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2009 Race Stories and Photos
January to July 19th |
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Eddie Wins!
2 - Patrick
Laperle
3 -
John Donahue
4 -
Brian Hoar
5 -
Shawn Martin
"A GREAT Race" |
When Eddie MacDonald and crew chief
Rollie LaChance first joined forces years ago, both felt they would
be competitive so two goals were set. The first was to win at Loudon
in the Camping World Series East and the second was to win the
Oxford 250 in the Late Model the two owned together. Last year the
first was accomplished with back-to-back wins at Loudon. Last night,
the second was realized with an impressive win in the TD Banknorth
250 in one of the most prestigious short track races in the country.
This year’s race is considered by many to be one of the very best in
recent memory. The race for the win was intense but the racing
throughout the field was relentless. There was side-by-side racing
all night wherever you looked. No one left the track disappointed
with the quality of racing that went on. Although MacDonald held the
lead for over one hundred laps, every lap provided excitement with
three and sometimes four-wide racing. Brent Dragon started on the
pole as he and MacDonald swapped the lead in the early going with
Dragon extending his lead by lap 32. Patrick Laperle, John Donahue,
Brian Hoar joined Dragon and MacDonald as race leaders but it was
all MacDonald when he took the lead from Hoar on lap 170 and never
gave it up.
LaChance, a New Gloucester, Maine resident and Oxford Plains veteran
for many years, was exuberant after the win saying, “This is a great
win. I have wanted this one for a long time. It ranks right up there
with the Loudon wins. We were okay early, then we faded in the
middle of the race but we came back to take the lead and we were
racing on our heat tires so I was thinking how good we would be on
new tires. We took new rubber on lap 129 then Eddie had to fight his
way through the field and was racing three and four wide. I was
holding my breath a couple of times saying, ‘we have a good car,
don’t wreck it.’ There’s a reason they call running three and four
wide here the Angels Expressway. I am just so proud of this team and
this win will be with us for a long time.”
Brian Hoar, a former competitor in the old Busch North Series, was
on the move taking the lead on lap 139 and pulling away but
MacDonald caught him on lap 165 and the race for the top spot was
on. Hoar tried to regain the lead but finally slipped back to fourth
as Laperle made a charge for the lead. MacDonald was too strong and
established a solid lead as Laperle, Hoar, and Donahue battled for
second place. With 25 laps to go, Laperle made a gallant effort and
reeled in the leader but appeared to have used up his tires in the
process giving the final ten laps all to MacDonald. Donahue finished
third with Hoar and Shawn Martin completing the top five.
MacDonald put $35,200 in the coffers with the win and lead lap
money. The Rowley, Mass. driver, only the third Mass. racer to win
the Oxford 250, was thrilled with the win saying, “This is awesome.
We came so close last year; it was great to get another chance this
year to win it. The car was really good early on and it was fun to
race with those guys. No one made it easy out there. It was
hard-nosed racing right from the start. Laperle, Michaud, Hoar and
all the others gave us all that we could handle. It is so much fun
racing at this track and to be able to run three and four wide
without getting wrecked shows what kind of drivers compete in this
thing. We were so good after we took on the four tires; I was just
trying not to mess up. I am so glad to win this for Rollie. Being a
Maine guy, winning this one has been a goal of his since he started
racing here. To win this is huge and I want to thank everyone for
all the help and support, especially Harry Franson who owns Speedway
Sports Park in Loudon. Harry has sponsored a number of big name
winners of the 250 in the past: Dave Dion, Joe Bessey, and Joey
Kourafas, just to name a few. To have him be part of another 250 win
that means so much to him is great. Of course Ron and Becky Bennett
from NEMO-New England Mechanical Overlay have been huge for us, as
well as Rob Grimm and his family.”
Over seventy cars tried to qualify for the 43 car field, somewhat
down from previous year’s numbers and perhaps a sign of the economic
troubles. The Wallace family was in attendance with Rusty coming the
closest to the finish line when he waved the green flag to start the
race. His son Steven ran 21st, while Kenny finished 33rd. With the
win, MacDonald qualifies for the ACT Tour race at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway in September and will try to add another win this
weekend at Beech Ridge. |
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Photos by Jamie Williams |
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Photos by Chris Roy |
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Eddie is up at Oxford
Plains Speedway on Saturday and Sunday, July 18th and 19th for the
36th running of the TD Banknorth 250. |
| In 2008, Eddie led 120 of the first
132 laps of the 250, cashing in $12,000 in lap leader bonus money.
Winner Cup star Kevin Harvick dove inside Eddie on lap 132 to take
the lead and hold it to the checkers. |
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Eddie
Starts the 250 from 3rd Place!
- Drew 8th for the third heat.
- Won the third heat.
NERacng.com: "Best
heat yet! Eddie Mac is flying, using a third groove"
Top 12 starters for the feature:
(1) 55vt Brent Dragon, Milton, Vt.
(2) 85 Travis Stearns, Auburn, Maine
(3) 17 Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass.
(4) 6vt Cris Michaud, E. Montpelier, Vt.
(5) 03 Travis Adams, Canton, Maine
(6) 26vt John Donahue, Graniteville, Vt.
(7) 37vt Brian Hoar, Williston, Vt.
(8) 55nh Brad Leighton, Center Conway, N.H.
(9) 88 Nick Sweet, Barre, Vt.
(10) 91 Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, Que.
(11) 25 Shawn Knight, South Paris, Maine
(12) 97 Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Hudson, N.H.
Follow all the Oxford Plains action at the Speed51
"Trackside Now" posts:
SUNDAY
SATURDAY
Speed51 TD Banknorth Oxford 250 Index of Stories Page HERE |
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EDDIE
FINISHES FIFTH
in PASS BASTILLE 200
In the pits after the PASS Super Late Model 200 lap race at Lee USA
Speedway, a very happy car owner Peter Hallinan said, “The only
reason this car finished fifth is because of those two guys,”
pointing at Eddie MacDonald and crew chief Rollie LaChance. The
Hallinan Motorsports entry only raced once last year and this year
so the car’s performance on the track was an unknown.
Both MacDonald and LaChance worked on the car during practice and
after a seventh place run in the heat race to get the car to turn in
the corners. The northeast contingent from MacDonald’s Camping World
crew was on hand to work on the car. The Rowley, Mass. driver knew
adjustments would have to be made during the race saying, “With the
race being 200 laps, Rollie and I knew we could use the cautions to
come in to make changes and it really worked out well for us.”
When asked what he tweaked during the race, LaChance said, “What
didn’t I tweak? We made a wedge adjustment, went to far then backed
it off, made a panhard bar adjustment, and then made a change on the
right front shock on the lap 120 caution. The car responded to the
changes and we had a great finish.” |
MacDonald started
19th in the field of 28 cars and nearly ended the night early when
he caught the tail end of a lap 22 wreck while running 15th but the
car was able to continue. A wedge adjustment on caution lap 47 made
the handling better, allowing MacDonald to move into tenth place at
the halfway mark. The decision to pit for tires on lap 117 forced
MacDonald to restart 15th before making the final adjustment to the
shock on lap 120. The car took off towards the front after the stop,
moving into ninth on lap 153. A late race caution on lap 198 found
MacDonald in the seventh spot with two laps to go and when the green
flag waved he was able to get by the #14 then just nip the #97
coming to the checkered flag.
MacDonald was pleased after the run saying, “The car was really
strong at the end. We needed a caution around lap 180 because there
was too much of a gap for me to make up to catch the leaders. Who
knows what might have happened but we are happy with the finish.
Rollie and the crew did a great job working on the car. It was a lot
of fun.”
Hallinan was quick to thank his sponsor’s Kowloon Restaurant,
Newmarket Sand and Gravel, G&J Towing and Recovery of Revere, and
especially Doug Chick. |
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CW East Race 7 - Sat., July 11th -
Pepsi Full Fender Frenzy
100 |
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Thompson Int'lSpeedway
Thompson,
CT
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.625
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FOURTH PLACE FINISH
FOR EDDIE AT THOMPSON |
Eddie MacDonald wheeled the Grimm
Construction Chevy to a fourth place finish in the Pepsi Full Fender
Frenzy 100 at Thompson International Speedway on Saturday night. The
Rowley, Mass. racer was able to maintain his hold onto second place
in the Camping World Series East championship race, only nine points
behind the leader, with four races remaining on the schedule. Rob
Grimm sits in third place in owner’s points.
