MacDonald edges Hopkins in Pro All Stars Series thriller at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Loudon, NH – Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, Massachusetts just barely held off hard-charging Mike Hopkins to claim victory in the 50-lap Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model main event, highlighting the racing card at the third annual New England Short Track Showdown at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon on Sunday.
For MacDonald it was win number 11 at the Magic Mile, including scores in both PASS Super Late Model races ever contested at the 1.058-mile oval. He beat Hopkins to the line by maybe a foot, or .026-seconds according to electronic scoring, aboard his Hancock Electric-Grimm Construction 17.
Hermon, Maine driver Hopkins, a winner at the ¾-mile Richmond Raceway in Virginia to open up the 2019 Pro All Stars Series season, solidified his position atop the Pro All Stars Series National Championship standings with his runner-up finish.
Derek Griffith of Hudson, New Hampshire, the defending PASS Super Late Model National Championship Series kingpin, swapped positions in front of the pack with both MacDonald and Hopkins before settling for a third-place finish, following up his win in the previous week’s race at Speedway 95 and injecting the LCM Motorsports operation right back into the PASS North SLM title chase.
Pictou, Nova Scotia teenager Austin MacDonald posted an impressive fourth-place finish in his New Hampshire Motor Speedway debut. Five-time PASS National Champ Ben Rowe of Turner, Maine rebounded with a top-five finish after nearly slapping the wall during qualifying. Young Ryan Kuhn of East Bridgewater, Massachusetts just missed out on a top-five finish. Alan Tardiff, DJ Shaw, Reid Lanpher and Johnny Clark rounded out the top ten.
The Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models next see action on Sunday, June 30 at Oxford Plains Speedway for The Open, a 100-lap race offering guaranteed starting positions in the rich Oxford 250 in August. PASS Mods will also compete, For more information visit proallstarsseries.com, oxfordplains.com or call (207) 539-8865. Oxford Plains Speedway is located at 877 Main Street (State Route 26) in Oxford, Maine.
Super Late Model (50 laps) 1 17 Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, MA; 2 15 Mike Hopkins, Hermon, ME; 3 12 Derek Griffith, Hudson, NH; 4 13 Austin MacDonald, Pictou, NS, Canada; 5 4 Ben Rowe, Turner, ME; 6 72 Ryan Kuhn, East Bridgewater, MA; 7 9 Alan Tardiff, Lyman, ME; 8 60 DJ Shaw, Center Conway, NH; 9 59 Reid Lanpher, Manchester, ME; 10 54 Johnny Clark, Farmingdale, ME; 11 24 Mike Rowe, Turner, Me; 12 5 Dillon Moltz, Waterford, CT; 13 16 Brandon Barker, Windham, ME; 14 7 Cory Casagrande, Stafford Springs, CT; 15 40 Nick Sweet, Barre, VT; 16 15 Jake Johnson, Rehoboth, MA; 17 19 Bryan Kruczek, Newmarket, NH; 18 5 Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg, VT; 19 43 Devin O’Connell, Madison, CT; 20 47 Gabe Brown, Center Conway, NH; 21 7 Travis Benjamin, Belfast, ME; 22 1 Evan Hallstrom, Northfield, VT; 23 18 Mike Scorzelli, Fuera Bush, NY; 24 07 Bill Penfold, Oxford, ME; 25 94 Garrett Hall, Scarborough, ME; 26 93 Ray Christian III, Uncasville, CT; 27 18 Jon Lowinski-Loh, Thompson, CT; 28 39 Nick Lascoula, Abington, MA; 29 35 Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, MA.