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Eddie Survives Fall Brawl at Speedway 51 |
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The annual Fall Brawl at Speedway 51 in Groveton, N.H. certainly lived
up to its title in the 151 lap event on Saturday, October 24 yet Eddie
MacDonald survived the wreck-fest to post an incredible second place
finish to bring to a close his late model 2015 racing season. Fifteen
caution flags and three red flags plagued the event with two of the red
flags thrown before a single lap could be completed. "It was fun but it was crazy out there," said Eddie Mac while examining the damage to the once pristine Freddie Peterson owned Chevy. "This finish is so satisfying because of all the work the crew had to do on the car to get it race ready after it got whacked pretty good in the qualifying race. Then we got whacked again before we even ran a full lap to start the race. I really have to give credit to Rollie (LaChance), the crew, and Freddie (Peterson) for the tremendous effort. Everyone jumped in to help and I am thankful. We are lucky to have such a dedicated group of people." Eddie Mac's trouble began while starting tenth in the fourth of four qualifying heats when the 01 car smashed into the right side of the #17 causing extensive damage to the fender, door, and knocking out the toe. Eddie Mac was able to finish fourth to qualify for the race and returned to the pits with lots of work to do. The team jumped into action and car owner Freddie Peterson showed his body work skills as he pounded out the heavily damaged door panel while Eddie Mac and the crew used the porta power to straighten the bent door bars. With the car reassembled, the crew reset the toe well before the feature was scheduled to begin. When the green flag waved the 29 cars wasted little time as the front of the pack crashed hard into the turn three wall before completing the first lap while Eddie Mac escaped the melee from his 16th starting position. The first red flag stopped the field while the clean-up crew did their work. The second attempt to start the race ended with the same result with the leaders again crashing hard into the turn three wall to bring out another red flag. This time Eddie Mac suffered significant damage as the car following him did not lift and drove the Hancock Electric/Exit Realty Chevy hard into the pile of cars causing left side damage. When the yellow flag flew, the Rowley, Mass. veteran knew the toe had been knocked out again. Crew Chief made a strategic call to bring the car to the pits while clean-up continued to reset the toe. Eddie returned to the track without losing a lap to restart in the 23rd position. "It was a great call by Rollie and I was able to hang back a little to check things out and the car ran good," said Eddie Mac. "I just barely missed a couple of more wrecks. I had to watch way ahead to have a chance of missing the wrecks. It looked like a pinball game sometimes with cars going everywhere. I did tell Rollie that the linkage was probably damaged in the earlier wreck because it kept jumping out of gear. Turns out after the race we found out the engine mounts were bent. We just hung in there and the car just kept getting better in spite of all the damage." After a few more cautions, the #17 rode in the 13th place on lap 20 and into tenth on caution lap 29. Eddie Mac started moving to the front in earnest and held the seventh spot at halfway flag of the 151 lap event. A series of curious waved off restarts around lap 100 created a lot of beating and banging on the track while The Outlaw moved into contention. On lap 125 Eddie Mac ran third and hot on the heels of the #91 (Laperle) and chasing the #5 (Therrian) leader. After a big front stretch wreck on lap 138 and another puzzling waved off restart, Eddie Mac was able to make the pass on the #91 on lap 143 but could not catch the #5. "With about 20 laps to go the car really started getting tight because I had a right rear tire going down," said Eddie Mac. "At that point I was just trying to finish the race and take the second place run. After all we had been through it would have been a shame to spin out with a flat tire before the end of the race. It was a rough race and the car is trashed but we had a great finish to close out the season." "This team is special and I can't thank enough the crew and everyone who helps out to make us successful," said Eddie Mac. "Sheila and Freddie Peterson (Peterson's Auto Body in Peabody) are great owners and many thanks to Bobby Wood for all his support. Scott and Kenny Thompson (Hancock Electric in Quincy) have been fantastic sponsors for many years and we couldn't do this without them. Derek Beatrice from Exit Realty came on board last year and we thank him. Our K&N team owner Rob Grimm greatly supports our Late Model racing and I appreciate the support of Stilo, Schroth Racing, and HMS Motorsports. We are lucky to have so much support from our families and friends. Hopefully we will continue our efforts to win races next season. Thanks again and have a great holiday season." |
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Saturday, October 17th |
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Engine Failure Stops Eddie MacDonald at Thompson |
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With twenty five laps to go in the ACT World Series 100 at Thompson
Speedway Motorsports Park, it appeared the only thing to derail an Eddie
MacDonald win would be a mechanical issue. The Exit Realty/Hancock
Electric Chevy took the lead on lap34 and ran comfortably in front of
the 33 car field until the engine expired on lap 75. Eddie Mac was
scored in the 24th position in the final race of the American Canadian
Tour's schedule on Saturday, October 17. "This is a shame since the car ran great on Friday in practice and in practice, qualifying, and the race on Saturday," said Eddie Mac. "After last week's crash at the Milk Bowl with the car running great, we thought we would be a contender for the win and it looked good for a long time. The car was fast right from Friday on and it really handled well in the turns. I don't know what caused the problem. We will have to wait until we get it apart at the shop." Eddie Mac started the race in the eighth position based on the plus/minus system used in the ACT series. The Rowley, Mass. veteran won the first heat starting from the third position giving him a plus 2 rating for the feature. When the green flag waved Eddie Mac began his charge to the front in typical Eddie Mac fashion taking positions and saving tires for the end of the 100 lap event. After 25 laps the Freddie Peterson owned Chevy rode in the fourth spot with the leaders in sight. On the lap 33 caution the #17 ran second behind the #58. On the restart Eddie Mac made the pass on the outside then opened up a comfortable three car length lead. "The car was awesome and I was able to drive it anywhere," said Eddie Mac. "It was so good coming out of turn two I was able to pull away from the field. Even on the restart (lap 39) I was able to open up a lot of ground coming out of turn two. The car was strong but it started to give up a little a couple of laps before it gave up completely (Lap 75). You really hate to blow up a great motor. We won the Governor's Cup and Loudon with this motor this year and the Milk Bowl last year. We hope to have another one in for the Fall Brawl next week at Speedway 51." "The crew did another outstanding job getting this car ready after the crash last week," said Eddie Mac. "We did a lot of work in the shop with everyone pitching in especially Rob (Drandson) and JT (John Tiernan). It was really cold here Friday and Saturday and the guys did a great job. We can't ask for a better group of people. "Freddie and Sheila (Peterson) are great owners and we appreciate the sponsorship of Exit Realty and Derek Beatrice along with our longtime sponsor Kenny and Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric. There are so many to thank for our success including Stilo, Schroth Racing, HMS Motorsports, and of course our K&N Pro Series East team owner Rob Grimm and Bobby Wood. Thanks to Jolene Drandson for getting out what is happening on the track on Twitter and Facebook and for the support of Keyln Harrell. Rollie (LaChance) and I are certainly grateful for all the help and support. Hopefully we can finish out our year with a win next week." The Fall Brawl at Speedway 51 in Groveton, N.H. is scheduled to run next Saturday, October 24 with $5,000 for the winner in the Late Model event scheduled to begin at 1:00 PM. |
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Sunday, October 11th |
53rd Northfield Savings Bank Milk Bowl Thunder Road |
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Eddie's Pursuit of Second Milk Bowl Title Ends in a Crash |
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Defending Milk Bowl champion Eddie MacDonald's quest to repeat ended
with a hard crash into the front stretch wall at Thunder Road in Barre,
Vermont after only two laps in the second segment. The 53rd running of
the Northfield Savings Bank Milk Bowl attracted 47 Late Models on
Saturday and Sunday October 10 and 11 all vying for the converted 30
starting positions. Eddie Mac qualified Saturday for the event while posting a third place finish in the first of three qualifying races. The Rowley, Mass. Veteran missed qualifying on speed when he posted the fourth fastest time of the day. The top three cars automatically received starting positions in the race commonly called the "toughest short track race in the country." With the third place run Eddie Mac, driving the Exit Realty/Hancock Electric Chevy, earned the tenth starting position for the Sunday feature before a packed stadium. Eddie Mac took the green flag in the first of three fifty lap segments in the tenth position following the single file march established early in an effort to save tires. A red flag on the tenth lap for a fiery crash involved three cars including the father and son Donohue entries. After the track was cleared Eddie Mac decided it was time to go and set a torrid pace passing cars on the outside of the high-banked quarter of a mile bullring. At the halfway mark of lap 25 the #17, owned by Freddie and Sheila Peterson of Peterson Auto Body in Peabody, ran in the sixth position and by lap four "The Outlaw" passed Bryan Hoar for the third spot. Unfortunately for Eddie Mac the solid finish meant a trip to the rear of the field with the top 24 cars inverted for the second fifty lap segment. The inverted process would be repeated in the third segment and the driver with the lowest combined score in all three races would be crowned champion. The reigning champ never got the chance when a huge pile-up on the front stretch on the second lap sent Eddie Mac to the pits with heavy front end damage after hitting the wall. The crew quickly determined the damage too extensive to continue ending Eddie Mac's night eventually scored with a 21st place finish. "This is really a lousy way to end the race," said the disappointed driver. "There was nowhere for me to go and it is a shame because I think we had a car to compete for the win. It wasn't as good as it was last year but I think it was getting better. I was able to pass a lot of cars on the outside in the first segment so we were optimistic going forward. Unfortunately we didn't get the chance. Someone got turned in front of the pack coming off of turn four and it just stacked up everyone behind him. The inverted field is tough because it puts you near the back and we know bad things can happen. It did today. Last year it was a different story. That's racing." "This is such a huge event and it is quite an honor to be one of the champions," said Eddie Mac. "As part of the opening ceremony I met and walked carrying the milk jug trophy with the first winner fifty three years ago Harold Hannaford and that was awesome. To be a part of the history of the Milk Bowl is something I will always remember. It is just a shame to have it end like this. The crew worked hard over the two day stretch changing everything to get the car better. Rollie (LaChance) and I are lucky to have these guys. I also have to say Happy Anniversary to Rollie and his wife Laura. They spent their anniversary at the track working along with their son Ryan who has been an important member of the crew." "We will be in the shop tomorrow making repairs for the upcoming ACT race at the Thompson World Series of Racing this coming weekend October 16-17," said Eddie Mac. "This is the first time in many years the ACT Series has raced at Thompson so it should be a lot of fun." |
