to
compete for the win but a mix up at the scales forced the #17 to start
in the rear with Eddie Mac saying, "We were a few pounds heavy on the
left side when we went over the scales so we moved the weight around but
we didn't go back over the scales and that was our fault. It was too bad
because the car was really fast and had a great shot to contend for the
win."
When the green flag waved, Eddie Mac drove to the tenth
position by the first and only caution of the race on lap 17 with the
veteran driver saying, "During the caution the officials let a team
member come out to clean the windshield because there was so much
speedy-dry on the track from the earlier race. The car was going good
but it was slippery out there. After that caution I rode around for a
while not really pushing it too hard because we all expected another
caution but surprisingly that was the only one. It was hard to believe
we could run the rest of the way without a yellow. The field really
began to spread out so it was tough to make up ground and pass cars."
On lap 50, Eddie Mac began making his move from the tenth
position and into the sixth spot at the halfway flag. Gaining positions
became more difficult as the front runners were spread out on the 3/8ths
of a mile oval with Eddie Mac saying, "I got into fifth place on lap 95
and I was driving as hard as I could but the third and fourth place cars
were a full straight ahead of me. I chased them down in about 25 laps
but I just couldn't get by them. I could drive it in hard in the turns
and get up alongside them but I couldn't get back to the throttle
because the car was loose at that point and I was driving up in the
marbles."
"We really thought we could win this race with the car
as fast as it was but it was our own fault for not going back across the
scales," said a disappointed Eddie Mac. "This track is fast and a lot of
fun to drive. The straights are long so you need a lot of engine and we
had it and it really handled great in the turns. We just needed another
caution to bunch the cars back up then I think we would have had a great
chance to win. There were a number of fast cars here so when everything
got spread out it was almost impossible to make up that much ground. It
was a lot of fun coming here and Quebec city is a beautiful area and the
team got to spend Saturday sightseeing and everyone enjoyed themselves."
"Rollie (LaChance) and I thank all the crew for making the trip here
and doing an awesome job as they usually do. Rob Drandson, Tom Rice
Brian Neal, and Ryan LaChance worked great in the pits. Laura LaChance
helps Rollie spot and does the time sheet. Jolene Drandson does the
social media and keeps everyone back home informed about what is going
on throughout the day and I thank her. My girlfriend Kelyn Harrell takes
care of all the stuff needed to do so I can concentrate on the racecar.
Thanks to Derek Beatrice from EXIT Realty for his support. Special
thanks to car owner Dave Lemieux for giving us everything we need and
special thanks to our K&N team owner Rob Grimm who supports our racing
efforts. "
The #17 Pro Stock/SLM team is scheduled to compete
again in the inaugural Granite State PASS race at New Hampshire Motor
Speedway on July 1. |
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Eighth Place Finish for Eddie
in ACT's Governor's
Cup |
Eddie MacDonald dealt with an ill-handling
EXIT Realty/Hancock Electric Chevy for three quarters of the annual
American Canadian Tour's New Hampshire Governor's Cup 150 opener at Lee
USA Speedway on Sunday, April 23. Driving the Freddie Peterson owned
#17, Eddie Mac waited for a much needed caution that did not happen
until lap 98.
"The car was hitting the track in the turns and
sliding up the track so it was impossible to pass any cars," said Eddie
Mac. "Rollie (crew chief LaChance) and I decided to wait until the first
caution to pit and just try to maintain our 14th starting position. We
thought with 29 cars in the field there would be an earlier caution
especially this being the first race of the season but everyone stayed
out of trouble until lap 98."
After racing in the K&N Pro Series
East on Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway, the team had only the forty
minute practice session on Sunday to ready the car for the first race of
the season. Most teams took advantage of the Saturday practice session.
Eddie Mac started pole in the heat but only managed a second place
finish to post a minus one score and started 14th in the feature.