MacDonald qualified fifth (20.483 sec.-109.847mph) on the fast,
high-banked 5/8th of a mile oval after posting first and fifth
fastest times in the two practice sessions. “We accomplished what we
wanted to do and that was to qualify up near the front. We would
have liked to get a couple of more spots but we are up there with a
lot of good cars so now it is up to me to get a good start and
hopefully have a good run. This is a short race so getting a good
start is everything,” said MacDonald.
The NEMO-New England Mechanical Overlay Chevy wasted little time
moving to third after the green flag waved in the same car that won
the same event in 2005. MacDonald challenged the #18 for second
place making the pass on a lap 18 restart. Another caution on lap 30
set the stage for what appeared to be the opportunity for MacDonald
to take the lead. When the green flag was shown, the #71 vaulted by
the leader Steve Park in turn two for a thrilling but brief lead
then almost collected the turn four wall with MacDonald saying, “I
was going in kind of high anyway but then I hit some oil that was
there from the caution before and it turned me sideways. We stayed
out of the wall but lost a few positions. It took a while for the
car to get going again. The car was great and getting the lead was
super but then that had to happen. It really stinks because we had
such a great car and that was our chance to put us in a position to
win this thing.”
Running in third for most of the remainder of the race, MacDonald
watched the #35 and the #00 battle for the lead waiting for a chance
to take the top spot saying, “Those guys were really running hard
and I was ready to go if they got into it and took each other out
but both did a good job.”
Truex finally made the pass on Park and opened up a big lead with
MacDonald working on the #35 to get by for second but handling
became an issue with MacDonald saying, “The car wouldn’t turn in the
middle of the corners so I could get to his bumper but I couldn’t
get under him enough to make the pass. I thought I might have a shot
at him on the restart (lap 96) when I was on the inside behind the
#00 but Truex didn’t go on the green. When he finally did I couldn’t
go with him. By that time the #18 was up alongside Truex and I ended
up stuck behind him.”
“Obviously we would have liked to get a couple of more positions but
fourth is a decent finish and we are in second in the point race so
these last four races are very important. Truex is running strong
but we have had good finishes at the remaining tracks so I am
confident we will be there at the end to challenge for the
championship.”
The Camping World Series East will next tackle the half-mile oval at
Adirondack International Speedway in The Edge Hotel 150 on August 1. |
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EDDIE
FOURTH AT THOMPSON
- Holds 2nd in Points as Truex Takes the Lead |
NASCAR.COM RACE REPORT:
THOMPSON, Conn. – Ryan Truex captured the checkered flag in a NASCAR
Camping World Series East race for the second time in the last three
outings as he took the Pepsi Full Fender Frenzy 100 Saturday night
at Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway.
Truex (No. 00 NAPA Toyota) battled Steve Park (No. 35 Waste
Management Recycle America Chevrolet) through the last half of the
race as the pair swapped the lead three times, but it was the
17-year-old Michael Waltrip Racing development driver who got past
the veteran on Lap 96 and rode to the victory.
It was the second win in the last three outings for Truex, who
earned his first series victory at Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International
on June 6. The Mayetta, N.J., native also joined his older brother,
Martin Truex Jr., as NASCAR Camping World Series East winners at
Thompson.
Park’s runner-up finish was the best of his 2009 season so far. He
led a race-high 76 laps after earning the Coors Light Pole Award
earlier in the day.
Matt DiBenedetto (No. 18 Joe Gibbs Driven Toyota) finished third to
record his fourth top-five in five starts this year. Eddie MacDonald
(No. 71 NEMO/Grimm Construction) and Alan Tardiff (No. 38 Bestway
Disposal Chevrolet) rounded out the top five.
The rest of the top 10 finishers included Matt Kobyluck, Jesus
Hernandez, Ryan Duff, Jonathan Smith and Brett Moffitt.
With the win, Truex has registered three-straight top-three
finishes, which vaulted him past Jody Lavender and MacDonald into
the points lead with four races remaining on the 2009 schedule.
Lavender, the points leader entering the day, finished 11th. |
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Live Thompson Race Reporting on localracing.NASCAR.com HERE |
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THOMPSON IS A WELCOME CHALLENGE
FOR MACDONALD |
When the green flag waves over
Thompson International Speedway for the NASCAR Camping World Series
East’s Full Fender Frenzy on Saturday, July 11th, Eddie MacDonald
will be ready to challenge for the win. The famed speedway has been
a favorite track for the Rowley, Mass. driver, posting the 2005
season ending victory to accompany a number of solid runs during his
career.
MacDonald feels confident the Grimm Construction Chevy will be
strong in the 100-lap event saying, “We are bringing the car that we
won with at Thompson in 2005. Rollie and the crew have really worked
hard to prepare the car starting even before Loudon. With everything
in place now that we are in our full second year with Rob Grimm, we
can focus on getting the car ready for the next race and not have to
worry about fixing it to get to the next track. That has really been
a big help for our program.”
The race for the championship is well within the grasp of the team
with five races remaining on the schedule on tracks that have been
good for MacDonald. “We are only 18 points behind Lavender for the
lead so this is an important race for us. If we can qualify up front
and stay up front, we should be competing for the win at the end.
Our goal at the beginning of the season was to contend for the
championship and I feel we can put ourselves in a position to do
that with a strong run. I really love running at Thompson. It is
like two drag strips with high-banked turns and is very fast. The
spec engine we run now gives us enough horsepower to get off the
turns and crank it up down the long straights. This race should be a
lot of fun.”
MacDonald has qualified well in the past, starting third in last
year’s Full Fender Frenzy but early handling issues and a late-race
flat tire produced a 15th place finish. MacDonald expects much
better results this time around saying, “Last year we brought the
Loudon car and I’m not sure if the longer wheel base was responsible
for our handling issues but we know what this car can do. We know we
are capable of running up front and Rollie knows how to set-up the
car so it will be there at the end. I just have to take car of the
tires and we should be good.”
Rob Grimm’s first race with the team was the 2007 event at Thompson
that nearly ended with a top five finish. “We were running sixth
with four laps to go and I had the car to get a couple of more
positions but unfortunately we got spun out coming out of turn four.
But Rob liked what he saw in the team and things have only gotten
better since that race. I would really like to win this for Rob, as
well as NEMO New England Mechanical Overlay that has been with us
for years.”
Qualifying heats for the Full Fender Frenzy will begin at 4:15. CWES
time trials go off at 6:00 on Saturday. The 75 lap PASS Super Late
Model feature will begin at approx. 7:30 pm, and the
100 lap CWES feature at approx. 8:30 pm. |
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Eddie in the Late Model at Oxford Plains on 7/5 |
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Sunday 7/5 - Running the Late Model
Eddie will be running all the Late Model race at Oxford Plains on
7/5 as a warm up for the
TD Banknorth 250 on Sunday July 19th.
The
36th Annual 250 home page HERE
OXFORD NETWORKS LATE MODEL (50 laps):
1. Shawn Martin, Turner; 2. Travis Adams, Canton;
3. Carey Martin, Denmark; 4. Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township; 5. Don
Wentworth, Otisfield;
6. Tim Brackett, Buckfield; 7. Scott Robbins, Dixfield; 8. Corey
Morgan, Lewiston;
9. Wayne Helliwell Jr., Pelham, N.H.; 10. Al Hammond, Paris; 11.
Shawn Knight, South Paris;
12. Nick Brown, Bath;
13.