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Saturday, Oct. 3rd - 9:30 AM |
Dover International Speedway |
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Second Place Finish for Eddie
MacDonald at Dover International Raceway |
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Torrential rain forced the Drive Sober 125 from its Friday start to a
Saturday afternoon green flag but the weather did not stop Eddie
MacDonald from posting a fantastic second place finish in the K&N Pro
Series East final season race. Rain washed out practice and qualifying
so the field was set by the rulebook with Eddie Mac starting 23rd in the
31- car field. A pit lane penalty during the competition left the team
wondering "What if" after the race. The second place run was the Grimm Construction/Multiple Sclerosis Chevy driver's best performance of the five races run in the series of the fourteen scheduled events. Eddie Mac scored two top tens, a sixth at Bristol and a ninth at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. "This is one of my favorite tracks and to get a second place finish is great," said Eddie Mac. "Of course being so close , it is a little disappointing not to get the win. We finished fourth last year and had the same set up in it plus we had the new body style and that made all the difference. Like everyone else I guess, the car was just a little tight but it handled pretty well. We had a penalty that probably hurt us. You never know but things could have turned out different." When the green flag finally started the race at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday, Eddie Mac began his move to the front and was in the 15th position when the yellow flag brought the field to the pits for a competition caution to check for tire wear. The teams were given an extra set of tires and when the air gun did not work properly, the crew had to torque the lug nuts by hand. NASCAR determined the #71 returned to the track ten seconds late and the penalty was given. Eddie Mac had to start tail on the longest line in the 26th position. "It is really unfortunate we received the penalty because it sent us almost to the rear so I had to pass the same cars all over again," said Eddie Mac. "Fortunately, the car was fast and I was able to make my way back through the field but obviously I would have preferred to restart fifteenth and go from there. I know we would have been in contention for the win sooner if we had." After the lap 26 restart Eddie Mac made steady progress going from 26th to 11th by the next caution flag on lap 40 and into 7th by the time the next yellow waved on lap 55. The halfway break yellow flag waved on lap 70 with Eddie Mac riding in the fourth position saying, "We just made a small adjustment to loosen the car up and that was all. We knew we had something for the leaders." Eddie Mac set his sights on series champion William Byron for third place and made the pass on lap 80 then began chasing down second place Rico Abreu saying, "Abreu was fast so it took quite a few laps to get by him. I was really faster on the bottom but I had to go outside to make the pass and finally got by him on lap 118. By that time Cabre was way ahead and with seven laps to go I wasn't going to catch him. Finishing second on the track in this series is a great accomplishment and I am happy. To be able to run as well as we did with no practice with this new body is awesome. The crew did an exceptional job as always and Rollie (LaChance) and I are really thankful for their effort. Of course we could not do this without the support of Karla and Rob Grimm. We are proud to carry the National Multiple Sclerosis emblem on the car and hope everyone will support this organization. Thanks to all our fans for the tremendous support we have received." The Drive Sober 125 will be televised on NBCSN on October 6 at 4pm. |
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RACE CENTRAL
LIVE powered by Speed51.com: K&N East at Dover - HERE For the Event Schedule, Entry List, Practices, Qualifying, Lap by Lap, & Results |
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K&N Pro Series East - Dover News &
Notes:
HERE
FAST FACTS The Procedure: The starting field is 30 cars, including provisionals. The first 26 cars will secure starting positions based on the two-lap qualifying session. The remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 125 laps (125 miles) with a five minute break occurring at or near the conclusion of lap 65. 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 12 winners in the previous 14 K&N East races at Dover. Austin Hill’s win last season join him with Brett Moffitt as the only drivers to earn multiple victories at the track. Pole Winners: In the 14 previous events, there have been 12 different pole winners. Darrell Wallace Jr. is the only multi-time polesitter at Dover, while Matt DiBenedetto holds the qualifying record with 23.201 seconds (155.166 mph), established in 2009. |
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K&N East
Statistical Advance - Dover:
HERE Analyzing The K&N Pro East DRIVE SOBER 125
Dover International Speedway: Notebook Dover International Speedway Data: Qualifying/Race Data: Active Series Leaders At Dover International Speedway: Poles Top Fives Top 10s Laps Led Laps Completed |
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Eddie Wins ACT Invitational at NHMS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
For the fourth
time in seven outings Eddie MacDonald powered to an impressive win in
the Seventh Annual Bond Auto Parts ACT Invitational at New Hampshire
Motor Speedway on Saturday, September, 26. The Exit Realty/Hancock
Electric Chevy started 20th in the 43 car field to take the checker flag
in a convincing win in the 50 lap event. "This is my favorite track so to get this win in front of all our fans, friends, and family is fantastic," said the jubilant veteran racer. "To be able to win this event four times in seven tries is due to all the hard work everyone puts into this car. From Freddie and Sheila (Peterson) on down, none of this would be possible without a lot of effort. When the race started we knew we had a fast car but we didn't have time to waste because the race was only fifty laps. Fortunately, the car responded well and I was able to get up in contention early." When the green flag waved Eddie Mac wasted little time as he weaved through the field and after a lap two caution the Rowley, Mass. driver had the crowd cheering as he entered turn one third on the outside and on the bottom of turn three on the inside. When the dust settled the #17Ma. passed four cars and in the eighth position on lap four. On lap 11 Eddie Mac rode in third place for a number of laps to cool his tires saying, "As long as I could see the #58 I was content to ride a bit but we really needed a caution because the #58 and #97 were so far out in front. At the halfway flag Rollie (LaChance) said I better get going. I made a little progress but then we got the break we needed with a caution on lap 31. The car was a little tight but I could deal with it so no adjustments were needed." Eddie Mac restarted sixth with three lap cars separating the #17 from the leaders. After three laps Eddie Mac passed the #58 for second place and set his sights on Joey Pole. On lap 37, Eddie Mac had the lead and began pulling away establishing a four car length lead. With six laps to go and a ten car length lead, the caution flag waved. "Earlier we wanted the caution but this time we didn't," said Eddie Mac. "Joey was on the outside on the restart and Helliwell was right behind me and he was fast. I got lucky when the green waved with six laps to go Laperele dove in low under Wayne and Joey in turn one and that gave me time to get away with them fighting for second." When the checkered flag waved, Eddie Mac enjoyed a comfortable eight car length lead over Pole to claim the win saying, "This is special to be this good here. We have won four of these, all on odd years, 2009, 2011, 2013, and today. I guess we should just stay home on the even years,' joked the winner in Victory Lane. "I get all the credit but this wouldn't happen without the commitment of so many people," said the thankful winner. "Rollie and I appreciate all Freddie and Sheila have given to us with the support of Bobby Wood, our K&N team owner Rob Grimm, Ken and Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric in Quincy, and Derek Beatrice from Exit Realty. We also get support from Stilo, HMS Motorsports, and Schroth Racing. Our crew is the best with thanks to Laura, Tom, Rob, Logger, Al, Kenny, and Donny. The car looks great thanks to our body and paint man John Tiernan and to the guys in the shop Dick Casey, our PR guy also, and Herbie Wing. Thanks to all our fans that come out to support us. FOUR MORE EVENTS IN 2015 The season is far from over as Eddie Mac will race in the final K&N Pro Series East race of the season on Friday, October 2 at Dover International Speedway where he finished fourth last year. Eddie Mac will the defend his ACT Milk Bowl title at Thunder Road in Barre, Vermont on October 10-11 before heading to Thompson, CT for the World Series of Racing on October 16-17 in the final ACT series race of the season. Finally the team will wrap up their Late Model season in the Fall Brawl at Speedway 51, in Groveton, NH on October 24. |
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Former Bond Auto Invitational Winners
Look to Hold Off Hungry Contenders |
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Forty-three of the
top American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model competitors from seven U.S.
states and the Canadian province of Quebec will descend on Loudon’s New
Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) for the 7th Annual Bond Auto
ACT Invitational Saturday, September 26. All four former winners of the
Invitational will look to add another entry to the record books, but a
number of drivers are in position to break into the “Magic Mile”
winner’s circle for the first time.