Despite the ill-handling car, Eddie Mac was able to gain five positions
when the first caution flag waved on lap 98. After two trips to the crew
for adjustments, Eddie Mac returned to the track P. 13 for the restart
and was able to move to eighth when the checkered flag flew on the 150th
circuit.
"The car was a lot better after the adjustments but when
we returned to racing there were just too many good cars in front of us
to get to the front," said Eddie Mac. "Our lap times were just as good
as the leader but it takes a long time to pass guys here. We just ran
out of laps. Of course, we were hoping to contend for the win at my home
track but it just wasn't meant to be. We just missed the set-up a little
and that's all it took. Normally you get early cautions and if we had I
know we would have been in a position to race for the win. It is always
great fun to compete on the track I grew up on and see all our families
and supporters."
"The team did a great job getting the car ready
at the shop and at the track," said Eddie Mac. "We are always thankful
for our K&N team owner Rob Grimm for supporting us in this series. We
are very thankful for our sponsors Derek Beatrice from EXIT Realty and
Kenny and Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric. Thanks also to Sheila
and Freddie Peterson, Bobby Wood, John Tiernan, Joe St. Jacques, and our
crew Rob Drandson, Tom Rice, Dave Ricker, Craig Laroache, Brian Neal,
Ryan and Laura LaChance. One of our crew members was not here due to a
serious health issue and we miss and wish Donny Higinbotham all the
best. Donny is just one of those guys willing to do anything to help our
team and has for many years."
The team is already busy preparing
the car for the 19th annual ACT Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road in
Barre, Vt. on Sunday, April 30. |
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SATURDAY, APRIL 22nd |
Bristol Motor Speedway |
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Eddie Posts Tenth Place Finish
at Bristol K&N East |
Eddie MacDonald, driver of the #71 Grimm Construction Chevy,
opened his K&N Pro Series East season scoring a tenth place finish on
Saturday, April 22, in the rain-shortened Zombie Auto 125 at Bristol
Motor Speedway. Inclement weather plagued the annual April NASCAR Cup
weekend forcing delays and postponements in the Xfinity and Cup race.
The K&N race began two hours late, then just ran out of time as
another huge cell drenched the "World's Fastest Half-Mile" after running
70 laps of the scheduled 125 laps. The Rowley, Mass. veteran felt the
shortened event cost a top five finish saying, "The car was fast before
the break and we thought with the small adjustments at the half-time
break we would be able to gain a number of positions in the second
stage. Unfortunately we never got the chance."
Rain caused the
cancellation of qualifying on Friday and cut practice time in half. The
starting grid was set by points and last year's schedule relegating
Eddie Mac to start in the 18th spot since this was the team's first K&N
start this season. When the green flag finally waved over the 26
car-field, Eddie Mac moved to the bottom groove and began moving to the
front. By the first caution flag on lap 11, the Rob Grimm owned ride
gained six positions to ride comfortably in the 12th spot. On lap 17 a
caution slowed the field with Eddie Mac in seventh place. However, when
NASCAR set the field for the restart, Eddie Mac was surprisingly moved
back to the 12th position.
"I was very surprised I was moved to
12th since I thought I clearly had the seventh spot well before the
caution flag," said the disappointed driver. "The car was working great
and really sticking on the bottom so this was definitely a set-back
since Rollie told me over the radio that rain was in the area. I was
able to get back two of the spots before the next caution. It was just
spitting a little but by the time we had the half-way break to make our
adjustments it started pouring. It was a shame because both Rollie and I
thought we could get to the top five after just freeing up the car a
little. As I said, we never found out and that's a shame because the car
was very good."
"The crew did an awesome job all weekend," said
Eddie Mac. "The rain definitely made things more difficult and I really
have the thank everyone for their effort. I want to wish Chuck Grimm,
Rob's dad, a speedy recovery from a recent illness. He was supposed to
be here as usual but is recovering at home. I have the best guys for
sure but special thanks have to go to crew member Kenny Grooms who
became a great grandfather while he was working here at the track. That
is the kind of dedication our crew brings every race."