Eddie MacDonald, Rowley,
Mass.; 14. Tommy Ricker, Poland;
15. Ron Charpentier Jr., Wales; 16. Travis Stearns, Auburn; 17.
Scott Luce, Strong;
18. Gerald Parlin, South Paris; 19. Bruce Haley, Minot; 20. Jason
Larrabee, Raymond;
21. Gary Chiasson, Peru; 22. Matt Sanborn, West Baldwin; 23. Billy
Childs Jr., Leeds;
24. Ben Ashline, Pittston; 25. Tony Ricci, Westbrook. |
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At
the track, riding on wheels of fortune
Rowley race car driver speeding up the charts |
| By Julian Benbow Globe Staff / July
2, 2009 |
In the time Rollie Lachance has
worked as Eddie MacDonald’s crew chief, he’s learned not to expect
much of a two-way conversation while the 28-year-old driver from
Rowley is behind the wheel.
“When I first started working with him,’’ Lachance said, “it was
pretty hard to get a read on how the car was handling because he
doesn’t complain about anything. But we have a good idea now on how
to read each other.’’
MacDonald is more of a listener.
“He doesn’t mind being talked to at all, but he doesn’t talk a whole
lot,’’ Lachance said. “Some guys don’t want to be talked to at all
because it distracts them. He likes to hear your voice in his ear.’’
FULL STORY AT BOSTON.COM HERE |
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CW East Race 6 - Fri., June 26th -
Heluva Good! Summer 125 |
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New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, NH
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1.058
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Chris Roy
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Jamie Williams
Photos |
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MACDONALD SCORES A
SIXTH PLACE FINISH AT NHMS |
Eddie MacDonald’s late race battle
back through the field netted a sixth place finish in the NASCAR
Camping World Series East Heluva Good! Summer 125 at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway. The goal to win the event for the third time in a
row after sweeping both races last season at The Magic Mile did
not happen but the Grimm Racing Team accomplished one of its goals
to move to second in the points race.
MacDonald started on the outside pole then powered by Ryan Truex to
the lead in turn two holding on to the top spot for 33 laps. The
team earned ten bonus points for leading a lap and shared the lead
for the most laps led in the race with 39. The #71 and the #00
pulled away from the pack early leading by as much as 20 cars
lengths. No one came close to challenging the pair over the first 62
laps. MacDonald said after the race, “I probably should have let him
(#00) go. We were running pretty hard and the car was really good so
I could have easily stayed in behind. There was no pressure from
behind and I could have saved a little more of the car. It is tough
to do that because Ryan and I were having a lot of fun out there.”
The car then began to change with MacDonald saying, “The car got
really tight and I had to wait so long to get on the throttle. I put
in more rear brake but I had trouble getting in the center and off
the turn. It was bouncing especially in turn two and kept washing up
the track.”
Despite the tight condition, the decision was made not to take tires
on the lap-39 and lap-63 cautions when most of the field pitted for
gas and fresh rubber. The team planned to employed the same strategy
as last year when they pitted late for tires and the plan worked to
perfection as the NEMO-New England Mechanical Overlay sponsored ride
was able to blast through the field for the wins. This year, things
did not work as planned.
MacDonald was running third when the caution flag flew on lap-77
giving the team an opportunity to bolt on right side tires and fill
the Grimm Chevy full of gas. The restart on lap 81 found MacDonald
in 19th place and the struggle was on to move back to the front.
MacDonald said of the strategy to take tires late in the race, “We
waited last year to pit and it worked out but there were some slower
cars on the lead lap that made it tough to pass and we fell further
behind the leaders. Last year there were more lapped cars so it was
easier to get around them. I had to race a couple of guys really
hard to get by them.”
On the 100th circuit, MacDonald made the move into ninth place but
knew there was not much left saying, “I used up a lot of the car and
tires getting back up through. I was just hoping to get a couple of
more positions before the end of the race.” When the checkered flag
waved MacDonald had picked off two more cars to post a hard-earned
sixth place finish.
“We had a good points day and hope we can improve on that at
Thompson. We have had success there in the past and really enjoy
running there. We were certainly trying to get three in a row here
but it just didn’t happen today. Everyone worked so hard on this car
so our finish was not for lack of effort. That’s racing and we’ll
get them next time.”
The Camping World Series East will invade the famed Thompson
International Speedway in Thompson, CT on Saturday, July 11th. |
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Live NHMS Race Reporting on localracing.NASCAR.com HERE |
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Lavender has 901 points, while
MacDonald is second with 883 and Truex third with 872. Moffitt
dropped to fourth in the points standings.
Eddie
led 39 laps.
CHECKERED FLAG -- MATT DIBENEDETTO IS THE WINNER OF THE HEULVA GOOD!
SUMMER 125. IT IS HIS SECOND NASCAR CAMPING WORLD SERIES EAST
VICTORY. RYAN TRUEX COMES HOME SECOND, FOLLOWED BY KEVIN SWINDELL,
JODY LAVENDER AND EDDIE MACDONALD. DIBENEDETTO, 17, GIVES JOE GIBBS
RACING ITS THIRD WIN IN THE LAST FIVE RACES AT NEW HAMPSHIRE.
UNOFFICIAL RUNDOWN:
1. DiBenedetto, 2. Truex, 3. Swindell, 4. Gifford, 5.
Lavender, 6. MacDonald, 7. Tardiff, 8.
Hernandez, 9. Long, 10. Park, 11. Kobyluck, 12. Armstrong, 13.
Olsen, 14. Anton, 15. Kennedy, 16. Johnson, 17. Delaney, 18.
Leighton, 19. Salemi, 20. Duff, 21. Smith, 22. J. Johnson, 23.
Patison, 24. Shaw, 25. Daniels, 26. Mattioli, 27. Moffitt, 28.
Chase, 29. Bouley.
CHECKERED -- Truex blocks
DiBenedetto out of Turn 2. DiBenedetto gets into the back of Truex
again, pushing Truex ahead as they go into Turn 3. DiBenedetto backs
off and then gets a run through inside through Turn 4. The two make
contact out of Turn 4 side by side with DiBenedetto pushing into the
lead and crosses the line first.
WHITE FLAG: Truex pulls
ahead slightly, but DiBenedetto gets a run |
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YouTube
Eddie MacDonald
New Hampshire
Ride Along Video
HERE |
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Eddie Qualifies 2nd
with a 30.601 |
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Ryan Truex, who was the
next-to-last car to go out, knocked Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 NEMO/Grimm
Construction Chevrolet) off the provisional pole. MacDonald won both
of the New Hampshire races in 2008 and posted a fast lap of 30.601
seconds (124.467 mph) during qualifying. |
POS CAR DRIVER TEAM TIME SPEED
*Rookie
1 00 Ryan Truex, Mayetta, N.J. * NAPA Toyota 30.443 125.113
2 71 Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass. NEMO/Grimm Construction Chev.
30.601 124.467
3 9 Kevin Swindell, Germantown, Tenn. Curb Records Chevrolet 30.616
124.406
4 44 Brett Moffitt, Grimes, Iowa * Castle Packs Power/EJP Chevrolet
30.69 124.106
5 18 Matt DiBenedetto, Grass Valley, Calif. Joe Gibbs Driven Toyota
30.693 124.093
6 35 Steve Park, East Northport, N.Y. Waste Management Recycle
America Chevrolet 30.734 123.928
7 40 Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn. Mohegan Sun Resort & Casino
Chevrolet 30.768 123.791
8 38 Alan Tardiff, Lyman, Maine * Bestway Disposal Chevrolet 30.811
123.618
9 88 Jody Lavender, Hartsville, S.C. JoJo Ent./Custom Race Chassis
Chevrolet 30.853 123.45
10 30 Jeff Anton, Russell, Mass. East Coast Resurfacing Chevrolet
30.904 123.246 |
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Heluva Good! Summer 125 News and Notes |
The Race
… The Heluva Good! Summer 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is the
sixth event in an 11-race schedule this year for the NASCAR Camping
World Series East, and the first of two trips to Loudon, N.H. This
will be the 51st all-time race for the series at NHMS.
The Procedure … The starting field is
36 cars, including provisionals. The first 32 cars will have secured
starting positions based on two-lap qualifying. The remaining four
spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will
be 125 laps (132.5 miles).
