Eddie MacDonald Takes Care of Unfinished Business

Massachusetts Driver Breaks Through in a Spirited Battle to Win the 36^th Annual TD Banknorth 250

No Driver Quotes Available at this Time (I couldn’t hear them!)

Official finishing order provided by Oxford Plains Speedway

Pictures Below Recap

Eddie MacDonald was fast in practice and put on a show in his qualifier. He saved some three-wide wheeling for the feature as well and was able to finish the job in 2009. $35,300!!!!

Results of the 2009 TD Banknorth Oxford 250

1. (3) #17x Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass., 326, $35,300
2. (10) #91 Patrick Laperle, St. Denis, Quebec, 326, $12,600
3. (6) #26VT John Donahue, Graniteville, Vt.. 326, $10,200
4. (7) #37X Brian Hoar, Williston, Vt., 326, $9,800
5. (29) #94 Shawn Martin, Turner, 326, $5,000
6. (1) #55VT Brent Dragon, Milton. Vt., 326, $12,100
7. (32) #10NH Ben Rowe, Turner, 326, $3,500
8. (4) #6x Cris Michaud. East Montpelier, Vt., 326, $3,000
9. (8) #55NH Brad Leighton, Center Harbor, N.H., 326, $2,500
10. (2) #85 Travis Stearns, Auburn, 326, $2,400
11. (5) #03E Travis Adams, Canton, 326, $2,300
12. (11) #25 Shawn Knight, South Paris, 326, $2,200
13. (15) #15VT Joey Laquerre, East Montpelier, Vt., 326, $2,100
14. (21) #71 Scott Dragon, Milton, Vt., 326, $2,050
15. (12) #97 Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Hudson, N.H., 325, $2,000
16. (9) #88 Nick Sweet, Barre, Vt., 325, $1,850
17. (37) #48Q Karl Allard, St. Felicien, Quebec, 324, $1,750
18. (31) #7ME Glen Luce, Turner, 324, $1,700
19. (24) #51ME Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township, 324, $1,650
20. (39) #7VT Eric Williams, Hyde Park, Vt., 324, $1,600
21. (42) #66 Steve Wallace, Charlotte, N.C., 323, $1,550
22. (30) #02 Randy Potter, Groveton, N.H., 323, $1,525
23. (41) #72 Scott Robbins, Dixfield, 322, $1,500
24. (38) #57 Doug Coombs, Livermore, 318, $1,450
25. (40) #15 Ben Ashline, Pittston, 318, $1,425
26. (26) #26ME Corey Morgan, Lewiston, 318, $1,400
27. (34) #16 Joey Becker, Jeffersonville, Vt., 316, $1,375
28. (36) #63 Don Wentworth, Otisfield, 315, $1,350
29. (33) #10ME Jimmy Childs, Leeds, 312, $1,325
30. (23) #41 Pete Potvin III, Graniteville, Vt., 309, $1,300
31. (13) #50 Jeff White, Winthrop, 303, $1,275
32. (19) #48 Kenny Harrison, Pownal, 274, $1,250
33. (43) #51MO Kenny Wallace, St. Louis, Mo., 269, $1,225
34. (35) #18 Carey Martin, Denmark, 245, $1,200
35. (28) #36 Brad Hammond, Turner, 227, $1,150
36. (27) #17ON Pete Sheppard, Brampton, Ontario, 211, $1,125
37. (16) #80 Donald Theetge, Charlesbourg, Quebec, 209, $1,125
38. (22) #6 Tommy Ricker, Poland, 187, $1,125
39. (25) #37 Larry Gelinas, Scarborough, 175, $1,125
40. (17) #1C Billy Childs Jr., Leeds, 154, $1,125
41. (20) #1 Al Hammond, Paris, 149, $1,125
42. (18) #78 Quinten Welch, Lancaster, N.H., 101, $1,125
43. (14) #60 Tim Brackett, Buckfield, 97, $1,125

