Eddie MacDonald Takes Inaugural ACT Invitational Checkers

LOUDON, NH – Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, MA won the Inaugural ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. MacDonald came from the 19^th 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 19^th 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 47^th 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