2009 Race Stories and Photos
January to July 19th

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.
 
Photos by Jamie Williams
Photos by Chris Roy


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.

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

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.
CW East Race 7 - Sat., July 11th - Pepsi Full Fender Frenzy 100

Thompson Int'lSpeedway
Thompson, CT -
.625 Mile

NormMarx.com
Photos

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.

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.

Live Thompson Race Reporting on localracing.NASCAR.com HERE


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.

Eddie in the Late Model at Oxford Plains on 7/5

.
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.

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
CW East Race 6 - Fri., June 26th - Heluva Good! Summer 125

New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, NH - 1.058 Mile

Chris Roy
Photos
Jamie Williams
Photos

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.

Live NHMS Race Reporting on localracing.NASCAR.com HERE


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 


YouTube Eddie MacDonald New Hampshire
Ride Along Video
HERE


Eddie Qualifies 2nd with a 30.601

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

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

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.
Photos by
NormMarx.com
CW East Race 5 - Sat., June 6th - Tioga Downs 125 at the Glen

Watkins Glen International
Watkins Glen, NY -
2.45 Mile
Road Course


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.”

Live Glen Race Reporting on localracing.NASCAR.com HERE

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.

 
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.
 
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.
CW East Race 4 - SAT., May 30th -

South
Boston
150

South Boston Speedway
South Boston, VA - .400 mile

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.

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

Pre- Race News & Notes
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.

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.

CW East Race 3 - Sun., May 17th -
Long John Silver's 200 Presented by A&W Restaurants

Iowa Speedway
Newton, IA - .875 mile

EIGHTEENTH PLACE FINISH
FOR EDDIE AT IOWA

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
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.”

Lap by Lap, Live Report on localracing.NASCAR.com HERE

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.
CW East Race 2 - Sat., April 25th - TRI-COUNTY 150

Tri-County Motor Speedway
Hudson, NC - .400 mile

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.

Follow real-time practice, qualifying, & race action at either:

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.
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.
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.
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.”
Saturday, April 18th -
Practice for the ACT Car for the
Governor's Cup 150
at Lee USA Speedway
...and a shakedown for the Camping World East Series #71

“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
CW East Race 1- Sat., April 11th - The NASCAR HOME TRACKS 150                                                          presented by Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet

Greenville-Pickens Speedway  Greenville, SC - .500 mile

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
 

Trackside Action Coverage
by Kate and Claffe at
EastSeries.com

Race Report by
 Penny Aicardi at

NERacing.com

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.


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.

Grimm Racing Gets Ready for 2009 Season

     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.”

NASCAR Camping World Series East
2009 Schedule Announced

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.

>> Previous Race Results HERE <<

Media Contact: Jennifer Mariani - jennifer@eddiemacdonald.com

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