July 19th, 2009 – Oxford, Me

Eddie MacDonald put on a dazzling display of three-wide racing throughout the running of the 36^th Annual TD Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway and withstood a final charge by regional touring ace Patrick Laperle to win the Maine classic and a hefty paycheck of $35,300. MacDonald was a major player in the 2007 and 2008 races but was never able to seal the deal in either event, instead watching Roger Brown and Kevin Harvick take home the big money and one of the coveted trophies in all of asphalt short track racing. The Rowley, Massachusetts native kept the fans on the edge of their seats in 2009 with risky passes in the third groove and earned his victory in one of the greatest races in the 36 year history of the event.

Some of the noise leading up to the event centered on a weak economy and a possible lower car count than normal. A race that has seen an average of eighty-eight cars attempt to qualify over the last three years has very high expectations. The historical impact of the race, along with the financial rewards ($25,000 guaranteed to the winner), generally draws late model drivers from all over the region and prompts some drivers to pull their car out the garage for the only time. In 2009 the impact on the racing economy was evident as 71 cars officially took the green flag for qualifying. Most alarming was the absence of American-Canadian Tour (ACT) point leader Scott Payea, the third place finisher just two years ago, due to financial issues and the fear of damaging his only race car.

Still, 71 cars means approximately thirty cars are going home and the luck-of-the-draw heat race qualifying system can, and will, provide loads of action for the fans with local racers taking on the regional touring drivers and the visiting superstars. Rusty Wallace would serve as the Grand Marshal of the event and kept the crowd entertained with his comments and special guest announcing of the heat races. Brother Kenny Wallace and Steve Wallace were entered into the event. Neither would transfer through the three rounds of qualifying, but both would receive owners’ provisional starting spots in the feature.

The heat races were some of the most entertaining in many years as Oxford’s second and third grooves had plenty of grip and drivers were able to venture out to the outer edges of the track to find racing room. Unlike 2008, there was no rain to wash the rubber out of the racing grooves after the practices and by 2:00 PM on Sunday, under bright sunny skies, the elimination races would begin. ACT touring veteran Brent Dragon got the hole-shot from the outside pole position in the first heat race to take the coveted pole position. Local campaigner Travis Stearns took heat race number two and gave the Oxford faithful somebody to root for. Eddie MacDonald gave an indication of things to come in the third heat race as he went up and around a pack of cars in the third groove to get himself into third place and then dispatched of Joey Laquerre to claim heat number three. Cris Michaud, Travis Adams, and John Donahue also won heat races and gave a good mix of touring regulars, Saturday night competitors, and an outlaw, MacDonald, who regularly races in the Camping World East Series races and only barnstorms the late model ranks for the big shows.

The Consolation round finally provided some fireworks and the cautions piled up as the patience decreased. Larry Gelinas, Corey Morgan, and Pete Sheppard won the three races. The three Last Chance Qualifying races gave the winners the opportunity to accept $2,000 and go home…or a start in the feature race. Karl Allard, driving the car that Kevin Harvick took to victory just one year ago, withstood a furious side by side battle with Aaron Ricker to put himself into the show. Doug Coombs and Eric Williams also turned down the cash for the chance to go for the big prize.

The field was filled out by the highest remaining driver in the Oxford Plains late model ranks, Ben Ashline, and one past TD Banknorth 250 Champion provisional went to 2002 winner Scott Robbins. Kenny and Steven Wallace would round out the 42^nd and 43^rd starting positions.

As a fairly bright sun still shown in the early evening, Brent Dragon took the green flag and led the first four laps before Eddie MacDonald immediately showed that he was going to be a force in this race, just as he had in the previous two years. Dragon was no pushover though, and with the leader earning $100 for every lap led, he mounted a charge back to the high side of MacDonald on lap 14. Dragon would flex his muscles for many laps as the field settled into a good green flag rhythm after a lap 32 caution. Dragon still led, with MacDonald, Cris Michaud, Patrick Laperle, and Travis Stearns clinging to the top five. But the action was only just beginning.