The Track … NHMS is a 1.058-mile,
slightly-banked asphalt oval. The NCWSE, along with the NASCAR
Whelen Modified Tour, were among the first NASCAR series to compete
at NHMS when it opened in 1990. NHMS has played host to more NCWSE
races than any other facility in the series’ history.
Race Winners … The inaugural NCWSE race
on Sept. 2, 1990 at NHMS was won by Mike McLaughlin. McLaughlin, who
also captured the NWMT race that same day, went on to earn three
more NCWSE wins at the ‘Magic Mile.’ New Hampshire native Brad
Leighton has the most series wins at NHMS with eight. Eddie
MacDonald won both races last year.
Pole Winners … Kelly Moore has the most
Coors Light Pole Awards in NCWSE history at NHMS with six.
Qualifying for the June 2008 race was rained out and Peyton Sellers
sat on the pole for the September event. Brian Hoar set the
qualifying record in 2002 at 28.892 seconds (127.141 mph).
Competition Counts … Each of the last
seven races have featured nine or more lead changes. Each of last
year’s races had nine lead changes among six different drivers. The
record for most lead changes is 12, achieved twice (Sept. 2005 and
Sept. 1996), and the record for more different leaders is eight
(Sept. 2006)
New Englanders have lock on Victory Lane
Looking to pick the winner of Friday’s New England 100? Narrow your
search for favorites down to those that hail from New England.
The win by Mayetta, N.J., native Martin Truex Jr.’s in the July 2003
race was the last time a driver from outside of New England has gone
to Victory Lane in a NASCAR Camping World Series East race.
Of the 21 different winners over the 50 previous events at the
‘Magic Mile,’ all six New England states have been represented. New
Hampshire and Maine have had six winners apiece, while Connecticut
and Massachusetts have had three each. Rhode Island’s lone winner
was Mike Stefanik (1995 and 2005).
Truex and his father are joined by fellow outsiders Steve Park and
Mike McLaughlin (both from New York) as the only non-New Englanders
to break through.
Other notes to keep in mind when looking for a favorite:
Just four rookies have won at New Hampshire — McLaughlin (1990),
Park (1996), Brad Leighton (1996) and Joey Logano (2007).
Only nine times has the pole winner gone on to win the race. Truex
Jr. and Leighton did it twice and it was most recently accomplished
by Logano in June 2007.
Joe Bessey’s win from the 24th-starting position in 1994 is the
furthest back an eventual winner has begin. Only four times as the
winner qualified outside of the top 10.
Last year’s event ...
Eddie
MacDonald achieved what he called his biggest win of the season
when he emerged from a three-wide scramble with Matt Kobyluck and
rookie Trevor Bayne to pull off his first win at New Hampshire.
MacDonald used the inside lane to squeeze by Bayne just as Bayne was
trying to take the lead from Kobyluck on the inside.
MacDonald led the Heluva Good! 125 three times for 35 laps, taking
the lead for the final time on a green-white-checkered finish that
stretched the race to 127 laps. Bayne finished second, followed by
Kobyluck and rookies Austin Dillon and Ricky Carmichael.
Marc Davis, Mike Olsen, John Salemi, Brad Leighton and Brian Ickler
rounded out the top 10.
Veterans Look To
Defend Their Home Turf - Story on NASCAR Local |
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Going for a
‘Spin’ in Lowell on Wednesday, June 24th
Defending Helluva Good
Summer 125 race winner
Eddie MacDonald,Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Matt DiBenedetto,
and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competitor Bobby Grigas III will kick off the New Hampshire weekend a day early, as
they are set to take part in NASCAR Night at LeLacheur Park in
Lowell, Mass. — home of the Lowell Spinners, the Class A affiliate
of the Boston Red Sox — on Wednesday, June 24.
MacDonald, from Rowley, Mass., will have his No. 71 Grimm
Construction Chevrolet on hand at the ballpark, and they will be
joined by NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour drivers Bobby Grigas III and
Ryan Preece in signing autographs for the fans and taking part in
in-game ticket giveaways and on-field promotions.
The Lowell Spinners play in the short-season New York-Penn League
and have sold out all of their home games dating back to 2000. In
addition to being the home to future Boston Red Sox, the club are
routinely make headlines for their original and wacky promotions
including mascot Canaligator. |
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CW East Race 5 - Sat., June 6th - Tioga Downs 125 at the Glen |
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Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, NY -
2.45
Mile
Road Course
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Eddie
Pleased with 7th
Place Finish at Watkins Glen |
Eddie MacDonald’s seventh place
finish in the NASCAR Camping World Series East Tioga Downs Casino
125 at Watkins Glen International satisfied the veteran driver on a
track that has produced mixed results over the last two outings.
“ We ran great there two years ago but last year we blew a motor
early. At both road courses last year we broke the engine so this
was a good finish for us. The car was good and we finished with it
in one piece and that is always a good thing. You always want to
finish better but this is what we had and I am happy with the run we
had. We didn’t have any issues with the car or with anyone on the
track. It was a lot of fun out there and to have a top ten finish on
that track is satisfying.”
The Grimm Construction Chevy qualified 11th on the starting grid and
was able to move up through the pack after the green flag waved and
into second place in the first third of the race with MacDonald
saying, “We decided on an early pit strategy and that gave us an
opportunity to run up front. The car was really handling well and
the engine was very strong. After the problems we had last year and
with the number of engines that blew up this year you always worry
but fortunately, we didn’t have any issues. Anytime you can run this
track and be able to say that, it is a good thing. We’ve had our
share of problems the last two races, so to go the whole way without
a hiccup is really great. The guys did a great job preparing the
car.”
MacDonald is currently fourth in the points and feels the remaining
races on the schedule are on tracks that have produced positive
results. Next up is the Friday, June 25th race at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway; a track that produced both wins last year for the
Grimm Racing Team. The June and September wins opened a lot of eyes
in the racing community but it was something both MacDonald and crew
chief Rollie LaChance knew was very possible.
“ Both Rollie and I knew that we could run there and win. We just
needed a little luck. We always were fast there but something stupid
always seemed to happen to put us out. Winning the first race there
was a dream come true. It proved that all our hard work and
preparation paid off. Winning the second one proved to everyone else
that the first one was not a fluke. We are really looking forward to
going back there as defending champs and do it again. We know it
won’t be easy but neither was last year and look what happened.”
MacDonald is pleased to point out that NEMO (New England Mechanical
Overlay of Pembroke, N.H.) will again be the primary sponsor at NHMS,
as it was last year saying, “ Becky and Ron Bennett have been with
us right along so it would be really great to give them another win
in our biggest race of the season. Our goal is to contend for the
championship so a solid run at Loudon will gives us a lot of
momentum for the second half of the season.” |
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Live Glen Race Reporting on localracing.NASCAR.com HERE |
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Friday: 21 cars have made qualifying runs -- and
Eddie is in 11th with a 76.450 sec run compared to the pole time of
74.259 sec for Matt DiBenedetto.
Eddie was 11th fastest in the two hour practice
session. |
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The NASCAR Camping World Series
East is set for its first road course event of the season with the
Tioga Downs Casino 125 at The Glen on Saturday, June 6 at Watkins
Glen (N.Y.) International.
Watkins Glen
International Data
Race Date: 6/6/09
East Race: #5 of 11 | ENTRY LIST
Track Layout: 2.45-mile, 11-turn paved road course
Race Length: 51 laps/125 miles
• The Glen held its first NASCAR Camping World Series East race in
1993.
• Road course racing began in 1948 in Watkins Glen, N.Y. … The
current permanent facility opened in 1956 and the first professional
race at the new track was a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in 1957.
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Eddie MacDonald
Highlights (No. 71 Chevrolet)
• Has five wins and 42 top 10s in 114 career NCWSE starts.
• Is currently third in the standings with three top 10s in four
starts.
• Has completed 663
of 665 laps so far this year, the most among all drivers.
• Suffered a blown engine at WGI last year and finished 27th.
• Best career road course finish was a third at WGI in 2003.