Rowley, MA’s Eddie “The Outlaw” MacDonald is the clear top dog heading into the 50-lap, 52.9-mile event with nearly $80,000 in posted awards. MacDonald has three Invitational wins to his name, triumphing in 2009, 2011, and 2013. After a strong showing in the annual Test & Tune Session in August, MacDonald will go for a fourth win this year.
“It’s definitely going to be tough,” MacDonald said. “The competition
has gotten tougher and tougher each year. Hopefully we can get the car
so we can get through traffic and just be able to get close to the front
and have a shot at the end.” |
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Thursday, September 10th |
Richmond International Raceway |
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Eddie MacDonald not only battled with the weather in the K&N Pro Series East's UNOH 100 at Richmond international Raceway on Thursday, September 10, he also struggled with a loose car for the entire race. The checkered/yellow flag waved on lap 70 of the scheduled 100 lap event for rain with the Grimm Construction Chevy scored in the 19th position. Earlier in the day qualifying was rained out with five cars in the 35 car field left on pit lane unable to take time due to the thunderstorm raging through the track. Eddie Mac had qualified and was in the 12th when the rains came. The field was set by points forcing Eddie Mac to start 21st on the grid. The team only runs a part-time schedule. The scheduled 6:40 start was pushed back until the Air Titans dried the track so the UNOH 100 could get under way at 7:50. The Xfinity practice scheduled after qualifying was also rained out. "It's too bad we lost qualifying and had to start so far back," said Eddie Mac. "The car was a handful right from the green flag. It was free in and out of the turns and was washing the nose up the track. I tried to run different lines but that only made the car worse. I had to stay on the bottom of the track so I couldn't challenge anyone on the outside to try to make a pass. It is tough to pass here anyway and being so loose made it nearly impossible. Then suddenly just before the yellow came out for rain, the car got really tight. We have had our struggles here in the past and tonight was not any different." Eddie Mac started inside in the 21st spot but could not make up any ground and rode mid pack until the first caution on lap 17. After much discussion between crew chief Rollie LaChance and the veteran driver to pit for an adjustment, the decision was made to stay out so as not to lose more spots to the field. Eddie Mac fell back to 23rd by lap 27 but was able to gain four positions and into 19th until the next caution on lap 61 for rain. Track officials finally waved the checkered/yellow flag on lap 70 when the sky really opened up. "I feel bad for everyone on the team that worked so hard here at the track on Wednesday and Thursday," said Eddie Mac. "The guys at the shop worked their tails off to get this car ready. We had the new body style put on and that required a ton of work in the Newburyport shop. Freddie Peterson, our ACT car owner, painted the car at his shop Peterson Auto and John Tiernan did the entire black accent work on the body. The car looked great and it is just too bad we couldn't get it to run better. We knew there would be a learning curve with the new body so hopefully we will have it figured out for the Dover race." The UNOH 100 will be televised on NBCSN on Thursday, September 17 at 7:00 p.m. The final race of the K&N Pro Series East will be the Drive Sober 125 at Dover International Speedway. |
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RACE CENTRAL
LIVE powered by Speed51.com: K&N East at Richmond - HERE For the Event Schedule, Entry List, Practices, Qualifying, Lap by Lap, & Results |
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K&N Pro Series East - Richmond News &
Notes:
HERE
FAST
FACTS: The Procedure: The starting field is 36 cars, including provisionals. The first 32 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials while the remaining four spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 100 laps covering 75 miles. The Track: Richmond International Raceway, known as “America’s Premier Short Track,” opened in October 1946. Lee Petty won the first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series event in April 1953. The track operated as a half-mile oval through spring 1988 before being reconfigured to its current .75-mile, D-shape for the September 1988 date. Lights were added in 1991. The track is 60 feet wide with a 10-foot apron. There is 14 degrees of banking in the turns, eight degrees of banking on the 1,290-foot frontstretch and two degrees of banking on the backstretch that measures 860 feet. The Records: The one-lap qualifying record for the series at Richmond of 21.948 (123.018 mph) is held by Max Gresham and established on April 28, 2011. The 100-lap race record of 55 minutes, 20 seconds (81.325 mph) also was set on April 28, 2011 by Darrell Wallace Jr.
RICHMOND RACE NOTES: |
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K&N East
Statistical Advance - Richmond:
HERE Analyzing The K&N Pro East UNOH 100
Richmond Race Setup:
Richmond International Raceway: Notebook EVENT INFORMATION
Richmond Date:
Richmond Qualifying/Race Data:
Richmond Leaders: (K&N East
standalone events) Poles: Laps Completed:
Laps Led:
• Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm Contracting Chevrolet): Will be making his 186th K&N East start. In four starts at Richmond he has an average finish of 13.3. |
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Tough Day for
Eddie MacDonald in the |
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For a day that began as a dream come true became a nightmare for
two-time Oxford 250 winner Eddie MacDonald in pursuit of his first Super
Late Model win in the prestigious PASS Pro All Star Series event on
Sunday, August 30 at Oxford Plains Speedway. The draw by crew member Rob
"Lucky" Drandson gave Eddie Mac the pole position in the first heat and
the "Outlaw" responded with the win in the 20 lap heat to secure the
pole position for the 250 lap race. The #66 Ma. SLM quickly became an ill-handling racecar that fell back in the pack after leading the first two laps and later became involved in three incidents causing damage to the car with a disappointed driver saying, "The car was a little free in and out of the turns and those other cars were really fast. We missed the set up by just a bit and those guys were able to take advantage of it. To make things worse the #51 made a bonsai move going into turn one and hit my tire and I think it knocked the toe out. Before that happened I hoped we could stay mid-pack until I could come in and Rollie (LaChance) could make some adjustments." With Eddie Mac struggling with the car, the leader passed him on lap 103 to go a lap down while running in the 23rd spot. A caution on lap 112 gave the crew a chance to make much needed adjustments and a fresh set of tires. When the green flag waved Eddie Mac made it three wide around the track and passing cars before a wreck happened in front of him sending him careening through the grass off of turn three causing significant damage to the left front fender. After a trip to the pits to repair the damage Eddie Mac returned to the track in the 30th position but was unable to mount any type of charge. Another crash in front of the Rowley, Mass. veteran driver sent Eddie Mac on a wild ride over the turn one banking and into the grass on lap 199. When the checkered flag waved Eddie Mac scored four laps down in the 24th position. "It was just a terrible race for our team who worked so hard for three days here and the countless days in the shop," said Eddie Mac. "We didn't have the fastest car but I thought if we stayed close to the leaders we would have a chance at the end but the car was just to free in and off the turns. When the toe got knocked out there wasn't much anyone could do. I was just along for the ride at that point. Congratulations to winner Glen Luce for his big win." Eddie Mac is grateful for all the hard work by the crew starting with owner Dave Lemieux, car builder Bobby Cabral, and engine builder Paul Rinaldi. Special thanks to crew members: Brian Neal, Chris Boisse, Peter Hallinan, Tom Rice, Rob Drandson, Ken Grooms, Ryan, Laura, and Rachel LaChance. Thanks are also given to Skaff Refrigeration, SK Bean's Enfield Garage, and SJ Strans.com for their sponsorship. |
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Wednesday, August 26 |
Test and Tune Session |
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Eddie Fast at NHMS Test and Tune Session | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) held its annual Test and Tune session
Wednesday, August 26 at Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Twenty-four ACT Late Model drivers took to the track in preparation for
the 7th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational
Saturday, September 26. Lempster, NH’s Guy Caron set the fast time of the day with a lap of 31.926 seconds. Three-time Invitational winner Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, MA was second-fastest at 31.974 seconds and ranked at the top of the charts in nearly every session. The seventh Bond Auto ACT Invitational is coming up Saturday, September 26 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Forty-three ACT Late Model drivers from throughout the Northeast United States and Canada will converge as part of a tripleheader also featuring the Camping World Truck Series and Whelen Modified Tour. The Invitational will take the green flag at 5:00 PM. |
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SATURDAY, AUGUST 8th www.beechridge.com |
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Sensational
Comeback for Eddie MacDonald |
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Eddie MacDonald fought his way through the field from a 22nd starting
position to score a third place finish in the American Canadian Tour's
Beech Ridge 150 in Scarborough, Maine on Saturday, August 8. Eddie Mac
had to qualify for the race in a consi after getting dumped in the heat
