photo by RPM 360
By: Dick Casey
Eddie MacDonald started third in the American Canadian Tour’s Coastal 100 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine on Saturday night to power to his first ACT win of the season. Eddie Mac passed second place finisher Scott Payea on the 41st lap and maintained the lead to post the dominant win.
Driving the Exit Realty/Hancock Electric Chevy owned by Freddie Peterson, the win was especially pleasing for the team in honoring one of its team members who lost his cancer battle with Eddie Mac saying, “It is great to win this for Donnie Higinbotham who passed recently. Donnie had a huge impact on our team and was just an incredible person. Besides doing anything to help his team, he did it without fanfare and was extremely well liked and respected. He always had a smile on his face. Donnie worked for Freddie and Sheila (Peterson)for many years and was a great mechanic. He was one of a kind and loved everything about racing. We will miss him terribly. I hope he is looking down on us with that big smile of his on his face.”
Eddie Mac started the day posting the third fastest practice time in the first practice session then scoring the fastest time in the second round. By virtue of his +3 finish in the first heat, the Rowley, Mass. veteran started third on the grid in the 21 car field. When the green flag waved the inside lane did not go allowing Payea and two others from the outside row to move to the front, However, once Eddie Mac cleared the 04, he began his run back to the front passing both inside and outside. By the 28th lap, Eddie Mac powered to second place with his sights on Payea.
Eddie Mac was all over Payea finally taking the lead on a strong outside pass on lap 41. The lead for the remaining 59 laps was never in question to post the win by a comfortable three car length margin.
“The car was really fast and handled great in the turns,” said the winning driver in Victory Lane. “We changed a lot of things in the car leading up to the race hoping it would work out and it did tonight. It had all the speed I needed but it was phenomenal in the turns. It is so much fun to drive a car like this and I have to thank Rollie (LaChance crew chief) and the crew for the great set up and all the hard work. None of this is possible without a lot of support and help.”
“I thank our sponsors starting with Kenny and Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric in Quincy, Mass. who have been with us for many years. Thanks also to Derek Beatrice from Exit Realty in Middleton, Mass., and Annie Mac Home Mortgages. Of course the reason we are able to run the late model and pro stock is due to our longtime K&N owner Rob Grimm and we are forever grateful for everything he has done for us. We are lucky to have the support from so many great people.”
Eddie Mac will next try for a sixth win in the ACT Bond Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the NASCAR Cup weekend in September. Eddie Mac will also pilot the Dave Lemieux owned Pro Stock in the famed Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway on August 27, 28.