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CW East Race 4 - SAT., May 30th -
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South
Boston
150 |
South Boston Speedway
South Boston, VA - .400 mile
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EDDIE MUSCLES 9th
PLACE FINISH at SOUTH BOSTON |
Eddie’s ninth place run at South
Boston (Va.) Speedway in the Camping World Series East race
resembled a return in time to the historic track. When the power
steering pump quit early in the event, Eddie was forced to provide
his own power to get the car to turn on the 4/10ths of a mile oval,
as did the legendary drivers in the early years of the speedway.
The #71 Grimm Construction Chevy established the sixth fastest time
in the first practice until the 23rd lap when Eddie felt something
break in the rear end. The team quickly removed the rear end from
the back-up car to install it in the primary in time for some laps
at the end of the second practice. The veteran driver qualified the
car in the fourteenth position for the South Boston 150. During
pre-race introductions Eddie was awarded the Move of the Race Award
for his performance in the CWSE race at Iowa Speedway.
In the first 30-laps, Eddie powered the car to the 11th position in
the tight, hard to pass bullring. The car ran the low line early but
was unable to make the pass due to the trouble with the power
steering with Eddie saying, “I can pull up on these guys but I can’t
get to the wall if I run under someone. I can’t cut down because the
car just won’t turn. It just snaps back because I have to turn it so
much.”
A trip to the pits on a lap 80-caution revealed the fluid was just
boiling in the reservoir. Restarting in the 14th spot, Eddie was
able to advance to 10th by lap 107 and was on the tail of the #39 of
Dustin Delaney but could not make the inside pass for position. For
35 laps Eddie and the #39 ran nose to tail until he powered past on
the outside to finally take the spot. With only eight laps
remaining, the veteran racer held on to the position to take the
checkered flag.
Eddie said after the race, “This is so frustrating because we know
we had a fast enough car to be in the top five. I don’t think we had
anything for the leader but we certainly expected better. We have to
finish the rest of our races in the top five, at least, if we are
going to have any shot at the points championship. We lost one spot
to go to third today so we have to be a lot more consistent in the
remaining races if we are to reach our goal. Everyone is working
hard but we just have to get a little better.”
Next on the CWSE schedule is the Tioga Downs Casino 125 road course
race at the famed Watkins Glen International on June 6. |
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Live Race Reporting on
localracing.NASCAR.com HERE
Quick Resuls:
1.
Moffitt, 2. Gifford, 3. Truex, 4. Lavender, 5. Gresham, 6. Tardiff,
7. Caisse, 8. Dillon, 9. MacDonald, 10.
Delaney, 11. Kobyluck, 12. Duff, 13. Park, 14. Smith, 15. Bumbera,
16. Hernandez, 17. Armstrong, 18. Kurzejewski, 19. Patison,
20. Kennedy, 21. Salemi, 22. Mattioli, 23. Peck
Points Standings:
1. Lavender - 625 2.
Moffitt - 599 3. MacDonald -
577
4. Tardiff - 558 5. Kobyluck - 557 |
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Pre- Race News &
Notes
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The NASCAR Camping World Series
East is slated to make its third annual visit to historic South
Boston (Va.) Speedway this Saturday, May 30.
South Boston, which has produced up-and-coming stock car racing
talent for more than five decades, will welcome NASCAR’s top
developmental series to its .400-mile banked oval for the series’
fourth race of the year.
While a number of young drivers will garner attention at South
Boston, there is a group of veterans that should not be overlooked.
Matt Kobyluck, the defending NASCAR Camping World Series East
champion, won the series’ inaugural race at South Boston in 2007 and
is third in the standings through three races.
Eddie MacDonald, who is
currently second in points, finished fourth last year at South
Boston and is a consistent frontrunner at short tracks.
Points leader Jody Lavender should
also be a factor with top-five finishes in both short track races
this year. |
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The
Race … The South Boston 150 is the fourth event
in an 11-race schedule this year for the NASCAR Camping World Series
East, and the only trip to Virginia. This is the third year in a row
that South Boston has played host to the NASCAR Camping World Series
East.
The
Procedure … The starting field is 30 cars,
including provisionals. The first 26 cars will qualify through
two-lap time trials. The remaining four spots will be awarded
through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (60
miles).
The
Track … South Boston Speedway is a .400-mile
banked asphalt oval. This year marks the 52nd season that South
Boston has held auto racing. The track opened in 1957 as a
quarter-mile dirt oval and became a NASCAR-sanctioned venue in 1960.
The track was expanded to .375 miles and paved in 1962, and was
reconfigured further in 1994 to .400 miles, its current layout.
Race
Winners … The inaugural visit for the NASCAR
Camping World Series East to South Boston saw Matt Kobyluck reach
Victory Lane in 2007. Brian Ickler won the second installment a year
ago.
Pole
Winners … Hometown favorite Peyton Sellers laid
down the fastest qualifying lap in the first two years of the NASCAR
Camping World Series event at South Boston when he turned the
circuit in 15.582 seconds (92.424 mph) in 2007. Ricky Carmichael
captured the Coors Light Pole Award last year. |
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CW East Race 3 - Sun., May 17th -
Long John Silver's 200 Presented by A&W Restaurants |
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Iowa Speedway
Newton, IA - .875 mile
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EIGHTEENTH PLACE
FINISH
FOR EDDIE AT IOWA |
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MacDonald Comeback Driver of the Weekend … After an
engine change that left the No. 71 team without an
opportunity to participate in qualifying, MacDonald had to
start the 200-lap race at the rear of the field, 37th. The
Rowley, Mass., driver worked his way through the field
consistently and wound up with the
Coca-Cola Move of the Race Award after he finished 13
spots better than his starting position among NASCAR Camping
World Series East drivers. |
EDDIE is 2nd in
the POINTS after IOWA
with three of 11 races completed.
Pos- Driver - Points - Starts - Top 5 - Top 10
1 Jody Lavender - 465 - 3 - 2 - 2
2 Eddie
MacDonald - 439 - 3 - 1- 2
3 Matt Kobyluck - 427 - 3 - 0 - 3
4 Brett Moffitt * - 409 - 3 - 2 - 2
5 Alan Tardiff * 408 - 3 - 1 - 2 |
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After overcoming early mechanical
problems, Eddie MacDonald battled back to make a run but met with
more bad luck in the Camping World East/West combination race at
Iowa Speedway. The Long John Silvers’ 200 drew the top drivers from
the East and West series plus eventual winner Kyle Busch.
During Saturday’s practice, the crew spotted an oil leak near the
oil pan. Despite efforts to fix it, the crew was forced to change
the powerplant after the Sunday morning practice. A broken bolt
proved to be the culprit and according to crew chief Rollie LaChance
it was not easy to spot saying, “As soon as we took the engine out I
could see where it was leaking. With the oil lines in front of it,
it was impossible to find with the engine in the car.”
The Grimm Racing Chevy had to start tail in the 37-car field due to
the engine change but missed the opportunity to at least shake down
the engine for the two-lap qualifying by one minute. The #71,
sponsored by NEMO New England Mechanical Overlay, were forced to
start the race without a single lap on the engine. A true testament
to Rollie and the crew, the car and engine performed flawlessly.
Ten laps into the feature, MacDonald had already moved up ten
positions and continued the march to the front with him saying after
the race, “The car was just perfect, I could drive it anywhere but
it was really fast on the outside. I could pass a lot of cars out
there because it had a lot of grip and power coming off the corners.
It was great getting into the turns. It was fun to drive.”
By lap 30 MacDonald was in 17th and after a lap 38-caution, the
Rowley, Mass. veteran had the car in the 11th spot. On the 70th
circuit, the car rode in ninth and was moving to the front when two
cars in front wrecked on lap 72 collecting MacDonald in the process.
“I was happy the way it was going. The car was running really well
but two cars got into it in front of me and slid down the track. I
went high to miss them but somebody drilled me in the back sending
me into the wall hard.” The right front fender was completely
destroyed and after multiple trips to the pits, the car returned to
the race in the 19th position and on the lead lap.