race. Eddie Mac bounced back from the set back and put on an impressive display of driving from the rear of the starting grid of 27 cars. Before that could happen, things took a turn for the worse with the Exit Realty/Hancock Electric Chevy in third place in the heat race when the #17 RI decided to dump the #17Ma with two laps remaining in the 12 lap heat. The top four cars from the three heat races gained starting positions for the 150 lap feature. This forced Eddie Mac into the 12 lap consi starting ninth with the top five making the feature. Eddie Mac finished fifth. "We had a good car right through practice and we were headed for a good starting position for the feature when I got taken out," said an angry Eddie Mac. "I don't know why he was mad at me since I didn't have anything to do with him sliding up the track. It was uncalled for and I thought I was going to hit the wall. It put us in a tough spot to make the race since we had to start in the back of the consi. Fortunately we made it but it put more laps and wear on our tires that would hurt us at the end of the feature." When the green flag waved Eddie Mac moved to the outside groove and began picking off cars early saying, "The car was really good on the outside and a lot of cars stayed on the bottom so I was able to pick up a number of spots. I got to 11th (lap 26) and decided to run for a while to cool the tires. The guys gave me such a good car; I knew I would be able to get some more spots. Passing at Beech Ridge is always tough especially with all the lapped cars. We had the car for it but I was hoping we had the tires for it." By lap 50 the Rowley, Mass. veteran ran eighth but had to deal with some side by side action in front for nearly 20 laps before passing two lead lap cars and into the sixth position on lap 91. With lapped cars an issue Eddie Mac had to be patient to get by thus creating a gap to catch the #9 car for fifth place. Running fifth with 20 laps to go, Eddie Mac moved to fourth when Joey Pole wrecked in front and passed the #16 car on lap 141 for the third spot. Eddie mac tried to catch Babb and Helliwell on the lap 142 restart but to no avail. "I used up the tires coming up through the field and they were skating on the last two restarts," said Eddie Mac. "We had a great run to finish third and I have to thank Rollie (LaChance) for the set up and to the crew of Rob, Tom, Ryan, and Andy Santeere for all the hard work. Thanks also to Laura LaChance who is always there to spot, cook or anything else the team needs. Of course, none of this would be possible without car owners Freddie and Sheila Peterson from Peterson's Auto Body in Peabody. Thanks to Derek Beatrice from Exit Realty, Scott and Ken Thompson from Hancock Electric, and our K&N team owner Rob Grimm for his continued support. Congratulations to Brad Babb for the win. He ran a great race. We are looking forward to the ACT race at NHMS in September. We hope to have a lot of our fans there." |
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Friday, July 17th |
New Hampshire Motor Speedway Loudon, NH |
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Top Ten
for Eddie MacDonald at New Hampshire
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Eddie MacDonald began his busy weekend with a ninth place run in the
NASCAR K&N Pro Series East's United Site Services 70 Friday night to
kick off the Sprint Cup weekend. The Rowley, Mass. veteran racer
then changed fire suits to compete in the Sprint Cup 5 Hour Energy
301 on Sunday. The tree time K&N winner at Loudon struggled in practice Friday battling a tight racecar but was able qualify the Exit Realty/Grimm Construction Chevy in the 13th position on Friday morning with Eddie Mac saying, "We made a number of changes during practice but we couldn't dial it in. It was tight during the practices on Thursday but the adjustments we made for qualifying worked enough to get us into a 13th place run. We thought the car would be good for the race but it didn't work out that way." When the green flag waved to start the 70 lap feature on the "Magic Mile", Eddie Mac was able to move to tenth by lap 15 but the car changed back to the tight condition as Eddie Mac began falling back in the field. The #71 Exit Realty entry fell to 15 by lap 46, then lapped by eventual winner William Byron. The first caution flag waved on lap 56 to give crew chief Rollie LaChance an opportunity to make adjustments. "We really needed that caution to make changes and we got the "lucky dog," said Eddie Mac. "The car was a little free entering the corner and it was shoving the nose. It was snappy loose so the crew was able to make some changes and it really helped but we needed one more adjustment and a few more laps but we didn't get either. We did get to ninth but you always want a better finish." Eddie Mac was able to get the top ten finish with a bold three wide move on a lap 60 restart with ten to go as he powered in the middle of the three cars to gain five spots in one lap from his 14th restart position into ninth place and held the position to the checkers saying, "We were a little disappointed we did not have a better finish but at least we got a top ten after struggling in practice and the race." "I have to give a big thank you to Derek Beatrice from Exit Realty Beatrice Associates from Middleton, Mass. for helping us out," said Eddie Mac. "Derek came on board last year and wanted to help us out again in the K&N, Cup, and the future ACT races. He is an awesome guy and brought a lot of his people to the race and they had a great time. It was a lot of fun meeting all the fans and spending time with them at the cookout Derek had. For many of them it was their first racing experience and they loved it and said they will be back in September when we run the ACT race here." The United Site Services 70 will air on NBCSN on July 23, at 7p.m. Two more K&N races are on the Grimm schedule at Richmond on September 10 and Dover on October 2. |
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RACE CENTRAL
LIVE powered by Speed51.com: K&N East at New Hampshire - HERE For the Event Schedule, Entry List, Practices, Qualifying, Lap by Lap, & Results |
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K&N Pro Series East NHMS News &
Notes:
HERE
FAST FACTS: 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 70 laps (74.06 miles). The Track: This is the 69th race for the series at the 1.058-mile slightly banked oval, dating back to Sept. 1990. This is the second straight year the series has raced on the summer stop for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, after running on the September weekend in 2012 and 2013. It’s the largest track on the K&N East schedule. Race Winners: There have been 28 different winners in the 59 all-time stand-alone races at Loudon. New Hampshire native Brad Leighton has the most series win at the “Magic Mile” with eight, while Eddie MacDonald is the active leader with three. Pole Winners: Of the 31 different drivers to earn a Coors Light Pole Award at New Hampshire, Kelly Moore has the most in K&N Pro Series East history with six. Ben Rhodes set a new qualifying record last season with a time of 29.622 (128.580 mph) for his first pole at Loudon. |
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K&N East
Statistical Advance - NHMS:
HERE Analyzing The K&N Pro East United Site Services 70
United Site Services 70 Race Setup:
At New
Hampshire Motor Speedway Notebook New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Data: Qualifying/Race Data:
Active Leaders at New Hampshire Motor
Speedway: Top Fives Top 10s Laps Completed Laps Led Starts |
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Sunday, July 19, 2015 - 1:30 PM |
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Eddie Posts
Thirty Seventh Place Finish |
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For the second year in a row, Eddie MacDonald drove the Go Green Racing
Ford in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on
Sunday, July 19 to take the checkered flag in 37th place. With
DraftDemons.com as the main sponsor, Eddie Mac started 41st and
completed 295 of the 301 lap event before a huge crowd at the "Magic
Mile." "Racing at the Cup level is a life-long dream and to be able to do it two years in a row thanks to owner Archie St. Hilaire and DraftDemons.com owner Mike Alden is fantastic," said Eddie Mac after the race, "I have so many people to thank for this opportunity. It was a lot of fun to race with the best in the business. Of course I would have liked to finish better but the team was pleased with the run because it helped them out in the point's race. I guess 42 of the 43 cars finished which is unusual. There are usually more cars than that in the pits during the race. All in all it was a great experience and the crew was great the entire weekend. Archie has a super group of guys on the team. Clinton (Cram-crew chief from Belchertown, Mass.) did everything possible to help me out and I appreciate all his help. He made some great adjustments to make me more comfortable. Spotter Curtis (Aldridge) was in my ear helping me get around the track. He is really calm and when you are out there with 42 other cars it gets hectic." Eddie Mac practiced on Friday in the #32 Ford Fusion in the 42nd spot just one second off the leaders pace. Qualifying was a nail biter as Eddie Mac had to race his way into the race. It was not until the final minute of first round qualifying that the team knew it had secured a starting position for the 5 Hour Energy 301 with the Rowley, Mass. veteran saying, "We posted a time that we thought was good enough to get in but then we had to be ready to go back out if the 62 car beat our time. It was crazy sitting in the car waiting to find out if I had to go back out. Fortunately I didn't and I could breathe again." When the green flag waved, Eddie Mac got comfortable in the car but the car began to bounce getting into turns one and three with Eddie Mac saying,"I had to lift quite a bit so I couldn't get back the gas as soon as I wanted. The leaders were coming fast and I went a lap down early but a caution flag on lap 22 gave Clinton the opportunity to make some adjustments and they really helped. The car was a lot better and I was able to race with some of the guys. But by the halfway mark the brakes began to fade so I had to lift early going into the corners so I lost momentum and Loudon is all about getting off the turns. But I must say I had a lot of fun." "I am extremely appreciative for the opportunity and for all the people who stepped up to help me realize my dream," said Eddie Mac after the race. "This was truly an all-New England effort. Mike Alden from Beverly, Mass. sponsored me last year and asked Archie (from Old Orchid Beach, Maine) for me again. Mike is a great guy and I can't thank him enough. The DraftDemons.com car looked great and the design of my fire suit was awesome. I have to thank "The Rod Father" Les Sanborn from Sanford, Maine for his support. Derek Beatrice from Exit Realty in Middleton, Mass. sponsored our K&N car on Friday and helped us out on the Cup car. The famous Bentley Warren had us up at Bentley's Saloon in Arundel, Maine and helped us out. The 99 Restaurant in Salem, Mass., Salem N.H., and Tilton N.H. also were also on board A&B Vending always helps us in the K&N and ACT series and did so again. Of course all our fans were there giving support and I really appreciate it." "Years ago when I was just a kid, I got to spend the day with Jeff Gordon when he drove my father's Supermodified at Lee USA Speedway, my family's track," recalled Eddie Mac. "He was always my favorite driver so it was really special when he came over to speak with me before introductions to wish me well. It was awesome that I could get to race with him in his next to last race at Loudon." "Thank you to everyone who came out to watch and support me on this fantastic day." |
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Eddie MacDonald
Leads All-New England Team |
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Eddie MacDonald and Go FAS Racing will again represent an all New
England team in NASCAR's Sprint Cup New Hampshire 301 on Sunday, July 19
at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The Rowley, Mass. legendary driver will
join forces with team owners Archie St. Hilaire from Old Orchard Beach,
Maine and Frankie Stoddard from No. Haverhill, N.H.
