Click on the Logo above
to vote for Eddie as
the Most Popular CWSE Driver!

Semi-Monthly Racing Commentary
with LEW BOYD
7/7/08 - EDDIE MCUNDERDOG

- Stafford Springs, CT - .500 mile oval

- Dover, DE - 1 mile oval

- Loudon, NH - 1.058 mile oval

EDDIE WINS AGAIN!

Passing Steve Park with two to go! Matt Kobyluck is 3rd!

Speed51 Trackside Report HERE   
.
EastSeries.com Trackside Report HERE
.
Speed51 Race Story HERE

Photos by Jamie Williams

EDDIE COMPLETES SWEEP OF HELUVA GOOD SERIES AT NHMS Eddie won the Heluva Good Fall 125 after a one-day rain delay at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on a last lap pass to clinch both races at the “Magic Mile” this season. As in the June race, the NEMO/Grimm sponsored Chevy was the dominant car from the green flag in the NASCAR Camping World Series East event. Eddie started third after qualifying Thursday with a time of 30.190 seconds (126.161 mph) and wasted little time to take the lead on the first lap on the Friday morning start. A planned early pit stop for gas on a lap 18-caution gave up the lead but the Rowley, Mass. driver surged to regain the top spot on lap 38. “This win is huge for us and the reason is the car was so good right away. After our practice session we were ninth fastest but crew chief Rollie LaChance made the right changes and we qualified well,” said a very pleased driver in Victory Lane. “The car was so fast and handled great in the turns, I was able to work my way back through the field.” Eddie easily maintained a three to four car length lead on the #1 car with the #55 closing then eventually taking the lead on lap 77. Slipping back to third, Eddie got his wish on caution lap 91. “I was worried because halfway through, I started getting real tight, then I lost the lead to Leighton. I was hoping Rollie was going to call me in for tires and fuel, When he did, I was worried then because we were a good ways back with not many laps to go. It was a little tight at the end but it really helped us run on the outside. Then it got really good the last ten laps and I could get on the throttle and get a good run down the straight. I was able to pick the cars off one at a time. If we didn’t take tires we were probably a third place car. The tires made all the difference” On lap 97 Eddie ran fifteenth and by lap 113 moved into fifth place. With seven laps to go the #44 hit the wall, the #55 ran out of gas, and the #4 went to the pits leaving Eddie to chase down the #35 of Steve Park for the win. With the white flag waving, Eddie powered by the #35 to take the checkers for the second win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. A jubilant driver said afterwards, “This win is just as good as the first one here in June. The first one was awesome because it was our first here and then to come back and do it again means a whole lot to this team. It has really helped us in the points because we had a couple of bad runs with blown engines. Today, everything worked in our favor. Hopefully we can go to Dover next weekend and do it again.” A smiling Rollie said in Victory Lane, “I was really happy with the car right off the bat. We peaked again to early and I was praying for a caution earlier because I wanted to take tires on. We were just trying to peak again but the tires weren’t the greatest so Eddie had to make up the difference and he did.” Rob Grimm, owner of Grimm Construction Racing team said of the win, “Unbelievable! It really is to win two in a row at Loudon. This is our biggest event and to win it twice is huge. Rollie called the shots taking tires at the right time and Eddie gets up on the wheel and gets the job done. You can’t ask for anything better than to get it on the last lap and the fans got a good show. We have had a couple of tough weeks so we are looking forward to Dover and Stafford. They have been good tracks for us.” New England Mechanical Overlay sponsor Ron Bennett shared his feelings saying, “Huge, huge, absolutely huge, I am very happy for Eddie, his family, and the crew. I don’t even know what to say. I am very happy. To do it on the last lap was incredible. He looked good early then went back a little but he did it.” Eddie summarized the win saying, “ None of this would be possible without Rob Grimm, Ron Bennett, Dirlam Lumber Co., Waymart Building Center, R.B. Fries, my crew, and all the other people who have stepped us to help this team win. This victory is a result of all their support.” The team pocketed $5,000 for winning the Air Gas fund for the driver with the highest point total for both Camping World Series East races at NHMS. Eddie holds the distinction of winning the first-ever race at the renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June and now adds to the honor as the only successive two-time winner on the Magic Mile. The Camping World Happy Camper award also went to Eddie, along with the Featherlite Most Improved Driver award for gaining the most positions from the Mansfield race where he finished 21st. The win at NHMS gave Eddie 190 points, plus ten bonus points to move the team to seventh in the points from eleventh. The NEMO/Grimm Chevy also lead the most laps with sixty of the 125 laps. Eddie, Rollie, and the team won the race with driving and strategy. One New Hampshire paper called the win luck but this win was earned. Eddie started out fast, pitted for fuel on lap 19, pitted twice for fuel and right side tires on lap 91. Eddie had to restart the race in the fifteenth position with only 28 laps to go. Other front-runners chose not to pit for fuel and/or tires and the gamble did not pay off. Even with tires that were not great, Eddie drove inside and outside skillfully to get to the front. The race was won with fantastic driving and excellent pit strategy. The team now moves on to Dover and the series finale at Stafford that have been good tracks with solid finishes. The team will participate in the prestigious Toyota All Star Challenge in Irwindale, California in January.