A caution on lap 117 allowed MacDonald to pit for right side tires
and fuel. At that time the car was pushing very bad and a bent
section in the front end was discovered after the race. Despite the
problems, Eddie Mac drove to 14th by lap 136. As the laps continued
to wind down the car became very tight. A new set of left side tires
were put on during a lap 177-caution making it a lot better to
maintain the 18th position to the checkered flag.
After the race LaChance knew what could have been had it not been
for the wreck saying, “ We had such a fast race car it could have
easily finished in the top five. When Eddie stayed up in the outside
groove the car was like a rocket.”
MacDonald was quick to add, “I can’t thank Rollie and the crew for
all the hard work they did yesterday and today. The car was fast and
I think we had something for them today but, unfortunately, we
didn’t get the chance. We’ll now focus on our next race in two weeks
at South Boston. I also want to thank our sponsor NEMO New England
Mechanical Overlay and car owner Rob Grimm for making this all
possible.” |
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Lap by Lap, Live Report on
localracing.NASCAR.com HERE |
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EDDIE GEARS UP FOR A
SOLID RUN
AT IOWA SPEEDWAY |
The Grimm Racing Team is
determined to have a strong finish in the NASCAR Camping World
East/West Challenge at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, May17th. Eddie
MacDonald is confident the team will be much better prepared this
year to post a top five finish in the Long John Silver’s 200
presented by A&W Restaurants.
“ Last year we went there with a new car and never really got the
set-up right but we were still able to stay in contention until we
were involved in the wreck. The track was new to us last year and we
learned a lot, so this year we really feel confident in setting the
car up to be there at the end.”
The team is pleased to announce that NEMO, New England Mechanical
Overlay from Pembroke, New Hampshire, will be the primary sponsor
for the race. MacDonald said, “I am so happy that NEMO is back with
us this year. They have been a huge help to us in the past and it
will be great to have them on the hood of the car. We can’t thank
Ron and Becky Bennett enough for all they have done for this team.”
The race is the first this season pitting the best teams and drivers
in the East and West on the fast, high-banked seven-eighths of a
mile oval. MacDonald knows the significance of posting a good finish
saying, “The track is just fun to drive and is really a drivers
track. It is very fast and with the high banking in the turns you
have to focus all the time. With the West drivers there, the race
should be real exciting since everyone wants to do well to prove we
are the best.”
The event is scheduled for 200 laps and that will certainly provide
some added excitement with MacDonald saying, “Racing 200 laps will
be nice because everyone will have to pit for tires and fuel so that
will probably play a big part in the finish. It will be interesting
to see how the pit strategy plays out.”
MacDonald is currently fifth in the points after two races, posting
a third place finish in the season opener at Greenville-Pickens and
a disappointing twelfth at Tri-County. Due to the abbreviated
schedule this season, every race is important in the quest for the
championship. MacDonald feels a solid run in Iowa is essential
saying, “Our goal each race is to finish in the top five and if we
do that consistently, we put ourselves in contention to win a race.
Iowa will be a true test with the caliber of the competition that
will be there. I feel very confident that the NEMO Chevy will have a
strong run.”
The Speed Channel will televise the race on May 28 at 3 p.m. |
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CW East Race 2 - Sat., April 25th - TRI-COUNTY 150 |
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Tri-County Motor
Speedway
Hudson, NC - .400 mile |
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EDDIE FINISHES TWELFTH
IN THE TRI-COUNTY 150 |
Eddie MacDonald's twelfth place
finish in the NASCAR Camping World East Series race at Tri-County
Motor Speedway was a letdown after posting the fastest times in both
practices. The Grimm Racing Chevy qualified a disappointing eighth
for the race as MacDonald and the team struggled the rest of the
way.
"We missed the set-up just by a little bit," said MacDonald after
the race. "The car was really good for the first five laps or so on
the restarts but then we started sliding back after that. Our
qualifying run was a sign of things to come because the car would
not handle in the corners. Tires were a big issue during the race
and really hurt us at the end."
When the green flag waved, the # 71 Chevy was able to maintain the
position for most of the early segment of the race. By lap 50,
MacDonald was running in the third spot but was unable to stay there
and slid back to seventh. With the laps winding down, the team was
hoping for a top ten finish but a spin on lap 95 put the Grimm
Construction Chevy out of contention.
"We definitely had some help getting spun out. The only good thing
about it was, we stayed off the wall," said MacDonald. "After that,
we came into the pits a number of times to make adjustments but the
tires were gone. The car just did not have any grip in the turns so
we had to hang on to finish where we did. I think we could have had
a top five finish if we could have changed tires, but we couldn't.
It is really tough to run out there that way knowing there is
nothing you can do. The crew worked hard the last couple of months
to get this car ready but it just didn't work out today. It stinks,
but it is just one of those things."
The team is preparing for the combination race with the West Series
at Iowa Speedway on Sunday, May 17th. The event attracts the top
drivers from both series as well as some of the top names from
NASCAR'S top three divisions.
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Follow
real-time practice, qualifying, & race action at either: |
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Speed15
Trackside Now |
NASCAR Home Tracks
Lap-By-Lap |
| Practice
Update: The first practice has concluded and Eddie has the
fastest lap at 16.759 seconds (85.924 mph), followed by Alan Tardiff
and Trevor Bayne. |
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Second practice has concluded. Eddie again
tops the charts, with a time of 16.778.
Ryan Duff was second, followed by Matt DiBenedetto, Patrick Long and
Trevor Bayne. |
Time Trials: Eddie posted a 16.686 for
8th starting spot. Lyman, Maine's Alan
Tardiff took his first pole with a 16.562. |
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Race: After running as high as fifth, Eddie spins in turn two
on lap 95, makes multiple pit stops, and falls out of the top 15.
Climbs back to finish 12th. |
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Eddie Scores 4th at
the Governor's Cup at Lee USA
Trackside Race
Report at
Speed51 HERE
The traditional ACT
Tour series opener, The Governor’s Cup 150, at Lee USA
Speedway drew 45 cars for the 30 starting positions with
Eddie finishing second in his heat race giving him the sixth
spot for the race. Eddie battled for a solid fourth place
finish but was disappointed the car was not a little better.
After the race Eddie said, “ I am happy with our finish but
obviously we wanted to run better. The car was good at times
but then other times it just didn’t want to go. It wasn’t
what it was in practice.”
Winning at his family owned track thus giving him a
guaranteed starting position in the ACT race at New
Hampshire Motor Speedway in September were the goals when
the #17 NEMO-Grimm sponsored Pontiac took the green flag.
Eddie ran in the top five for nearly the entire race
battling for position with the # 78 of Quinten Welch. The
two swapped position numerous times for most of the race.
Eddie had a great restart after a mid-race caution, passing
two cars into the third spot but lost two positions when the
car was turned sideways. “We got tapped on the back by the
#38 and that moved us up the track. The car was not going
that great and it was getting really loose. Fortunately we
were able to get by the #78 with about 25 laps to go and
finish in fourth. The race was a lot of fun and the fans
were fantastic. A win would have been nice but we’ll take
this.”
Known as “The Outlaw” because the team does not run the full
ACT Tour schedule due to conflicting dates with the NASCAR
Camping World East Series, Eddie is considered a threat to
win each time the # 17 rolls into the pits. Last season,
Eddie won the Oxford Plains Late Model championship and
plans to compete at OPS and in ACT Tour races as his
schedule permits.
Eddie and the team tested the East Series car this weekend
at Lee in preparation for this Saturday’s race at Tri-County
Speedway in North Carolina and were pleased with the results
with Eddie saying, “It really handled well on the track.
Rollie and the crew have worked hard getting it ready and
the results were there. We are looking forward to racing
there. It is a new track so it should be a lot of fun.” |
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Saturday, April 18th -
Practice for the ACT Car for the
Governor's Cup 150
at Lee USA Speedway |
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...and a shakedown for
the Camping World East Series #71 |
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“Outlaw” Eddie
MacDonald Enters ACT Season Opener
at Lee USA Speedway on Sunday,
April 19th |
The 2009 season is
shaping up to be the year of the “outlaw” on the ACT Tour. Leading
the charge of the outlaws is Camping World East Series regular Eddie
MacDonald of Rowley, MA, who will be at the New Hampshire Governor’s
Cup 150 at Lee (NH) USA Speedway on Sunday, April 19th.
