photo by Rich Hayes
By: Dick Casey
Eddie MacDonald piloted the EXIT Realty/Hancock Electric Late Model Chevy to a third place finish in the DAV Fall Classic at Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, then raced to a determined seventh place run in the EXIT Realty/Grimm Construction Pro Stock Chevy in the final feature of the night. The team then headed to Eddie Mac’s family track, Lee USA Speedway for Sunday’s Pro Stock feature in the annual Oktoberfest to close out the racing season at the Lee, N.H. facility.
With the team unable to participate in the Friday practice session at Seekonk due to scheduling conflicts, the crew arrived Saturday morning prepping both the late model and the pro stock for the morning practice. Eddie Mac started third in the first of three pro stock 12 lap heats to score a third place finish placing him in the seventh slot in the feature. Eddie Mac drew the fourth slot in the third late model 12 lap heat then spent the rest of the time stuck on the outside with the preferred lane on the bottom to finish fifth. The Freddie Peterson owned Chevy would start 13th in the 50 lap feature.
When the green flag waved for the late model feature, Eddie Mac stayed in line in the early laps to let things materialize on the tricky one third of a mile oval known as “The Cement Palace.” Just driving in the bottom lane, Eddie Mac rode in the 9th position by lap 15 and into seventh by the caution on lap 22. With 15 laps to go, the #17 Ma was fifth and closing ground on the leaders and finally took the third spot but was unable to chase down the leader to score the third place run.
“The car was really good early on but I used up the tires trying to get to the front,” said Eddie Mac. “We needed a caution to bunch the field up and I think if we had a few more laps I could have moved into second place. We started too far back as a result of getting hung out in the heat to have a great chance for the win but we are happy with this finish. It was great to have Kenny and Scott Thompson from Hancock Electric with us today. You could not ask for better people and we are forever grateful for all the years of support.
The 150 lap Pro Stock feature was a different story all together as severe tire issues plagued the Dave Lemieux Chevy, yet the Rowley, Mass. veteran was able to score a seventh place finish despite numerous trips to the pits for tires. Eddie Mac battled a tight condition from the start but rode in the fifth position by the 35th lap. The long green flag run allowed the leaders to lap the field to the 6th car finally putting Eddie Mac down a lap on the 97th circuit. The tire issues forced Eddie Mac to the pits on the lap 111 caution to replace the shredded right rear to return to the track in the 9th spot and into sixth by the lap 113 caution.
More tire issues pushed the #17 Ma Chevy to 11th then brought out the caution on lap 126 when a flat left tire sent him spinning down the front straightaway. With 20 laps to Eddie Mac was eighth but headed to the pits on a lap 135 caution for more adjustments. Still more adjustments were made on lap 138 caution and then a return to the pits on caution lap 144 with a right front flat. Finally, with five to go Eddie Mac drove from P.10 to the 7th place finish.
“It was a very weird race from the start, “said Eddie Mac. “The car was tight in the turns right from the green flag and once I got lapped we decided to come in for an adjustment. The car didn’t get any better than we started then the tires started coming apart. The crew did an awesome job getting me in and out of the pits and it was a tough seventh place finish. We missed all of Friday’s practice and that definitely hurt us but we brought the car home in one piece and it wasn’t until after the race we decided to go to Lee on Sunday.”
On Sunday morning the crew waited out the early morning showers to ready the pro stock for the 50 lap Lee feature at the family owned facility. Eddie Mac started 13th and made his way to the 4th position by lap 28 but that was as close to the lead as he would get as the car became extremely loose. Eddie Mac was able to hang on to finish fourth to cap off the action packed weekend.
“Rollie and I can’t thank everyone enough for everything this weekend. Our crew is fantastic and works tirelessly every race. Everyone was beat this morning but there is no quit in this team. Car owners Freddie Peterson, Dave Lemieux, Brian Neal are incredible along with our sponsors Hancock Electric, EXIT Realty, Annie Mac and Grimm racing allows us to do this. But my heroes are all the people we have as part of this team that give unselfishly. I hope I don’t forget anyone but thanks to: Kelyn, Laura, Jolene, Rob, Ryan, Brian, Tom, JT, Joe, Craig, Hoppy, Dick, and Jimmy. Thanks for all the support from our fans.
Eddie Mac and the team will do it all again this weekend as part of the Thompson World Series of Racing at Thompson Motor Sports Park on Friday and Saturday. Both the late model and the pro stock will be in action.