Eddie MacDonald - NK&NPSE - #71 Grimm Racing

K&N Pro East Race At Rockingham Cancelled

2013 Race Stories and Photos

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	*Friday, October 18th* *Road Atlanta* *Braselton, GA*

*Eddie Completes K&NPSE Season at Road Atlanta*
The fourteen race schedule for the K&N Pro Series East ended on Friday on the 12 turn, 2.54 mile road course in the Road Atlanta 115 with 25 cars in competition. Eddie Mac and the Grimm Racing team struggled to an 18th place finish in the 28 lap event. Despite the run, Eddie Mac held on to post a fifth place finish in the NASCAR point’s race. “We had a tough week right from the start during Tuesday’s practice,” said Eddie Mac. “”We were under horsepower and with the restrictor plate we all had to run, it hurt us even more. We finally seemed to find something and improved our lap time by a couple of seconds in the third practice but then the car spun out on a rumble strip and hit the tire barrier with the left side. The crew worked late into the night to fix the damage as best as we could for the race. Practice and qualifying were rained out on Thursday and the short practice an Friday really didn’t help us. The only good thing was we started fifth because of points after the rainout but we lost ground pretty quickly.” “We weren’t competitive and decided to find a place we could run and try to hold on to our fifth place position in the points,” said a disappointed Eddie Mac. “You hate to end the season the way we did but that’s racing. We thought we had a chance to finish third in the points with three races to go but tire issues took care of that. We were tied with Ben Kennedy for third going into Loudon and were leading that race until a right front tire blew out and wrecked our new car. Another tire issue at Dover with three laps to go knocked us back to fifth in the points. It is pretty frustrating because we usually run well at both of those tracks. Road Atlanta is a great facility and it is too bad we didn’t run well there. Congratulations to Dylan (Kwasniewski) for winning the championship.” “Rollie and I have so many people to thank for all the help and support, especially team owner Rob Grimm and his wife Karla,” said Eddie. “It was an honor to represent the National Multiple Sclerosis Society on the track in support of Megan Spaulding, her husband Ryne, their children, and the entire Grimm family. They are a fantastic family and support many causes. Even Karla and Rob’s son Dylan spent part of his summer volunteering his help in the Texas based New Path Adventures to help minister troubled youth. The family raised a lot of money for MS research when Grimm Nation marched at Pocono Raceway in support of Megan and to help find a cure. It is a real privilege to be associated with such a great group of people.” “Of course, we have to thank our fans and sponsors for everything including: Stilo, HMS, Waymart Building Center, Peterson Automotive, Kustom Vinyl, the University of Northwestern Ohio students for their dedication and help this season on the crew. We really had a small but hard-working crew this year and I thank them for all their work and sacrifice both in the shop and at the track.” Fox Sports 2 will televise the Road Atlanta 115 at 10 am on Saturday, Nov.2.

*News & Notes: Road Atlanta*
FAST FACTS: The Race: The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East is set to conclude the 2013 season with its inaugural event at Road Atlanta as part of the 16th Annual Petit Le Mans powered by Mazda race weekend. The Procedure: The starting field is 30 cars, including provisionals. The first 26 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 28 laps (71.12 miles, 114.47 kilometers). The Track: A 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course, Road Atlanta opened on Sept. 13, 1970. Road Atlanta has played host to just two previous NASCAR races in its history – the NASCAR Nationwide Series in 1986 and 1987. ROAD ATLANTA RACE NOTES: Series History in the Peach State: The inaugural Road Atlanta event will be the fourth race in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East history in the state of Georgia. The series previously visited Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., once a year from 2010-12. Series History at Road Courses: Road Atlanta will be the fourth different road course the K&N Pro Series East has visited in its 27-year history. Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn., held 18 races from 1993-2010 while Watkins Glen (N.Y.) International welcomed the series 14 times from 1993-2009. Earlier this season the K&N Pro Series East held its inaugural event at Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va.

*Statistical Advance: Road Atlanta*
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will head to Braselton, Ga., to close out the 2013 campaign with the inaugural series event at Road Atlanta on Friday, Oct. 18. Below is a statistical look at the performance of the series and selected drivers: Road Atlanta Race Setup • Just five points separate Dylan Kwasniewski and Brett Moffitt atop the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship standings heading into the season finale at Road Atlanta. • Kwasniewski – the 2012 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion – will attempt to become the first driver to win titles in both the East and West while Moffitt is looking to capture his first title after four years of finishes on the championship podium. • In addition to the overall championship, the Sunoco Rookie of the Year title is also up for grabs at Road Atlanta. Jesse Little has a six-point lead on Gray Gaulding and Kenzie Ruston entering the event. • The 13 previous races this year have produced seven different first-time race winners, the most since 1994 when there were eight first-time victors. ROAD ATLANTA: History • Held its first race on Sept. 13, 1970. • The facility’s premier annual event is the Petit Le Mans. The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East’s inaugural race at the track will be part of the 16th Annual Petit Le Mans presented by Mazda weekend. • Has held two previous NASCAR races. The NASCAR Nationwide Series competed there in 1986 and 1987. Notebook • This will be the fourth all-time NKNPS East event in the state of Georgia. The first three took place from 2010-12 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson. • This will be the NKNPS East’s 34th all-time road course race since the series was formed in 1987. There were 18 at Lime Rock Park from 1993-2010 and 14 at Watkins Glen International from 1993-2009. The series’ first race at Virginia International Raceway was held earlier this year. Road Atlanta Race: #14 of 14 Track Layout: 2.54-mile, 12-turn road course • Race Length: 28 laps (71.12 miles, 114.47 kilometers) Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet) • Has six wins, two poles, 31 top fives and 83 top 10s in 171 career series starts. • Sits fifth in points with eight top 10s in 13 outings, highlighted by a runner-up finish at Iowa in August. • Finished ninth at VIR in August. Has seven top 10s and an average finish of 15th in 16 career road course starts. Best road course finish was second at Lime Rock in 2009.

ACTIVE SERIES CAREER LEADERS:
Wins 1. Brett Moffitt ... 9 2. Eddie MacDonald ... 6 3. Dale Quarterley ... 6 Poles 1. Brett Moffitt ... 10 2. Dale Quarterley ... 4 3. Cale Conley … 3 Dylan Kwasniewski … 3 Top Fives 1. Brett Moffitt ... 33 2. Dale Quarterley ... 31 Eddie MacDonald ... 31	Top 10s 1. Eddie MacDonald ... 83 2. Dale Quarterley ... 67 3. Brett Moffitt ... 44 Laps Completed 1. Eddie MacDonald ... 22,041 2. Dale Quarterley ... 18,891 3. John Salemi ... 8,605 Laps Led 1. Brett Moffitt ... 1,809 2. Dale Quarterley ... 706 3. Eddie MacDonald … 672

Laperle and MacDonald Enter 51st Milk Bowl

ACT PRESS RELEASE - Quebec’s Patrick Laperle and the “Outlaw” Eddie MacDonald from Rowley, MA are the latest entries in the 51st Peoples United Bank Milk Bowl, to be held at Thunder Road International Speedbowl on Saturday and Sunday, October 5-6, 2013.

Newly crowned ACT Champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. from Dover, NH and his Bruce Bernhardt team have withdrawn their entry from the event. “Our sponsor backed out so we don’t have the money to make the Milk Bowl weekend,” the 2013 Champion said.
Laperle is a three-time winner of the ‘toughest short track’ race in North America and will seek his 4th win in the fall classic on Sunday, October 6, 2013. When the hard charging three time Série ACT and 2008 ACT US Champion was asked why he was coming to this year’s Milk Bowl, Laperle said, “The money! Ten Thousand ($10,000.00) to win is a lot of money. I am excited to try out the new American Racer tire too.”

MacDonald, fresh off his third Bond Auto ACT Invitational win at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway two weeks ago, will look for his first win when he tackles the high banks at the ‘Nations Site of Excitement’.

The Booth Bros. /Hood qualifying day is Saturday, October 5, 2013. All teams will qualify under the clock for starting positions in the traditional triple 50 lap qualifying races to be held Saturday. Thunder Road’s Bond Auto Tigers and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will also have the unique experience of time trial qualifying for the ‘mini Milk Bowls’ to be held on Sunday, October 6, 2013.

Thirty teams will make up the starting grid on the tricky quarter mile on top of Quarry Hill and will compete in three 50-lap dashes, with the final two segments inverted. Combined lowest scores of the three segments will win over $10,000.00 and hoist the milk can trophy before kissing the ‘beauty queen’, a genuine Vermont Ayrshire dairy cow.

Gates will open both days at 10am. Post time each day is 1:00. Adult tickets for the Peoples United Milk Bowl are $30 for two days and $25 for Sunday only. Kids 12 and under are admitted free of charge.

Friday, September 27th

Dover International Speedway
Dover, DE

Eddie Finishes 15th at the Monster Mile

A tire issue late in the Drive Sober 150 at Dover International Speedway on Friday in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East twelfth race of the season forced a 15th place finish. A tire problem last week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s Magic Mile ruined a potentially strong day and racecar. Friday’s finish cost the Grimm Construction/Multiple Sclerosis Toyota at least four spots at the finish line and a number of positions in the all-important point’s race.

Eddie Mac started the day tied with Ben Kennedy for third place but fell back to fifth place when the outer tire went flat when the green flag waved on the lap 147 restart with the frustrated driver saying, “I was really lucky to keep it off the wall in turn one. Last week we wrecked when the tire blew but this week we ran tires with inner-liners and that was the only thing that kept us off the wall. I just had to limp around the final few laps. The car was not great all race but we were in a position to gain a little in the point’s race. We lost a great opportunity last week to gain a lot of points and today definitely hurt us.”

Both practices on Thursday focused more on preparing a stable car for the 150 lap race around the high-banked extremely fast race track with Eddie Mac saying, “We didn’t tape up and make a qualifying run like most of the fast guys. Rollie (LaChance) and I wanted to get the car set-up for the long race so we weren’t disappointed with the times on Thursday. We knew we could run a good qualifying lap Friday morning and we did. We started ninth (23.506 sec.-153.152 mph) after going out fifth so I was very happy with that but things changed when we took the green flag.”
Eddie Mac slipped back from his ninth starting position to 15th with a tight car, eventually falling to 18th when the second caution flag of the race waved on lap 57. A decision to pit during the caution to free the #71 up was made for a wedge and tire adjustment. The Grimm Construction Toyota headed to the pits again on a lap 64 caution to loosen it up more with a track bar adjustment. A caution on lap 71 also served as the halfway break. The Grimm Racing Team changed tires and more adjustments and returned for the final laps in 17th place.

“It was a crazy day with the car,” said Eddie. “The car got real tight then we hit the pits again and it made it real loose again and we were not making huge adjustments. It seemed whatever we did it sent the car in the opposite direction. We just couldn’t get it where it needed to be. Everyone worked their tails off but it just didn’t happen the way we wanted it to be. Even at the end we still had a chance to have a good top ten finish but the right front tire took care of that. We lost a lot of ground the last two weeks on tracks we usually run well on because of right front tire problems. It is frustrating so we have to have a good run at Road Atlanta (Oct. 18) to close out the season.”

Eddie Mac ran in the 17th position on the lap 116 restart to move steadily through the field and into the 11th spot for the lap 147 restart saying, “I thought we could get a couple of spots on the restart because a lot of guys were sliding around but the tire let go and all I could do was hang on. The restarts today were crazy and it seemed we were always in the wrong lane and we lost a lot of positions because guys didn’t go in front of us, so I was hoping we would have a good one at the end but we were the ones that didn’t go. It was definitely a bad day for us on one of our favorite tracks.”

The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will wrap up the season with an inaugural trip to Road Atlanta on October 18. Fox Sports 1 will televise the Drive Sober 150 on October 13 at noon. A replay of the race will be shown on Monday, October 14 at 7 p.m.





			*Photos by Richard Casey*

News & Notes: The Drive Sober 150

FAST FACTS
The Race: The Drive Sober 150 at Dover International Speedway will be the 13th event of the 14-race 2013 schedule for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. This will be the 13th all-time stand-alone race for the series at Dover.

The Procedure: The starting field is 30 cars, including provisionals. The first 26 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 150 laps (150 miles) and will have a 10-minute break at or near the conclusion of Lap 75.

The Track: Known as the “Monster Mile,” Dover is an even one-mile concrete oval with banking of nine degrees on the straightaways and 24 degrees in the turns.

Race Winners: There have been 11 winners in the previous 12 K&N Pro Series East races at Dover. Corey LaJoie was last year’s winner while Brett Moffitt is the only driver with multiple victories at the track.

Pole Winners: In the 12 previous events there have been 10 different pole winners. Darrell Wallace Jr. is the only multi-time polesitter at Dover while Matt DiBenedetto has the qualifying record at 23.201 seconds (155.166 mph), established in 2009.

Statistical Advance: Dover

Dover Race Setup
• Points leader Dylan Kwasniewski has a mathematical shot at clinching the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship at Dover International Speedway. He brings a 23-point lead on Brett Moffitt into the Drive Sober 150.
• Kwasniewski can move into a tie with Brad Leighton for second on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East single-season wins list with a victory, which would be his sixth of 2013.
• Moffitt is the only driver in series history with two victories at Dover and he’s led laps in three of his four career starts there.
• Daniel Suárez has finished on the podium in five of the last six races and has improved from 12th to fifth in the standings during that run.

DOVER INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY:
History
• The official opening of Dover International Speedway, then called Dover Downs International Speedway, was in 1969.
• The first NASCAR Sprint Cup race was held on July 6, 1969 – won by Richard Petty.
• Dover held 10 NASCAR Nationwide Series–NASCAR K&N Pro Series East combination races from 1987-92.
• The track surface was changed to concrete in 1995.
• The first stand-alone NKNPS East race was held at Dover on July 18, 1998.
• The track name was changed to Dover International Speedway in 2002.

Notebook
• There have been 12 previous stand-alone NKNPS East races at Dover.
• Of those 12 previous events, there have been 11 different race winners and 10 different pole winners, with qualifying cancelled one year.
• Of the 11 previous winners, only Brett Moffitt has won twice.
• Of the 10 previous pole winners, only Darrell Wallace Jr. has two.

Dover International Speedway
Race: #13 of 14
Track Layout: One-mile concrete oval
• Race Length: 150 laps (150 miles)
• Banking/Corners: 24 degrees
• Banking/Straights: Nine degrees

Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet)
• Has six wins, two poles, 31 top fives and 83 top 10s in 170 career series starts.
• Is tied for third in points with eight top 10s in 12 outings, highlighted by a runner-up finish at Iowa in August.
• Has four top 10s, an average finish of 12th and a best result of third (2004) in 11 previous races at Dover.