DraftDemons.com owned
by Mike Alden from Beverly, Mass. will sponsor the #32 Ford Fusion for
the second year in a row for the 301 lap event. "This is a thrill to drive for Archie, Frankie, and Mike again this year," said Eddie Mac, the winner of the inaugural PASS North race at NHMS last Sunday. "Go FAS Racing made my life-long dream come true to race in the Sprint Cup and now I get the opportunity to do it again. The excitement is building and this is incredible to be part of this. I love racing at Loudon and to do it a Cup car is awesome. Those guys have been fantastic to me and I can't thank Mike Alden enough for sponsoring us again. I spent a lot of time with Mike last year and he is an incredible person. It is an honor to represent DraftDemons.com. The car looks fantastic and I think everyone will enjoy the graphics. I also have to thank Derek Beatrice from Exit Realty in Middleton, Mass. and Les Sanborn, "The Rod Father," from Sanford, Maine for their support. The Exit Realty logo will appear on the rear quarter panel on the #32. The local 99 Restaurants have also come aboard with their support. This is truly an all New England team. Even crew chief Clinton Cramm is from Massachusetts. Hopefully we can put on a good show for all our fans." "Last year Mike (Alden) wanted to sponsor the NHMS race and asked me if I had a New England driver in mind and right away I said Eddie MacDonald," said Archie St. Hilaire. "Mike has helped us out this year and asked me to save the July race at Loudon for him and he asked right away if Eddie was available to drive for us again. He really enjoyed the time with Eddie both as a person and as a driver and wanted the opportunity to work with him again. Mike is a very successful businessman and was extremely pleased to have Eddie represent his company. DraftDemons.com was created by Mike and is a fantasy sports website for daily entries. You can draft your dream team in any sport and compete against other players for your chance to win. We have improved our short track program with the purchase of some Roush Fenway chassis' and feel like we will be more competitive at Loudon than last year. We are always working to improve and I think the results are there. Eddie should have a fun time this race and we are hoping all our New England fans will enjoy the show." Eddie Mac has competed in nearly every racing series at NHMS including three wins in both the K&N Pro Series East (a second place finish last year) and in the American Canadian Tour, plus the PASS North win last Sunday, July 5. Beside his Sprint Cup start last year the veteran racer has also competed in the Xfinity, Craftsman Truck, and the Whelen Modified Series with Eddie Mac saying, "I have been very fortunate to race in so many series at Loudon. It is my home track and I would like nothing better than to put on a good show for everyone involved. Of course you want to win every time out but we hope to have a lot of fun and entertain the fans. Again, thank you to all the people to make this possible." Eddie Mac has a busy schedule ahead with practice and racing in the NASCAR's Granite State 70 K&N Pro Series East race on Friday, plus two Sprint Cup practices and qualifying on Friday. Two Cup practices on Saturday with the New Hampshire 301 scheduled to take the green flag at 1:30 p.m. Eddie Mac will also be making four car show appearances in the days leading up to the Cup race. On Tuesday, July 14, Eddie Mac is slated to appear with the show car at Bentley's Saloon in Arundel, Maine beginning at 5:00 p.m. to sign autographs and chat with fans. Saloon owner Bentley Warren is regarded as one of the greatest Super Modified drivers of all-time. On Wednesday, July 15 Eddie Mac will be at the 99 Restaurants in Salem, Mass. from 4-6 and Salem, N.H. from 7-9. The team will make an appearance at the 99 Restaurant in Tilton, N.H. on Saturday from 4-6. The show car is wrapped exactly like the Cup car so Archie St. Hilaire encourages all the New England fans to get an up close look and have a Hero card signed by Eddie MacDonald at one of the events. "We have a very busy schedule stating on Tuesday but it is something we are really looking forward to meet as many fans as possible," said Eddie Mac. "This is such a great opportunity to do something I love to do. I owe many people for giving me the chance to realize my dream. Archie, Frankie, Mike and so many others I will be forever grateful. This experience will be a lot of fun and I hope to share it with all our fans." |
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DraftDemons.com |
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SHOW CAR /
AUTOGRAPH APPEARANCES On Tuesday, July 14, Eddie Mac is slated to appear with the show car at Bentley's Saloon in Arundel, Maine beginning at 5:00 p.m. to sign autographs and chat with fans. Saloon owner Bentley Warren is regarded as one of the greatest Super Modified drivers of all-time. On Wednesday, July 15 Eddie Mac will be at the 99 Restaurants in Salem, Mass. from 4-6 and Salem, N.H. from 7-9. The team will make an appearance at the 99 Restaurant in Tilton, N.H. on Saturday from 4-6. The show car is wrapped exactly like the Cup car so Archie St. Hilaire encourages all the New England fans to get an up close look and have a Hero card signed by Eddie MacDonald at one of the events. |
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www.exitrealtyba.com |
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Exit Realty Beatrice Associates Will
Sponsor |
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When Eddie MacDonald begins his race weekend at New Hampshire Motor
Speedway in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Granite State 70 race on
Friday, July 17, Exit Realty will be the primary sponsor on the hood of
the #71 Grimm Construction Chevy. Exit Realty will also occupy the rear
quarter panel of the #32 DraftDemons.com Sprint Cup entry Eddie Mac will
drive in NASCAR's New Hampshire 301 on Sunday, July 19. Derek Beatrice,
owner and CEO of Exit Realty located in Middleton, Mass., announced the
Exit Realty logo will appear on the hood of the American Canadian Tour
#17 for the remainder of the season. "Last year Exit helped us out sponsoring the K&N car at Loudon and things just seemed to click with Derek and our team," said Eddie Mac. "Derek is such a great guy; we continued to stay in touch talking about the possibility of sponsoring the team. Things just worked out and Derek delivered much more than we had hoped. Not only did he offer to sponsor a number of ACT races, when he heard we could use some help with the Sprint Cup ride he jumped on board. Exit Realty will ride on the rear quarter panel on the #32 and this means a lot to me. I am so happy that the hood of the K&N car will display the Exit Realty logo for Friday's race. A lot of Exit people showed up for the race last year and a huge number is expected again this year. We had a lot of fun with our "new" fans and plans are in the works for another great time. Words cannot express my gratitude to Derek and Exit Realty for everything." "Eddie is such a good guy and a competitive guy and always puts on a good show," said Derek Beatrice. "This is a great opportunity to work with Eddie because he always gives a 125% and I am just excited to be part of it. This is an opportunity to do some business networking. We plan to have about fifty people in attendance for Friday's race that includes clients, agents, and people I work with. It is a great way to show appreciation to all the people who make Exit Realty a success. I am pleased Exit Realty will be a part of Sprint Cup weekend and look forward to sponsoring Eddie in the upcoming ACT races." Last season Eddie Mac finished second in the Granite State 100 and hopes to improve that finish by one position on Friday. The Rowley, Mass. veteran racer has three wins in the highly competitive K&N Pro Series East races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He also has three wins in the American Canadian Tour on the "Magic Mile" and most recently added another win in the inaugural Pass North race at Loudon. The Granite State 70 is scheduled to take the green flag on Friday at 6:00 p.m. with practice and qualifying on Thursday. Sprint Cup practice and qualifying will take place on Friday with two practices to be held on Saturday. Eddie Mac and the #32 DraftDemons.com show car will make an appearance at the 99 Restaurant in Salem, Mass. on Wednesday from 4-6 p.m. and at the Salem, N.H. 99 Restaurant from 7-9 p.m. |
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Eddie MacDonald Entered in the Pro All
Stars Series Race |
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Eddie MacDonald will drive in the Pro All-Star
Series inaugural appearance at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 4
and 5. The series will partner with The North East Mini Stock Tour at
Loudon for the Sunday doubleheader. The Pro All Stars will practice
Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. with qualifying and the 60 lap feature
scheduled to begin at 9:00 a.m. on Sunday. "The Outlaw" will drive the brand new #66 owned by Dave Lemieux and Brian Neal and built in the BCR shop owned and operated by longtime race driver Bobby Cabral. The team has been busy building the car at Cabral's Plaistow, N.H. shop for the debut of the racing series on the one mile oval. Few drivers, if any, have logged more miles and wins at Loudon through the years. Eddie Mac is a multiple time winner in both the K&N Pro Series East and American Canadian Tour. His racing experience at NHMS also includes starts in the Sprint Cup, Xfinity, Craftsman Trucks, and the Whelen Modifieds. Eddie Mac will race in the Cup, K&N, and the ACT again this summer. "Bobby Cabral called me a while ago and asked if I would be interested in racing a car he was building, so I went to look at it and decided to do it," said the veteran Rowley, Mass. driver. "I met car owner Dave Lemieux at the shop that day and was impressed how excited and determined he was to run the car at Loudon. Ge Ge Gravel drove for him for many years then Dave got out of it. He decided after a few years focusing on his building company to get back in the game and contacted Bobby and the project began." K&N and ACT crew chief Rollie LaChance will be on board for race set up and for the event. LaChance and Eddie Mac have shared many wins in both series. "I really wanted Rollie to be with us on this one. It is a brand new car and will see the track for the first time on Saturday for practice so it will be a learning experience for all of us. Rollie knows what needs to be done on the car and we complement one another and have confidence in each other. We are looking forward to racing for Dave and Brian and hope we put on a good show. Bobby has built a great car and if it runs as good as it looks we will have a great time." |