Of course,
we all have to thank Rob Grimm for doing this," said Eddie. "We have
been doing this together for over a decade now and it is all thanks to
him. Rob and Karla have treated us like family and we appreciate
everything they have done for us."
The Grimm
Construction/Multiple Sclerosis Chevy is scheduled next to compete at
Thompson Motorsports Park in Connecticut on July 8.
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K&N Pro East Stat Advance - Bristol |
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm
Construction Chevrolet)
- Leads
all current drivers with 192 career K&N Pro Series starts dating back to
2001.
- Has eight career top-10 finishes in the final series
standings, including a career-best second place finish in the
championship in 2009.
- Is the only driver entered this weekend to
have won previously at Bristol, winning there in 2014 from the 13th
starting position, highest among any of the five drivers with wins at
the track.
- Has four top 10s in five career starts at Bristol.
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Is making his season debut this weekend. |
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43rd Annual ICEBREAKER
SUN. APRIL 9th
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Eddie MacDonald Wins PASS
Icebreaker at Thompson
|
Eddie MacDonald powered to victory in the Pro All-Star Series
(PASS) opener at Thompson Motorsports Park's Icebreaker on Sunday. As a
result of winning the second qualifying heat on Saturday, Eddie Mac
started the 75 lap feature from the outside pole position in the EXIT
Realty Beatrice Associates/Grimm Racing Chevy and quickly established
his dominance.
When the green flag waved, the Rowley, Mass. veteran
racer drove to the lead exiting turn two from pole sitter D.J. Shaw on
the first lap holding the lead until a lap 10 caution. On the restart,
Eddie Mac spun the tires giving Shaw the lead until the next caution on
lap 20 when the Dave Lemieux Chevy regained the lead with Eddie Mac
saying, "I made a mistake on the previous restart, so I made an
adjustment on the next one and I was able to get lead back. The car was
really fast and once I had the lead I was able to use the power down the
straights and the car handled great in the turns."
Eddie Mac
passed only twice in the 75 lap twenty-two car field and both passes
were over Shaw. From lap twenty on, the only serious contender was Eddie
Fatscher, the fourteen year old from Long Island, New York with Eddie
Mac saying, "Our car was really strong and the #51 gave us all we could
handle. The kid drove a great race but I had enough power thanks to our
engine builder Paul Rinaldi to hold off any challenges from him. The car
got a little loose at the end but I guess everyone else did too. "
With two laps to go, Eddie Mac held a three car length lead on the
#51 and would take the checkered flag to post his second win in the Dave
Lemieux owned ride with the jubilant owner saying after the race, "This
is a great win and I am so happy to have Eddie MacDonald driving my car.
He is a fantastic driver and part of a fantastic team. Everyone works so
hard from the guys in the shop to the crew at the track. Rollie
(LaChance-crew chief) did a great job setting up the car and Paul
Rinaldi builds great engines. I do this for fun and I couldn't ask to be
with a better group of people."
"I owe so much to our K&N owner
Rob Grimm for everything he has done for us; it is always special when
we get a win," said Eddie Mac after the race. "Rob is a huge part of
everything we do whether it is in the K&N, PASS, or ACT racing. Today,
Rollie had a great set up and the crew worked hard in the shop and on
the track to get this car ready. Joe St. Jacques hung the new nose after
Dick Casey stripped all the damage after getting wrecked at Seekonk last
season and Joe did a beautiful job. Brian Neal from Neal Excavating did
a lot of work to get this car ready along with John Tiernan. We have a
lot of people to thank for our win including Rob Drandson, Craig
Laroche, Ryan LaChance, Kenny G, and Laura LaChance. Jolene Drandson
keeps everyone informed with our progress at the track on social media.
Special thanks to my girlfriend Kelyn Harrell for all her support. This
is really a team effort and a win would not be possible without the
commitment from every one of these people."