Eddie Wins ACT Invitational at NHMS

Eddie MacDonald continued his dominance at the Magic Mile in Loudon, N.H. with his third victory in the American Canadian Tour’s 5th Annual Bond Auto 50 lap event. The Rowley, Mass. driver won the first ever ACT race at NHMS and has now won three of the five contests held on the September NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend schedule. Unfortunately, Eddie Mac was not as fortunate in the K&N Pro Series East race when he hit the wall in turn one while leading the race when the right side tire blew apart.

“We won one and wrecked one,” said MacDonald in victory lane after the impressive ACT win. “I really wanted to win this for a third time. Rollie (LaChance) and the entire team love running here in front of all our fans. It is a great win but the day is also bittersweet. The K&N car is in pretty bad shape and we have to evaluate it to see if it can be fixed. It is our new car this year and is my favorite car. So it is really disappointing to have a blown tire ruin our chances to win the race and destroy the car. I feel bad for team owner Rob Grimm and the rest of the team that worked so hard on it from day one.”

The Hancock Electric Late Model Pontiac with the familiar flame covered body started the race in the 26th position in the 43 car field after a draw for position with the “Outlaw” saying, “We came here a few weeks ago for a practice day and the car was fast and handled well. This car is incredible since it sat in the trailer since last year and still runs as well as it does. This morning (Saturday) we had an hour of practice and the small changes Rollie made were fantastic. I knew we had something to contend for the win but I knew we had some tough competition from the regular ACT guys.”

When the green flag waved to start the 50 lapper, Eddie Mac steadily moved to the front and rode in the 15th position on the lap 4 caution and into fourth the next time the yellow flag slowed the action on lap 12 with Eddie saying, “The car was so good I wasn’t pushing it. I was just riding trying to save the tires for the end of the race. I knew Brian (Hoar), Wayne (Helliwell), Joey (Polewarczyk) and a few others would all be battling for the win the last ten laps. I thought whoever saved their stuff the best would be in a position to get the win.”
The #17 Ma. Late Model maintained the third spot behind leaders Hoar and Helliwell until making the move for the lead on lap 34. Eddie Mac took the lead and established a two to three car length advantage to take the checkers saying, “This win really means a lot to me and the team. We owe a big thank you to Rob Grimm for all his support and special thanks to Kenny Thompson of Hancock Electric for his sponsorship. We have to keep Kenny around because we won the last two races he has been at (Beech Ridge, NHMS). He is our good luck charm. Hopefully he can make it to the Milk Bowl at Thunder Road. The day started off so badly, I am glad we had something good happen.”

K&N Pro Series East North American Power 100

The Grimm Racing Team posted a seventh fastest qualifying time for the North American Power 100 in the twelfth race in the K&N Pro Series East schedule with Eddie Mac saying, “I was really pleased with the qualifying run and felt the car would be good in the race and it was. This car has been a standout for us since we started running it this season and thought we could be in position to get the win. We were only four points behind third place in the point’s race and were hoping for a good finish and a good point’s day. Unfortunately, a blown tire knocked us out before the halfway break at lap 50.”

The Grimm Construction Chevy was “just riding” in sixth before taking the fifth position on a lap 17 restart. The #71 then began powering to the front. On a lap 40 restart after a red flag, Eddie Mac moved into third then took the top spot on lap 41. The lead was short-lived when four laps later the right front tire exploded sending Eddie nose first into the turn one wall.

“The tire just blew out and there was nothing I could do,” said Eddie Mac. “I remember thinking, “This is going to hurt,” but the construction of the car and the safety equipment did the job and I was okay. I was just sick over what happened to the car. As I said, this is my favorite car to drive so hopefully it can be fixed. It was a tough day out there for all the point’s leaders and despite the 23rd place finish we are tied for third place with Ben Kennedy heading to Dover. Fortunately we have a great Gibbs’ car ready for Dover so hopefully we will have a solid finish there.”

The Drive Sober 150 will take the green flag in the second to last race on the K&N Pro Series East schedule this Friday on the “Monster Mile” as another companion race for the third “Chase” race for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.





		Photos by Richard Casey

		*Photos by* *Chris Roy*




Photos by Richard Casey
	*Photos by* *Chris Roy*

*Saturday, September 21st - 2:30 PM*	*New Hampshire Motor Speedway* *Loudon, NH*

*Having taken the lead on lap 41, , Eddie had the right front tire suddenly go down on lap 44. The #71 pounded the turn one wall for a 23rd place finish.*

*News & Notes: The North American Power 100*
FAST FACTS The Race: The North American Power 100 will be the 12th of 14 races on the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule and the lone trip to New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Procedure: The starting field is 36 cars, including provisionals. The first 32 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 100 laps (105.8 miles) with a 10-minute break at or near the conclusion of Lap 50. The tire change rule is two tires, any position. The Track: NHMS, a 1.058-mile slightly-banked asphalt oval, is the largest track the K&N Pro Series East races at. NHMS has played host to the K&N Pro Series East in each year of the track’s existence and has held more races than any other facility in the series’ 27-year history. Race Winners: There have been 26 different winners in 57 all-time stand-alone races at NHMS. New Hampshire native Brad Leighton has the most series wins at the “Magic Mile” with eight while Eddie MacDonald is the active leader with three. Pole Winners: Of the 29 different drivers to earn a Coors Light Pole Award at NHMS, Kelly Moore has the most in K&N Pro Series East history with six. Brett Moffitt set the track qualifying record at 29.648 seconds (128.467 mph) in this event last year for his third “Magic Mile” pole. MacDonald on a Run: Eddie MacDonald is once again turning in a commendable performance in 2013, and it could get even better as the K&N Pro Series East heads to his home track this week for the North American Power 100 at NHMS. MacDonald ranks fourth in points and only championship leaders Dylan Kwasniewski and Brett Moffitt have more top-10 finishes (nine) than the Rowley, Mass., native (eight). Following five straight top 10s, MacDonald heads to his best track, where he’s posted three of his six career victories. The recent run of success could have MacDonald positioned to end a 48-race winless drought that dates to his last Loudon win in 2009.

*Statistical Advance: Loudon*
New Hampshire Race Setup • Points leader Dylan Kwasniewski can move into a tie with Brad Leighton for second on the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East single-season wins list with a victory, which would be his sixth of 2013. • Brett Moffitt has a win and three runner-up finishes in seven previous races at NHMS. • The active leader with three wins at NHMS, Eddie MacDonald enters this race with a streak of 10 consecutive top-10 finishes at his home track. • Daniel Suárez has finished on the podium in four of the last five races and has improved from 12th to sixth in the standings during that run. New Hampshire Motor Speedway: History • Groundbreaking for New Hampshire International Speedway, as New Hampshire Motor Speedway was originally named, was Aug. 13, 1989. • The 1.058-mile oval is located on approximately 1,200 acres; the multi-use complex is the largest sports facility in New England. • The official opening was June 5, 1990 and the first NASCAR event was a NASCAR Nationwide Series race on July 15, 1990 in which NASCAR K&N Pro Series East drivers competed in combination. • Speedway Motorsports Inc., agreed to purchase New Hampshire International Speedway from Bob and Gary Bahre on January 11, 2008 and then renamed the track New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Notebook • The first NKNPS East stand-alone race was held on Sept. 2, 1990. • There have been 57 stand-alone NKNPS East races at NHMS, more than any other track in series history. • There have been 26 different race winners, led by Brad Leighton’s eight. Eddie MacDonald is the active leader with three victories. • There have been 29 different pole winners, led by Kelly Moore’s six. Brett Moffitt is the active leader with three poles, and maintains the series’ qualifying record. New Hampshire Motor Speedway Data Race: #12 of 14 Track Layout: 1.058-mile asphalt oval • Race Length: 100 laps (105.8 miles) • Banking/Corners: 2-7 degrees Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet) • Has six wins, two poles, 31 top fives and 83 top 10s in 169 career series starts. • Ranks fourth in points with eight top 10s in 11 outings, highlighted by a runner-up finish at August Iowa. • Has three wins, 12 top 10s, an average finish of 17th and 171 laps led in 24 career starts at NHMS. Maintains a streak of 10 top-10 finishes in a row at the track. Had an average finish of 25th in 14 starts there prior to the current top-10 streak.

*Saturday, September 21st*

*MacDonald Wins Third ACT Invitational*
*TRACK PR STORY FROM www.NHMS.com Photo by NHMS/HHP* Eddie MacDonald made history when he won the inaugural ACT Invitational back in 2009. He became the first driver to win two ACT Invitationals when he took the checkers in 2011. On Saturday, he became the first to win it a third time, crossing the Granite Stripe to win the American-Canadian Tour Bond Auto Parts ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. MacDonald (Rowley, Mass.) drove away from the field over the final 10 laps of the 50-lap feature, capping off a great day at the 1.058-mile speedway. MacDonald joins 15-year-old Cole Custer (K&N Pro Series East) and Todd Szegedy (Whelen Modified Tour) as Saturday's winners. MacDonald ran a strong race, avoiding trouble and staying ahead of the likes of ACT points leader Wayne Helliwell Jr. and Brian Hoar. "I just love racing at NHMS," said MacDonald. "These guys are the best in the sport, it is tough to get by them. We are all pretty equal. You are not going to fool these guys too much." Helliwell, a native of Dover, N.H., who leads the ACT with 12 top-10s in 13 starts, ran up front for most of the second half of the race, but didn't have enough left in the tank for MacDonald at the end. "We made really good strides with this team," said Helliwell. "We definitely crossed the T and dotted the I today. I am not complaining about second." Hoar (Williston, Vt.) led twice for 13 laps, but knew he didn't have anything for MacDonald. "I got to the outside and made a pretty good move and got to the front," said Hoar. "I tried to save something. I knew with Eddie going fast it was going to be tough to chase him down."

The Bond Auto ACT Invitational took place on September 21 as part of a spectacular triple header which *also featured the NASCAR Whelen Modified FW Webb 100, and the NASCAR K&N Series North American Power 100.*
The 43-car field for the 5th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been announced. The biggest names in American Canadian Tour Late Models will be on hand for the event on Saturday, September 21. The field will be led by twelve drivers who have won an Invitational qualifier event. A strong contingent from New Hampshire includes Wayne Helliwell, Jr. and Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. Vermont drivers Brian Hoar, Jimmy Hebert, Bobby Therrien and Cody Blake claimed qualifier wins. From north of the border, Quebecer’s Jean-François Déry, Alex Labbe, Donald Theetge, Dany Trepanier have all won qualifying events. Travis Stearns of Maine and Eddie MacDonald of Massachusetts complete the 12 Invitational Qualifier winners. The remainder of the field includes American Canadian Tour regulars Ben Lynch, Glen Luce, Kyle Welch, Ray Parent, Rowland Robinson, Jr., Luke Hinkley and Todd Davis. Completing the Canadian group are Série ACT’s Jonathan Bouvrette, as well as Ontario’s Sean Kennedy and Bryan Mercer. Representatives from several tracks around the Northeast will also be on hand. From Thunder Road, Ricky Roberts, Emily Packard, Jamie Fisher, Matt White, and the Grandfather/Grandson combo of 70-year-old Joey Laquerre and 16-year-old Joey M. Laquerre. Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s Brandon Atkins and Josh Masterson also accepted invites.

Photos by Richard Casey

2013 Champion To Be Crowned
At Road Atlanta On Oct. 18

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced today, September 9th, that the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East event scheduled for Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway on Saturday, Nov. 2 has been cancelled.

The race at Road Atlanta in Braselton, Ga., on Friday, Oct. 18 now will be the season ending points race. The event is part of the 16th annual Petit Le Mans weekend for American LeMans Series.

“It is unfortunate any time a race must be cancelled,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring. “However, the race track failed to meet its obligations and we were forced to terminate the sanction agreement. We look forward to a great race weekend at Road Atlanta to culminate the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season and crown the 2013 champion.”

Sept. 4th Test & Tune at NHMS

Practice at NHMS for the 5th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational on Saturday September 21, 2013. Eddie is a two-time winner of this event, including the inaugural. Eddie will also compete in the K&N Pro Series East race the same day.



*Photos by Richard Casey*

*Monday, September 2*	*Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140* *Greenville Pickens Speedway* *Greenville, SC*

*Eddie Runs Fourth at Greenville Pickens*
Eddie drove from his twelfth place starting position to finish fourth in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 at Greenville Pickens Speedway in the eleventh K&N Pro Series East race this season. It was the second visit to the “Old House of Racing” this season with MacDonald taking the checkers in eighth place in the March race. Monday’s Labor Day finish solidifies Eddie Mac’s fourth place standing in the point’s race trailing third place by only four points with four races remaining. The Grimm Construction Chevy/Multiple Sclerosis Chevy qualified twelfth in the 23 car field in 21.051 sec. around the flat half mile oval. Eddie Mac ran seventh fastest in the first practice session and ran 19^th on old tires in the second practice saying, “The car ran well in the first practice and we knew we would be okay for the race. We qualified in twelfth and that is about what we expected. The important thing on this track is to save your tires for the end. The drivers that do that the best will be there at the end of the race.” The race turned out to be more about strategy than racing early on with the veteran driver saying, “It was weird when the green flag waved almost everyone was half throttle. A number of guys said in the pits before the race they were going to take it easy and save the tires for the end. This track surface is pretty abrasive so it doesn’t take long before the tires go away. Only a few guys raced hard from the beginning and they ended up falling to the back near the end of the race.” The start of the 140 lap event (70 miles) found many drivers falling back in the field and let the rabbit’s race their way to the front. Eddie Mac dropped from his 12^th position to ride around in the 16^th spot saying, “It was strange that everyone drove off the corners nice and easy without spinning the tires. Hardly anyone was racing and that’s why we only had one caution and that was for debris (Laps 58-66). We planned to get going around lap 90 to make our way to the front. Everyone decided to go then so the race was on. I was able to get near the front but the tires were pretty shot with about 15-20 laps to go.” On lap 106 The #71 rode in tenth place and into fifth on the 125^th circuit with MacDonald saying, “We were hoping for a late race caution to bunch things up and give us a shot for a top three finish but it didn’t happen. I passed the #21 on the last lap to get to fourth. It was a good finish for us and a good point’s day. Now we have the opportunity in our next race in New Hampshire to improve on that. The team is looking forward to racing at home in front of our fans. The crew did a great job today and in the shop getting this car ready. We had a lot of work to do after the Iowa race and I want to give a special thanks to John Tiernan, our body and paint man, for all his hard work.” Eddie Mac and the Grimm Racing Team will pull double duty at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 22, racing in the K&N Pro Series East’s North American Power 100 and the American Canadian Tour’s ACT Invitational 50 lap event as part of the big NASCAR Cup weekend. FS1 will televise the Kevin Whitaker 140 on Sunday, September 22, at noon.

