By Dick Casey
Eddie MacDonald crossed another item off his racing “bucket list” winning the Governor’s Cup 150 at his home track in ACT’s 23rd season on Sunday. Driving the Freddie Peterson owned Late Model, Eddie Mac started on the pole, then faded back to preserve tires , and then taking the lead with five laps to go on the three‐eighths mile oval owned by his parents, Judy and Red MacDonald. The win was the first in nine ACT attempts at Lee for the Rowley, Mass. Veteran.
“This win is just incredible,” said Eddie Mac in Victory Lane. “We wanted this one for a long time. We have had fast cars in the past but have been unable to get the win. I am so happy and thankful for Sheila and Freddie Peterson for all their support. I know this win means a lot to them and I am glad we could get it for them. Rollie (LaChance) and I have been lucky enough to win some big races including Loudon, the Oxford 250, and Bristol recently but this one has eluded us so now I can cross this off the bucket list. Of course, winning at Lee in front of my mother and father, family, and all our friends and fans is really something special.”
The Grimm Construction/Hancock Electric Motor Service Chevy started the 150 event on the pole thanks to a +5 rating after starting sixth in the second of four heat races and winning the 12 lap race. With a relatively green track due to morning rains and the introduction this year of American Racer tires, Eddie Mac drifted back to a comfortable position quickly saying, “The track was tricky after all the rain and we didn’t know a lot about the new tires so I decided to fall back a little to save the tires for the end. I got a little concerned that I waited too long when the leaders opened up a pretty good lead, so when Rollie said on the radio with about 50 laps to go it was “decision time”, I started to make my move. I was able to get to second with about ten to go but I didn’t know if I could catch (Ray) Parent. There was a lot of lapped traffic and that allowed me to catch him.”
The #17 Ma. ran in the fifth to ninth position for most of the first hundred laps before Eddie Mac began his charge through the field. On lap 100, Eddie Mac was a distant fifth but was able to take advantage of the leaders bunching up as they navigated through a lot of lapped cars. By lap 128, the veteran driver was on Joey Polewarczyk’s bumper challenging for second place. On lap 136, Eddie Mac took second trailing Parent by six car lengths and on his bumper on lap 143 after negotiating lapped cars. With five to go both #17’s raced side by side when Parent drove it in too hard in the second turn and spun his car on the backstretch to bring out the final caution. With four laps to go, Eddie Mac pulled away from second place finisher Joey Pole to take the checkered flag for the impressive victory.
“I thank the crew for giving me a great car and Rollie for the set-up,” said Eddie Mac. “The car was a lot of fun to drive and it is always a lot of fun to race with the ACT guys when our K&N schedule allows. We hope to race a number of ACT events this year and look forward to driving for Freddie again. I also want to thank Kenny Thompson and his son Scott from Hancock Electric for their support through the years and for all our fans that were here today.’
The team plans to compete in the ACT race at Devil’s Bowl on May 4 and will race in the K&N Pro Series East race at Richmond International Raceway on Friday, April 25.