The Hancock Electric/Grimm Construction Chevy took the green flag for the final time this season in the 50 Lap Late Model feature to score a second place finish. Eddie MacDonald returned to the family owned speedway where he cut his teeth racing as a teenager for the huge annual Lee Oktoberfest and did not disappoint the hometown fans with two patented runs from the rear.
MacDonald started last in Saturday’s qualifying event, then went on to capture the win in the ten lap event saying, “The car was really tight in practice so we loosened it up quite a bit for the heat. The weather heated up so the change we made helped the car a lot.”
The #17 owned by Freddie Peterson started 11th in the 50 lap feature on Sunday after the field was inverted. In three laps, Eddie Mac ran third as he made his way from the rear with typical inside and outside passing. On the 11th circuit, MacDonald was in second but the car became very tight with the Rowley, Mass. veteran saying after the race, “The weather got a lot colder today compared to yesterday and we didn’t adjust the car enough. It really was tight and didn’t want to turn so I was wrestling with it. I knew Helliwell was coming but there was not anything I could do to hold him off.”
Eddie Mac passed Tyler Fiscus for second place after the halfway flags and had to settle for the second place finish saying, “We really wanted to get the win for Shelia and Freddie Peterson. They have been great to us. You always want to win, especially in front of your hometown fans, but we are happy to take the second place finish to close out our Late Model season. We had a lot of fun running the Late Model when we could and look forward to next season to do it again.”
“I also want to take this opportunity to thank Ken Thompson from Hancock Electric Motor Service. He started helping us out with our East car years ago and has been a sponsor for our Late Model over the last few seasons. Kenny is retiring soon and everyone on our race team thanks him for all the support and wishes he and his wife Carol all the happiness and good health in the future,” said MacDonald after the race.
Channel 9’s Chronicle folks were at the track shooting footage and interviewing Eddie, his dad Red, and track manager Bob Watson for a piece about the track. It is not known when it will run so check the TV listings for the show.
The Grimm Racing team will compete in its final two events in the K&N Pro Series East schedule. On October 27th. MacDonald will start fifth in the Kevin Whitaker 140 at Greenville Pickens Speedway due to a Labor Day rainout. On October 3rd, the final event will be run at the famed Rockingham Speedway.