*News & Notes: The Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140* FAST FACTS The Race: The third edition of the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 will mark the 11th all-time event for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Greenville Pickens Speedway, and the second of two in 2013. The Procedure: The maximum starting field will be 28 cars, including provisionals. The first 24 starting positions will be based on two-lap time trials and the remaining four will be filled through the provisional process. The race will be 140 laps (70 miles), run straight through with no tire changes. The Track: Greenville is a half-mile asphalt oval with five degrees of banking in the turns. The facility opened in 1946 with a dirt racing surface and was paved in 1970. There were 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races held there from 1951-71. Race Winners: The 10 previous K&N Pro Series East races in Greenville have produced nine different winners. Only Darrell Wallace Jr. has won at the track twice. Brandon Gdovic captured checkers in the first 2013 race. Pole Winners: Like with race winners, there has been only one driver to earn multiple poles at GPS – Brett Moffitt – with three. Moffitt set the qualifying record at 20.534 seconds (87.659 mph) in the 2011 season-opener, and his 2010 pole eclipsed Joey Logano’s series record as the youngest pole winner at 16 years, eight months.
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*Statistical Advance: Greenville*
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet) • Has six wins, two poles, 31 top fives and 82 top 10s in 168 career series starts. • Ranks fourth in points with seven top 10s in 10 outings, highlighted by a runner-up finish at August Iowa. • Has an average finish of 10th and a best result of third in nine career GPS starts. Greenville Race Setup: • The 10 previous NASCAR K&N Pro Series East races at Greenville Pickens Speedway have produced nine different victors and eight different pole winners. • Brett Moffitt has six track records at GPS including the best average finish, most laps led and most poles. • Eddie MacDonald’s nine starts are the most in series history at GPS, and he’s tied with Moffitt for the most top-10 finishes at the track with six. • Season points leader Dylan Kwasniewski made his NKNPS East debut at GPS in 2012 and drove from the rear to finish seventh. AT GREENVILLE PICKENS SPEEDWAY: History • Opened on July 4, 1946 as a dirt track. The race surface was converted to asphalt in April, 1970. • Held 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races from 1951-71, including the first flag-to-flag televised event. • David Pearson (1959) and Ralph Earnhardt (1965, 66) are among the famed drivers that have won championships at the track. Notebook • The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East held its inaugural Greenville Pickens Speedway race on June 6, 2006 and has returned every year since. This is the third season in a row that the track has held two events. • Corey LaJoie took the checkered flag in this event last year while Brandon Gdovic won this season’s first event there. Darrell Wallace Jr. is the only driver in the first 10 races at GPS to earn two victories. • Brett Moffitt is the only driver to capture more than one pole at GPS. He has three, including the first event there this year. • In the first 10 NKNPS East events there have been two drivers that have won from the pole: Joey Logano (2007) and Moffitt (2011). Moffitt also set the track qualifying record in 2011. • Logano, Austin Dillon (2008), Gdovic (2013) and Wallace (2010) earned their first career NKNPS East wins in events at Greenville. Greenville Pickens Speedway Data Race: #11 of 15 overall, #2 of 2 at GPS Track Layout: .5-mile asphalt oval • Race Length: 140 laps (70 miles) • Banking/Corners: Five degrees

Sat., August 24th - 4:35 PM ET

Virginia International Raceway
Alton, VA

Eddie Mac Ninth “On the Road” at VIR

The K&N Pro Series East’s inaugural visit to Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia in the Biscuitville 125 on Saturday marked the first appearance for the series on a road course since Lime Rock Park in 2010. Eddie MacDonald struggled in practice and qualifying on the 2.25 mile, 17 turn track yet posted a satisfying ninth place finish. With his seventh top ten finish this season in ten races, both driver and team owner, Rob Grimm, improved to fourth place in the all-important point’s race.

The Grimm Racing Team arrived at VIR for a full day of practice on Friday and it became clearly evident the Grimm Construction/ Multiple Sclerosis Chevy was down in horsepower to deal with the long straightaways and uphill configuration of the track. When the series ran at Lime Rock many teams suffered the loss of the spec engines that were clearly designed to run oval tracks and not designed for the rigors of right and left hand turns. The #71 ran a “built” engine for durability then and ran the same engine at VIR this past weekend.

“We knew we would be down in power but we felt if we could stay on the track until the finish, we would have a decent run,” said MacDonald. “Even with the fixes to the spec engines a number of them did blow up over the two days as did a number of transmissions. There were a lot of turns (17) with only three left handers so the track is really hard on equipment. The top guys had it figured out with speed ant handling but we are happy with the run we had. The car was not real fast but it was steady all through the race. We gained a spot in the point’s race (fourth) so overall it was a good day for us.

The Grimm Construction Multiple Sclerosis Chevy was 18^th (133.888sec.) fastest in the 26 car field and slipped to 23^rd in qualifying. Road Corse Qualifying is different from oval racing in that cars are sent out in seven second staggered groups depending on practice speed. Eddie Mac ran with the second group for eight minutes with the best lap scored for the starting grid for the 55 lap event.

Only three caution flags for 13 laps made for long green flag runs with teams employing different pit strategy for fuel. No tire changes were allowed unless a tire went down on the track. Crew chief Rollie LaChance called Eddie Mac to the pits for fuel and minor adjustments on lap 36 while running fifth after most of the leaders pitted laps before the #71. MacDonald returned to the track in the 12^th position then taking the 11^th spot on the grid as the caution flag flew on lap 50 when the engine on the #6 car of Daniel Suarez erupted on the front straight right in front of Eddie Mac’s pit sending oil everywhere.

The massive oil loss required a lot of work to clean up forcing the race into the first green/white/checker attempt. When the green flag flew the speedy dry on the track made visibility almost impossible with Eddie Mac saying, “It was pretty wild out there. You couldn’t see anything in front of you and you were just hoping to hold it straight and not run into anyone. By the time we made it to turn one I was in ninth. It was funny but I didn’t even see the two cars I passed because of the sandstorm. The crew did a great job getting the car ready and we ended up with what we wanted: a top ten finish and a good point’s day. We will head to Greenville next and plan to have a good run there. We ran eighth there earlier in the season (April 6) and now we will be returning there with the new car we ran second at Iowa. We only have four races left so we want to at least maintain our position but hope to move up in the points.”

On Monday, September 2 the K&N Pro Series East will take the green flag in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 140 at the famed half mile at Greenville Pickens Speedway (SC).

News & Notes: K&N East at The Biscuitville 125

FAST FACTS
The Race: The Biscuitville 125 will be the 10th of 15 races on the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule. It’s the first time the series has visited the Virginia track and the first road course event for the series since July 2010 at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn. It is also the third of three visits to the Commonwealth of Virginia for the series having already competed at Richmond International Raceway in April and Langley Speedway in Hampton in June.

The Procedure: The starting field is 30 cars, including provisionals. The first 26 cars will qualify through NASCAR road race style group qualifying. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 55 laps (123.75 miles).

The Track: VIRginia International Raceway originally opened in 1957 and was closed from 1974 to 2000 when it was reopened by Harvey Siegel. VIR offers five track configurations. The Full Course is 3.27 miles in length while the Patriot Course stretches for 1.1 miles entirely inside the Full Course. The North Course measures 2.25 miles in length and the South Course covers a distance of 1.65 miles. The Grand East course is the longest configuration at 4.2 miles and is made up from the Full and Patriot courses. Overall, the facility includes three separate paddocks with timing towers, separate skid pads, covered tech bays in the North Paddock, classrooms, full service restaurants, pro shop, restrooms with showers and several lodging options. The Biscuitville 125 will be contested on the North Course.

Statistical Advance: VIR

Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Toyota)
• Six wins, two poles, 31 top fives, 81 top 10s in 167 career series starts
• Best finish this season – second
• Average finish this season of 8.3
• Fifth in K&N East championship standings
• Finished seventh at Lime Rock in series’ last road course race in 2010

VIR Race Setup
• The K&N Pro Series East has not competed on a road course since a July 2010 date at Lime Rock Park in Lakeville, Conn.
• Twelve of the expected 25 entrants in the Biscuitville 125 have no appreciable road-course experience in a stock car.
• Series point leader Dylan Kwasniewski made seven road-course starts while competing in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West with an average finish of 13.57; average finish of 3.75 in four road course starts last season.
• Andrew Ranger and Daniel Suárez have road course wins this season in NASCAR series.

AT VIRGINIA INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY
History
• Opened in 1957 and was closed from 1974 to 2000 when it was reopened by Harvey Siegel.
• Offers five track configurations. The Full Course is 3.27 miles in length while the Patriot Course stretches for 1.1 miles entirely inside the Full Course. The North Course measures 2.25 miles in length and the South Course covers a distance of 1.65 miles. The Grand East course is the longest configuration at 4.2 miles and is made up from the Full and Patriot courses.
• Has hosted numerous test sessions for NASCAR’s top-three national series.

Saturday, August 17th

Scarborough, ME

Eddie Scores Big Win at Beech Ridge

Eddie Mac’s fantastic run in the American Canadian Tour 150 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on Saturday night went right down to the final two laps before pulling out the crowd-pleasing finish. The Rowley, Mass veteran racer battled Joey Polewarczyk then Bobby Therrien in the final thirteen circuits to post his first ACT win of the season to guarantee a starting position in the 5th Annual Bond Auto Act Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sept. 21. MacDonald has two NHMS wins to his credit, including the first ACT race there in 2009.

“This is a great win for us,” said Eddie Mac after the incredible finish. “We struggled since last season getting this car going but we knew we were on to something when we raced it in the ACT race at Star Speedway. We ran second that night then decided to go to Airborne Speedway, a track that we ran terrible the last two times. The car handled great and we finished third. Rollie (LaChance) and I thought we would run well here and we did. The car was tight at first but then got loose but I was able to get out front and hold onto the lead at the end.”

The Hancock Electric sponsored Chevy posted the fastest time in the second of three practices (15.809 sec.) and easily won the heat from the pole position. With the starting grid established using a plus/minus system, Eddie Mac placed 11th on the grid for the 150 lap event based on a “flat” finish in the heat. Twenty-five cars took the green flag that was only slowed with four caution flags. After an early caution on lap 6, the action was not slowed until the next yellow flew on lap 124.

By lap 21, the Freddie Peterson owned entry was riding in seventh place and heading toward the front with lapped traffic playing a big role in the race with Eddie Mac saying, ”It is tough to pass here and you have to use all the track and the leaders had to deal with lapped cars early in the race. It was easy to lose sight of the top six cars and I thought I was losing ground but everyone had to deal with it. It seemed like you could pass one guy then had to deal with lappers again before you could get to the next guys bumper.”

On lap 47, Eddie Mac was in the sixth position and in third place at the halfway flag. Second place runner Joey Pole was a straightaway in front of the #17 with K&N Pro Series East regular saying, “I didn’t know if I could catch him. He seemed to be driving away but our car was really coming alive and little by little I was gaining on him. With the #97 (Pole) and the #23 (Farrington) racing each other side by side, I was able to close the gap.”

Pole took the lead on lap 112 with MacDonald powering past the second place Farrington on lap 126 after a lap 124 restart. A power move by MacDonald from the outside on a lap 131 restart pushed the Hancock Electric Chevy past Pole for the lead that would be relinquished for only two laps (138-139) with the furious challenge of Bobby Therrien. On the restart after the final caution flag on lap 137, Eddie Mac was busy holding off Pole on the outside when Therrien made a spectacular move to the inside to give MacDonald a race to the finish. The race was not settled until the final two laps when Eddie Mac was able to pull away for the win.
“The finish was a lot of fun,” said the winner. “I had a great battle with Joey and all of a sudden I heard Logger (spotter) say “inside.” I said “Who the heck is that?” Then the battle was on with Bobby and I was lucky enough to pull away for the win.

It was tough but it was a lot of fun. Everyone ran hard but everyone ran clean. I really enjoy racing with these guys when our K&N schedule allows.”

“I am really happy for Freddie and Sheila (Peterson) to finally get the win for them. They have been great to us and give us everything we need. We finally have this car going good and Rollie, the crew, and I thank them for everything,” said an elated driver. “I also am very happy for Kenny Thompson from Hancock Electric. He has been helping us out with sponsorship for years and it is great we were able to celebrate our first win together.”

Car owner Freddie Peterson was jubilant after the race saying, “This is fantastic. It took a while to get here but what a great way to do it. They (Rollie and Eddie) figured this car out and it has gone great the last three races. Eddie is a tremendous driver and look at the show he put on. I couldn’t be happier for the entire team.”

Ken Thompson said, “This is a lot of fun to get this win with Eddie. He is a great kid and I am so happy for him. It’s nice to see that big smile on his face.”

Eddie, Rollie, and the Grimm Racing Team will race in the K&N Pro Series East inaugural event on the road course at Virginia International Raceway on Saturday, August 24.



*Photos by Richard Casey*

*Friday, August 2nd*	*Iowa Speedway* *Newton IA*

*Second Place Run for Eddie at Iowa*
From the first practice Eddie MacDonald battled his car then thirty-nine other opponents to post a hard-earned second place finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series’ Pork Be Inspired 150 at Iowa Speedway. The race was the second of two combination East/West Series events held on the fast 7/8 of a mile speedway. The new Grimm Construction/MS Society Chevy gave the crew fits in the first practice but really came on at the end of the race while the competition faded. “This is a great finish for us at Iowa. We really needed this for the team,” said Eddie Mac after the race. “It was a crazy day right from the beginning. We were black flagged for a serious tire rub in the first practice. The crew did an outstanding job cutting away the fenders where the tires burned through. We had to replace the composite body affected areas with sheet metal and rivets. It didn’t look pretty but it got the job done. I thank the guys for all their hard work. This new car is super but we keep learning things about it both good and bad.” The second practice saw some improvement with new tires (22nd) along with a qualifying run of 18th with MacDonald saying, “I probably could have driven it in a lot harder in qualifying but the car was still tight and I didn’t want to push it. Starting 18th was tough so we decided to take what we could in the first segment then make adjustments at the halfway break. The 40 car field took the green flag with the #71 moving cautiously through the pack with Eddie Mac saying, “The car was tight in traffic so it was difficult to pass. The composite bodies all seemed to be tight in traffic so getting to 12th by the halfway break was okay. We just had to make the right adjustments and we did. Rollie and the crew loosened it up exactly where it needed to be.” With the green flag waving for the final half of the race on lap 77, Eddie Mac began making his run to the front. By lap 108, the #71 ran in the eighth spot and tracking down the leaders. On lap 130 with 20 laps to go MacDonald ran in the sixth position and knew he had the car to drive to the front saying, “We were about a straightaway behind the fifth place car and I was reeling him in. The car came alive when the other cars were struggling.” On lap 132 the Speed51.com reporter wrote on the Home Tracks website covering the race, “Eddie Mac Is having an Eddie Mac-like run tonight. He has steadily worked his way to the front and sure enough he is a factor down the stretch.” In the final 11 laps Eddie Mac went from sixth place to second place when the checkered flag waved. “After I passed Little for fifth the car was really turning. I was able to drive it in the turns harder and lower that anyone out there. At that point in the race, we were the fastest car out there. This new car gave us some problems early on but it responded when it needed to respond. We are learning about it with each race and hopefully we will get a win with it soon. We built it this season and it is only our third race with it and it is a lot of fun to drive.” With the second place run, both driver and car owner, Rob Grimm, moved in to the fifth position in the point’s race after nine races. The K&N East Series returns to action on the road course of Virginia International Raceway on August 24. It will be the first visit for the East Series on the challenging road course with another road event scheduled for October 18 on Road Atlanta. The Pork Be Inspired 150 will be televised on August 25 at 1 p.m. on Fox Sports1. It is the first NASCAR touring series to air on the network, which will carry the touring series through the year.