After one aborted restart at lap 33, Dragon had to deal with a hard charge to the low side by MacDonald. However, MacDonald now had to deal with the presence of one of the region’s top late model touring drivers, Patrick Laperle from St. Denis, Quebec. Laperle would get around MacDonald and that battle allowed Dragon to open up a comfortable 1.3 second lead as he ticked off $100 at a time for each lap. By lap 55 the leader was reaching lapped traffic and things got turned up a notch when Dragon got behind the cars of Scott Robbins and Eric Williams who were battling to stay on the lead lap. Their side by side struggle slowed the leader and Dragon’s lead evaporated. Laperle was knocking on his bumper with a small nudge at lap 80. Laperle wasn’t alone as John Donahue was now flexing some muscle and had gotten into the top three about 30 laps earlier and tracked the top two down as the lapped traffic slowed the pace. Not to be outdone, MacDonald joined the top three and the top four cars ran nose to tail, inside and out, giving and taking racing room as needed. This was short track racing at its best.

Dragon finally gave up the lead on lap 91 as Donahue dove to the low side while Laperle was on the outside of Dragon looking to make his own pass! Add in the lapped cars stacked up two wide in front of them and you absolutely had some of the craziest racing you will ever see on any track at any time. But this was for $100 per lap, a $25,000 paycheck, and the Oxford 250 title. Nobody gave an inch but they showed incredible skill by keeping their cars straight and out of harm’s way. A caution for the ageless Al Hammond let the leaders catch their breath and the fans to take in what they were seeing. There were smiles throughout the crowd as the drivers put on a show. The top five were Donahue, Dragon, Laperle, MacDonald, and the looming presence of multi-time ACT feature winner in 2009, Brad Leighton.

Important pit stops at this point were made by Brian Hoar, pre-race favorite Joey Polewarczyk (Pole), Michaud, Nick Sweet, and Ben Rowe. Sweet lost a lap in the pits while Hoar returned to the track with fresh tires and was already up to 15^th place due to other people pitting and the number of cars that had gone a lap down to the leader’s furious pace. Hoar’s presence would be felt later on…but the next stretch of the 36^th Annual TD Banknorth 250 was type of action that the fans and race teams in attendance will remember for a long time.

Donahue took the restart green flag as the leader but immediately had to deal with Laperle and Dragon as they went three-wide, not just through one corner, but for full laps at a time. Donahue was able to withstand that charge but by lap 106 Laperle was at his left rear quarter panel again and got along the inside of the National Guard sponsored driver. Side by side they went with Laperle low and Donahue in the second groove. Laperle would get credit for leading lap 113 but Donahue came back and took the lead again on the next lap. Having seen enough, MacDonald powered his #17 around the regrouping Laperle and, like he was shot out of a cannon, pulled alongside Donahue to challenge for the lead. On lap 119 it was finally MacDonald back out front and Laperle was able to go down low to take second place, but only briefly, as Donahue showed his strength once again and took his place behind the leader. Just a few car lengths behind the leaders were Leighton and Dragon as the best drivers with the best cars were all under a blanket. Brian Hoar, with fresh tires, was sixth, and in a bit of a catbird seat knowing that everyone in front of him would eventually have to pit for tires. Lap 129 brought the caution that Hoar needed as Al Hammond coasted to a stop in turn three, seemingly with an expired motor. As the cars slowed for the yellow, it became apparent to the fans in attendance that they were watching a classic.

“That was incredible” said one fan. Another long time fan said, “I’ve never seen the top three cars race like that in this race. Ever. And I’ve only missed one of these in 36 years!” As if on cue for the excellence taking place in front of them, a short round of applause and cheering took place as the fans showed their appreciation for the non-stop action up front. Not to be outdone, the rest of the field was also racing in all three grooves and it was not uncommon to look back and see three cars ride around the track beside each other fighting for 18^th place!

