Photo by Leif Tillotson
By: Dick Casey
Eddie MacDonald returned to Seekonk Speedway on Wednesday, July 19 after a one week rain delay to score a fourth place finish in the $10,000 to win U.S. Pro Stock/SLM National Championship. The Rowley, Mass. driver had the taste of a win only to be denied when the right front tire began to lose pressure with 25 laps to go in the 200 lap feature.
“We were so close to winning the race and I could really feel we had a great chance,” said the frustrated driver after the race. “We battled for the top spot in the first half of the race and through the second 100 laps. The car was really fast and it handled great. It was exciting and knew we had a shot at the win but with about 25 laps the handling started to go away. I thought I had a flat and it got worse as the laps ran down and I was really loose. I was running second but there was no way I could get to the front. I almost got spun out from behind with 20 to go and all I could do was to just hang on and hope the tire stayed up until the checkers.”
Once in tech after the race, the crew of the EXIT Realty/Grimm Construction Chevy found the PSI in the right front to be 18, far below the tire pressure needed. The #17 Chevy owned by Dave Lemieux (Lemieux Builders) with strong support from Brian Neal (Neal Excavating) demonstrated from the beginning of practice it was one of the top competitors. After posting solid practice times, Eddie Mac time trialed in the eighth position to start third in the second of three heats and easily scored the win to gain the outside pole position in the 21 car field.
When the green flag waved to start the first of two one hundred laps segments, pole sitter Joey Pole and Eddie Mac dominated the first round finishing 1-2. After a 20 minute break the cars returned to the track with Eddie Mac starting in the fourth spot on the grid as a result of inverting the top five finishers from segment one.
Eddie Mac moved into third after 15 laps (115) and into second place on lap 139. Lapped traffic slowed the action as Eddie Mac tried to negotiate by the lappers and catch the #59. Cautions on lap 169 and lap 176 put Eddie Mac in the unfavorable outside position then had to fight for the bottom groove with Joey Pole. The deflating tire made it impossible for Eddie Mac to maintain second place and slid to third. By lap 184 it was clear Eddie Mac would be lucky to make it to the end but the cagey veteran did just that. With Pole fading, Eddie Mac was drilled sideways by eventual winner Derek Griffith and that forced Eddie Mac to make a super save and into fourth place where he would take the checkered flag.
“It was an incredible race and we were so close it is very frustrating to not win as good as the car was all night,” said Eddie Mac. “It is a lot of fun to drive a car that good and I have to thank Rollie (LaChance) and the crew for giving me the chance to win. Dave (Lemieux) and Brian (Neal) do everything possible to give us the best car possible. Paul Rinaldi builds great motors and it showed tonight. Our racing is possible because of the support of our K&N owner Rob Grimm, Derek Beatrice from EXIT Realty, and Annie Mac Home Mortgage. It was an extremely hot day and everyone is worn out especially the crew and it would have been nice to win. We had a shot at the $10,000 but about seven pounds of air cost us. All in all, it was a great day that fell a little short. Thanks again to everyone involved. I want to recognize a friend and long-time member of our racing family, Donnie Higinbotham who is seriously ill and in Hospice. Our thoughts are with Donnie and his family. Donnie is truly a wonderful guy and is loved by all of us. He will be missed.”