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Saturday, June 20, 2015 |
White Mountain 150 whitemountainmotorsports.com |
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Penalty Costs Eddie MacDonald Chance to
Win |
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On lap 115 with 35 circuits to go in the American Canadian Tour's White
Mountain 150 Eddie MacDonald made contact with Brandon Atkins while
contending for the lead to bring out a caution. As a result the "Outlaw"
was sent to the rear of the field and had to settle for a 12th place
finish. "It was terrible to lose a race this way," said Eddie Mac. "The car was fast again and I made my way to the front and was racing the leader trying to figure a way to get by him. He was hard to pass and I tried different lines for a number of laps. I was on the outside and tried to do a crossover move and he just slowed down in front of me and I hit his back bumper and sent him spinning into the infield. I feel bad for both of us but I had 35 laps to go so I certainly did not do it on purpose. I felt I would get by him sooner or later because the car was that good." The Grimm Construction/Hancock Electric Chevy established fast times in practice then won the second heat easily from the pole to grid sixth for the 150 lap event at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, June 20. When the green flag waved, the Rowley, Mass. veteran racer was content to ride in the sixth position early to save tires. A four car wreck on lap 94 almost ended Eddie Mac's night. "I almost got spun out in that one when a bunch of cars wrecked all around me," said Eddie Mac. "I was lucky to make it through but I had to restart in the eighth position so I knew I had to get going then. The car was great and I was able to drive through the field to contend for the top spot." Four cautions (Laps 98, 100, 101, 104) slowed the pace but Eddie Mac was on the move driving under eventual winner Wayne Helliwell for second place on lap 111. The incident with Atkins appears to be another case of bad racing luck to plague the team since sweeping all three ACT races at New Smyrna, Florida in February. "We have had such bad luck since Florida in the ACT races and the K&N Series, it is very frustrating," said Eddie Mac. "Freddie's (Peterson) car has been fast every race but tire issues have hurt us. This time I made a mistake. I did not expect him to slow down that much. I don't know for sure if we would have won that race but I know we would have been a strong contender. I feel bad for Freddie and Sheila (Peterson) and hope we get a win soon for them. Thanks again to everyone that helps us every race, Scott and Ken Thompson from Hancock Electric, Stilo, Schroth Racing, HMS Motorsports, A&B Vending, especially Peterson Auto Body in Peabody. We plan to race at Oxford Plains this Saturday so hopefully our luck will change." |
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Saturday, May 30, 2015 |
Generation Next Lil' Joey Memorial 151 Speedway 51 |
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Seventh Place Run for Eddie at Speedway 51 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Eddie MacDonald dominated in practice and for 86 laps in the American
Canadian Tour's Generation Next 150 at the newly revamped Speedway 51 in
Groveton, NH on Saturday, May 30. With the threat of rain looming, Eddie
Mac battled eventual winner Wayne Helliwell on a lap 86 restart but a
flat right rear sent the Grimm Construction/Hancock Electric Chevy out
of the groove and into seventh place before the yellow/checkered flag
waved to end the race on lap 91 due to rain. "We have had a string of bad luck with tires lately in the ACT and K&N series," said a frustrated MacDonald after the race. "When the race restarted on lap 86, I went into turn one and the car slid up the track and rolled over. I thought we broke something in the front end but it turned out to be a slow leak in the right rear. It seems like we have had nothing but tire issues. The car was so good in practice and early in the race, I thought we really had a chance to win this thing." "The Outlaw" set the fastest times in two of the three practices he took part in and scored a +4 point total as he won the first heat going away starting from the fifth position. The Freddie Peterson owned ride started the scheduled151lap event on the outside pole and quickly took the lead on the second circuit. When the #60 took the lead on lap 13 Eddie Mac was content to ride around conserving the tires. Weather played a significant role in the day's event as all the teams had to deal with ferocious wind and dust in the pits and on the track. Rain was predicted early and then with the reports of heavy rain approaching the speedway, Eddie Mac took the lead back on a lap 76 restart and appeared ready to battle Helliwell for the win. A lap 86 caution put the two veteran racers side by side for the restart. Eddie Mac could not hold the car down in turn one allowing Helliwell and others to slide underneath as Eddie Mac slipped back on the outside to seventh. "I thought the sway bar link broke the way the car reacted but it wasn't until after the race and in the pits we found the right rear had a slow leak, said the Rowley, Mass. driver. "I am disappointed for Sheila and Freddie Peterson, out car owners. To show how involved they are, both of them constantly cleaned the dust off the car between practices, the heat, and the race. The crew did their usual great job and Rollie and I really appreciate all they do for us. Thanks to our K&N owner Rob Grimm and Scott and Kenny Thompson from Hancock Electric for their great support. The car is in good shape so we hope to be back for the White Mountain race in a couple of weeks. Hopefully we can keep the tires on it." |
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Saturday, May 16th - 8:00 PM CDT |
Iowa Speedway |
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Eddie Disappointed with K&N Run at Iowa Speedway |
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Eddie MacDonald, driver of the #71 Grimm Construction/Multiple Sclerosis
Chevy, battled tire issues to finish 19th in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series
East/West combination race in the Casey's General Store 150 at Iowa
Speedway Saturday, May 16. MacDonald overcame a tire problem the first
half of the race but could not overcome the issue in the second half of
the 150 lap feature. Usually a net set of Goodyear tires make both the driver and the car very happy but right from the green flag, Eddie Mac could not make any progress from his 24th starting position and was nearly lapped by the leader until the caution flag flew on lap 37. Crew chief Rollie LaChance made a wedge adjustment and discovered the left rear tire's low air pressure. With the fix made, the Rowley, Mass. veteran racer returned to the track in the 27th spot and began making his way to the front with some spectacular three wide moves with Eddie Mac saying, "The car felt great and could really get into the turns, especially turn one. With the air pressure set and a wedge adjustment the loose condition was fixed and I was able to drive the car. I was able to race to eleventh at the break." No adjustments were made on the #71 at the break other than the four new tires with Eddie Mac confident the car would be fast again but the complete opposite happened saying, "The car was a handful right from the green flag. It was so on the edge I almost went around a couple of tires. The new tires were terrible and it just killed the car. You are not anywhere near as loose on new tires so it was a big surprise. We had to wait for a caution but it didn't come soon enough to help." Unfortunately, Eddie Mac just had to ride it out and fell back in the pack to 22nd until he was able to pit on caution lap 133 for air and wedge adjustments. The Grimm Construction Chevy restarted 22nd on lap 140 with ten to go as Eddie Mac could only manage to pick up two spots before the final green flag. ""It was so loose everywhere I just couldn't drive it hard without wrecking it. We are so disappointed with the finish. We think it was the right rear that really ballooned during the race and that caused all the problems. We certainly hoped for a better run and I feel bad for all the crew that traveled a long way and worked hard for two days out here. These guys had to take time from work back home to come here and I really appreciate it. I want to give a shout out to Mallet Meyer. He was with us when he was a student at UNOH and did a great job. He now lives in Clarence, Iowa and runs and owns Revelation Racing specializing in fabrication and engines for dirt mods and all types of dirt racing. He is a very talented guy." "Our next K&N race will be at our home track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 17 and we love racing there. We have some wins there and finished second last year so we are looking forward to that race. Thanks as always to our owner Rob Grimm, Schroth Racing, Stilo, HMS Motorsports, and Waymart Building Center for their support." The Casey's General Store 150 will air on NBCSN on Friday, May 22 at midnight following the hockey game. |
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RACE CENTRAL LIVE powered by Speed51.com: K&N Combo at IOWA - HERE For the Event Schedule, Entry List, Practices, Qualifying, Lap by Lap, & Results |
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K&N Pro Series Combo IOWA News & Notes: HERE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
FAST FACTS The Procedure: 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 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. Note: Each driver will be credited with a finish and points respective to the series they've designated. 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. The track opened in 2006 and the first NASCAR-sanctioned race was a K&N Pro Series combination event on May 20, 2007 won by Joey Logano. NASCAR XFINITY and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series events were added in 2009. The Records: The one-lap series qualifying record at Iowa was established by Kyle Busch on May 17, 2009 at 135.484 mph (23.250 seconds). The 150-lap race record was set by Ben Rhodes on May 17, 2014 at 93.287 mph (1 hour, 24 minutes, 25 seconds). |
