Eddie MacDonald celebrates victory in Saturday’s Granite State Pro Stock Series event at the inaugural New England Short Track Showdown at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Dreams of competing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway not only became reality for MacDonald, but a reality so successful that these days the Rowley, Mass. driver is considered one of the best ever to grace the 1.058-mile speedway.
Saturday the 36-year old MacDonald continued to cement his amazing legacy of success at the facility.
MacDonald was victorious in Saturday’s 50-lap Granite State Pro Stock Series feature at the New England Short Track Showdown at NHMS.
It was MacDonald’s tenth career victory at NHMS in four different divisions. MacDonald is the only driver to win in four different divisions at the track.
“It’s incredible,” MacDonald said. “I remember coming home here as a kid parking cars in my father’s parking lot next door and I just always wanted to race here. To be able to win and win in more than one series and have it be four series’, that’s awesome.”
D.J. Shaw of Center Harbor, N.H. was second. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour regular Matt Swanson of Acton, Mass. was third in his series debut. It was the first Granite State Pro Stock Series event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
MacDonald joined Ted Christopher and Mike Stefanik in a tie at the top of the track’s all-time wins list. Before Saturday MacDonald had three K&N Pro Series East wins, five American-Canadian Tour victories and one Pro All Stars Series win at NHMS. Christopher has five Whelen Modified Tour victories and five K&N Pro Series East wins at the track. Stefanik had eight Whelen Modified Tour wins and two K&N Pro Series East victories.
“I’ve just got to thank my guys. [Crew chief Rollie LaChance] gives me a good setup and it’s so much fun to drive these cars when the car is handling,” MacDonald said. “We missed the practice yesterday and these guys had to work twice as hard to make up for that. I’ve got to thank them for that.”
The race was marred by a host of multi-car wrecks leaving 13 of the 26 cars that started on the track at the conclusion, with 10 cars on the lead lap.
MacDonald was fading just before the halfway competition caution.
“Early on, as the end of that first half, we were really hanging on,” MacDonald said. “We blistered a right rear tire. It was good to have that break. It came at the right time for us before we fell too far back. It was awesome to be able to get that sorted out and go on get another win here. It’s just awesome.”
Swanson was racing as a teammate to Shaw.
“We had speed in this Dale Shaw racecar,” Swanson said. “I can’t thank the guys enough. Dale Shaw and DJ [Shaw] have worked with us a lot. Their whole team, I can’t thank them enough. … And [sponsor] Starrett Tools, I can’t thank them enough for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. It really is a dream come true. I never thought I’d be on the podium at Loudon this early. Hopefully this means something good is coming in a couple weeks with the [Whelen Modified Tour].
“We definitely got up there to mix around with them in the beginning and before the break. We never lost speed. We gained speed on older tires. I think if we had a longer run at the end, longer than 20 laps, we would have had something for him. But not too bad. … I definitely wasn’t expecting this.”
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