*News & Notes: K&N East at The Pork Be Inspired 150*
FAST FACTS: The Race: The Pork Be Inspired 150 will be the ninth all-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race at Iowa Speedway, and the second of two at the track in 2013. The Procedure: The starting field is 36 cars, including provisionals. The first 28 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining eight spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (131.25 miles) and will be run in two segments with a midway break at or near the conclusion of Lap 75. The Track: Iowa Speedway is a .875-mile paved oval with the turns banked 12-14 degrees, four degrees of banking in the backstretch and 10 degrees in the frontstretch. Race Winners: The eight previous editions of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race have each produced a different overall winner. Cale Conley won this event last year as a representative of the East while West driver Michael Self took the checkered in this season’s first Iowa event. Pole Winners: As with race winners, each of the first eight Iowa combo races has also produced different overall pole winners. Cale Conley earned the pole for this race last year while the best qualifier in this season’s first Iowa event was Anderson Bowen. Records: Qualifying: Kyle Busch, May 17, 2009, 135.484 mph, 23.250 sec.; 150-Lap Race: Corey LaJoie, Aug. 3, 2012, 88.883 mph, 1 hour 28 minutes 36 seconds.

*Statistical Advance: Iowa*
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Toyota) • Six wins, two poles, 29 top fives, 80 top 10s in 166 career series starts • Best finish this season – fourth • Average finish this season of 9.1 • Sixth in K&N East championship standings • One top five, four 10s in seven E-W combination races at Iowa • Best overall E-W finish of third in 2011 • Average overall E-W finish at Iowa of 14.0 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West Combination Races At Iowa • There have been eight previous East-West combination races at Iowa Speedway – one each year from 2007-2011, two in 2012 and one earlier this year. • Iowa Speedway is located about 30 miles east of Des Moines. It was designed by NASCAR Hall of Fame driver Rusty Wallace. The track opened in September of 2006. • The eight East-West combination events have resulted in eight different winners – Joey Logano (2007), Brian Ickler (2008), Kyle Busch (2009), Max Gresham (2010), Brett Moffitt (2011), Chase Elliott (May 2012), Corey LaJoie (Aug. 2012) and Michael Self (June 2013). • The eight events have also produced eight different Coors Light Pole winners – Kevin Harvick (2007), Austin Dillon (2008), Kyle Busch (2009), David Mayhew (2010), Matt DiBenedetto (2011), Brett Moffitt (May 2012), Cale Conley (Aug. 2012) and Anderson Bowen (June 2013). • Kyle Busch was the only driver to win the E-W race at Iowa from the pole. Chase Elliott started the furthest back and won, coming from 15th on the grid last year. • Brett Moffitt has the most top-five finishes in E-W action at Iowa, with four, and the most top 10 finishes, with five. • With an average of 5.33, Elliott and Jesus Hernandez have the best average finish among drivers with at least three starts in E-W competition at Iowa. • Moffitt has led the most laps of competition in E-W action at Iowa, leading the way for 387 circuits. • Eric Holmes is the only driver to start all eight E-W combination races at Iowa. • Three of the eight East-West combination races at Iowa were extended by a late-race caution for a green-white-checkered finish, including the one earlier this year. • Chevrolet has gone to Victory Lane in four E-W events at Iowa, while Toyota has three wins and Ford has one. • 158 different drivers have competed in the eight E-W combination events at Iowa. Iowa Speedway Data Race: (8/2/13) East – #9 of 15 West - #8 of 15 Track Layout: .875-mile, paved oval Banking: 10 degrees in the tri-oval, 4 degrees on the backstretch, 12-14 degrees in the turns Race Length: 150 laps (131.25 miles)

ACT International 500
Airborne Speedway
Plattsburgh, NY - Sunday, July 21st

Eddie Runs Third in the ACT Race
at Airborne Speedway

Eddie MacDonald survived the grueling ACT International 500 in Plattsburgh, N.Y. in the American Canadian Tour’s inaugural event nosing out Booby Therrien at the line on the final lap for fourth place in the final segment to vault the veteran racer into a third place overall finish. The two day event on the half mile oval in upstate New York culminated with three segments on Sunday for 100 laps each with 40 cars taking the first green flag.

Eddie Mac ran fourth, fifth, and fourth in the Hancock Electric sponsored Chevy in the three segments for a combined score of 13, good enough for third place behind ACT‘s dominant performers in winner Joey Pole and runner-up Brian Hoar. The Freddie Peterson owned Chevy came from a tenth starting position in the heat to nip Brent Dragon at the line to advance to the feature with a +4 rating. The long time K&N Pro Series East and part-time ACT driver took the green flag in the fifth spot in the first 100 lap segment. The field would be inverted in each of the final two segments.

“We are very happy to finish third in this race against such great competition,” said Eddie Mac after the race. “We had been struggling with this car for some time but after our second place run in the ACT race at Star Speedway, Rollie and I decided last week to run here. We have not done well here the last two races but we thought we found something and we did. We were not as good as Joey and Brian but we were pretty good. It was a tough grind today with practice, the heat, and the three segments but it was all worth it in the end. To finish third overall is a credit to Rollie and the crew for all their hard work. I am happy for Freddie and his wife Sheila for hanging in there with us.”

The #17 scored a fourth place finish in the first segment and with the field inverted took the green flag for the second 100 lap segment in 30th place. A huge wreck in turn one started with the two lead cars on the first lap sent ten cars to the pits with substantial damage. Eddie Mac restarted in the 11th position then quickly moved into fifth on the 22nd circuit. The Rowley, Mass. driver was content to ride in the top five for the remainder of the race to save the car for the third and final 100 lap segment. With the fifth place finish, Eddie Mac was third in the points with a total of nine.

“The car was a little tight in the first segment and we loosened it up for the second one but it was still a little tight. Then we loosened it up too much for the final making it too loose but we knew we were racing for third place. Joey and Brian really had their cars dialed in and were in a class of their own. No one was going to challenge them today,” said MacDonald. “We knew we could have a solid finish and had to race some tough competition over the final segment to finish third. We only had a shot at the win if both Joey and Brian had problems but that didn’t seem likely. We were running for third but hopeful something would happen to give us a chance for the win.”

With the field inverted again for the final 100 laps, the Hancock Electric Chevy started 29th in the scheduled field of 36 cars. Attrition took its toll in the first two segments with only 20 cars left standing to take the green flag for the conclusion of the highly successful Airborne 500. By lap 22, the #17 rode comfortably in the sixth spot and into fifth with only 17 laps remaining. Eddie Mac had to get by Bobby Therrien for fourth place to win the tiebreaker with Scott Payea for the coveted third place podium finish. On the final lap, MacDonald ran on the outside and drove it in hard in turns three and four to pull ahead by a bumper at the checkered flag.
“Rollie and I did not know what we would have when we came here, so it was a fantastic finish for the team,” said an excited driver after the race. “We are all excited for our last two runs and we are looking forward to competing with this car in the ACT race at Beech Ridge (August 17). We had a great two days here and look forward to the remainder of the season in the ACT races we are scheduled to run.”

Eddie Mac will drive the Grimm Construction/MS Society Chevy in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Iowa Speedway on Friday, August 2 in the second combination race against its West Series rivals.

"17ma – Eddie MacDonald – This K&N regular takes time out once in a while to race the American Canadian Tour. Recently, he brought the Petersen Chevrolet to an ‘Eddie Mac’ type top finish at Star Speedway. Steady and super competitive, the “Outlaw” moved quietly through the field and was challenging the leader when the checkers flew. This race is his kind of methodical move ahead; take what you can get race. His crew, led by Rollie Lachance, is one of the best in preparation, and that is what wins the ‘Milk Bowl style’ events…give your driver the best car possible each segment…watch out for the 17ma….ODDS 2-1"

www.acttour.com

*Saturday, July 13th*	*The NAPA 150* *Columbus Motor Speedway* *Columbus, OH*

*MacDonald Finishes Sixth at Columbus*
Eddie MacDonald posted a sixth place finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway Saturday night in the NAPA 150. It was the sixth top ten run in the eight scheduled events for the Grimm Racing Team driver this season, tying him for the lead. Both driver and team owner, Rob Grimm, are currently sixth in the point’s race. After running ninth in the new car at Langley Speedway, Eddie Mac finds the new car to his liking saying, “The car is every bit as good as expected. The chassis was built by Hess in North Carolina specifically for this series and we put a composite body on it and it is performing very well. Both Rollie and I are learning more about it with each race and have high hopes for it in the upcoming races it is scheduled to run.” The Grimm Construction/MS Society Chevy ran tenth and eleventh in the two practices before qualifying twelfth on the third of a mile track saying, “The car handled well in practice and I thought we would have a better qualifying run but this track is so small we were only separated by a little over a tenth (.120) from the pole. We knew it would be tough passing on this short track but it is wide and we hoped the second groove would come in and it did. I was able to pass a number of cars out there later in the race.” With only three caution flags for 17 laps, there were a lot of green flag laps that spread out the field with Eddie Mac saying, "You would expect a lot of yellow flags but it seemed that everyone ran pretty clean and used the width of the track to stay out of trouble. Eventually I was able to run in the second groove and start passing cars. Last year if I tried to that here it would be like throwing out an anchor. This car really makes a difference.” By lap 40, the #71 ran comfortably in ninth, then into seventh by lap 112 with the rest of the field jockeying for position. Eddie Mac raced the #46 (Gdovic) hard over much of the final 40 laps for the fifth position before losing the spot with 13 laps to go. The third and final caution was thrown on lap 143 for a three car wreck leading to a green/white/checker finish. MacDonald restarted sixth on the outside for the G/W/C finish holding on to the spot for the checkered flag on lap 152. “There was not a chance to pick up a spot over the final two laps with everyone bunched together,” said Eddie Mac. “ We had a very good run today. Of course, a top five would have been nice but we are happy with sixth. The crew did a great job today and I want to thank the UNOH guys who have been with us for a couple of seasons. They do a great job for us and we really appreciate their hard work and professionalism. Every student that UNOH has sent us has been fantastic. We look forward to our next race in Iowa and hope to finish the second half of the season strong.” The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will return for the second combination race with its West counterparts at Iowa Speedway on Friday, August 2. Speed will televise the NAPA 150 on Thursday, July 25, at 3 PM.

*News & Notes: K&N East at The NAPA 150*
FAST FACTS: The Race: The NAPA 150 will be the eighth of 15 races on the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule. It will mark the third year in a row the series has visited Columbus Motor Speedway and the lone trip to the state of Ohio. The Procedure: The starting field is 28 cars, including provisionals. The first 24 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 (50 miles). The Track: A charter member of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, Columbus is a .333-mile asphalt oval that began as a motorcycle racing track in 1946 and first played host to stock cars in 1950. Race Winners: Darrell Wallace Jr. was victorious in the K&N Pro Series East’s first trip to Columbus in 2011 and Cale Conley found Victory Lane there a year ago. Pole Winners: Max Gresham was the inaugural pole winner at Columbus and established the qualifying record at 14.176 seconds (84.565 mph). Ben Kennedy captured his first career pole last year at Columbus.

*Statistical Advance: Columbus*
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction/National MS Society Chevrolet) • Has six wins, two poles and 79 top 10s in 165 career starts. • Ranks sixth in points entering Columbus on the strength of four top 10s in seven races. • Has finished in the top 10 in 21 of his last 26 starts dating back to the 2011 season. • Has finished 10th in both of the previous series races at Columbus. Columbus Race Setup: • Dylan Kwasniewski brings the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season points lead to Columbus Motor Speedway following wins in his last two series outings. • Brett Moffitt has finished third and second in the two previous races at Columbus. He is looking for his first victory of the season, and to end the longest winless drought of his career. • Aside from Moffitt, the driver with the best average finish through the series’ first two events at Columbus is Daniel Suárez, who has crossed the line in fifth place both times. AT COLUMBUS MOTOR SPEEDWAY: History • Began as a motorcycle racing track in 1946 and first played host to stock cars in 1950. • A charter member of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, now in its 32nd season. • Is the second track in the state of Ohio in which the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East has competed, along with Mansfield Motorsports Park. Notebook • The NKNPS East is the only NASCAR touring series to have visited Columbus. The inaugural event was July 23, 2011. • Each of the first two events have produced different race winners: Darrell Wallace Jr. in 2011 and Cale Conley in 2012. • As with race wins, each of the first two event have featured different pole winners: Max Gresham in 2011 and Ben Kennedy in 2012. Columbus Motor Speedway Data Race: #8 of 15 (7/13/13) Track Layout: .333-mile asphalt oval • Banking-turns: variable between 8-10 degrees • Banking–straights: none • Race Length: 150 laps (49.99 miles)

Saturday, July 6th

Epping, NH

Podium Finish for MacDonald
at Star Speedway’s ACT Race

“We were so bad in practice earlier today, I thought about loading up and going home,” laughed Eddie MacDonald in the pits after posting a second place finish in the American Canadian Tour’s Firecracker 150 at Star Speedway Saturday night. The Freddie Peterson owned Hancock Electric Chevy rallied from a 14^th starting position in the 19 car field to stage a dramatic run to the front in typical Eddie Mac fashion on the quarter-mile bullring for 150 laps.