EDDIE THIRD IN TIME TRIALS with a strong 30.190 @ 126.151 mph Pole for Peyton Sellers with a 30.124, 2nd to Steve Park with a 30.177. Rain on Friday afternoon moves the race to Saturday morning at 10:00 AM. SPEED51 TRACKSIDE REPORT HERE     GREEN-WHITE-CHECKER STORY HERE

Photos by NormMarx.com

LOOSE CAP RUINS EDDIE’S RUN AT MANSFIELD - 21st

Eddie’s race in the NASCAR Camping World Series East at Mansfield Motorsports Park all but ended early when a loose radiator cap forced him to the pits on lap two for repairs. Another pit stop on lap 27 for more water put the Grimm Construction Chevy three laps down leading to a 21st finish.

A frustrated Eddie said after the race, “ It was a terrible way to start the race. Coming in twice to get the car full really cost us because this is a difficult track to make up laps, especially three laps. We were forced to drive around, stay out of trouble, and hope for the lucky dog. We didn’t get one until late in the race so there wasn’t much we could do.”

The first of the lucky dogs did not come until lap 120 in the Mansfield 150 with the second coming six laps later leaving Eddie one lap down. The Rowley, Mass. driver could not get another pass to put him on the lead lap and the finish was disappointing for the team.

“We had the car set up to be there at the end of the race but with us being three laps down it took too long for us to be eligible for the lucky dog. We needed to get back on the lead lap with about thirty to go but that didn’t happen so we just wanted to stay out there to get as many points as we could,” said Eddie before continuing. “All we can do is learn from this and move on. I’m really disappointed for everyone right now. We had a much better car than we showed tonight. Even qualifying 18th was not that bad because we knew we would be there at the end competing for a top five finish, but unfortunately we never got the chance.”

Team owner Rob Grimm was philosophical after the race saying, “This was a tough one tonight but we brought the car home in good shape and we will be ready to defend at Loudon and run well for the rest of the season.”

The Grimm Construction Chevy won the Camping World Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June and would like nothing better than to complete the sweep on September 12th.

Eddie summed up his plans for the rest of the season saying, “I am excited about Loudon and Dover as well as Stafford. We won at Loudon in the June race and we usually run well at Dover so hopefully we can turn things around and get back on track to close out the season with some top five runs. I hope to see all our fans at New Hampshire and give them something to cheer about.”

EDDIE RACES TO 14TH IN A BACKUP CAR

A blown engine, rain on Friday, and rain during the race on Saturday made for a long race event.
During the second practice session on Friday, the engine blew, stranding Eddie out on the course.
The motor had also blown on the road course at Watkins Glen in June, so there were worries that the dry sump oiling system in the car might not be right. So team headed back to the shop to grab the car that raced at Lime Rock in 2007 and bring it back on Saturday morning on an open trailer. Rain wiped out the time trials, so the grid was to be set on points. Eddie would start at the back in 32nd due to the swap to the backup car.

The race was marked by a red flag for rain that lasted 75 minutes, a couple of pit road errors by officials, oildowns, and a variety of pit stop strategies. Eddie worked his way up from back, at one point in the top ten as others pitted first. The final result was a solid run to 14th after quite a thrash.
Follow the race day at EASTSERIES.com HERE

Picking up speed
Eddie MacDonald, a winner in racing's minor leagues,
has his sights on the big time
By David Cogger - Globe Correspondent / August 7, 2008

FULL  STORY HERE

- Beaver Falls, NY - .500 mile oval

LATE RACE CHARGE PUSHES EDDIE TO THIRD AT ADIRONDACK
 

Revised Finish: Dillon Dropped To Last

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR announced that the unofficial results of Saturday’s NASCAR Camping World Series East race at Adirondack International Speedway in Beaver Falls, N.Y. have been revised due to a rules violations discovered during post-race inspection of the third-place car – the No. 3 driven by Austin Dillon. The car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20C-12.3-S (front shock absorbers would not extend to the specified distance within the specified period of time) of the 2008 NASCAR rule book. The violations were discovered during post race inspection on July 26.The infraction dropped Dillon to 25th in the official race finish. All other drivers in the event moved up one position in the official finishing order.

Eddie’s third place run in the Edge Hotel 150 in the NASCAR Camping World Series East race at Adirondack International Speedway successfully capped off a wild night of racing. Rain delays caused havoc with the set up of the Grimm Construction Chevy from the start but crew chief’s Rollie LaChance’s decision to stay out with thirty laps to go made the difference.

After qualifying ninth (16.766 sec., 107.360 mph), Eddie was able to run in that position until rain brought out the red flag on lap 24. When the race resumed one hour later the #71 was not the same.