Eddie Mac will
compete next in the K&N Pro Series event at Bristol Motor Speedway on
April 22, and then fly back early the next morning to race in the ACT
Governor's Cup 150 at his family owned track, Lee USA Speedway in Lee,
N.H. on Sunday, April 23. |
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Photos by Richard Casey |
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Photos by Norm
Marx |
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Lee USA Speedway
SUNDAY, APRIL 23rd |
Bristol Motor Speedway
SATURDAY, APRIL 22nd |
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Eddie MacDonald Prepares
for April Season Openers |
Eddie MacDonald will take the green flag in the Pro All-Star
Series opener in the Icebreaker PASS race at Thompson Motorsports Park
on Sunday, April 2 in the first of three races scheduled in the month in
three different series. Eddie Mac will also compete in Bristol Motor
Speedway for the K&N Pro Series East event on April 22 and then head to the American
Canadian Tour's Governor's Cup at his home track Lee USA Speedway on
April 23.
"As you can imagine, we have been extremely
busy preparing the cars for three different series but we are looking
forward to getting things going and improving on our performance from
last season," said the veteran Rowley, Mass. racer. "We are going to
pick and choose the races we run in this season and we hope the
flexibility will allow us to better prepare for the races we run. Last
year was very hectic trying to run as many races as we did. We were not
pleased with our performance in the K&N series and we are re-doubling
our efforts to be more successful."
Currently, Eddie Mac and the
Grimm Racing Team is scheduled to compete in four K&N events with the
first on the "World's Fastest Half-Mile" in Bristol, Tennessee with
Eddie Mac saying, "We absolutely love racing at Bristol and have enjoyed
some success there. We won there in 2014, finished sixth in 2015, and
eighth there last year. The competition in this series is incredible and
we really have to be prepared to run and finish well against those
teams. Our team owner Rob Grimm gives us everything we need for the
Grimm Construction Chevy to be competitive, so it will be fun to kick
off our season with a solid showing at Bristol. We plan to run at
Thompson, Loudon, and Dover this season in the K&N so our focus will be
on preparing the best cars for each race. The entire team is excited and
ready to go."
The Icebreaker at Thompson is an important event to
kick off the racing series throughout New England and Eddie Mac would
like nothing better that to kick off the PASS race with a win on the
fast, high-banked five-eighths of a mile speedway. The super late model
owned by Dave Lemieux is receiving the finishing touches at crew chief
Rollie LaChance's shop in preparation for the upcoming event with Eddie
Mac saying," We are looking forward to starting our season at Thompson
in Dave's car. We won the inaugural race at Loudon in it in 2015 so we
know we have a good piece. We have done quite a bit of work on it for
the season opener so we think it will be fast. Thompson is a great track
if you are fast especially with the long front and back straightaways
you need all the power you can get. We plan to run a limited schedule in
the PASS and Granite State series. After Thompson we will be returning
to Bristol to run in the Super Late Model race on May 21. We also plan
to run at Loudon and Oxford in the 250. We may add other races as the
season progresses."
The ACT Governor's Cup at Lee USA Speedway on
April 23 is the one race that Eddie Mac would certainly love to win since
his parent's own the track with Eddie Mac saying, "Winning the ACT race
at Lee would be a great feeling for my family and all our supporters. I
started my racing career at Lee as a teenager and love racing there. The
ACT competition is fierce and getting a win there is huge. I am pleased
to say we will have EXIT Realty and Hancock Electric on board this year
as sponsors. We decided this season, along with our car owner Freddie
Peterson, that we would run a partial schedule this season. We competed
in the full schedule last year and we felt it would be better to run
selected races this year. We will run at Thunder Road and White Mountain
initially then add races as the season progresses. Of course Loudon,
Beech Ridge, Thompson, and Seekonk are always in consideration. We are
excited to get the ACT season going and a win at Lee would be awesome." |
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2017 Schedule
SUBJECT TO CHANGE |
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Date |
Track |
Location |
Length |
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Sun.