“This is a great finish for us,” said MacDonald. “In the first practice, the car just wouldn’t turn and it wouldn’t go at all. Rollie and the crew worked on it and it was a little better in the second practice but it was far from good. Even after a lousy heat race, the guys went to work and would not give up. We started -3 in the consi race and the car actually felt better. We made a couple of more adjustments and found something loose that the crew fixed and hoped it was enough for the race and it was.”

The familiar #17 with the National Multiple Sclerosis Society emblems prominently displayed on the car for the team’s K&N Pro Series East team owner’s Rob Grimm’s daughter Megan Spaulding began making its way through the field after taking the green flag. It was the return of the ACT Series to the Epping oval after a ten year absence. With a lot of side by side racing, it was difficult to pass but Eddie Mac restarted in the eighth position after a lap 52 caution telling crew chief Rollie LaChance on the radio, “It feels pretty good and it rotates better in the second groove and cuts pretty good in the center of the turns. It is a little loose but I see a lot of guys out here a lot more loose than we are.”

By the lap 60 caution, Eddie Mac ran in the fifth spot comfortably while saving tires for the end of the race. MacDonald moved into the fourth position on lap 81 and was closing on the #34’s bumper driven by Todd Davis as the top four cars pulled away from the field. While leader Wayne Helliwell fought off the hard challenge of eventual winner Joey Polewarczyk, Eddie Mac and Davis staged and epic duel with the Hancock Electric sponsored ride eventually taking the third spot on lap 101. But Davis was not done and continued to race hard to regain the position.

For 25 laps Helliwell and Joey Pole raced door to door for the lead with Eddie Mac and Davis doing the same for the third spot. With 15 laps remaining the final caution flag flew with Eddie Mac saying, “The car is pretty worn out right now. I think they are going to start the #34 ahead of us in third so we will have to start on the outside. We should be okay there.”

When the field returned to racing Eddie Mac’s prediction proved correct. Pole took the lead from his outside starting position with MacDonald following right behind to make the pass on Helliwell for second on lap 139 saying, “There was actually some grip in the second groove and I was able to make the pass but I had nothing left to catch the #97. As loose as we were, I thought we had a better chance on the outside and it worked out great for us.”

“We really needed this as a team,” said the Rowley, Mass. veteran. “We have been struggling with this car this year and we found something tonight. The crew worked their tails off and never gave up. I am happy for them and Freddie Peterson who has stuck with us. You always want to win but we will happily take this second place finish. We don’t run a full ACT Series schedule because of our commitment to the K&N Pro Series East, so to come here and run as well as we did is awesome.”

The Grimm Racing Team will take the green flag in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway this Saturday July 13.



			*Photos by Richard Casey*

Saturday, June 22nd - 8:30 PM ET

Langley Speedway
Hampton, VA

Transmission Woes for MacDonald at Langley

The debut of the new #71 Grimm Racing Chevy in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Visit Hampton Va. 175 at Langley Speedway showed great promise until transmission trouble struck on a lap 52 restart. The 23 car field was set by points when rain wiped out qualifying on the .4 of a mile oval with Eddie MacDonald starting seventh then riding comfortably in the fifth position before problems arose. The Grimm Construction/National Multiple Sclerosis Society entry finished in ninth place after a green/white/checker extended the race to 177 laps.

“The new car was great and I really thought I had something to contend with for the win,” said the disappointed driver after the race. “Everyone worked so hard to get this car ready and it felt super during practice on Friday and then during our two practices on Saturday. The car had a lot of forward bite and really turned well in the corners so we were very optimistic for a top finish.”

When the green flag waved MacDonald quickly settled into fifth place as the field ran single file in the early going with Eddie Mac saying. “The car was driving pretty well and I was just taking care of the tires since they had to last the whole race. It cut the center well and the only bad thing, if you could call it that, was a little snug driving off turn two. Overall though, I was very happy with the car.”

On a lap 42 restart, MacDonald raced the #00 of Cole Custer door-to-door for seven exciting laps before Custer fell back in line. The second of twelve caution flags (for sixty-two laps) flew on lap 52 and that is when trouble struck with Eddie Mac saying, “We were coming to the green flag and I was running fifth but when I shifted into second gear the gears just started grinding and I was lucky not to get dumped. I knew second was gone so I had to try to restart in third gear and that didn’t work out too well. I couldn’t get going on the restarts and that hurt our chances plus the car was getting really tight.”

MacDonald managed to hold onto eighth place for the next three restarts but the fourth yellow on lap 86 and restart on lap 91 sent the #71 spinning down the front stretch. “The car wouldn’t go quick enough in third gear and someone ran into me and sent me around. I don’t know who it was but I really can’t blame whoever it was. We decided to pit to try to loosen the car up so we made a track bar adjustment. We had to restart 15^th but the adjustment helped the car and we pitted two more times and it kept getting better but it is so hard to pass anybody, it was pretty frustrating. If we didn’t make the adjustments, we would have lost more positions so we had to do it.”

On the lap 155 restart, Eddie Mac ran in the 11^th position and into eighth by lap 162 but a caution on lap 169 set up the G/W/C finish that cost #71 a position. “We had to start on the outside and with no second gear; there was no way to hold off the #99 so we settled for ninth. It wasn’t as good as we hoped but it was a good point’s day (sixth in the standings) and the car didn’t get too torn up. I was very happy with the new car and think we can have some great finishes with it. This car was built specifically for our series and is a lot of fun to drive. We should have it ready to go for the next race in Ohio.”

Speed will televise the Visit Hampton Va. 175 on Thursday, June 27 at 3pm. The eighth of the scheduled fifteen races for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will take the green flag in the NAPA Auto Parts 150 at Columbus Motor Speedway on Saturday, July 13.





*Photos by Richard Casey*

News & Notes: K&N East at Langley

FAST FACTS:
The Race: The seventh of 15 races on the 2013 schedule, the Visit Hampton VA 175 will mark the third year in a row the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East has contested an event at Langley Speedway. It will be the second of three races on the series’ calendar in the state of Virginia.

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 175 laps (70 miles).

The Track: On property that was originally a .8-mile horse track, the racing distance was cut in half and made exclusively an auto racing facility in 1950. The track, which played host to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series from 1964-70, was converted to asphalt in 1968 and currently runs as a slightly-banked .396-mile oval.

Race Winners: Sergio Peña was the inaugural Visit Hampton VA 175 winner on June 18, 2011 while Corey LaJoie was last year’s victory.

Pole Winners: Coleman Pressley turned the fast lap to take the inaugural pole at Langley in 2011 and Chase Elliott became the youngest pole winner in series history – at the time – when he captured last year’s top qualifying honors with a track record lap of 16.400 seconds (86.927 mph).

LANGLEY RACE NOTES:
Langley Resurfaced: Prior to the start of the 2013 racing season, Langley Speedway’s .396-mile asphalt oval was resurfaced. Due to the track’s racing surface update, NASCAR has waived its standard regional touring series testing policy and will allow teams to participate in an open practice at Langley on Friday, June 21, the day before the Visit Hampton VA 175. Teams are generally not allowed to test at a track in the seven days preceding a race weekend at that same facility.

Statistical Advance: Langley

Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet)
• Has six wins, two poles and 78 top 10s in 164 career starts.
• Ranks seventh in points entering Langley on the strength of three top 10s in six races.
• Has finished in the top 10 in 20 of his last 25 starts dating back to the 2011 season.
• Has an average finish of 11th with a best result of ninth (2012) in the two previous NKNPS East races at Langley.

Langley Race Setup:
• Brett Moffitt brings the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season points lead to Langley Speedway looking for his first victory of the season, and to end the longest winless drought of his career. He has finished second in both of his previous Langley starts.
• There are three Virginia natives on the entry list, all looking for their first home state win. Gray Gaulding hails from Colonial Heights, Brandon Gdovic from Yorktown and Sam Hunt from Midlothian.
• Neither of the previous NKNPS East winners at Langley are entered this year, opening it up for three-different winners in three all-time series visits.

*Friday, June 7th*	*Iowa Speedway* *Newton IA*

*MacDonald Runs 15th at Iowa*
Eddie MacDonald and the Grimm Racing Team posted three consecutive top ten finishes at Iowa Speedway but this time the #71 struggled to 15th place in the Casey’s General Store 150. The combination race was the first of two this season on the 7/8 mile oval pitting the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East and West teams for series bragging rights. The first seven combo races were won by the East until Michael self finally scored a win for the West on Friday night. MacDonald’s best finish in the previous events was a third in 2011. “We just missed it,” said Eddie Mac after the race. “We were either too loose or too tight regardless of what adjustments we made to the car. I really thought we would run well here. We have good runs at this track and we had the same car but it was strange right from the first practice. The crew made small adjustments but it seemed that every time it would be too much.” MacDonald posted fast times of 18th and 24th in the two practices and qualified the Grimm Construction/National Multiple Sclerosis Society Chevy in the 20th position in the 42 car-field. When the green flag waved, the #71could not hold the position and started sliding back in the pack with MacDonald saying, “We decided to come in to the pits twice before the ten minute half-way break but each change we made the car go from loose to tight or tight to loose. Regardless of what we did, we just didn’t get it.” The team went to work again when the mandatory yellow flag wave at the half-way mark. Starting 27th for the final half of the race, MacDonald was able to drive the car toward the front getting inside the top twenty with forty laps to go and hoped to salvage a top ten saying, “The car was better for a while and I was able to miss some of the wrecks and drive toward the front but the late race cautions killed any chance we had to get a top ten finish.“ MacDonald ran 13th in the field with only 15 laps remaining in the 150 lap event but a series of cautions extended the race to a green/white/checker finish on lap 159 with Eddie Mac saying, “I still thought we had a shot for a top ten but the last three cautions were a disaster. Whether we started on the inside or the outside that lane didn’t go so I lost two more spots. It was just one of those days that whatever you did was going to be the wrong thing. We didn’t have any luck today making adjustments or position on the restarts. As I said, I thought we would have a solid run here. This track is a lot of fun and we have done well here in the past. Hopefully when we come back here in August we will be a lot better.” Both driver and team owner remained in seventh place in the points race with Eddie Mac only four points out of fourth place. The Grimm Racing Team will have the opportunity to improve their position on Saturday, June 22 when the K&N Series returns to Langley Speedway in Hampton, VA. Speed will televise the Casey’s General Store 150 from Iowa on Thursday, June 13 @ 3 PM.

*News & Notes: K&N East at Iowa*
FAST FACTS: The Race: The Casey’s General Stores 150 will be the eighth all-time NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race at Iowa Speedway, and the first of two at the track in 2013. The Procedure: The starting field is 36 cars, including provisionals. The first 28 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials. The remaining eight spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (131.25 miles) and will be run in two segments with a midway break at or near the conclusion of Lap 75. The Track: Iowa Speedway is a .875-mile paved oval with the turns banked 12-14 degrees, four degrees of banking in the backstretch and 10 degrees in the frontstretch. Race Winners: The seven previous editions of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East-West combination race have each produced a different overall winner. Chase Elliott won this event last year as a representative of the East while the highest finisher from the West was Dylan Kwasniewski, eighth overall. Pole Winners: As with race winners, each of the first seven Iowa combo races has also produced different overall pole winners. Iowa native Brett Moffitt earned the pole for this race last year as an East representative while the best qualifier from the West was David Mayhew, ninth overall. Records: Qualifying: Kyle Busch, May 17, 2009, 135.484 mph, 23.250 sec.; 150-Lap Race: Corey LaJoie, Aug. 3, 2012, 88.883 mph, 1 hour 28 minutes 36 seconds.

*Statistical Advance: Casey's General Stores 150*
Eddie MacDonald (No. 7 Grimm Construction Toyota) • Six wins, two poles, 29 top fives, 78 top 10s in 163 career series starts • Best finish this season of fourth • Average finish this season of 9.2 • One top five, four 10s in six E-W combination races at Iowa • Best overall E-W finish of third in 2011 • Average overall E-W finish at Iowa of 13.83
Iowa Race Setup • Brett Moffitt of Grimes, Iowa, has a four-point lead in the championship standings of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East after five races. Moffitt, who won the East-West combination race at Iowa in 2011, is the only driver in the top five in series points without a win so far this year. • Derek Thorn has an eight-point lead in the championship standings of the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, with three races complete in that division. Thorn of Lakeport, Calif., is one of three different series winners this year.

Sat. June 1st

Bowman Gray Stadium
Winston-Salem, NC

12th Place Run at Bowman Gray

With only ten laps to go in the K&N Pro Series East race at historic Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston- Salem, N.C., Eddie MacDonald appeared headed for another top ten finish. Instead, the Grimm Construction/Multiple Sclerosis Society Chevy suffered a flat tire forcing the Rowley Mass. veteran to the pits to go a lap down to finish twelfth in the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150.

“We did not have a very good car all day, but we managed to stay out of trouble for almost the entire race,” said a disappointed driver. “It felt like we had a broken shock but when we came in we found out the tire had only ten pounds of air in it. I must have run over something out there and the tire started going down slowly. The car just wouldn’t turn so I had to pit on the final caution.”

MacDonald started the race in the 20^th position on the tight, flat quarter mile oval and was able to move up steadily through the first 140 laps saying, “The car was slow and wouldn’t turn in practice, qualifying and the race, but we managed to miss all the wrecks and be in a position to finish fifth or sixth so it was really disappointing to have the tire issue with only ten laps remaining.”

The 13^th and final caution flag waved on lap 140 that appeared to be just what MacDonald needed to get to the pits to change the tire and get back to the track in the seventh place position. “We didn’t get the change done in time and get back on the track before the green flag so we went a lap down. We were running seventh and I think we probably could have even had a top five finish but we were the first car a lap down. This is such a tough place, you can’t afford any mistakes but we will learn from this and hope we will have a good run in Iowa this Friday.”

The sixth race of the season will be the first of two combination races with the K&N Pro Series East/West teams at Iowa Speedway. The Casey’s General Store 150 will get the green flag on Friday, June 7 on the 7/8 of a mile oval designed by Rusty Wallace. It will be the eighth combo race at the Newton, Iowa facility. Eddie Mac is tied with Brett Moffitt for the most top ten finishes in the previous seven races with four each. NASCAR Home Tracks will cover the practice, qualifying, and the 150 lap event on its website.

Speed will televise the Hall of Fame 150 on Thursday, June 6 at 3pm.







				*Photos by Duane Owens*

News & Notes: K&N East at Bowman Gray Stadium

FAST FACTS:
The Race: The fifth of 15 races on the 2013 schedule, the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 will mark the third year in a row the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East has contested an event historic Bowman Gray Stadium.

The Procedure: The starting field is 24 cars, including provisionals. The first 20 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 (37.5 miles).