“The car was really different after the restart. The rain delay changed the track and the handling of the car. It seemed like everyone was having problems and guys were all over the place. It was pretty rough out there for most of the race. I was able to keep it in the top ten for most of the race but the handling was definitely going away towards the end,” Eddie stated after the checkered flag.

Twelve caution flags for 55 of the 150 laps allowed Eddie to stay near the leaders but the handling became the issue as the race neared the closing laps with him saying, “We slid back to around 15th and I radioed to Rollie that I needed to come in to make an adjustment but he said to stay out because there were only 30 laps left. The plan was to just ride around and miss the wrecks. I had my doubts but things worked out well and we were able to finish fourth. I thought we had third place at the line but we were scored fourth.”

The fourth place run gives the team its fourth top five finish of the season and moves the Grimm Construction Chevy into eighth place in the point’s race. After two disappointing finishes in the last two races at Thompson and Nashville, Eddie is pleased the team is back on track.

“This was a good finish for the team. We really needed this. We have had some great runs this season and it is all because of the crew’s hard work. Team owner Rob Grimm and all our sponsors have been super so it is fun to get this finish. Since our win at Loudon things have not gone our way but tonight we finally had some good luck. The car was not the best but we had a good finish for a change. Sometimes you just have luck on your side and tonight is one of those nights. Hopefully this will continue when we race at Lime Rock in a few weeks.”

Eddie’s best finish on the Lime Rock road course is a sixth place finish and the team hopes to improve with a top five run in the Berkshires on August 16.

EDDIE LEADS 120 LAPS, PLACES 8TH in the TD BANKNORTH 250

Go to Trackside NOW at for Monday's live race updates.

Eddie led 120 of the first 132 laps, cashing in $12,000 in lap leader bonus money. Winner Cup star Kevin Harvick dove inside Eddie on lap 132 to take the lead and hold it to the checkers.

After drawing the Pole for Heat 3, Eddie led from green to checkers to earn the 3rd place starting spot on the grid of 42 cars out of 86 competitors present!  Go to the Speed51 Grid Chart for the full layout of the starting grid and how it was built.
 

Chris Roy Photos

EDDIE DOMINATES FIRST HALF OF OXFORD PLAINS 250

With one half of Eddie’s and Rollie’s goal to win at Loudon and Oxford realized, the dynamic duo came within a set of tires of winning the famed TD Bank North 250 in the rain delayed Late Model classic on Monday night, July 21st. Eddie dominated the first 126 laps in a show of power and handling. Eddie and Rollie have achieved great success with this car especially at Oxford in the ACT Tour races this season.

Eddie started the race in the third position after winning his qualifying heat on Sunday before the rains washed out the rest of the program. When the green flag finally waved after an extended rain delay, Eddie made one of his typical outside power moves to take the lead from the pole sitter on lap six and wowed the crowd with the impressive display.

Over the next 120 laps, Eddie fought off several challenges including those made by Cup driver Kevin Harvick, Joey Pole, and Shawn Martin. The #17 was a rocket and could easily open up three to five car length leads after a few laps on each restart. Even nine caution flags in the first half of the race could not slow the veteran Rowley, Mass. driver as he repeatedly fought off any and all challenges. Joey Pole made an inside pass for the lead on lap 52 but Eddie was able to take the lead back two laps later.

“The car was fantastic. It was fast and handled extremely well. I was a little loose getting in the turns but it was great. The bottom was the fast way around but when I got a few car lengths lead I moved up the track to save the tires and it worked great. When the car is this good you can drive it anywhere,” Eddie said after the race.

However, the mandatory five-minute pit stop for all competitors on lap 126 proved to be the undoing for the team’s run for first place and the $25,000 to the winner. After the break, Eddie started on the pole with Harvick on the outside but it became evident very quickly that something was not right with Eddie’s car. Harvick took the lead on lap 129 and Eddie’s car started to fall back.

“During the break we put on two sticker tires and two scuff tires from the qualifier but the stagger was way off and the tires just never came in like we thought they would. We knew they were not like the first set so we tried to adjust them with air pressure but it didn’t work. The car was loose getting in, tight in the center, and loose getting off,” said a very disappointed Eddie.

Eddie battled to the end with Brent Dragon to finish eighth knowing what could have been saying, “If we had those same tires from the first half of the race we definitely would have been in contention for the win.”

Besides winning eighth place money, Eddie also pocketed $12,000 in bonus money for leading 120 laps, each lap worth $100.00. Eddie and Rollie will team up again for Saturday’s, July 26, NASCAR Camping World Series East race at Adirondack, New York in the Grimm/Nemo sponsored Chevy

- Nashville, TN - .596 mile oval

MECHANICAL PROBLEMS END EDDIE’S NIGHT in NASHVILLE

Eddie’s 24th place finish in the Strutmasters.com 150 at the Music City Complex in Nashville ended a night of frustration for the Grimm/Nemo sponsored Chevy that began with mechanical problems with an aircraft. Crew chief Rollie LaChance’s plane developed oil problems prior to take off that left him stranded in Boston unable to make it to Nashville on time for the race.

