(Press Release from American-Canadian Tour)
Eddie MacDonald celebrates victory in American-Canadian Tour action Sunday at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Me. (Photo: John A. Miller Photography)
OXFORD, ME. – Rowley, MA’s Eddie MacDonald held off Williamstown, VT’s Jimmy Hebert in the closing laps to take the Summer Showdown Series opener at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, May 20. The win made MacDonald $5,000 richer and also makes him eligible for an additional $5,000 bonus should he go on sweep the 3-race series.
MacDonald seemed to have the race in hand after taking the lead from Barre, VT’s Nick Sweet using a 3-wide move in lapped traffic just past the halfway point of the 150-lap event. But a pair of lap-132 cautions allowed both Sweet and Hebert to close back in.
Hebert got underneath Sweet for second with just over 10 laps to go and had MacDonald in his sights. But Hebert slipped just a little bit in turn 1 with five laps remaining, allowing “The Outlaw” to scoot away just enough for the win.
Sweet ran away with the lead in the early going and looked strong in his own bid to capture the $5,000 top prize. But racing was tight throughout the 30-car field, creating huge packs putting up spirited fights for position. Those packs enabled MacDonald to close back to Sweet’s bumper on multiple occasions.
Sweet was able to get away from MacDonald the first two times they had cleared traffic. When Sweet went to the outside of Matt White on the backstretch on lap 77, MacDonald made his move. He dove to the inside of White and made it 3-deep entering turn 3, emerging with the lead at the line.
Despite a return bid from Sweet several laps later, MacDonald began pulling away until Christopher Pelkey spun in turn 2 to bring out the first caution on lap 132. Defending ACT Champion Scott Payea went for his own turn-2 spin on the restart, bringing out the yellow again and setting up the final sprint to the checkered flag.
Hebert ended up second with Sweet third. Corey Mason took fourth. Payea recovered from his spin to finish fifth, the final car on the lead lap. Bobby Therrien, Miles Chipman, Mike Ziter, Rich Dubeau, and Chip Grenier rounded out the top-10.
The American-Canadian Tour will next be in action at Groveton, NH’s Speedway 51 on Saturday, June 2 for the Caron Fabrication 151. Post time is 6:00pm.
OXFORD 150 – SUMMER SHOWDOWN SERIES EVENT #1
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos Start Pos Driver Car # Hometown
1. ( 2 ) Eddie MacDonald ( 17MA ) , Rowley, MA
2. ( 4 ) Jimmy Hebert ( 58VT ) , Williamstown, VT
3. ( 1 ) Nicholas Sweet ( 88VT ) , Barre, VT
4. ( 8 ) Corey Mason ( 1NH ) , Groveton, NH
5. ( 10 ) Scott Payea ( 37VT ) , Colchester, VT
6. ( 17 ) Bobby Therrien ( 5VT ) , Hinesburg, VT
7. ( 12 ) Miles Chipman ( 0NH ) , Nottingham, NH
8. ( 9 ) Mike Ziter ( 54VT ) , Barre, VT
9. ( 5 ) Rich Dubeau ( 30NH ) , Lebanon, NH
10. ( 15 ) Chip Grenier ( 9VT ) , Graniteville, VT
11. ( 6 ) Rowland Robinson Jr. ( 28ME ) , Steuben, ME
12. ( 3 ) Ryan Kuhn ( 72MA ) , East Bridgewater, MA
13. ( 14 ) #Evan Hallstrom ( 1VT ) , Northfield, VT
14. ( 16 ) Quinten Welch ( 78NH ) , Groveton, NH
15. ( 7 ) Ryan Olsen ( 61NH ) , Woodsville, NH
16. ( 18 ) Brian Tagg ( 9MA ) , Oxford, MA
17. ( 24 ) Bryan Mason ( 10NH ) , Stark, NH
18. ( 13 ) Joey Laquerre ( 15VT ) , E. Montpelier, VT
19. ( 26 ) Adam Gray ( 97MA ) , Granby, MA
20. ( 11 ) Claude Leclerc ( 11QC ) , Lanoraie, QC
21. ( 21 ) Matt White ( 42VT ) , Northfield, VT
22. ( 19 ) Jean-Francois Dery ( 21QC ) , Quebec, QC
23. ( 28 ) #Dylan Payea ( 7NH ) , Milton, VT
24. ( 22 ) Mike Kension ( 3NH ) , Lancaster, NH
25. ( 20 ) #Christopher Pelkey ( 41VT ) , South Barre, VT
26. ( 25 ) James Linardy ( 77MA ) , Somerville, MA
27. ( 23 ) Matt Anderson ( 49NH ) , Franklin, NH
28. ( 27 ) #T.J. Moreshead ( 00MA ) , Seekonk, MA
29. ( 30 ) #Reilly Lanphear ( 21VT ) , Duxbury, VT
30. ( 29 ) #Peyton Lanphear ( 22VT ) , Duxbury, VT
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