THOMPSON, Conn. – Eddie MacDonald broke the ice on Sunday afternoon at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park.
The Rowley, Mass. driver took control of the top spot after a lap 20 restart in the 75-lap Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Model feature during the 2017 Icebreaker weekend and never relinquished it to claim the win.
The win for MacDonald was his second career PASS North Super Late Model win.
“That was incredible,” MacDonald said in victory lane. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been to victory lane at Thompson.
“(Crew chief) Rollie (LaChance) did a great job getting this car to going good.”
MacDonald started in the second position and quickly moved into the lead over defending series champion D.J. Shaw. An early race restart gave the lead back to Shaw from the preferred outside lane, who held the top spot until the race’s final caution on lap 20.
“I wanted to stay out from as much as I could,” MacDonald said. “I kind of screwed up there on that first restart and I wanted to make sure that didn’t happen again.”
Fourteen-year-old Eddie Fatscher dogged MacDonald in the late stages of the event and attempted to work his way past, but settled for second. The showing for the Long Island, N.Y. native was an impressive one considering it was his first career start with the Pro All Stars Series.
Shaw of Center Conway, N.H. settled for third while nearby driver Derek Ramstrom moved from a 12th place starting spot to finish fourth. Hudson, N.H. driver Derek Griffith rebounded from a disappointing qualifying event on Saturday and moved 12 spots to finish fifth.
Defending race winner Garrett Hall, six-time PASS North champion Johnny Clark, Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Dave Farrington Jr., and four-time series champion Ben Rowe completed the top-ten finishers, unofficially.
Two Vermont drivers made the trek to the five-eighths mile oval. Middlebury, Vt. driver and multi-time champion at Airborne Park Speedway and Devil’s Bowl Speedway Todd Stone finished 19th while reigning ACT Late Model Tour champion Nick Sweet of Barre, Vt. finished 22nd after retiring early from the event.
The Pro All Stars Series North Super Late Models moves to their home track, Oxford Plains Speedway, for a 150-lap event on Saturday, April 22.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – PASS Icebreaker 75
PASS North Super Late Models
Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, Thompson, Conn.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (2) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass.
2. (4) Eddie Fatscher, Long Island, N.Y.
3. (1) D.J. Shaw, Center Conway, N.H.
4. (12) Derek Ramstrom, Worcester, Mass.
5. (17) Derek Griffith, Hudson, N.H.
6. (3) Garrett Hall, Scarborough, Maine
7. (5) Johnny Clark, Hallowell, Maine
8. (10) Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Hudson, N.H.
9. (15) Dave Farrington Jr., Jay, Maine
10. (14) Ben Rowe, Turner, Maine
11. (7) Glen Luce, Turner, Maine
12. (8) Trevor Sanborn, East Parsonsfield, Maine
13. (21) Corey Bubar, Windham, Maine
14. (6) Joey Doiron, Berwick, Maine
15. (11) Spencer Davis, Dawsonville, Ga.
16. (16) John Salemi, Nashua, N.H.
17. (18) Joe Graf Jr., Mahwah, N.J.
18. (20) Travis Fisher, Ferngle, Pa.
19. (13) Todd Stone, Middlebury, Vt.
20. (19) Dan Winter, Windham, Maine
21. (9) Travis Benjamin, Morrill, Maine
22. (22) Nick Sweet, Barre, Vt.
(Photo courtesy Norm Marx and Pro All Stars Series)