Without LaChance calling the shots in practice the team struggled to post 17th fastest runs in both practices. Eddie managed to qualify the car in twelfth with a time of 19,772 seconds (108.517 mph). The plan was to just run the car without loosing any positions but more bad luck was on the way.

“We knew the car was not fast so we just wanted to hold our ground and hopefully avoid the wrecks and pick off the cars that we could. Obviously it didn’t happen that way. The crew did a great job getting the car ready, but without Rollie there we knew we were in for a struggle. I was just cruising along when the #03 spun in front of me on lap 21 but I was able to get the car stopped without making contact. The car behind me didn’t stop and plowed me into the #03 causing a lot of damage,” said a very frustrated driver.

After a couple of trips to the pits for repairs, the #71 returned to the track and was able to run in the 19th position until another problem on lap 85 forced the Rowley, Mass. driver to the pits for the final time of the race.

“The fuel pump quit on us and that ended a miserable night. This has to be one of the most frustrating nights we have ever had. Nothing seemed to right from the start. Without Rollie, the car not running well, and getting hit early the whole day was an uphill battle that we lost. Everyone tried their hardest but it didn’t seem like anything was going in the right direction for us. The fuel pump quitting was the final straw but we will regroup for next week’s race at Adirondack next week. We will feel sorry for ourselves tonight but there is no quit in this team. This was a tough night for our team owner Rob Grimm but he’s always there supporting us every race with his positive attitude. We’ve been in situations like this before and bounced back and that’s what we will do this week,” said Eddie after the race.

The team boasts one win this season with three top five finishes so they will be looking to turn things around for next Saturday’s, July 26, Edge Hotel 150 NASCAR Camping World Series East race at Adirondack International Speedway.

- Thompson, CT - 5/8 mile oval

EDDIE FINISHES 15th in FULL FENDER FRENZY at THOMPSON

Eddie fought an ill-handling racecar and a late race flat tire to finish 15th in the Camping World Series East Full Fender Frenzy 100 at Thompson International. After the huge win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Eddie and the team had high hopes for another solid finish but things did not turn out as planned. Eddie had issues with the NEMO/Grimm Construction Chevy from the start of the race saying, “The car was tight in the turns and loose getting off so it was a handful. We made a bunch of changes after practice with springs, shocks, sway bar, pretty much everything, and luckily we ended up qualifying third. That was a good sign since we haven’t qualified too good this year. It was a little too loose but we thought it would get better when the track tightened up during the race. Obviously, that didn’t happen but I want to thank Rollie and the crew for all their hard work There is just no quit in any of these guys” When the green flag waved, Eddie started in the third position and immediately lost three spots when the pole-sitter did not have a good start. By lap 15, the No. 71 was running in seventh place despite the tight condition. The Rowley, Mass. driver was able to maintain that position and after two caution flags on laps 33 and 38 moved into fifth place. However, the handling of the car worsened and Eddie dropped back to eighth on the lap 57 restart. “The car was just washing up in the turns so all I could do was just drive it in deep and hope for it to turn but when I got on the gas the rear tires were breaking loose. I was just trying to hang on for a top ten finish but then the other shoe dropped. It simply wasn’t our day. It is really lousy for everyone because we improved so much from practice to qualify well and felt confident we had a top five car.” While running eighth a caution flag flew on lap 84 and on the next lap Eddie was forced to the pits with a flat tire. “I don’t know if I ran over anything but we decided to come in again after changing the tire to loosen the car up and boy did we. It was way to loose so at that point we just wanted to finish the race and bring the car home in one piece. That was about the only bright spot of the race. I really feel bad for Rob Grimm, NEMO, and the crew. After qualifying third we really thought we had something. But this is racing so we will just go on from here and get ready for Nashville next week.” The 15th place finish drops Eddie one position to seventh in the point’s race. With the win at NHMS, the team is guaranteed a spot in the Toyota All-Star Showdown to be held at Irwindale Speedway in California scheduled in January 2009. Eddie and the crew will perform double duty next weekend. On July 19th they will race in the Camping World Series East event at the Music City Motorplex in Nashville, Tenn., then fly that night to Portland, Maine to race the next day in the famed Oxford 250 at the Oxford Plains Speedway.

Chris Roy & Norm Marx Photos

.:NASCAR HOME TRACKS:.
News & Notes: Kobyluck, MacDonald hitting their stride
at the perfect time -  FULL STORY HERE

- Loudon, NH - 1.058 mile oval

Chris Roy Photo

EDDIE WINS!

"This is just awesome. It hasn't really sunk in yet."

