Eddie MacDonald Takes Inaugural ACT Invitational Checkers
Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, MA won the Inaugural ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. MacDonald came from the 19th starting position and took the lead on lap 36 from young Brandon Watson from Stayner, ON. Watson hung with MacDonald, not more than a car length away and eventually took the lead again on the lap 41 restart. MacDonald would eventually take the lead again for good.
“It was awesome to win the first ACT race here. I’m sure there will be more but winning the first one is special. There were still a lot of fans in the grandstands from after the truck race,” said MacDonald who scored his second win of the weekend after taking the East Series race at NHMS on Friday.
After MacDonald took the lead for the last time the battle of the race became for second. Nick Sweet of Barre, VT and Joey Laquerre from Montpelier, VT caught Watson for second. The three ran under a blanket for the final 7 laps with Sweet getting the advantage and Watson fell back to third after Laquerre momentarily lost the handle. Watson then had to hold off Patrick Laperle from St-Denis, QC for third at the line by a bumper. Laperle had to settle for fourth followed by John Donahue of Graniteville, VT taking fifth. Laquerre held on for sixth followed by Brad Leighton, Brian Hoar, Bruce Thomas, and Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. came home tenth.
Joey Doiron of Berwick, ME got the initial jump on lap one and led by three car lengths over pole sitter Bruce Thomas of Groton, CT by the time they were in turn 2. Doiron then pulled out to a comfortable lead for the first 20 laps before the handling on his car appeared to fade. Thomas was right there to take over followed closely by Ontario’s Brandon Watson. Watson and Thomas battled through lap traffic as the field remained under green for the first 31 laps. That ended when Eric Chase spun in turn two. Watson took the lead on the restart until MacDonald took over the lead after coming from his 19th starting position.
The Inaugural ACT Invitational at New Hampshire was completed in 38 minutes and 32 seconds with only 2 cautions. The lead was swapped five times among four drivers.
The Série ACT Castrol drivers will be back in action tomorrow at St-Eustache Speedway in St-Eustache, QC for a 300 lap to cap off their season. The American Canadian Late Model Tour will finish off their season at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, October 11. Next Sunday, September 27 most of these drivers will show up for the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl at Thunder Road International Speedbowl.
Inaugural ACT Invitational
New Hampshire Motor Speedway
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Pos Car # Driver Hometown
1 17MA Eddie MacDonald Rowley, MA
2 88VT Nick Sweet Barre, VT
3 9ON Brandon Watson Stayner, ON
4 91QC Patrick Laperle St-Denis, QC
5 26VT John Donahue Graniteville, VT
6 15VT Joey Laquerre East Montpelier, VT
7 55NH Brad Leighton Center Harbor, NH
8 37VT Brian Hoar Williston, VT
9 35CT Bruce Thomas Groton, CT
10 97NH Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. Hudson, NH
11 11RI Ryan Vanasse Warwick, RI
12 48QC Karl Allard St-Felicien, QC
13 71ON Dan McHattie Cavan, ON
14 94ME Shawn Martin Turner, ME
15 21QC Jean-François Déry Quebec, QC
16 89VT Scott Payea Milton, VT
17 11VT Jean-Paul Cyr Milton, VT
18 14ON Sean Kennedy Dunrobin, ON
19 55VT Brent Dragon Milton, VT
20 02NH Randy Potter Groveton, NH
21 40VT Eric Chase Burlington, VT
22 80QC Donald Theetge Boischatel, QC
23 44VT David Pembroke Montpelier, VT
24 18VT Jamie Fisher Shelburne, VT
25 14VT Phil Scott Montpelier, VT
26 27MA Wayne Helliwell Jr. Dracut, MA
27 6VT Cris Michaud Northfield, VT
28 51ME Ricky Rolfe Albany Twnshp, ME
29 83VT Stacy Cahoon St. Johnsbury, VT
30 8NH Guy Caron Lempster, NH
31 73ME #Joe Doiron Berwick, ME
32 03ME Travis Adams Canton, ME
33 10NH Ben Rowe Turner, ME
34 60NH TJ Watson Cundys Harbor, ME
35 7ME Glen Luce Turner, ME
36 47CT Tim Jordan Plainfield, CT
Sources: ACT PR