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K&N East Statistical Advance - IOWA:
HERE Analyzing The K&N Pro East Casey's General Stores 150 |
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Notebook Iowa Data Iowa
Qualifying/Race Data |
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Merchants Bank 150 Sunday, May 3, 2015 |
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Tough Day for Eddie Mac at Thunder Road |
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Eddie MacDonald returned to the track to finish 17th after a spectacular
crash over the turn two embankment early in the American Canadian Tour's
17th Annual Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road in Barre, Vt. on Sunday,
May 3. The Freddie Peterson owned Chevy sustained heavy front end damage
after a blown left rear tire sent the car and Eddie Mac sailing off the
track and down the hill on lap five. "That was definitely a hard crash," said Eddie Mac after the race. "I made contact with another car the lap before, and unfortunately it cut down the tire. When I went into turn one I just sailed up the track and over turn two. It is a strange feeling to look out the windshield straight down at the ground. There was a stone wall there that stopped the car from flipping over but it tore up the front of the car and bent something underneath. The crew did a great job to get me back out there but it was a long day to ride round and not compete for the win." The Grimm Construction/Hancock Electric Chevy posted fast times in practice on Saturday and Sunday but things changed quickly when Eddie Mac drew the ninth and final spot in first heat to finish eighth with the veteran racer saying, "This is as frustrating as it gets. We had a fast car but we just could not go anywhere in the heat. The cars ran side by side the entire way and there wasn't any way to get by on the quarter mile track, especially in a twelve lap heat race. We had to race our way into the race in the consi and started 22nd. Anytime you start that far back anything can happen and it did." Last season Eddie Mac won the famed Milk Bowl at Thunder Road and hopes for another win ended almost as soon as the race began. On lap four of the 150 lap event, the #17Ma rubbed with the #15 of Joey Laquerre sending a puff of smoke from the back of the "Outlaw's" car which proved to be huge the following lap. The huge crowd held their collective breadths as the undercarriage of the car was visible as it disappeared over the embankment. The crowd then went wild as Eddie Mac backed his car up over the hill and back on to the track. The crew went to work changing tires and ripping away sheet metal to get the Rowley, Mass. driver back in competition. Eddie Mac raced on the lead lap until finally going down a lap on the 75th circuit. A decision was then made to continue racing for the second half of the race as he was able to pass a number of lapped cars to post the 17th place finish saying, "The car tight in the center and loose off and I think something is bent but we decided to stay out there and was able to pass some cars. Rollie and the crew made the car work better on our second pit stop (Lap 27) but it was a long day. We knew we had the car to beat but that just happens in racing. The best car does not always win. There is a lot of work to do on the car but we should be ready for our next race penciled in for the end of the month." "I definitely feel bad for Freddie and Sheila but we will be back," said Eddie Mac. "The crew performed super right from the start and especially after the wreck. Of course, our thanks go to our K&N owner Rob Grimm for his support and Scott and Ken Thompson from Hancock Electric. We also carry the MS logo on our car in support of Rob and Karla's daughter Megan Spaulding who is fighting the disease. Grimm Nation's MS Warrior team just participated in the annual walk at Pocono Speedway to raise awareness and money to fight this disease. We support their efforts and hope our fans will support the cause." Eddie Mac's next competition will be in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Casey's General Store 150 at Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa on May 16. The first of two scheduled events will pit the best of the East vs. the best of the West K&N drivers. Follow NASCAR HomeTracks for coverage times. |
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Eddie Mac Scores Third Place Finish in Governor's Cup |
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Eddie MacDonald staged a familiar battle with
eventual winner Wayne Helliwell in the Governor's Cup 150 at their home
track Lee USA Speedway on Sunday May 26 to post a third place finish in
an exciting duel. The Grimm Construction/Hancock Electric Chevy started
third on the grid after winning the heat to score a +2 rating. Twenty-seven cars took the green flag under stormy skies that dictated the early race strategy for Eddie Mac saying, "We were riding around comfortably in sixth place when a little rain began to fall around lap 25. It looked like heavy rain would arrive shortly so we decided to go get some spots in case the race ended at the halfway mark. I used up a lot of the car racing on the outside for position. No one was out there so the little bit of rain really hurt the tires. Of course the rain never came but we committed early instead of saving tires for the end. We did what we needed to do ans that's just racing." "The Outlaw" wowed the crowd with some great side by side racing before settling into third place by lap 63. The Governor's Cup defending champ and winner of his last five ACT events waited patiently while Helliwell and Jeff White battled for the top spot. Eddie Mac ran the outside groove to race White side by side, then taking the second spot on lap 84 and setting his sights on the #27. Again the Rowley, Ma. veteran drove hard on the outside to take first place on lap 91. Eddie Mac and Helliwell have staged epic duels throughout their careers. A lap 93 caution put the #17 and #27 head to head on the restart with Helliwell getting the jump with Eddie Mac saying, "Wayne was fast all day and he had a good restart. I spun the tires a bit and he was able to take advantage. He ran a great race getting the pole and running out front saving his tires. I used up the tires early and couldn't race with him at the end. By the end of the race the car was so loose I was just hanging on trying to get the best finish I could. We had a lot of fun racing at my home track and seeing a lot of family and friends. Obviously I wish we won but Wayne deserved the win so congratulations to him and Bruce. We may do it again next week at Thunder Road. My thanks go to the crew for all the hard work and Kenny and Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric for their continued support. Car owners Sheila and Freddie Peterson are just awesome people to be associated with." The 17th annual Merchants Bank 150 event will be run at the famed Thunder Road in Barre, Vt. on Sunday, May 3 with a 1:00 pm. post time. The Thunder Road Car Show in downtown Barre will run from 9:00-12:00 Saturday followed by the parade of cars to the track. |
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Eddie Runs for the Governor's Cup Title
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Eddie MacDonald will drive the Freddie Peterson owned #17 Chevy Late
Model in the American Canadian Tour's Governor's Cup 150 on Sunday,
April 26 at Lee's "Center of Speed." The Rowley, Mass driver, and son of
track owners Judy and Red MacDonald, will defend the title won in last
year's event. "The Outlaw" is a serious contender to repeat posting five
late model wins in a row. Eddie Mac began the streak last season with a huge Milk Bowl win at Thunder Road followed with a win in the Fall Brawl at Riverside Speedway. The veteran racer impressed many with three 100 lap wins in a row at New Smyrna Speedway, Florida during speedweeks in February to capture the first ever American Racer Challenge Cup. Since joining forces with Freddie Peterson in the Grimm Construction/Hancock Electric sponsored Chevy crew chief Rollie LaChance and Eddie Mac have posted a stellar record of wins and top three finishes. Both hope to continue the torrid pace with a win this Sunday with Eddie Mac saying, "We have had an incredible run since last season and would like nothing better than to get the win at my home track. To have a lot of family and fans cheering for you is a great feeling." More than forty cars are expected to compete for the 28 starting positions in the ACT feature. Teams will practice on Saturday with qualifying heats and the 150 lap event slated for Sunday. Schedules for both days begin at noon and will also feature the regular Lee USA Speedway racing series. "This should be a great race with all the talented drivers and teams competing in the ACT series," said MacDonald. "Rollie, the crew, and I love racing in this series. We have to travel so much in the K&N series it is nice to be at home with all our fans. Freddie and Sheila (Peterson) have been terrific and we couldn't do this without the longtime support of Ken and Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric in Quincy. If you need electric motor service those are the guys to call. Thanks go to our K&N team owner Rob Grimm who supports us racing in the series. Hopefully we can celebrate with all our fans on Sunday." |
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MacDonald Ready to Hold His Turf at Lee USA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ACT PRESS RELEASE
- The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models will be at the Lee USA
Speedway in Lee, NH this coming Sunday, April 26 for the 25th annual New
Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150. Eddie “The Outlaw” MacDonald will look to
defend his title in the event, but a host of veterans and newcomers