At track reports from:  Travis Barret at Green-White Checker Mike Twist at Speed51  -  Alan Claffe at EastSeries.com

Chris Roy Photo

Chris Roy Photo

Jamie Williams Photos

Eddie Wins Heluva Good! Summer 125 at NHMS

Eddie posted his first ever win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and did so in dramatic fashion with a fantastic green-white-checkered finish in the NASCAR Camping World East Series Heluva Good! Summer 125. The NEMO/Grimm Construction sponsored Chevy battled the #1 car door-to-door swapping the lead several times over five laps until a caution flag on lap 122 forced the overtime. An excited Eddie said of the restart, “The one car kept driving into me before the caution so I just wanted to get away from him on the restart since he was a little erratic in the turns. I knew I had a great car and I was able to pull away for the win.” The win is also the first NASCAR win at the newly renamed New Hampshire Motor Speedway and will be long remembered as one of the most competitive races in the series at the track. Due to Thursday’s washout, Eddie started tenth in the race based on point’s standing. During the morning practice session the #71 tied for ninth fastest with a time of 31.116 seconds (122.406mph) around the “Magic Mile”. “We were fast right from the start so I knew if we just ran our race we would be there at the end,” said Eddie then adding, “We were a little tight in the middle of the turns but the car kept getting better. Rollie (LaChance) did such a great job. It is hard to believe how many hours he puts in while managing a full time job and raising his young kids. I could not be any happier for him and his wife Laura. Our entire team is made up of volunteers so this win is all the sweeter.” When the green flag waved Eddie began his march to the front and by lap 20 he was in third place. On lap 22, he pitted for fuel only, returning to the track in the 13th position then moving through the field and into sixth when another yellow flag flew on lap 35. Four of the leaders pitted and when the green flag waved, Eddie passed the #03 on the lap 41 restart for the lead, holding it for 30 laps. A caution on lap 82 allowed Eddie to pit for right-side tires then marched through the pack from his 21st position narrowly missing a huge back stretch wreck on lap 101. “We usually have fast cars here but something stupid always seems to happen to us so it was nice to miss that one. I had my left side tires in the grass but I was able to hang onto it,” said the Rowley, Mass. driver. “We knew we were in a great position to get the win after that and it sure was a lot of fun” The final laps had the crowd on its feet for the effort as everyone on the team shared the emotion in victory lane. Rollie showed his happiness at winning the “big one” saying, “This isn’t just any race, this is Loudon!” Team owner Rob Grimm said after the race, “This is awesome. Just to be here and get the win is really special but as I have said before it is our people that make it happen. They are incredible. To win Loudon is huge.” New England Mechanical Overlay sponsors Ron and Becky Bennett were equally ecstatic with the win, “This is such a great win. To win here is such an unbelievable feeling. It is really special. You have to be happy for the entire team for all their hard work.” Eddie seemed to put it all in perspective saying in his very off-track laid back demeanor saying, “This is cool.” The NASCAR Camping World East Series will race next at the famed Thompson International Speedway on July 12 where Eddie has a previous victory.

Jamie Williams Photo

Blown Engine Ruins Eddie’s Run at Watkins Glen - 27th

Eddie’s race in the NASCAR Camping World 125 at Watkins Glen International came to an end on lap six with a blown engine. The Grimm Construction Chevy qualified 13th and the veteran driver had hopes for another top five finish this season but it came apart very quickly.

Eddie said after the race, “I don’t know what happened to the engine. It didn’t give any indication that something was wrong. I was just trying to pick it up a little after we started but it just let go. We ran okay in practice and a bit better in qualifying so this was a real surprise. It was a brand new engine with only 30 laps on it so we will bring it to the engine builder to see if we can find out what happened, but the engine is junk after the two rods blew out.”

With the DNF, Eddie slipped from fourth in the points to eleventh. The Grimm Chevy finished third at Greenville-Pickens to open the season, then posted a fourth place finish at South Boston Speedway in the last race. The only blemish in the first three events was a 37th place finish at Iowa Speedway after getting into a wreck on lap 67. MacDonald’s only run at the Glen was a third place finish in 2004, so expectations were high for another solid run.

“ We really improved quite a bit form our first practice (21st on the charts) to our second practice run (12th on the charts) and we were a second and a half faster qualifying (76.305 seconds-115.589 mph) so we knew we had a car to compete. But those things happen and there is nothing you can do about it. Hopefully we can rebound from this and have a great run at Loudon. I just feel terrible for Rob Grimm and all our sponsors. The team really works so hard, it is really disappointing but we will bounce back. It is a long season,” Eddie speculated.

The Grimm Construction crew is already preparing the car to compete in the NASCAR Camping World East Series 125 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway June 26-27.

- South Boston, VA - .400 mile oval

Eddie Posts 4th Place Finish at South Boston Speedway

Eddie scored his second top five finish in three races in NASCAR’s Camping World East Series with a fourth place run in the Strutmasters.com 150 at South Boston Speedway in Virginia. The Rowley, Mass driver was competing in his 100th start in the series.

Eddie said after the race, “We are very happy with our finish especially after getting spun out around lap thirty. The car was pretty good but we were off just a little because it was tight in the center of the turn. Rollie and the crew did a great job working on it in practice and it was better in qualifying.”