The Track: Nicknamed “The Stadium” and “The Madhouse,” Bowman Gray is a flat quarter-mile asphalt oval. The track opened in 1946 and held 29 races from 1958-71 for what is now known as the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Race Winners: Matt DiBenedetto won the inaugural NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 on June 4, 2011 while Corey LaJoie earned his first career victory in the event a year ago.

Pole Winners: Coleman Pressley took the first series pole at Bowman Gray in 2011 while Kyle Larson established the track record last year with a fast lap of 14.696 seconds (61.241 mph).

BOWMAN GRAY RACE NOTES:
Ingram to Serve as Grand Marshal: For the second year in a row the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 will have a recent selectee serve as grand marshal. Jack Ingram, one of five selected on May 22 for the NASCAR Hall of Fame’s fifth induction class, will be in attendance Saturday for the festivities at Bowman Gray Stadium. In last year’s event NASCAR Hall of Fame Class of 2012 inductee Glen Wood served as grand marshal.

Getting Back in the Groove: The last NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race took place on April 25 at Richmond International Raceway, which will result in a span of 37 days before the return to action on June 1 at Bowman Gray. That will be the longest drought of inactivity for the series during its 15-race 2013 schedule.

Statistical Advance: NASCAR Hall of Fame 150

Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet)
• Has six wins, two poles and 78 top 10s in 162 career starts.
• Ranks fifth in points entering Bowman Gray on the strength of three top 10s in four races.
• Has finished in the top 10 in 20 of his last 23 starts dating back to the 2011 season.
• Has finishes of 13th and 10th in his two career starts at Bowman Gray.
• This week will mark his 163rd career start, which will put him in 10th on the series’ all-time list.

Bowman Gray Race Setup:
• Each of the first four races of the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season have produced different winners, all of which were first-time victors.
• Just eight drivers on the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150 entry list have previous series experience at Bowman Gray Stadium, including five that have participated in both events.
• Points leader Brett Moffitt will look to break a career-long winless streak of 10 races. Should Moffitt end his drought at Bowman Gray, the tight quarter-mile would be the ninth-different track he’s earned a checkered flag at.

*Sunday, May 18th*	Airborne International Raceway Plattsburg, NY
*Spin Spoils MacDonald’s Run at Airborne*
Eddie MacDonald’ Hancock Electric/Grimm Construction Chevy suffered a disappointing 16th place finish in the ACT Late Model Tour’s Airborne 100 in Plattsburgh New York. The Freddie Peterson owned #17 was making a move to the front when the #9 (Chip Grenier) spun the Rowley, Mass. veteran on a lap 55 restart. “We started fifth after posting a plus 2 in the heat but the car wouldn’t turn so I lost a number of positions early in the race,” said Eddie Mac. “”Then around lap 40 it got loose and I could finally drive it. I raced the #9 for about ten laps running on the outside and finally got by him without making any contact.” A caution on lap 54 of the 100 laps on the half-mile oval brought the field back together with MacDonald restarting ninth on the inside saying, “I was running on the inside then the #9 drove in to me on the right rear. He didn’t lift and just kept driving and I just couldn’t hold it and took a wild ride off the track into the dirt off the back stretch. I thought I was going to hit the tire barrier but the car finally stopped and I was able to continue without any damage.” The spin brought out the caution flag on lap 55 with MacDonald forced to start in the rear of the 28 car field. “It was difficult to make up a lot of ground when we restarted,” said Eddie Mac. “It isn’t easy passing here and we just had too many spots to make up. We didn’t have a car to compete with the top guys but I really thought we could finish in the top ten but restarting in the back after the spin made it impossible. Rollie and I thank car owner Freddie Peterson and our K&N team owner Rob Grimm and a special thanks to Kenny Thompson from Hancock Electric in Quincy, Mass. for being such a great sponsor.” Eddie Mac and crew chief Rollie LaChance are scheduled to race the ACT Tour’s return to Star Speedway in Epping, N.H. on July 6. The Grimm Racing team will compete in the K&N Pro Series East Series on the “bullring” known as Bowman Gray Stadium on June 1.

The Grimm family and members of Grimm Nation participated as
the “MS Warriors” in the May 5th MS Walk at Pocono Speedway.

Grimm Nation Walks for One of Its Own

There are usually one or two things that define a race team whether it is a huge win or a race changing pit stop but for Grimm Racing its defining event occurred on a race track yet had nothing to do with racecars flying around an oval at incredible speed. The Grimm Racing Team was at Pocono Raceway on Sunday, May 5 for the third annual National Multiple Sclerosis Society Walk as part of Grimm Nation’s “MS Warriors” team in support of Megan Spaulding, the daughter of team owners Karla and Rob Grimm.

“This was one of those events when you look back afterward and just say “Wow,” recalled driver Eddie MacDonald. “The turnout from the Grimm Nation supporters was incredible, not to mention the thousands of people that joined us that day to raise awareness and money to help find a cure for this disease. It was really overwhelming at first to realize you are part of something so huge. I had no idea what to expect but just being a part of something like the MS Walk was as rewarding an experience as you can have. It meant a lot to us to be there for Megan and her family.”

Megan, her husband Ryne and both children and the Grimm family, plus her extended family enjoyed a beautiful day with Eddie saying, “Everyone was so relaxed and having a great time being together sharing in something so important. It was special that both sets of Megan’s grandparents were there to participate in the event. We had our Richmond car at the track with the MS emblem displayed on it and a lot of people posed for pictures. The tremendous turnout of support of over a 100 people there for Megan raised a lot of money just by the “MS Warriors” team. Karla had shirts made for all the participants and it was fantastic to see all the orange shirts walking as one in support of Megan. Karla did an incredible job getting everything organized. She had sandwiches drinks, and snacks and she is really an amazing person. Robin (Allaire) and I and Laura and Rollie (LaChance) were part of this and then spent time afterward with the Grimm family to complete a phenomenal weekend.”

Photos of the day’s events are displayed on Grimmracing.com as well as the Grimm Racing Facebook page. Ralph Smith took many beautiful pictures that are posted and can be seen on his Facebook page as well. So many people were responsible for making this a life-changing day. Jolene Drandson was actively involved with all of the preparation from the beginning to help make this MS Walk a huge success. Since 1988 the MS walk has raised over $10,000,000 dollars to support research to find a cure and donations are always welcome. Simply contact the Nationalmssociey.org for more information.

Karla Grimm’s quote under the family picture on her Facebook page may be expanded to include all of the members of Grimm Nation and the legion of supporters in the fight against MS when she said, ”We may not have it all together, but together we have it all.”

	New Date for K&N Pro East . August 24th, 2013
VIR Added To K&N Pro East Schedule 2013 Calendar Now Includes Two Road Course Events
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will make its inaugural visit to Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Va., on Aug. 24, 2013. The event will replace the race previously announced for CNB Bank Raceway Park on July 20 in Clearfield, Pa. With Virginia International Raceway joining the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East calendar, NASCAR’s top development series will now have two road course dates in 2013. The series was already scheduled for its inaugural event at Road Atlanta on Oct. 18 in Braselton, Ga. “We are very pleased to welcome Virginia International Raceway to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East calendar,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president of regional and touring series. “Adding a premier road course facility like VIR is a great addition to an already diverse schedule of events.”

Eddie 11th at Thunder Road

After posting a third place run in Freddie Peterson’s ACT Late Model in the Governor’s Cup 150 season opener at Lee USA Speedway, Eddie Mac and the team set similar expectations in the Merchants Bank 150 at the famed bullring in Barre, Vermont. However, Eddie fought an ill handling car starting in practice on Sunday.

With an impressive fourth place finish in the K&N Pro Series East race at Richmond International Raceway on Thursday night, Eddie, Rollie (LaChance), and the ACT crew hit the track in the Green Mountain state on Saturday for a full day of practice with Eddie saying, “The car handled great on Saturday and was really fast. Rollie and I were pleased and thought we had a car to compete for the win. But Sunday was a lot hotter and the track was very slick and the car was loose from the start.”

The crew made a number of changes on the Hancock Electric/MS Society Chevy yet nothing appeared to make the car handle as it did on Saturday. After finishing sixth in the heat race, Eddie qualified for the 15th annual Merchants Bank 150 in the consolation race and had to start in the 23rd position.

For the first third of the 150 lap event, Eddie managed to run mid-pack with the leader closing until the first caution on lap 82 with Eddie Mac saying, “We really needed that caution. The car was loose everywhere and free in and off the corners. It did start to rotate a little better just before the caution but only on the bottom of the track.”

The #17 started 14th after another caution on lap 86 as a number of cars headed to the pits to make adjustments with Eddie saying, “We decided to stay out since we would have to start near the back and it would be tough to pass all those cars to get back to the front. We were running easy around 12th, trying to save the tires for the end. We didn’t have anything for the leaders but we were hoping for a top ten but late race cautions hurt us. The car would not turn when we ran in the second groove so I tried to stay on the bottom.”

Caution flags on laps 126,129, and 131 placed the #17 on the outside on each restart with no chance to get to the bottom and only 19 laps to go to the checkered flag. The veteran driver said, “Everyone was packed in so tight on the green flag and no one was going to let me in so we kept sliding back. I think we were up to ninth on the final restart and lost two spots before I was able to get to the bottom with about 15 laps to go. I got real loose and Joey Pole (#97) let me recover and slide in front of him. He could have turned me but he didn’t and I thank him for that. It was not the finish we had hoped for but there are more races ahead in the ACT Series that we are going to run. I want to thank Sheila and Freddie Peterson and the crew for everything they have done. We are planning to race at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y. next. ACT is a great series and Rollie and I love competing in it and hope to run well there.”


		*Photos by Richard Casey*

Sensational Comeback for Eddie at Richmond

Thirty six NASCAR K&N Pro Series East cars took the green flag in the Blue Ox 100 at Richmond International Raceway on Thursday with Eddie MacDonald in the unenviable 33rd starting position. When the checkered flag waved at the end of the 100 lap (75 miles) race the Grimm Construction Chevy scored an impressive fourth place finish.

“We needed that finish after the last couple of races,” said a very pleased driver. “We had a terrible qualifying attempt. The front of the car was hitting the track and it was smoking quite a bit. We had to start the race that way since the cars are impounded after qualifying.”

MacDonald’s time was only 33rd fastest and had to take a provisional spot to make the field with hopes the car would run well enough until the team could make adjustments during the first caution. Their wish came to be with the leader only 20 car length’s behind the #71 as the first caution flag waved on lap 46. Two critical moves were made in the pits that propelled MacDonald through the field for the remaining laps.

“The car was hitting the track and washing up the nose in the turns and that killed any speed we had,” said MacDonald. “Rollie (LaChance) asked permission from the NASCAR official to raise the hood to put in one round of wedge on each side and the request was granted. We knew that would lift the car enough to stop dragging on the surface and it worked perfectly. I could drive the car in the corners and had plenty of speed off the turns.”

The second critical move involved the hood pins. Richmond is only .75 of a mile so the pace car speed around the oval does not allow much time for under the hood adjustments. With the pace car leading the field out of turn four LaChance instructed the crew to replace only two hood pins knowing the official would order the #71 back to pit road to replace the rest of the pins. However, the move allowed MacDonald to get back on the track just ahead of the pace car and not go a lap down.

MacDonald was 23rd on the lap 53 restart and in 11th place after the lap 80 caution saying, “The adjustments definitely helped. It is tough to get around cars here but the car kept getting better the longer we ran. We decided to stay out during the caution and not tweak it anymore and that made all the difference. After the final caution, I was able to pass a number of cars to get to fourth. Rollie made a great call on the pit stop and the crew did a super job making the adjustments and getting me out before the pace car. If we went down a lap there it would have been a completely different outcome.”

A multi-car wreck on lap 88 brought out the red flag with the veteran driver saying,” I think it was the #07 just got me in the left rear but not enough to spin me. We definitely lucked out because a lot of cars behind me were right in the middle of it. You need a little luck and tonight we had it on our side. I knew the last five laps would be tough but we had the car for it.”

The green flag waved with only four laps to go with MacDonald in seventh place. The #71 quickly passed two cars on the restart and with only two laps to go passed the #11 car after a door to door battle to take the fourth spot and secure the team’s best finish this season. The run vaulted Eddie Mac back into fifth place in the point’s race.

.”Getting fourth place after the day we had is awesome” said Eddie Mac. “As I said, we really needed this. It is great for morale and I am pleased we did it with so many of the Grimm family and friends that made the trip down from Waymart, Pa. The support the team gets from “Grimm Nation” is fantastic. I know they are enjoying this as much as we are down here in the pits. Hopefully we can support them when we are part of the “MS Warriors” team in the May 5 National Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Walk around Pocono Speedway.”

After a hectic few weeks, the team has a little time to catch its breath. The next K&N race will be on June 1 at the legendary Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston Salem, N.C. for the NASCAR Hall of Fame 150.





*Photos by Richard Casey*


*Grimm Racing Is More than Just Winning*
Racing may be about winning but it also has plenty of room for support and compassion for people and causes and this is what Grimm Racing is all about. If anyone has any doubt about the validity of the statement, all they have to do is to look at the vinyl covering the car. The MS, New Path Adventures, Boston Strong logos, and the Eric Williams emblem are displayed on every Grimm car. Recently Megan Spaulding, the daughter of Carla and Rob Grimm, was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. In an effort to support MS Awareness Week, the #71 carried the logo for the first race on the rear quarter panels at Bristol. Rob Grimm decided the MS banner would be permanently displayed on the car for the entire season. The family and members of Grimm Nation will participate as the “MS Warriors” in the May 5 MS Walk at Pocono Speedway. (http://walkpae.nationalmssociety.org) The Grimm family was deeply moved by the horrific events on Marathon Monday in Boston and the decision was easily reached to display the “Boston Strong” ribbon on the car. Eddie MacDonald and many of the team members call the Boston area home and felt the need to support those killed, injured, and their families was something Grimm Racing does for all those in need. (onefundboston.org) Rob Grimm decided that “New Path Adventures” logo would be displayed on the back of the car for the season. New Path Adventures is based in Dallas, Texas and ministers to troubled youths ages 13-19. Crew member Steven Owens, nephew of Rob Grimm, is proud to say his brother Jonathan Owens and Alan Owens offer guidance and a positive change in the choices these youngsters make in their daily lives. The Spanish to English Ministry recently completed a very successful bike ride across the state of Texas, an 865 mile journey, to raise money. Alan and Jonathan work with a group of 7-10 youngsters by taking them from their environment and harmful behavior, minister to them while living out of backpacks in the wilds of Texas. NewPathAdventures.org is a good source for information. On February 25, 2013 Corrections Officer Eric Williams was murdered in the line of duty at the U.S Penitentiary located in Canaan, Pa. that is within sight of the Grimm Racing shop in Waymart, Pa. In order to honor Officer Williams and those men and women that serve, every Grimm car will display the emblem for the remainder of the season. (www.facebook.comCorrectionalPeaceOfficersFoundation) Being a member of Grimm Nation is much more than supporting the #71 on the track. It means a commitment to show support for those in need.