All of the top five racers went to pit road. Somehow Donahue snuck in ahead of the leader MacDonald. MacDonald was leading the race two years ago when he passed the pace car under yellow and was assessed a one lap penalty. He waited to the very end before turning down into the pits this time around. Both Donahue and Laperle were able to get out of the pits ahead of MacDonald but that only helped to provide one of the best charges to the front you will ever see. Up front, Hoar was the new leader with two-time race winner Ben Rowe, Joey Pole, Cris Michaud and local Shawn Knight rounding out the top five. Canada’s Donald Theetge, Shawn Martin, Kenny Wallace, Steven Wallace, and then Donahue filled out the rest of the top ten positions.

As the race resumed, the move of the race was seen by everyone, but might get lost over time if not mentioned here. On lap 131 MacDonald put his car out into the third groove again and got around both Laperle and Donahue at the same time. While all three cars were faster than those ahead of them, Donahue and Laperle got bottled up running side by side with side by side action directly ahead of them. MacDonald put it all on the line and rode the Angel’s Expressway to get around his toughest competition. Three-time winner Dynamite Dave Dion once said about the Oxford 250, “You still have to come here and risk it all.” Those words rang true as MacDonald found himself ahead of Laperle and Donahue when a caution flew at lap 134 for 1996 Oxford 250 winner Larry Gelinas’s ride out in to the turn four swamp lands. Donahue didn’t like his setup at that point and pulled into the pits again, a move that probably paid off in the end, but he wouldn’t be heard from again for some time.

At the front of the field Hoar was the leader and on the restart he had to deal Joey Pole to his outside. Unfortunately for the young hard charger, he found the marbles in the second and third grooves. Pole appeared to be headed for a ride into the front stretch wall, but slowed down in time to avoid major damage. However, the leaders and the pace car came all the way around the track and put the tough competitor one lap down. Hoar eventually would get some green flag time at the front and held on until the lap 165 caution for Nick Sweet, who was trying valiantly to get his lost lap back. The bad news for Hoar was that the fresher tires of MacDonald and Laperle were now in his rearview mirror.

It took a couple of restarts to get it right, but by lap 169 MacDonald simply powered his way around Hoar to grab the lead. Laperle was also strong and Hoar settled into third place and would find himself watching the two top cars pull away from him. The tenth and final caution flew on lap 212 and the top six runners were free of lapped traffic. MacDonald, Laperle, Hoar were the top three. Donahue had raced back to fourth and Brad Leighton was in fifth. Shawn Martin, Travis Adams, Brent Dragon, Michaud, and Knight rounded out the top ten. Ben Rowe opted to pit one final time to make an attempt at a late race charge.

When the final green flew it became a two car race as MacDonald pulled out to half second lead over Laperle. Shawn Martin got himself into the battle for third with Hoar and Donahue which kept those three out of the battle for first. MacDonald was comfortable in the second groove while Laperle stalked him in the low groove. It became apparent as the leaders worked lapped cars that MacDonald could run down low as well as run up high while Laperle was starting to slide the rear end around trying to catch the leader. Laperle did make a dent into the lead, but as if sensing this, MacDonald turned up the temperature and was just too smooth and fast over the final twenty laps. Eddie MacDonald would go on to take the checkered flag by about one second over Laperle and win the 36^th TD Banknorth Oxford 250. Appropriately, Donahue emerged from his battle with Hoar and Martin to take his first top three in the Oxford 250. Hoar and Martin finished in fourth and fifth, respectively, and had to hold off a frantic late race charge from Ben Rowe, who finished in seventh. Eighth went to the only Ford motor in the field and Vermont competitor Cris Michaud. Leighton ended up in ninth while Oxford Saturday night campaigner Travis Stearns fought back for a top ten.