When the green flag waved, Eddie was in the 16th spot and was maintaining his position when he was hit from behind causing him to spin out. No caution was thrown so by the time Eddie gathered the Grimm Construction Chevy back up, he was at the tail of the field.

“There was a wreck in front of me and I slowed down but someone got into me. We went to the back and we just decided to take it easy, stay out of the wrecks, and pass cars one at a time when we could. It worked out pretty good and we were able to get a good finish out of it. The tires were used up pretty bad after coming from the rear so we didn’t have much left to challenge the leaders. This place is pretty neat. It’s like a cross between Lee USA Speedway and Thompson International. It was a lot of fun racing here because Rob Grimm gives us great cars and equipment. I also want to thank NEMO, A&B Vending, Waymart Building Center, and all the people who give us so much help and support,” said a very pleased Eddie.

The car was 21st fastest in the first practice session and after making some adjustments, Eddie improved to 17th fastest. After more adjustments, the Grimm Construction Chevy cut nearly a half-second of the first practice time.

Eddie said of the effort, “The car wasn’t great at the beginning but Rollie just kept after it and it got a lot better. Of course, everyone says it could be better, and we could have, but this is what we had and we were able to make it work. We were decent on the outside so I was able to make the passes.”

The team will be busy preparing for the June 8th race at Watkins Glen International. Eddie has a third place finish in his debut at the famed road course and hopes a repeat performance is in the cards.

US Cellular 200
- Newton, Iowa - .875 mile oval

Started 20th of 44 cars - Completed 149 laps for 38th place.

EDDIE FINISHES 38th AT IOWA SPEEDWAY

Eddie’s hopes for a top ten finish in the Camping World US Cellular 200 at Iowa Speedway ended with a wreck on lap 67. The crew was able to get the Grimm Construction Chevrolet back on the track but many laps down.

After disappointing practice sessions, Eddie qualified 20th for the two hundred lap event. The Rowley, Mass. driver said, “The car was a lot better in qualifying than it was earlier this morning in practice. We thought we would be better than this but we had a little learning to do. We’ll see how it goes in the race and hope to stay out of trouble. We have a new car at a track we have never seen before and it is a lot different than what we expected. With the bumps in the tunnel turn we had to change the car around to get over those bumps a little better.”

Even though the team had a successful testing session at Loudon earlier in the week, the new coil-binding set-up presented problems at the fast, high-banked 7/8ths of a mile oval. Crew chief Rollie LaChance said before the race, “We are learning this car. It is a brand new car and the first time we practiced with it was at Loudon. We are playing around with the coil-bind set-up. But it is what we’ve got so we threw a bunch of stuff at it and we learned a lot in practice. Now Eddie can drive it in deep but we have a lot of trouble with the tunnel turn bumps. We just need to stay up front, stay out of trouble a let the front guys come back to us and have a good run.”

Team owner Rob Grimm was pleased with the qualifying effort saying, “We are real happy to be in the show. Rollie and the crew pulled together, made a bunch of changes, and Eddie really drove the car to make all the difference. The best part of this team is our people. We are starting to get good equipment but the people are what make the team.”

The strategy to run easy and take what was given worked when by lap 12 Eddie drove the car into the 15th spot and was able to hold that position until the #81 made the pass on lap 45. Despite slipping back to 18th by lap 52, the Grimm Chevy restarted in tenth place after a lap 55 caution. With a number of the leaders stopping for tires, Rollie knew what would happen next saying, “I knew the guys who stopped early would be kind of roughshod coming back through the pack and unfortunately it was us that got it. We just wanted to let them go. We had a window we wanted to get into to make the changes. We had a good plan and I think we could have finished in the top ten.”

That was not to be the case when on lap 67, the #35 moved under Eddie while the 08 made it three-wide on the back straightaway. Eddie’s #75 made contact with the 08 sending him into the wall. The crew made the needed repairs behind the wall but returned to the track 32 laps down. More repairs were needed relegating Eddie to the 38th position.

Eddie said after the race, “We were pretty happy with the car. We just didn’t get to run it as much as we wanted. We were hoping to come in to make our adjustments. I thought we would be really good but we never had the chance. That was the most unfortunate part. The crew really worked hard all weekend and Rob is giving us what we need so we will continue to get better every race.”

Even though the race did not pan out as planned, Rob was optimistic saying, “ We looked good early. The crew did a fantastic job getting us back out there after the wreck. Everybody pitched in, got it back out there and we finished. We gained a few positions that will be important for the points at the end of the year.

The crew will next be preparing for the NASCAR Camping World Series Strutmasters.com 150 at the South Boston Speedway on May 31.

Eddie came from 17th to 4th & had a lengthy battle with Brent Dragon for 3rd during a long green run.

With a 2nd and a 4th, Eddie should be near the top of the ACT points standings.