*THURS. APRIL 25TH*	*SUN. APRIL 28TH*
*It’s Virginia and Vermont for Eddie Mac This Week*
After last week’s races in Florida and New Hampshire, Eddie MacDonald and the Grimm Racing Team will take the green flags this week on Thursday at Richmond International Raceway and on Sunday at Thunder Road in Barre, Vermont. For the third year in a row, RIR will host NASCAR’s K&N Pro Series East event in the Blue Ox 100 as part of the big Cup weekend at the banked .75 mile D-shaped track. When the checkered flag waves sometime Thursday night, the team will pack up for a return to the Newburyport, Mass. shop on Friday to get ready for a Saturday morning departure for the American Canadian Tour race at the historic “bullring” in the Green Mountain state. “We had a busy week and we are doing it all again, but this is the fun part of racing,” said Eddie. “We are racing at two tracks that are a lot of fun and have a lot of history. It isn’t as hectic as last week but we really have been busy getting both cars ready, and hopefully we will have great runs.” Both the #71 K&N and the #17 Late Model will carry the National Multiple Sclerosis logo. The Grimm Construction Chevy finished eighth in the Blue Ox 100 last year with Eddie saying, “Richmond is a great track and we had a strong run last year and hope to do even better this time. The track is very fast so the set up and the handling have to be there if you want to compete. The car was really good at the end of the race last year so we hope our set up this year will be getting us to the front.” Eddie Mac finished third in last week’s ACT season opener Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway and will run Freddie Peterson’s car again this Sunday in the 15th annual Merchant’s Bank 150 at Thunder Road with Eddie saying, “It is always fun to drive there. You really have to have a good car under you to run on that track. It is tough to pass there and you are always turning left so handling is critical. It sounds like a great field of cars is entered and we are looking forward to running there. We have a day of practice Saturday to get the car the way it needs to be to be competitive. Rollie (LaChance) and I will have logged a lot of miles in the last couple of weeks so we hope all the travel and lack of sleep will pay off.” NASCARHomeTracks.com will live stream practice (beginning at 12:00 noon), qualifying, and the Blue Ox 150 from Richmond on Thursday, April 26. Speed will televise a tape of the race on May 16 at 3:00 pm. Action gets under way at Thunder Road at noon with the ACT race scheduled for 4:30 pm.


*Thurs. April 25 - 7 PM ET*	*Richmond International Raceway* *Richmond, VA*

*>> EDDIE RACES to a 4TH PLACE FINISH on the FINAL RESTART*

*Statistical Advance: BLUE OX 100 - HERE*
AT RICHMOND INTERNATIONAL RACEWAY: History • Originally known as the Atlantic Rural Exposition Fairgrounds, Richmond International Raceway held its first race in 1946 as a half-mile dirt track. • The track name changed to Virginia State Fairgrounds in 1967. • The track surface was changed from dirt to asphalt between races in 1968. • The track name changed to Richmond Fairgrounds Raceway in 1969. • The track was re-measured to .542-mile in 1970. • The track was rebuilt as a three-quarter-mile D-shaped oval following the Feb. 21, 1988 race. Richmond International Raceway Data Season Race #: 4 of 15 (4-25-13) Track Size: .75-miles Banking/Turns 1 & 2: 14 degrees Banking/Turns 3 & 4: 14 degrees Banking/Frontstretch: 8 degrees Banking/Backstretch: 2 degrees Race Length: 100 laps / 75 miles Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet) • Has six wins, two poles and 77 top 10s in 161 career starts. • Has finished in the top 10 in 19 of his last 22 starts dating back to the 2011 season. • Has finishes of 14th and eighth in his two career starts at Richmond. • This week will mark his 162nd career start, which will tie him with past series champions Brad Leighton and Andy Santerre for 10th on the all-time list.

*SAT. APRIL 13TH*	*SUN. APRIL 14TH*
Double Duty for Eddie Mac in Florida & New Hampshire
In less than 24 hours Eddie MacDonald and the Grimm Racing Team competed in two races separated by 1500 miles. On Saturday night, MacDonald finished 15th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida. On Sunday afternoon the veteran driver took the checkered flag in third place in the American Canadian Tour’s Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH in the season opener. The Rowley, Mass. native started 23rd in the inaugural NAPA Auto Parts 150 on the half mile track in Florida and was headed toward the front when the handling went away. A mandatory ten minute break at the halfway mark allowed the teams to make adjustments and change four tires. The #71 Grimm Construction Chevy ran in the 12th spot with MacDonald confident of a good finish. “We made adjustments at the beginning of the race and the car was handling good enough to be in 12th place at the break without really driving it too hard,” said MacDonald. “We planned to tweak the adjustments we made at the beginning of the race for the remaining laps. Things did not go as planned and the car just got tighter as the race went on. Instead of going forward, we started sliding back in the field. We hoped for a caution somewhere but it never came, so we just had to stay out there and get the best finish we could.” After posting two top ten finishes so far this season, a seventh at Bristol and an eighth at Greenville last week, Eddie Mac said, “We obviously are disappointed in the finish and hope to come back strong in our next race at Richmond in a couple of weeks. We get a little bit of a breather so we can prepare at our shop for that race. We have been on the road for the last couple of weeks so it will be nice to get home.” The #71 carried the National Multiple Sclerosis Society logo on the rear quarter panels as it will all season in support of MS Awareness. The #17 Late Model raced at also displayed the Logo for the Governor’s Cup race with Eddie Mac saying, “It is always great to win but you really realize what is important when something like MS affects someone you know. The Grimm family needs all our support at this time and hopefully we can raise awareness and support to find a cure for this disease. It was great to have a lot of family members make the trip from Pa. to Lee for the race. It really meant a lot to us to have them there. I didn’t get to see everyone, but knowing they were there to support us with everything they are dealing with really says a lot about their strength. Megan and a lot of Grimm Nation will be participating in the MS Walk around Pocono Speedway on May 5 and I urge everyone to support the cause in some way. Donations can be made in Megan’s (Spaulding) name to the MS Society. When the NAPA 150 ended, crew chief Rollie LaChance and Eddie Mac drove five hours to Atlanta airport to catch a ride to Boston. The exhausted pair arrived at the track at 11:00 am just in time for the driver’s meeting. With only one 40 minute practice session the #17 was able to finish fourth in the heat to secure an 18th starting position for the 150 laps. When the green flag waved MacDonald advanced a few spots and was riding comfortably until lap 60 when LaChance suggested he pick it up with the leaders closing. By lap 76, Eddie Mac was 12th and heading to the front. After the caution on lap 90, the Freddie Peterson owned Chevy began making its move to catch the leaders. A spectacular three wide pass with MacDonald splitting the outside and inside cars was rewarded with a third place position with sights set on the top two drivers. MacDonald took over second on lap 128 with 22 laps remaining but three caution flags took their toll. “I thought we had a chance to win it but we were lousy on the restarts,” said MacDonald. “The tires had nothing left and I just kept spinning them on the restarts and the 58 was just too strong. We ended up losing second place because we were stuck on the outside and just sliding around. We had a great finish though and we were happy to get third place. It was a rough couple of days but it was all worth it. Rollie and I are happy for Freddie (Peterson) and thank him for all his support. We will be racing his car in some upcoming ACT races so it was good to start off strong. It was nice to have a good run for all the Grimm family and friends that made the trip from Pa. and to represent MS Awareness.”

The Governor's Cup 150
Sun. April 14th - 1 PM

www.leeusaspeedway.com

Eddie Takes 3rd at Lee

New Hampshire Governor Maggie Hassan with the Top Three at Lee on 4/14 -
L to R: Eddie MacDonald #71, 3rd; Winner Jimmy Herbert #58: & Travis Fadden #1, 2nd.

ACT Season Opener at Lee USA Speedway

The Lee USA Speedway is honored to announce that Governor Maggie Hassan will be the Grand Marshall for the Annual Governor’s Cup 150 on April 14th. In January, Mrs. Hassan became only the second woman ever to be sworn in as New Hampshire’s governor. Prior to becoming governor, she served in the NH Senate for five years representing the 23rd district which includes Exeter and Kingston and was the Majority Leader. Her husband Thomas is principal of Phillips Exeter Academy.

Governor Hassan will welcome the thousands of racing fans flocking to the Lee USA Speedway from all over the northeast and Canada for the very first auto racing event of the 2013 season in the Granite State . She will personally greet the drivers before the race, drop the green flag on the main event, and award the prestigious Governor’s Cup Trophy to the winner.

Like the Daytona 500 is to NASCAR, the Governor’s Cup 150 is the biggest race of the year at Lee USA and the kickoff of the American Canadian Tour. Approximately 50 of the best late model drivers of both countries will be vying for “The Cup.” Legendary drivers Marty Vachon, Dave Dion, Bobby Gahan, Myles Chipman, and Beaver Dragon have all won this premier event. Many more would like to join them.

Pelham, NH driver Joey Pole won the big trophy two years ago, but last year “The Cup” went back to Vermont with 5 time ACT Champion Brian Hoar. Hoar took the lead to win his first Governor’s Cup late in the race after several local favorites faltered. Pole and arch ACT rival Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Dover are the Granite State’s best two chances to win it back.

Helliwell is the local favorite. In 2012 he knocked off Hoar on top of the ACT standings after a five year reign. He has won four Lee USA titles and nobody knows the track better than he does. But he seems to be able to win the big ACT races everywhere but here. Last year, he put his bright orange EKeys for Cars #27 on the pole for the Governor’s Cup 150 and led the first half of the race. However the blistering pace overheated his tires and he fell back into the pack. As the same phenomenon slowed the late race leaders, Helliwell rebounded to finish a close second to Hoar. A few more laps and the race might have been his.

Favored to win whenever he straps in at an ACT Tour event is Eddie MacDonald, son of Lee USA Speedway owners Red and Judy MacDonald. Eddie Mac has won twice at the big track in Loudon and has won the Oxford 250 in Maine twice in a row, but he has never won a single race at his family owned facility. Last year Eddie brought a brand new car to the Governor’s Cup 150 and surged from mid pack to take the lead from Maine driver Ben Rowe on lap 109. Just when he seemed to have that first win in the bag, the handling went away on his jet black #17. A mere 20 laps from the finish he was tapped from behind and bobbled the car for an instant allowing the lead and victory to slip away.

MacDonald will be flying in from Florida where he is scheduled to compete in a NASCAR K&N Series event on Saturday night. He hopes to make it to the track by 11 AM on Sunday morning. He won’t have much time to ready his ride for qualifying heats. No time trials here. And the heats are intense. Only the first six make it through the first round. A second round of qualifying will fill out the 28 car field, but more than a dozen drivers usually are forced to take that long ride home without even getting a starting berth in the Governor’s Cup 150.

In addition to the Governor’s Cup 150, 50 lap events for the Late Model Sportsman and the North East Mini Stock Tour will complement the program. Lee USA’s 2012 late model sportsman champ JR Baril will begin his title defense. His most serious challenger is Michelle Fushpanski, who was runner up last year. She has since built a completely new car to wrest the crown away from Baril. The late model sportsman event will be open to all similar cars throughout the region and many are expected. However, fifty points will be awarded to all Lee USA Speedway regulars making it an imperative start for any driver considering a championship bid. Four cylinder standouts Loren Smith, Emerson Cayer, Billy Osborne, and 2012 NEMST Champion Danny Field will compete in the mini stock 50 lapper. Twenty-seven entries from all over New England have already been received for the series’ season opener.

Five hours of practice on Saturday afternoon are open to all from 12 PM to 5 PM. The gates will open for the Governor’s Cup 150 on Sunday at 10 AM with qualifying heats starting at 1 PM.

*Sat. April 13 - 7 PM CT*	*NAPA Auto Parts 150* *Five Flags Speedway* *Pensacola, FL*

*News & Notes: K&N East at Five Flags Speedway*
FAST FACTS The Race: The NAPA Auto Parts 150 will be the inaugural event for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Five Flags Speedway and the third of 15 races on the 2013 schedule. It will also mark the first points event in series history in the state of Florida. The Procedure: The maximum starting field will be 30 cars, including provisionals. The first 26 starting positions will be based on two-lap time trials and the remaining four will be filled through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (75 miles) with a 10-minute break at or near the conclusion of Lap 75. The maximum tire allotment is 16: eight for practice, four for qualifying and to begin the race and four additional tires for use during the race. The Track: Five Flags is a half-mile asphalt oval with 15 degrees of banking in the turns and nine degrees in the straightaways. The facility opened in 1953, the same season the track held its only NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event. The History: This marks the first stand-alone points event for the series. The former NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro Series last made an appearance in 1997. Five Flags will become the 44th facility to welcome the K&N Pro Series East for a stand-alone event since its inaugural season of 1987. Florida will also be the 18th state the series has visited.

*Statistical Advance: NAPA Auto Parts 150*
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet) • Has six wins, two poles and 77 top 10s in 160 career starts. • Has finished in the top 10 in 19 of his last 21 starts dating back to the 2011 season. • Has three wins and an average finish of 12th in 94 career starts at 24-different intermediate short tracks.
Pensacola Race Setup: • The first edition NAPA Auto Parts 150 at Five Flags Speedway will also be the first stand-alone, points-paying race in NASCAR K&N Pro Series East history in the state of Florida. • Active career wins leader Brett Moffitt has won a race within the first four events of a season in each of his previous four years. He’s finished second and fifth in the current season’s first two events. • Only five drivers entered for this event have previous experience at Five Flags, which came in either Super Late or Pro Late Models.