4/9 |
.jpg)
Thompson Speedway
Motorsports Park
The 43rd Icebreaker |
Thompson, CT |
.625 |
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Sat.
4/22 |
Bristol Motor Speedway
NKNPS East Bristol |
Bristol, TN |
.533 |
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Sun.
4/23 |
Lee USA
Speedway
The Goveror's Cup |
Lee, NH |
.375 |
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Sun.
4/30 |
Thunder Road Speedbowl
The Merchants Bank 150
|
Barre, VT |
.250 |
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Sat.
5/21 |
Bristol Motor Speedway
The US Short Track Nationals |
Bristol, TN |
.533 |
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Sat.
6/17 |
White Mountain Motrosports Park |
North. Woodstock, NH |
.250 |
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Sat.
7/1 |
New Hampshire
Motor Speedway |
Loudon,
NH |
1.058 |
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Sat.
7/8 |
Thompson Speedway
Motorsports Park
NKNPS East Thompson |
Thompson, CT |
.625 |
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Sat.
7/15 |
New Hampshire
Motor Speedway
United Site Services 70 |
Loudon,
NH |
1.058 |
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Sun.
8/27 |
Oxford
Plains Speedway
The 44th Oxford 250 |
Oxford, ME |
.375 |
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Fri.
9/29 |
Dover International
Speedway
NKNPS East Dover |
Dover,
DE |
1.00 |
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Grimm Racing Is More than Just Winning |
Racing may be about winning
but it also has plenty of room for support and compassion for people
and causes and this is what Grimm Racing is all about. If anyone has
any doubt about the validity of the statement, all they have to do
is to look at the vinyl covering the car. The MS, New Path
Adventures, Boston Strong logos, and the Eric Williams emblem are
displayed on every Grimm car.
Recently Megan Spaulding, the
daughter of Carla and Rob Grimm, was diagnosed with Multiple
Sclerosis. In an effort to support MS Awareness Week, the #71
carried the logo for the first race on the rear quarter panels at
Bristol. Rob Grimm decided the MS banner would be permanently
displayed on the car for the entire season. The family and members
of Grimm Nation will participate as the “MS Warriors” in the May 5
MS Walk at Pocono Speedway. (http://walkpae.nationalmssociety.org)
The Grimm family was deeply moved by the horrific events on
Marathon Monday in Boston and the decision was easily reached to
display the “Boston Strong” ribbon on the car. Eddie MacDonald and
many of the team members call the Boston area home and felt the need
to support those killed, injured, and their families was something
Grimm Racing does for all those in need.
(onefundboston.org)
Rob Grimm decided that “New Path Adventures” logo would be
displayed on the back of the car for the season. New Path Adventures
is based in Dallas, Texas and ministers to troubled youths ages
13-19. Crew member Steven Owens, nephew of Rob Grimm, is proud to
say his brother Jonathan Owens and Alan Owens offer guidance and a
positive change in the choices these youngsters make in their daily
lives. The Spanish to English Ministry recently completed a very
successful bike ride across the state of Texas, an 865 mile journey,
to raise money. Alan and Jonathan work with a group of 7-10
youngsters by taking them from their environment and harmful
behavior, minister to them while living out of backpacks in the
wilds of Texas.
NewPathAdventures.org is a good source for information.
On February 25, 2013 Corrections Officer Eric Williams was murdered
in the line of duty at the U.S Penitentiary located in Canaan, Pa.
that is within sight of the Grimm Racing shop in Waymart, Pa. In
order to honor Officer Williams and those men and women that serve,
every Grimm car will display the emblem for the remainder of the
season. (www.facebook.comCorrectionalPeaceOfficersFoundation)
Being a member of Grimm Nation is much more than supporting the
#71 on the track. It means a commitment to show support for those in
need. |
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>>
Previous Race Results HERE << |