Photos by Chris Roy

ACT Race 1 - Sun., April 20th - The NH Governor's Cup 100 - 2nd

Chris Michaud, 3rd; Winner Joey Pole, and Eddie, 2nd

“Outlaw” Eddie MacDonald Takes Second in the Governor’s Cup 100 at Lee USA Speedway After a solid finish in the Camping World Series opener at Geenville-Pickens Speedway Saturday night, Eddie headed to his home track at Lee USA Speedway to participate in the Governor’s Cup 100 in the ACT Tour series opener Sunday afternoon to finish second. Before a huge opening day crowd, starting positions for heats, consi, and a B-main determined the thirty starting positions of the 51 ACT cars in attendance, while using a plus-minus points system. Eddie started eighth and finished fourth in his heat with a tremendous three-wide outside run. By virtue of his plus 4 rating, Eddie started fifth in the feature. Eddie was able to use the outside groove again as he battled to maintain his position. Eddie decided to take it easy to save his tires for the end. A restart on lap 66 hurts Eddie’s chances when lapped cars were allowed to restart in front instead of sending them to the rear. This really set up a battle to get to the front to challenge Joey “Pole”. After getting through the lapped traffic, Eddie had to deal with Scott Payea, Randy Porter, and Chris Michaud so he could get after the leader. After moving into second place on lap 82, Eddie set his sights on the leader but just ran out of laps. “I probably waited to long to get going but that restart really hurt. I was closing in on Joey and I think if I had a few more laps I could of got him. Really though, we are happy with the second place run and we will give it another try next week at Oxford Plains,” said Eddie after the race. Eddie and the team posted their first win at the famed Oxford oval last year and would like nothing better than to return to victory lane.

Photos by NormMarx.com

Race Report:  Eddie started 28th on an owner provisional and
fought his way thru the pack to a 5th Place Finish!

The Race - American Revolution 150 Presented By Kevin Whitaker Chevrolet
The Place - Greenville-Pickens Speedway, Greenville, S.C.
The Date - April 19   The Time - 8 p.m. ET    TV Schedule - SPEED (delayed)
Track Layout - .500-mile paved    Race Purse - $129,650 2006 
 

MACDONALD FINISHES FIFTH AT GREEVILLE-PICKENS SPEEDWAY

Eddie came from the back of the pack to score a solid fifth place finish in the An American Revolution 150 at the famed half-mile track. Starting 28th in the 30-car field, Eddie stayed out of trouble to move the Grimm Construction Chevrolet to a very respectable top five finish in the Camping World East Series opener.

“We were just terrible in practice. The car was just sliding all over the place. The crew went to work and changed a number of things for qualifying. Usually Rollie dials it in but this time it just didn’t work out,” said the frustrated driver after his run.

After running 26th in practice the Grimm Chevy did pick up three tenths of a second but fell short of qualifying for the race. The team made it to the feature on an owner’s provisional, starting near the tail.

“Because it was an impound race, we did not have a chance to adjust anything on the car. All we could do was to get out there, steer clear of any crashes and move up when we had the chance. I knew if we could miss the wrecks that usually happen in the back, then I could start picking them off one at a time and that’s what happened,” said Eddie of the only strategy available to the team.

As the race progressed MacDonald was able to move through the field saying, “It seemed like a lot of cars were loosing the grip but our car stayed the same. We really didn’t loose anything until the end. This is the same car we brought here two years ago and we had the same set –up in it so we knew, or hoped we knew, that it would be good in the late stages of the race. Rollie just has that knack of doing it right so we are there at the end.”

By the lap 128 restart, Eddie was running solidly in the fifth spot but knew he had nothing left for the leaders saying, “The car started getting loose at the end. I knew we had a solid fifth place finish but not enough to challenge for the lead. We are very happy for our top five run and hope to get even better at our next race in Iowa. I want to thank my sponsor Rob Grimm, my team, and all the other people for giving us the opportunity to run the full schedule. We feel this will be the first of a number of top five’s.”

www.GrimmRacing.com

The NASCAR Camping World Series East  opens its 22nd season Saturday, April 19 at historic Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C.  An exciting and unpredictably competitive season is forecast for the 13-event schedule, which takes the series to a dozen tracks in nine states.

The departure of 2007 series champion Joey Logano to the NASCAR Nationwide Series assures a first-time series champion in 2008. An outstanding rookie class is assembling. Determined veterans, meanwhile, are primed for a run at the championship. Other variables to monitor are new driver/team combinations and the performances of four NASCAR national series teams fielding efforts for seven drivers.

The championship race is wide-open.   FULL STORY AT NASCAR HOME TRACKS HERE

www.GrimmRacing.com

After months of preparation, MacDonald Motorsports and Robert Grimm Racing, LLC are excited to announce their plans for 2008 season in the NASCAR Camping World Series.

MacDonald Motorsports with Eddie MacDonald and Rollie Lachance will be combining forces with Robert Grimm Racing (RGR) for the 2008 Camping World Series season. They will be fielding the #71 Chevy Monte Carlos of Robert Grimm Racing (RGR) full time under the East Series banner. MacDonald as driver, Lachance as crew chief and Grimm as car owner.