POSTPONED to Sat. April 6	Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 presented by G-Clean *Greenville-Pickens Speedway* *Greenville, SC*
.
*Top Ten for Eddie at Greenville Pickens*
Eddie MacDonald posted a satisfying eighth place finish in the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 presented by G-Clean in the NASCAR K&N Series East’s second race of the season. The scheduled race date of March 23 was rescheduled to April 6 due to rain. MacDonald scored a seventh place run in the season opener at Bristol Motor Speedway after starting 30th on the grid. Eddie Mac received the Coke Cola Move of the Race Award for the Bristol effort. After two events both driver and team owner Rob Grimm sit in fifth place in the points. Saturday did not appear headed in the right direction when the Grimm Construction Chevy struggled in practice in the 22nd and 24th positions. However, the veteran driver explained saying, “We had one set of practice tires we were planning to use while most all of the teams used two and three sets. We were just trying to get the handling of the car where we wanted it. We had some different set ups planned, so we weren’t really concerned where we ran in practice.” When qualifying rolled around the #71, again carrying the National Multiple Sclerosis Society logo on the rear quarter panels, knocked one second off the best practice time to start 12th on the grid with Eddie Mac saying, “We are very pleased to qualify in the 12th spot. With the new tires we knew the car would be a lot faster with the new set up, so it was not a surprise but we are real happy with the result. We ran with the National Multiple Sclerosis logo on the side in support of Megan Spaulding and the Grimm family so we are happy to do well for them. Rob Grimm wants us to run the MS logo on the quarter panels all season to continue to raise awareness and we are proud to help in any way we can.” When the green flag waved to begin the 150 laps on the flat, half-mile oval, MacDonald was content to ride around and let the youngsters use up their stuff saying, “This is a long race and the track is tough on tires, so I wanted to be smart and not burn the tires off it. NASCAR has a no tire change rule except for damage, the same at Bristol, so we knew we had to save them for the end. We planned to make adjustments late in the race with fewer than 50 laps to go. We have raced here enough to know how quickly this surface eats tires if you are not careful.” The Grimm Construction Chevy rode in the top fifteen for the first 100 laps before pitting on the lap 101 caution flag. “It was only the third caution of the race (for 12 total laps) which is unusual for this place so we decided to come in for adjustments and not wait,” said MacDonald. “It was a good thing we did since there were no more cautions after that one. We made some minor changes and the car felt a lot better. The new set up seemed to be working well. I felt like I passed a lot of cars after the green flag (on lap 106) so I was a little surprised we finished eighth when the checkers waved. I thought we had a better finish than that but we are happy with the run and we brought the car home in one piece.” With the rescheduled rain date, the team is forced to prepare for the next race at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Florida on Saturday, April 13 in the NAPA 150. “We have a quick turn around to get ready or Saturday’s race,” said the Rowley, Mass. driver. “We decided to stay in North Carolina and work on the car here rather than head all the way home only to return days later. We have a shop here to do our maintenance on the car and luckily there is no body damage to fix. Our new car was originally scheduled to run at Five Flags but it is not ready so we will race Shorty again. This car has been our workhorse so we know what we have and it survived Greenville in great shape. With our new set ups, we expect to be competitive on Saturday. We have a test day on Friday since our series is new to this track so we are looking forward to that.” After the checkered flag waves, MacDonald and crew chief Rollie LaChance will drive to Atlanta, board a plane to Boston in hopes of making it to Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH for Sunday’s ACT Tour Governor’s Cup race to open the season for both the speedway and the tour. “It will be close getting there but we have done it in the past. The only problem is we will miss the Saturday practice and just have to qualify well in the heats. Of course I grew up at Lee with my parents the owners and would like nothing better than to win there. We are running Freddie Peterson’s car so we are hoping for another great finish. I hope to see all our fans at Lee. The ACT series is very competitive so it should be a great race.” Five Flags Speedway is home to the famous Snowball Derby and is celebrating its 60th anniversary. The half-mile oval with 15 degree banking in the turns hosted only one NASCAR Cup series event during its first year in 1953 with Herb Thomas beating Lee Petty. The K&N first visit schedule includes two practices, qualifying, and the NAPA 150 on Saturday. Speed 51 will broadcast the event on its website.
.
*News & Notes: K&N East at Greenville-Pickens*
FAST FACTS The Race: The eighth edition of the Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150 pres. by G-Clean will mark the 10th all-time event for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East at Greenville Pickens Speedway, and the first of two in 2013. The Procedure: The maximum starting field will be 30 cars, including provisionals. The first 26 starting positions will be based on two-lap time trials and the remaining four will be filled through the provisional process. The race will be 150 laps (75 miles) straight through with no tire changes. The Track: Greenville is a half-mile asphalt oval with five degrees of banking in the turns. The facility opened in 1946 with a dirt racing surface and was paved in 1970. There were 29 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races held there from 1951-71. Race Winners: The nine previous K&N Pro Series East races in Greenville have produced eight different winners. Only Darrell Wallace Jr., who took the checkered flag in this event last year, has won at the track twice. Pole Winners: Like with race winners, there has been only one driver to earn multiple poles at GPS: Brett Moffitt. Moffitt set the qualifying record at 20.534 seconds (87.659 mph) in the 2011 season-opener, and his 2010 pole eclipsed Joey Logano’s series record as the youngest pole winner at 16 years, eight months.

*Statistical Advance: The Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 150*
Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet) • Has six wins, two poles and 76 top 10s in 159 career starts. • Tied with series champion Kyle Larson for the most top-10 finishes last year with 12. • Has five top 10s with an average finish of 10th and a best result of third in eight career starts at GPS. • His eight starts at GPS are the most of any competitor at the track.
UP TO SPEED: • The 2013 season is the 27th for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East. • The 2013 schedule features 15 races at 13 different tracks across 11 states. • The competition season opened with the non-points UNOH Battle At The Beach on Feb. 19 on the short track at Daytona International Speedway. Cameron Hayley won the K&N Pro Series feature. • Dylan Kwasniewski took the checkered flag in the first points race of the season on March 16 at Bristol Motor Speedway. He assumed the lead from polesitter Michael McGuire on Lap 30 and held it the rest of the way.
*ACTIVE SERIES CAREER LEADERS:*
Wins 1. Brett Moffitt … 9 2. Eddie MacDonald … 6 3. Dale Quarterley … 6 Poles 1. Brett Moffitt … 8 2. Dale Quarterley … 4 3. Cale Conley … 2 Eddie MacDonald … 2 Top Fives 1. Dale Quarterley … 31 2. Brett Moffitt … 29 3. Eddie MacDonald … 28	Top 10s 1. Eddie MacDonald … 76 2. Dale Quarterley … 67 3. Brett Moffitt … 35 Laps Completed 1. Eddie MacDonald … 20,466 2. Dale Quarterley … 18,816 3. John Salemi … 8,182 Laps Led 1. Brett Moffitt … 1,532 2. Dale Quarterley … 706 3. Eddie MacDonald … 668

Saturday, March 16th

Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, TN

Eddie Rallies to Top Ten Finish at Bristol
Receives Coke Cola "Move of the Race" Award

Eddie MacDonald opened the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season with an impressive drive from the back of the field to post a seventh place finish in the Drive4COPD 125 on the famed “World’s Fastest Half Mile.” The race had special meaning for the team as it displayed the “Multiple Sclerosis Awareness Week” logo in support of Megan Spaulding, the daughter of team owners Karla and Rob Grimm, who was recently diagnosed with the disease.

After a disappointing qualifying run on Thursday, the Grimm Construction Toyota started 30th in the 36 car field on Saturday with Eddie Mac saying, “We really expected to post a good qualifying lap but it just didn’t happen. The car was fast in practice so we knew we would be okay in the race. It is a brand new Gibb’s car and it was the first time we ever had it on a track. Rollie and I decided to ride along and take what we could get without wrecking or using up the tires and then make adjustments at the break around lap 70. Everyone knows Bristol is a tough, unforgiving track, so patience is a necessity.”

When the green flag waved, MacDonald wasted little time picking off cars. By the first of seven cautions on lap 6, Eddie Mac rode in the 23rd position. At the third caution on lap 29, the veteran driver from Rowley, Mass. rode comfortably in the 15th spot saying, “The car was pretty good. It was just a little free everywhere but I was riding easy and really not pushing it at all. We were good on the bottom of the track and I was able to pick up a lot of positions especially on the restarts.”

When the yellow waved for the mandatory five minute break on lap 70, Eddie Mac was 11th. After a track bar and wedge adjustments the #71 headed back to the track for the final stretch. No team was allowed to change tires for the race unless for a flat time, so MacDonald knew tire management was essential for a good finish saying, “I knew that we would all be sliding around by the end of the race on the same tires but the car was handling pretty good. We decided to tighten it up just a bit but we may have gone a little too far. It started to get tight the closer we got to the finish. We were really good with the sun on the track but then it clouded over and that affected the handling.”

Despite the car tightening up, the Grimm MS Awareness Toyota moved steadily to the front and restarted on lap 102 after the sixth caution flag in the eighth spot. The final yellow flag on lap 107 reset the field for the lap 110 restart. With five laps to go, the #71 was eighth and gained one more position on the final lap to finish seventh.

“I really wanted to finish fifth but the car was just too tight at the end,” said MacDonald. “I am happy with the run and it was a lot of fun racing at Bristol. We had a bad crash here last year and destroyed our car so it was great to finish where we did and bring the car home in one piece. Rollie, the crew and I are pleased to have a good run for the Grimm family. They are having a tough time right now so it means a lot to have a solid run for them and help to raise awareness for MS.”

Crew chief Rollie LaChance was equally satisfied with the finish saying, “I am really happy to come home in seventh place. We started in the back and passed a lot of cars. It is always fun when you get the car going forward and run well.”

“I also want to thank the crew for all the hard work,” said MacDonald. “We had three UNOH students, Kody, Thomas, and Brett on our team and they did a great job for us. We have had UNOH students as part of our crew the past couple of seasons and they are always well prepared and professional.”

The team has a quick turnaround with the second race of the K&N season scheduled for Greenville Pickens Speedway (S.C.) on Saturday, March 23. The Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet 125 will be presented by G-Clean.




				*Photos by* *Richard Casey*

Eddie Races at Bristol for MS Awareness

When the green flags waves to open the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East season at Bristol Motor Speedway on March 16, Eddie MacDonald and the entire Grimm Racing team will have added meaning for the event. The #71 will proudly display the National Multiple Sclerosis Society logo on the rear quarter panels in support of MS Awareness Week running March 11-17 during the Bristol 125 on “The World’s Fastest Half Mile.” This disease recently hit close to home in the Grimm Racing family when Megan Spaulding, the daughter of team owners Karla and Rob Grimm, was diagnosed with MS.

“Rob and Karla have been so supportive of our racing efforts, it’s time for our entire race team and fans to support them and Megan at this time," said the veteran driver. “We have been working very hard to prepare our new car for Bristol to run well and set the tone for the season. Now we are more determined to have a great finish for Megan and raise awareness for MS. Like many people, we knew of the disease but knew little about it. Now that it has affected a member of our family, we will do whatever we can to help.”

The cars will also display the MS logo on the pillar posts for the entire season with the crew wearing patches, pins, and bracelets during each race to show their support. In addition to team involvement during race days, Megan, family members, and members of Grimm Nation plan to participate as a team called “MS Warriors” in the MS Walk at Pocono Raceway on Sunday May 5. This is the third consecutive year the raceway will host the event that is open to everyone to walk the three mile course around the track.

“Even though we compete against each other on the track, NASCAR race teams and fans always step up to help others in need,” said Eddie Mac. “Now we ask everyone’s help to raise awareness and funds to continue the research to find a cure for this disease.”

Anyone who wishes to donate to MS research in Megan’s name may stop by the #71 hauler at Bristol or throughout the season.

Donations may also be made in Megan’s name and mailed to Jolene Drandson, 43 Elizabeth Road, Sandown, N.H. 03873.




			*Photos by Richard Casey*

News & Notes: K&N East at Bristol

NASCAR’s Next Generation To Tackle “World’s Fastest Half Mile”

FAST FACTS
The Race: The DRIVE4COPD 125 will mark the opening of the 15-race 2013 regular season schedule for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.

The Procedure: The maximum starting field will be 36 cars, including provisionals. The first 32 starting positions will be based on two-lap time trials and the remaining four will be filled through the provisional process. The race will be 125 laps (66.625 miles) with a five minute break at or near the conclusion of Lap 70.

The Track: Known as the “World’s Fastest Half Mile,” Bristol is a .533-mile concrete oval with banking between six and 10 degrees on the straightaways and 24-28 degrees in the turns.

Race Winners: Nelson Piquet Jr. won the inaugural NASCAR K&N Pro Series East race at Bristol in 2012 in his series debut. Piquet led 63 laps en route to the checkered flag.

Pole Winners: As the pole winner of the inaugural series event at Bristol, Piquet established the track qualifying record at 118.811 mph (16.150 seconds).

BRISTOL RACE NOTES
New Faces at Bristol: Of the 43 drivers on the pre-entry list for the DRIVE4COPD 125, 15 will attempt to make their official NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut. There are a total of 26 Bristol entries that will be eligible for Sunoco Rookie of the Race and Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors as they’ve had seven or less starts in the series prior to 2013.

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				*Photos by* *Richard Casey*

	2013 K&N Pro East Schedule Announced
Slate Includes First Trips To Pensacola & Road Atlanta
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR has announced the 2013 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East schedule that features 15 points races at 13 different tracks across the eastern United States. The 27th season of K&N Pro Series East competition will see NASCAR’s top developmental division visit 10 states highlighted by six national series companion events including a pair of first-time visits to Florida. 2013 SCHEDULE HERE “The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East features the stars of tomorrow, a very diverse entry list, and some of the most compelling racing action in the sport,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring series. “The 2013 calendar provides an excellent mixture of local short tracks, NASCAR Sprint Cup and Nationwide companion events, speedways, and a new high-profile event on a renowned road course. These are all the right ingredients for another outstanding season of racing excitement in NASCAR's stepping stone to the national series.” The season will commence with the inaugural UNOH Battle at the Beach exhibition event on the .4-mile track at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway on Feb. 19 in which the K&N Pro Series East and K&N Pro Series West will compete in combination. The K&N Pro Series East will then return to The Sunshine State on April 13 for its first appearance at the half-mile Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola. In another debut event, NASCAR returns to Road Atlanta, the 2.54-mile road course located in Braselton, Ga., on Oct. 18. The stock-car series will join the American Le Mans Series presented by Tequila Patrón for the Petit Le Mans weekend. Following Daytona, the 2013 regular season will begin at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, on March 16 as part of the spring NASCAR Sprint Cup Series weekend. Iowa Speedway again will welcome both the K&N Pro Series East and K&N Pro Series West for combination contests. This year the first date is set for June 7 while the return date is Aug. 2. Both events will be held in conjunction with the NASCAR Nationwide Series at the Newton, Iowa track. In addition to Bristol and the two Iowa races, the K&N Pro Series East will have three more companion events in 2013 with NASCAR’s national series. The East will return to Richmond (Va.) International Raceway on April 25, New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H., on Sept. 21, and Dover (Del.) International Speedway on Sept. 27. Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway will host the series with dates on March 23 and Sept. 2. Short tracks Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. on June 1, Langley Speedway in Hampton, Va. on June 22 are featured dates on the slate as are a July 13 date at Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway and a visit to CNB Bank Raceway Park in Clearfield, Pa. on July 20. The 2013 season will conclude at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway on Nov. 2.

>> Previous Race Results HERE <<

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