alike figure to be up for the challenge. MacDonald has been red hot in the ACT Late Models in recent months. The Rowley, MA driver swept all three 100-lap events at the New Smyrna Speedway in Florida as part of the annual February racing. Combined with his victories in the Vermont Milk Bowl at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road last October and the Fall Brawl 150 at Groveton, NH’s Speedway 51 in November, MacDonald has five straight wins in ACT-type Late Model events. We’ve got a pretty good idea of where we need to be from last year,” MacDonald said. “We’re just going to have to go there and tune on the car and see if we can get it to perform steady throughout the whole race. You never know who’s going to be able to hit it right for that day.” FULL STORY AT ACTTOUR.COM HERE |
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The PittLite 125 - Sat. April 18, 2015 |
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Eddie Rallies from Flat Tire for Sixth Place in the K&N Race at Bristol |
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Eddie MacDonald powered the Grimm Construction/Multiple Sclerosis Society
Chevrolet to a hard earned sixth place finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series
East Pittlite 125 at Bristol Motor Speedway as a companion race with the
Sprint Cup Series. The Rowley, Mass. veteran started his 183rd race in the
series and took the green flag as the defending champion of last year's
event. A flat tire on lap 49 appeared to quash any hopes of repeating the
win but Eddie Mac and the crew never gave up and rallied from the flat and
24th restarting position to make his patented charge to the front. "With everything that we had to overcome in the race, we are pleased with the sixth place finish," said Eddie Mac after the race. "Obviously we would have liked to compete for the win but this finish showed how we can overcome adversity. We had a very similar set-up in the car as last year and the car handled pretty good. We didn't have a great qualifying run (16th) but last year we started 13th and won so we knew the car would be good for the long run." Twenty eight cars took the green flag in the 125 lap event around "The World's Fastest Half-Mile" as Eddie Mac wasted no time moving up four spots from 16th to 12th in just two laps and into tenth by lap 21. The car was "a little loose but not bad" according to Eddie Mac at the first caution on lap 37. While running ninth the #71 blew a left rear tire to bring out the caution on lap 49, then restarted 24th one lap down. Eddie Mac moved up two positions before the halfway break at lap 62. The crew was allowed to re-fuel but could not change tires during the five minute break. Racing resumed after the break with Eddie Mac the recipient of the "lucky dog" to restart on the lead lap in the 22nd position. Chief Rollie LaChance made the call to bring the #71 to the pits for a wedge adjustment during a lap 76 caution resulting in a charge from the 20th restarting position on lap 81 to 13th on lap 90. On laps 100 and lap 109, the veteran racer made it three wide around the high banked turns of Bristol to ninth place with sixteen laps to go. Eddie Mac battled Austin Hill for sixth place before taking over the spot with ten to go. "The car was really good all day," said Eddie Mac. "I think we had a top three car and then run for the win and see what would happen but the flat changed everything. I wanted to get to fifth at the end but I used up the car coming from the rear so it was pretty loose at the end. Sixth place is still a great finish at Bristol. It is so much fun to drive here and you have to have a good car or you are in for a long day. Rollie and the crew did a great job all day long and I appreciate their efforts. Our owner Rob Grimm and a number of "Grimm Nation" family and fans were here so I am glad we had a good showing after the flat tire. This is a tough racetrack to make up ground when you have a problem so I am proud of what we accomplished today." "Many thanks go to our sponsors: Grimm Construction, Stilo, HMS Motorsports, Waymart Building Center, Schroth Racing, Peterson Auto Body, and Kustom Vinyl. The Multiple Sclerosis National Society logo is proudly displayed on the car, as well as, the New Path Adventures logo." The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East's next race will be a combination race with the K&N West Series at Iowa Speedway on May 16. NBCSN will televise the Pittlite 125 on April 23 with a time to be determined. |
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Eddie Kicks Off NASCAR K&N Season |
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When Eddie MacDonald takes the green flag to open his NASCAR K&N Pro Series
East season at Bristol it will be as defending champion after posting the
impressive win last year in the Pittlite 125. The Grimm
Construction/Multiple Sclerosis Society Chevy piloted by the veteran racer
started 13th in the event last season and had the crowd on its feet as Eddie
Mac drove to the front in a door to door battle with Ben Rhodes to lead the
final two laps for the win. The Rowley, Mass. driver is entering his 15th
year in the series and will start in his 183rd race with hopes to repeat
last year's performance. "The win last year at Bristol was huge for our team," said Eddie Mac while preparing the #71 for the race in the Newburyport, Mass. shop. "It was definitely one of the highlights of my career to win there. The track is awesome in every way. You dream about racing there and to get a win there is definitely the icing on the cake. We knew we had a good car despite not qualifying all that well (13th) but Rollie (LaChance) had a great set up and it handled well right from the start. After the break I knew I had something for the leaders and it was a lot of fun to race for the win. That race really gave us the boost we needed to run well the rest of the season even though we ran a part-time schedule." The #71 Grimm Construction Chevy posted three top five's and one top ten finish over the final four races with Eddie Mac saying, "We did not start the season off well and decided to focus our efforts on a limited schedule and it worked out well. The final four races were pretty strong efforts by the team (8th at Langley, 2nd at Loudon, 6th at Iowa, 4th at Dover). We plan to run around six races in the K&N Series this year with the focus on the bigger tracks. Bristol may be only a half mile but it is definitely a big track to us and we hope to have another great showing there in April. It is always fun to race as a companion to the Xfinity and Cup series. We run after the Xfinity 300 on Saturday so we should have a great crowd. It is tough to win in the K&N Series with all the talented teams and drivers and we always put on a great show, so it should be a lot of fun." Based largely on his Bristol performance as well as his success in the American Canadian tour, Eddie Mac was recently named Quarter Master Clutch Performer of the Year for 2014. "This award recognizes the hard work the crews for both series put in each and every race," said the second time recipient of the award (2009). "I have really been lucky to have such dedicated and talented people with me. I am so appreciative Quarter Master presented this award to me. I accept it on behalf of all the people involved. Of course none of this would be possible without the fantastic support from our K&N team owner Rob Grimm. He and Karla have been fantastic since Rollie and I teamed up with them in 2007." All of the sponsors for the last few seasons will again support the Grimm Construction Chevy including Stilo, HMS Motorsports, Schroth Racing, Waymart Building Center, Peterson Auto Body, and Kustom Vinyl. The National Multiple Sclerosis Society logo will again be displayed on both rear quarter panels for the season. "We are very confident we can run well at Bristol and compete for the win," said Eddie Mac. "It is difficult to win at any level and especially in the K&N Series but we feel we have the car and the set-up to do it. We are excited to get started this year." The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Pittlite 125 will take the green flag on Saturday, April 18 on the famed track billed as "The World's Fastest Half Mile." |
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RACE CENTRAL LIVE powered by Speed51.com: K&N East at Bristol - HERE For the Event Schedule, Entry List, Practices, Qualifying, Lap by Lap, & Results |
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K&N East Statistical Advance - Bristol:
HERE Analyzing The K&N Pro East PittLite125 |
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DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The NASCAR K&N Pro Series East will head to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Saturday, April 18 for the PittLite 125, the season’s third of 14 events. Below is a look at the performance of the series and selected drivers at Bristol, as well as some other statistical trends. Bristol Race Setup Bristol Motor Speedway Notebook Bristol Data Bristol Qualifying/Race
Data: Eddie MacDonald (No. 71 Grimm
Contracting Chevrolet) |
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K&N Pro Series East Bristol News & Notes: HERE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fast Facts The Procedure: The starting field is 36 cars, including provisionals. The first 32 cars will qualify through two-lap time trials while the remaining four starting spots will be awarded through the provisional process. The race will be 125 laps covering 66.625 miles with a break at or near the conclusion of lap 65. The Track: Bristol Motor Speedway opened in 1961 and hosted its first NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race on July 30, 1961 won by Jack Smith. The .533-mile concrete oval has 600-foot straightaways with five to nine degrees of banking on the frontstretch and four to eight degrees on the backstretch. The turns are progressively banked from 24 to 28 degrees. The racing surface is 37.5 feet wide. The Records: The one-lap qualifying record for the series at Bristol of 15.898 seconds (120.694 mph) is held by Michael McGuire and was established on March 16, 2013. The 125-Lap race record of one hour, two minutes and six seconds (65.402) was set on March 17, 2012 by Nelson Piquet Jr. in a race that was extended to 127 laps. BRISTOL RACE NOTES Veterans Returning |
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2015 K&N Pro East Schedule |
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