MacDonald on Top for Fifth Time at Bond Auto Parts ACT Invitational

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Loudon, NH – Eddie MacDonald reigned supreme once again at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 24, taking the lead from Jimmy Hebert with five laps to go in the Eighth Annual Auto Parts ACT Invitational en route to his fifth career victory in the event.

Rowley, MA’s MacDonald started 31^st on the grid and was running third to Williamstown, VT’s Hebert and Hinesburg, VT’s Bobby Therrien when the event’s fourth caution came out for a four-car wreck in which both Aaron Fellows and Mark Jenison made hard contact with the turn one wall. Therrien got the jump on the initial restart, but the advantage was erased when Brian Tarbell spun in turn two, bringing the caution back out before a lap was completed and thus sending Hebert back to the point.

On the second restart attempt, MacDonald dove three-wide to the inside entering turn one, completing the third-to-first pass on the backstretch. Though Hebert and Alex Labbe dogged MacDonald following a final caution for Jonathan Bouvrette’s backstretch spin on lap 46, “The Outlaw” held strong to take home the win and an $8,100 payday.

Hebert jumped to the initial lead over polesitter Kyle Welch and looked like the driver to beat for much of the event. Rowland Robinson, Jr. nosed ahead for a circuit following a lap-nine caution for an incident involving Bucky Demers and Donald Theetge, but otherwise it was all Hebert as he and Woody Pitkat drove away from the pack in the middle stages.

Therrien and MacDonald came on strong as the race entered its second half, and both had caught Pitkat when Nick Sweet spun exiting turn four to bring out the third caution on lap 35. Hebert was able to fend off a surge by both on the restart, but the pair of cautions with five laps remaining gave MacDonald the break he needed to capture the victory.

Hebert settled for second, while Labbe came from the 30^th starting position to finish third. Dillon Moltz came home fourth after starting 26^th, with Therrien completing the top-five. Tom Carey III took sixth in his first start at “The Magic Mile”. Robinson, Pitkat, Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., and Ray Parent rounded out the top-10.

The ACT Late Models head to Barre, VT’s Thunder Road Speedbowl next Saturday, October 1 and Sunday, October 2 for the 54^th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank. Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day on Saturday will feature time trials and Triple 50 qualifying races to set the 30-car starting field, with the three-segment Milk Bowl on Sunday. Mini Milk Bowls for the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will also be on the card. Post time is 1:00pm both days. Admission is just $30 for a two-day ticket or $10 for a Saturday-only ticket, with kids 12 and under admitted free.

For more information, contact the ACT offices at 802-244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com.

EIGHTH ANNUAL BOND AUTO PARTS ACT INVITATIONAL

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Pos   Start Pos   Driver   Car #     Hometown   Laps

1. ( 31 ) Eddie MacDonald ( 17MA ) , Rowley, MA , 50 Laps
2. ( 2 ) Jimmy Hebert ( 58VT ) , Williamstown, VT , 50 Laps
3. ( 30 ) Alex Labbé ( 48QC ) , St-Albert, QC , 50 Laps
4. ( 26 ) Dillon Moltz ( 5CT ) , Waterford, CT , 50 Laps
5. ( 4 ) Bobby Therrien ( 5VT ) , Hinesburg, VT , 50 Laps
6. ( 13 ) Tom Carey III ( 5MA ) , Petersham, MA , 50 Laps
7. ( 15 ) Rowland Robinson, Jr. ( 28ME ) , Steuben, ME , 50 Laps
8. ( 12 ) Woody Pitkat ( 07MA ) , Sturbridge, MA , 50 Laps
9. ( 28 ) Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. ( 97NH ) , Hudson, NH , 50 Laps
10. ( 25 ) Ray Parent ( 17RI ) , Tiverton, RI , 50 Laps
11. ( 24 ) Jean-François Déry ( 21QC ) , Québec, QC , 50 Laps
12. ( 10 ) Josh Masterson ( 11NY ) , Charlotte, VT , 50 Laps
13. ( 11 ) Ray Christian III ( 93CT ) , Uncasville, CT , 50 Laps
14. ( 21 ) Dany Trépanier ( 19QC ) , St-Edouard, QC , 50 Laps
15. ( 18 ) Mike Ziter ( 54VT ) , Barre Town, VT , 50 Laps
16. ( 3 ) John Donahue ( 31ME ) , Graniteville, VT , 50 Laps
17. ( 39 ) Joel Monahan ( 03MA ) , Whately, MA , 50 Laps
18. ( 19 ) Adam Gray ( 97MA ) , Granby, MA , 50 Laps
19. ( 1 ) Kyle Welch ( 9NH ) , Lempster, NH , 50 Laps
20. ( 5 ) Jeff Marshall ( 32NH ) , Guildhall, NH , 50 Laps
21. ( 7 ) Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) , Danville, VT , 50 Laps
22. ( 40 ) Patrick Cliche ( 5QC ) , Levis, QC , 50 Laps
23. ( 20 ) Bucky Demers ( 26NH ) , Cornish, NH , 50 Laps
24. ( 14 ) Matt Anderson ( 49NH ) , Franklin, NH , 50 Laps
25. ( 33 ) Brian Tarbell ( 15ME ) , Springfield, VT , 50 Laps
26. ( 34 ) Jean-Pierre Ouimet ( 59QC ) , Terrebonne, QC , 50 Laps
27. ( 38 ) Simon Roussin ( 6QC ) , Québec, QC , 49 Laps
28. ( 37 ) James Linardy ( 77MA ) , Somerville, MA , 49 Laps
29. ( 32 ) Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) , Washington, VT , 49 Laps
30. ( 36 ) Jim Zullo II ( 10NY ) , Claremont, NH , 48 Laps
31. ( 9 ) Chris Riendeau ( 4VT ) , Ascutney, VT , 47 Laps
32. ( 27 ) Jonathan Bouvrette ( 41QC ) , Blainville, QC , 46 Laps
33. ( 22 ) Brad Babb ( 15NH ) , Windham, ME , 46 Laps
34. ( 17 ) Aaron Fellows ( 29NH ) , Croydon, NH , 45 Laps
35. ( 16 ) Brian Tagg ( 3MA ) , Oxford, MA , 45 Laps
36. ( 35 ) Mark Jenison ( 22RI ) , Warwick, RI , 45 Laps
37. ( 6 ) Ryan Olsen ( 61NH ) , N. Haverhill, NH , 42 Laps
38. ( 29 ) Nick Sweet ( 40VT ) , Barre, VT , 35 Laps
39. ( 8 ) Quinny Welch ( 78NH ) , Lancaster, NH , 34 Laps
40. ( 41 ) Donald Theetge ( 80QC ) , Boischatel, QC , 9 Laps
41. ( 23 ) Patrick Laperle ( 91QC ) , St-Denis, QC , 6 Laps