MacDonald competed in four ACT Tour events in 2008. He finished in
the top ten in all four of them and had an average finish of 4.5.
One of his two second place finishes last year came in the season
opener at Lee. MacDonald captured his only ACT Tour win at Oxford
Plains (ME) Speedway in 2007.
MacDonald, along with other outlaws, will be “invading” more ACT
Tour events this year with the hopes of qualifying for the ACT
Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. If MacDonald does
qualify for the Invitational, he will attempt to continue his recent
domination at NHMS. Last year he swept both NHMS races on the East
Series schedule.
Also announcing his entry into the Governor’s Cup 150 is Bobby
Dragon of Milton, VT. After running the full 2008 Tour, Dragon has
decided to run a limited schedule in 2009. He will also be looking
to qualify for the Invitational at NHMS where he too has experience
in an East Series car.
Other outlaws to look for as the 2009 season gets under way are Brad
Leighton, Ben Rowe, Quinny Welch and Joey Laquerre among others.
www.LeeUSASpeedway. com
www.ACTtour.com |
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CW East Race 1- Sat., April 11th -
The
NASCAR HOME TRACKS
150
presented by Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet |
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Greenville-Pickens
Speedway Greenville, SC - .500 mile |
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THIRD PLACE FINISH FOR
EDDIE AT GREENVILLE |
The Home Tracks 150
at legendary Greenville-Pickens Speedway opened the season for the
NASCAR Camping World East Series with a very satisfying third place
finish for Eddie and the #71 Grimm Racing team.
“ It was a great start to the season and I am very happy that we ran
so well at this track,” said Eddie after the race. “It was a little
disappointing not to finish second after running most of the race in
that spot. But overall, everyone is pleased with the run.”
Eddie started third after a solid qualifying run. “We improved
nearly a second from our best practice run and the car was fast. It
was almost the same set-up we had last year so it felt great to run
that well (20.937 sec.-85.972 mph). We had a brake problem in
practice but we were able to fix it in time for qualifying.”
A huge wreck at the start of the race forced a restart and when the
green flag flew the rookie Moffitt missed a shift and the Grimm
Chevy slid under the rear of the #44 causing considerable damage to
the nose of Eddie’s car. “The car started overheating right away and
it was a problem for the rest of the race but fortunately everything
worked out.”
When the race finally got underway, Eddie quickly grabbed second and
was able to maintain a good lead over the third place car with the
Rowley, Mass. driver saying, “ It was great to start up front
because I was able to run the car hard for five to ten laps then
save the tires for the end. I could get the car to run a little
cooler since I didn’t have to run hard all the time. My strategy was
to run hard, then get a few lapped cars between me and the third
place car.”
Eddie led the race three times but it was readily evident Ickler was
the dominant car. “Ickler’s car was awesome. I knew we did not have
the car to beat him. We had a great car today but he was better.”
A late race caution for debris forced Eddie to restart on the
outside giving the #88 the inside lane. The two raced for position
with the #71 making a move under the #88 when the fourth place car
hit Eddie’s rear bumper driving the car sideways. “I was able to
save it but with only eight laps to go I couldn’t get around Jody.
We were just washing up the track in turns one and two after that.
We had a second place car today but finishing third is pretty good.
Rollie and the team did an excellent job preparing the car and now
we have to get ready for Tri-County. It feels great knowing we have
a car that will compete for the win every time we race.”
The NASCAR Camping World East Series will take the green flag again
at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C. on Saturday, April 25.
Eddie will head home next week to compete in the Governor’s Cup for
the ACT Late Model cars at the family owned Lee USA Speedway on
Sunday, April 19th. The action begins on Saturday with practice and
qualifying for the Late Models, as well as Lee’s regular season
divisions.
NASCAR FINISHING ORDER
HERE
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Trackside Action Coverage
by Kate and Claffe at
EastSeries.com |
Race Report by
Penny Aicardi at
NERacing.com |
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EDDIE MACDONALD &
GRIMM RACING
READY FOR SERIES OPENER
Sat. April 11th |
The NASCAR Camping
World East Series Home Tracks 150 presented by
Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet at Greenville-Pickens Speedway on April 11
kicks off what hopes to be a successful season for the Grimm Racing
Team. After finishing seventh in the points last year, Eddie feels
all the hard work and dedication will pay off for the team in only
its second full year of operation.
“Last year was our first full season with Rob Grimm as an owner and
we were very happy with our success. Rob continues to provide us
with what we need. This year we expect to do even better because we
have essentially the same crew and this is really important to any
success we have on the track. We have had all winter to prepare our
cars and everyone has done a great job. We are ready to go”, said
Eddie at the Newbury, Mass. shop.
The Grimm Construction Chevy finished fifth in last season’s opener
at the historic half mile oval but Eddie is hopeful this year’s run
will be a lot better saying, “ Last year we did not qualify well at
all and had to start in the back of the pack. The car did not handle
well at all but we were lucky enough to miss the wrecks and work our
way up through the field. It was good enough for a fifth place
finish but we hope to have a much more competitive car this weekend.
We need to get there to work on the race set-up. It is a unique
track and it is really fun to drive.”
Eddie has had a lot of his success on flat tracks and sees
Greenville-Pickens as an opportunity to start the season on a very
positive note saying, “We would like nothing better to start off
with win at this track. There is so much history there. It is fun
just to be out there running on the track that had so many great
drivers compete there. But you have to be patient, try to run the
inside, and stay out of trouble. You have to manage your tires
because that place eats them up quickly. There are a lot of good
teams and drivers in the series this year so it should be a fun race
for everyone.”
With only eleven races on the schedule, Eddie knows that finishing
every race is important to challenge for the championship saying,
“We need to eliminate problems. Last year we had two engine failures
at the road course tracks. We had a fuel pump issue that knocked us
out of another race. If we just had decent runs at those tracks we
could have finished much better in the points. We need to stay on
the track and stay out of trouble.”
Eddie is eager to start the season knowing crew chief Rollie
LaChance and the crew will do whatever it takes to win saying, “I
can’t say enough about how well Rollie and the crew work together. I
am very happy to have everyone back and focused on improving on last
year. These guys work hard so we can be successful every week.”
The Speed channel will air the race on April 16th. Check your local
listing for times. |
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SPEED, Camping World Series TV Schedule
Announced For 2009 |
Events To Air On
Thursdays Throughout Season
Official Release March 16, 2009
- 3:49pm
NASCAR announced today the
broadcast schedule for the 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series race
schedule on SPEED. It features coverage of NASCAR’s top
developmental series on the leading cable network dedicated to
motorsports.
The 22-race calendar kicked
off with the NASCAR Camping World Series West opener from
Thunderhill Raceway in Kyle, Texas. The March 14 race will air
on SPEED Thursday, April 2.
The races will be aired as a
one-hour special each Thursday at 3 p.m. ET. (CLICK
HERE FOR COMPLETE SCHEDULE)
“The NASCAR Camping World
Series features the NASCAR stars of tomorrow locked in exciting,
wheel-to-wheel competition,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR
managing director of racing operations. “This comprehensive
schedule allows fans to tune in the same time every week and
catch all the action from their favorite track. Our partnership
with SPEED provides an exceptional platform to showcase the
tremendous talent as they tackle the challenging mixture of
short tracks, road courses, and speedways.”
The annual East-West
Challenge at Iowa Speedway Sunday, May 17 will air on Thursday,
May 28. The last two years, fans have tuned in to watch the best
NASCAR Camping World Series drivers from both coasts go
head-to-head in addition to competing against one of the top
drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. In 2007,
then-16-year-old Joey Logano outran Kevin Harvick, and last year
Brian Ickler held off the challenge from Kasey Kahne. NASCAR
Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch has already committed to run
this year’s event.
The SPEED coverage will
include 12 NASCAR Camping World Series West races, beginning
with the season opener and concluding with the season finale at
All American Speedway in Roseville, Calif., which will run
Saturday, Sept. 26 and air Thursday, Oct. 8.
