photo by RPM 360
By: Dick Casey
If you are lucky enough to be one of forty drivers taking the green flag in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race, you know all your hard work, sacrifice, and determination has paid off. For the third year in a row, Eddie MacDonald has been one of the fortunate forty as the driver of the Go Fas Racing #32 Ford Fusion owned by Old Orchard Beach resident Archie St. Hilaire. Eddie Mac’s participation again in the New Hampshire 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, July 17 is the result of a number of New England businesses pooling resources to sponsor the ride for the Rowley, Mass. veteran racer.
“This is an incredible experience for me to be able to compete on racing’s biggest stage and I am forever grateful for the local businesses that made this possible,” said Eddie Mac. “Archie St. Hilaire has been a long-time friend and does everything he can to get me on the track. He and his son Mason gave me my first Xfinity experience a number of years ago and are responsible for my three years running in the Cup series at Loudon. You could not ask for better people and they make it so much fun.”
For three years local business owners have stepped up with this year’s main sponsor is a household name in New England racing. Bentley Warren is recognized as the greatest Supermodified driver of all time spanning decades racing at tracks all over the East coast. Bentley qualified for the Indy 500 three times as part of his illustrious career and now operates the well-known Bentley’s Saloon in Arundel, Maine, the main sponsor for Eddie Mac and the Go Fas Racing Ford.
“I have watched Bentley race ever since I was a little kid and I am so thankful for his sponsorship this race,” said Eddie Mac. “He has been a friend of my father since they were young men and my father always tells the story of the two of them hauling out to race at Indy and I love to hear it over and over. Bentley is a racing legend and for him to do this for me is fantastic. There are a number of others to thank for their help. “The Rod Father” Les Sanborn helped sponsor the car last year and had the rear quarter panel this year. Les also did an awful lot of work making calls and helping to get additional sponsors to come on board to make all of this possible. Weirs GMC Buick, Mike’s Clam Shack in Wells, Maine, Bangor Truck Equipment, and Fisher all stepped up to help and I appreciate their support.”
“I remember the first race three years ago and how nervous I was. I didn’t know what to expect and just wanted to make sure I stayed out of the way,” laughed Eddie Mac. ‘Everyone on the crew just told me to relax and have fun. Archie reassured me that I would be fine and as the practices went on, then qualifying I became more comfortable. Curtis, my spotter for three years, was a real stable voice in my head and I was able to relax and race. This year, Curtis was again with me and is so calm you can’t help but be calm yourself. You really want to do well when you see how dedicated the crew is and to finish 36th is disappointing.”
“When the race started the car ran well for about fifty laps and I was able to pass a number of cars but the tires went away,” said Eddie Mac. “”When I ran the bottom of the track the car was good but when the leaders came up on me I had to move up to give them the inside lane and the car was real loose up top. The crew worked on it the rest of the race and it was better. I just wished I had a better finish but I ran all the laps and brought the car home in one piece so the crew was happy.”
“Every racer’s dream is to compete in the highest series against the best drivers and I have been given that opportunity by a number of great people to whom I will be forever grateful,” said Eddie Mac. “To stand on that stage being introduced, then riding around the track in front of all the fans is something I will never forget. This has been the chance of a lifetime and is something that will never get old. The best thing is I get to share this experience in front of my parents, family and fans.”