CONCLUSION: I have been to a lot of these races, in fact, this was my 30^th straight race. I have only seen one race, 1984, in which as much action took place among the top three to five cars. But even in that race there wasn’t the three wide action that MacDonald, Laperle, Donahue, Dragon, and Leighton were putting on display. These guys were hungry for the lead and wanted to be out front. They put the heat on each other, hoping for mistakes, and none ever came. They leaned on each other…the used lapped cars as picks…they filled the holes and created their own room and nobody spun or got too far out of shape. I can only attribute it to five great racers with tremendous car control putting it all on the line. Some credit must be given to the racing surface itself. Many cars were able to run the second and third grooves and those were actually safe places to be. It will be awhile before we see another TD Banknorth Oxford 250 like that one. In these big races you generally see a couple of battles for lead and that is it…not in this one. It was an outstanding race that will stand the test of time and be among the most exciting, edge of the seat, and jaw-dropping races in the history of the event.

Notes:

- Patrick Laperle’s first comments in victory lane were “I’m the first loser”. He softened on those comments later on and was very happy with his run.

- MacDonald joins Joey Kourafas (1974) and Tom Rosati (1979) as winners hailing from the state of Massachusetts.

- Driver Sam Caron almost flipped over in the third consolation race. His #22 flipped onto its side after hitting a sand bank.

- Three former champions were in the race: 2003 & 2004 winner Ben Rowe finished 7^th, 2002 winner Scott Robbins finished 23^rd, 1996 winner Larry Gelinas finished 39^th.

- Ben Rowe ran a PASS South race the night before and finished in third place.

- Kenny and Steve Wallace were in a Nationwide race in St. Louis the night before. Neither really got the feel of the car until the feature and they ran “okay”

- Local racer Billy Childs Jr. wowed the crowd with some three-wide passing to qualify third in the fifth heat race. His brother Jimmy also qualified for the race.

- Nick Sweet must have lost a lap in the pits on lap 91. I didn’t see it. He was as fast as leader Hoar when he spun on lap 165 to bring out a caution.

- Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Missouri, Quebec, and Ontario were all represented in the starting grid.

- BDI (Bob Dillner) racer Michael Pope from Georgia did not qualify. He ran okay..but never quite found the racing line.

- Laperle became the highest finishing driver from Quebec.

- MacDonald becomes the first driver to win with the #17.

Cautions: 10

Red Flag: 0

Official Lead Changes: 8

Leaders: B. Dragon 1-4, MacDonald 5-13, B. Dragon 14-90, Donahue 91-112, Laperle 113, Donahue 114-118, MacDonald 119-129, Hoar 130-167, MacDonald 168-250

Heat Race Winners (20 Laps)

Heat 1: Brent Dragon

Heat 2: Travis Stearns

Heat 3: Eddie MacDonald

Heat 4: Cris Michaud

Heat 5: Travis Adams

Heat 6: John Donahue

Consolation Winners (20 Laps)

Consi 1: Larry Gelinas

Consi 2: Corey Morgan

Consi 3: Pete Sheppard

Last Chance Winners (20 Laps)

Last Chance 1: Karl Allard

Last Chance 2: Doug Coombs

Last Chance 3: Eric Williams

Provisionals:

High Point Oxford Late Model: Ben Ashline

Past TD Banknorth 250 Champion: Scott Robbins

Promoter’s Options: Kenny Wallace, Steven Wallace

36^th Annual Oxford 250 Pictures – The rest of the top ten!!

Patrick Laperle helped to put on a show with MacDonald and Donahue. $12,600

John Donahue has won at Oxford before. He raced back to a top three finish. $10,200

Brian Hoar almost worked the pitstops to perfection. He finished 4^th. $9,800

Oxford regular Shawn Martin battled for third late into the race. He finished 5^th. $5,000

Pole winner Brent Dragon led early and was part of a great racing show. He finished 6^th. $12,100

Two-time winner Ben Rowe made a good charge back to 7^th place. Another top ten for one of the best. $3,500

Oxford regular Travis Stearns started second and held on for a top ten finish. $2,400

Brad Leighton got into the top five battle but faded near the end. 9^th place still paid $2,500.

Cris Michaud won a heat race with the only Ford in the field and finished in 8^th place. $3,000