The NASCAR Camping World
Series East broadcast schedule will cover all 11 races beginning
with the opener at Greenville Pickens Speedway in Greenville,
S.C. The opener, scheduled for Saturday, April 11, will air
Thursday, April 16. The season will conclude Friday, Sept. 25 at
Dover International Speedway and the race will be broadcast
Thursday, Oct. 1.
The NASCAR Camping World
Series East race at Music City Motorplex in Nashville, Tenn.,
originally scheduled for Saturday, July 18, has been cancelled
due to changes in track management and the lack of a suitable
replacement for that date.
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Grimm Racing Gets Ready for 2009 Season |
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The green flag drops on the Camping World East Series in
slightly less than two months and the team is busily preparing cars
in the Pennsylvania and Newbury, Mass. shops. After a disappointing
finish at the Showdown, Eddie and the crew have moved forward with a
positive outlook for the upcoming season.
“ We are doing great getting things ready for the
season. The Greenville-Pickens car is almost finished and ready to
be shipped to Pennsylvania. The road course car is getting painted
this week. The wrecked car from California is having a new rear clip
put on and hanging a new body so we are in good shape. We just
brought up the sister car to that one from Rob’s shop and we will
begin working on that. It is a lot of work to do but we are way
ahead of last year,” said Eddie.
Before the trip to Greenville for the season opener on
April 11, the team will participate in the
Speedway Expo at the Big E in Springfield beginning on February 27
until March 1. The Grimm Racing #71 will be located in the New
Hampshire International Speedway display area. Eddie and the
crew are looking forward to the event with Eddie saying, “It should
be a lot of fun and we hope to see a lot of our fans there. Speedway
Illustrated and Dick Berggren put on a great show and it will be
nice to represent NHMS as their track champion. I hope a lot of
people will drop by to say hello.”
Eddie will also be in attendance this coming
Saturday, February 21 at the go-cart track in Westbrook, Maine to
help raise money for the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The charity
go-cart race will feature some outstanding drivers and Eddie is
happy to be part of the event saying, “I am really excited to be
part of this. I know Chris Perley and Eddie Witkum are going to be
there and I am sure a number of other drivers will attend, so it
should be a lot of fun for everyone. The Make-A-Wish Foundation does
a fantastic job helping others and I am pleased and honored to help
all I can.”
Eddie will also run some ACT Tour events with the first
sandwiched between the first two CWES races. Eddie will drive the
East Coast Sand and Gravel and NEMO sponsored #17 in the Governors
Cup race at Lee USA Speedway, his family owned track, on April 19.
“We will be busy with this race coming the week after
Greenville-Pickens and one week before Tri-County Motor Speedway in
North Carolina but Rollie and I wouldn’t miss it. Last year we had
to fly up here the morning after the Greenville race, so this won’t
be bad at all. This is a great race and of course, I love running at
Lee. I would like nothing better than to win in front of my family
and friends.”
After finishing seventh in the points last year in the
CWES, the Grimm Racing Team has its sights on competing for the
championship and Eddie realizes getting off to good start at
Greenville-Pickens will set the tone for the season. “ Last year we
did not qualify well at all. We started in the back and had to work
our way through the field. We managed to finish fifth but the car
never really handled right. We know now what we have to do to set
the car up to qualify well and finish well. On the flat half-mile
track, it is really important to start up front so you don’t use the
car up trying to come from the rear. I really like the track. It’s a
lot of fun to drive. We feel this could be an exciting year for us
and think a win would be a super way to start.” |
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NASCAR Camping
World Series East
2009 Schedule Announced
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 24,
2008) – NASCAR announced today the schedule for the 23rd season of
the NASCAR Camping World Series East, which will take the series to
some of the top short-tracks on the East Coast.
The schedule
features 12 dates at 11 different tracks across nine states.
"The 2009
NASCAR Camping World Series East calendar continues to feature key
markets and top racetracks throughout the eastern United States,"
said George Silbermann, NASCAR managing director of racing
operations. "The championship represents a challenging mixture of
short tracks, road courses, speedways and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
companion events."
The NASCAR
Camping World Series East will make its first appearance at
Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson, N.C., on Saturday, April, 25.
The .400-mile oval joined the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series last
year.
For the fourth
year in a row the NASCAR Camping World Series East season will open
at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C. on Saturday,
April 11. Rookie drivers have taken home the wins at the half-mile
oval the last two seasons – Austin Dillon in 2008 and Joey Logano in
2007.
The NASCAR
Camping World Series East will close out the 2009 schedule at Dover
International Speedway on Friday, Sept. 25 during NASCAR Sprint Cup
Series weekend at the “Monster Mile.” Matt Kobyluck clinched his
first NASCAR Camping World Series East title at Dover in 2008.
The schedule
will once again be highlighted by the annual combination event
between NASCAR’s top developmental series – the NASCAR Camping World
Series East and West – at Iowa Speedway on May, 17. The race
attracted NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Kevin Harvick and Kasey
Kahne in its first two editions, but was won by a NASCAR Camping
World Series regular each year – Brian Ickler (2008) and Logano
(2007).
A fixture on
the NASCAR Camping World Series East schedule since the Loudon, N.H.
track opened in 1990, New Hampshire Motor Speedway will once again
be the site for a pair of races on NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
weekends. New England native Eddie MacDonald swept both NHMS races
in 2008. The 2009 NASCAR Camping World Series East race dates are
Friday, June 26 and Friday, Sept. 18.
Other 2009
highlights include:
· The series
returns to historic South Boston (Va.) Speedway for the third
consecutive year with a Saturday, May 30 date. Kobyluck won the
inaugural NASCAR Camping World Series East event at the .400 oval in
2007 and Brian Ickler is the defending race winner.
· The series
will return to the Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International for the 14th
time on Saturday, June 6. There have been 10 different winners in 13
all-time races at 2.45-mile road course. The event will be part of a
weekend of racing that includes the Grand-Am Rolex Sport Car Series.
· Saturday,
July 11 will see the NASCAR Camping World Series East return to
Thompson (Conn.) International Speedway for the 26th time in series
history. Trevor Bayne earned his first career victory at the
.625-mile oval in 2008.
· Music City
Motorplex in Nashville, Tenn., will welcome back the NASCAR Camping
World Series East for the third year in a row on Saturday, July 18.
Kobyluck took home the guitar trophy in 2008 with his win on the
.625-mile oval.
· Adirondack
International Speedway in Beaver Falls, N.Y., will play host to the
NASCAR Camping World Series East for the eighth year in a row on
Saturday, Aug. 1. Kobyluck has won three of the seven previous races
at the half-mile oval, including last year.
· The second
road course race of the year will take place at Lime Rock Park on
Saturday, Aug. 15 in Lakeville, Conn. Kobyluck, who swept both road
course events in 2008, is the defending race winner at Lime Rock, a
1.53-mile course which has held 16 NASCAR Camping World Series East
races since 1993.
2009
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD SERIES EAST SCHEDULE
Date -
Track (Length) - Location
Sat., April 11 - Greenville-Pickens Speedway (.5-Mile) - Greenville,
S.C.
Sat., April 25 - Tri-County Motor Speedway (.4-Mile) - Hudson, N.C.
Sun., May 17 - Iowa Speedway (.875-Mile) - Newton, Iowa
Sat., May 30 - South Boston Speedway (.4-Mile) - South Boston, Va.
Sat., June 6 - Watkins Glen International (2.45-Mile road course) -
Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Fri., June 26 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.058-Mile) - Loudon,
N.H.
Sat., July 11 - Thompson International Speedway (.625-Mile) -
Thompson, Conn.
Sat., Aug. 1 - Adirondack International Speedway (.5-Mile) - Beaver
Falls, N.Y.
Sat., Aug. 15 - Lime Rock Park (1.53-Mile road course) - Lakeville,
Conn.
Fri., Sept. 18 - New Hampshire Motor Speedway (1.058-Mile) - Loudon,
N.H.
Fri., Sept. 25 - Dover International Speedway (1-Mile) - Dover, Del.
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>>
Previous Race Results HERE << |
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