MacDonald's success in 2007 includes his season debut at Stafford Motor Speedway in Victory Lane and the top 5 finish at the 2007 All-Star Showdown in Irwindale, CA. MacDonald Motorsports will be parking their #48 for the #71 full time ride with RGR.

"I had a good season in 2007 running part time in the #48 and part time in the #71 for Rob (Grimm) but this opportunity to run full time for Rob and still with Rollie as my crew chief was too good to pass up", stated MacDonald.

"Rob has been busy the past few months getting us really good competitive equipment for the'08 season. Combining teams is something that Eddie and I are really looking forward to", continued Lachance.

Lachance has been MacDonald's crew chief for the past three years in the NASCAR Camping World Series (formally the Busch East Series) and together they have two wins during that time.

Robert Grimm Racing entered the NASCAR Camping World Series arena in 2007 having MacDonald driving select races in his #71 Grimm Construction Chevrolet. His best finish in the #71 was 5th at Adirondack Speedway.

"Last year I was learning about this series and with the help of Eddie and Rollie, I decided I wanted to do it full time in 2008. Those guys (Rollie and Eddie) have proven they can get it done with a limited budget. I'm looking to make it easier for them to get it done more often with more equipment at their disposal", reports Grimm.

"I'm looking forward to becoming a full time car owner in 2008. We are concentrating hard on preparing for the upcoming season with competitive equipment, personnel and sponsorship inquiries", continued Grimm.

The '08 season will begin on April 19 at Greenville-Pickens and with that Robert Grimm Racing's goal will be to show up at each event with a car capable of running in the top 5. RGR realizes that the NASCAR Camping World Series has many top notch teams and hopes to become one of them.

For more information on sponsorship opportunities with R.G.R. contact Robert Grimm, Owner, at 570-488-9700.

The NASCAR Camping World Series calendar will run on 23 tracks in 16 states, including a return trip to Iowa Speedway for a combination race between the East and West on the 7/8-mile tri-oval in Newton, Iowa. Last year’s event drew almost 25,000 fans that witnessed an epic battle in which 17-year-old Joey Logano, the eventual 2007 East champion, outdueled 2007 Daytona 500 winner Kevin Harvick to claim the victory.

Five NASCAR Camping World Series events will run in conjunction with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race weekends in 2008. Additional companion events are scheduled with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the Grand-Am Rolex Series.

“We’ve built upon the momentum of a very strong 2007 season by bolstering the calendar for 2008 with several exciting new race tracks on both sides of the Mississippi,” said NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Operations, George Silbermann. “With the support of Camping World, our new series sponsor, along with a great group of race promoters, some outstanding competitors, and a comprehensive national television package airing on Speed and HDNet, we are looking forward to a terrific 2008 season.”

The schedules for the NASCAR Camping World Series East and West will each include 13 races.

The East will take the green flag for the first race April 19 at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C.

The East season will conclude Sept. 28 at Stafford (Conn.) Motor Speedway.

Other key dates:

- The 2008 NASCAR Camping World Series schedule includes races on four road courses. The East will run at Lime Rock Park in Connecticut, in addition to the first trip to Watkins Glen International since 2004. The event at The Glen will run in conjunction with the Grand-Am Rolex Series.

- The East includes return trips to a number of historic southern tracks: Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina — where the series will open the season for the third year in a row — Virginia’s South Boston Speedway and the Music City Motorplex at the fairgrounds in Nashville, Tenn. The East will also maintain its northern roots by racing at Thompson International Speedway and the season finale at Stafford, both in Connecticut, as well as returning to Adirondack International Speedway in Beaver Falls, N.Y.

- Conjunction events with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series include two weekends at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (June 27 and Sept. 12) and Sept. 19 at Dover International Speedway for the East.

- The East events at Mansfield Motorsports Park Aug. 23 and Stafford Sept. 28 will be run in conjunction with the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.

The broadcast schedule for the 2008 NASCAR Camping World Series aired on HD Net and Speed will be announced in the near future.

2008 Camping World East Series Schedule

April 19, Greenville-Pickens Speedway (Greenville, S.C.)
May 18, Iowa Speedway (Newton, Iowa)
May 31, South Boston Speedway (South Boston, Va.)
June 8, Watkins Glen (Watkins Glen, N.Y.)
June 27, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, N.H.)
July 12, Thompson International Speedway (Thompson, Conn.)
July 19, Music City Motorplex (Nashville, Tenn.)
July 26, Adirondack International Speedway (Beaver Falls, N.Y.)
Aug. 16, Lime Rock Park (Lakeville, Conn.)
Aug. 23, Mansfield Motorsports Park (Mansfield, Ohio)
Sept. 12, New Hampshire Motor Speedway (Loudon, N.H.)
Sept. 19, Dover International Speedway (Dover, Del.)
Sept. 28, Stafford Motor Speedway (Stafford Springs, Conn.)

Full Schedule Page Here

Busch East Series Win - Stafford Speedway - June 8, 2007 - Here

>> Previous Race Results HERE <<