In the week leading up to last Saturday’s Camping World East Series race at Watkins Glen, Eddie MacDonald focused in on the mental aspect of his game.
The Tioga Downs Casino 150 takes place on a road course, not a simple oval. Hence, a driver is required to make many more adjustments on the fly.
“It’s a totally different concept,” Eddie told TWI Sports of his experience on road courses. “Mentally, you have to be very sharp. On a circle course, the only time you have to shift is on a re-start. On a road course, you might have to shift five to seven times per lap.”
In Saturday’s race at Watkins Glen, MacDonald and his Grimm Racing team qualified 11th. The 29-year-old driver moved up as high as second before ending in seventh.
This marked the third Top 10 finish of the year for the Grimm Racing Team. MacDonald is now fourth in the overall driver points standings.
“I’m pretty happy with how we’re doing so far,” Eddie said. “We’ve had our share of bad luck this year, but everything was great at Watkins Glen. I think we’re ready to break out and possibly win one.”
The next stop on this year’s Camping World East Series is Loudon...a track on which MacDonald has enjoyed immense success in recent years.
In 2008, Grimm Racing won both races at the New Hampshire International Speedway. MacDonald steered the #71 car to victory in June, then repeated that triumph with a win in September.
“I’ve always been very comfortable at Loudon,” Eddie said. “Rollie (LaChance) has a really good set-up there and Rob (Grimm) makes sure we have the best equipment and fastest car. I’m optimistic about our chances there.”
The “Heluva Good! Summer 125” takes place Saturday, June 26th in Loudon.
Road Course Rules
Grimm Racing got off to a solid start at Saturday’s Tioga Downs Casino 125.
MacDonald was the fastest qualifier in his 4-car group and went on to earn a spot just outside the Top 10 to start.
As has been the case all season long, Eddie wasted no time in picking his way through the pack. Thirty laps into the race, the #71 Chevy was running in third place overall.
“I’m probably more comfortable on a circle track, but I think we ran really well on this road course,” MacDonald said. “It’s definitely a neat change and I had alot of fun out there.”
Eddie’s goal coming into this particular race was to finish in the Top Five. He remained up front for a big chunk of the day, but ended up slipping back to seventh in the standings by the time the checkered flag fell.
Ryan Truex emerged as the race winner for NAPA Toyota. He took home a first place check of just over $12,000. Matt Kobyluck finished up in second and Brett Moffitt took third. Patrick Long and Matt DeBenedetto rounded out the front five.
MacDonald earned $2,800 and 146 driver points for his seventh place finish. Eddie now trails Moffitt (764 pts), Jody Lavender (746) and Kobyluck (727) in the race for a Camping World East driving crown.
“I’m looking forward to the last six races,” Eddie said in conclusion. “These are tracks that we’ve done well on in the past. I think with a little bit of good luck, we can make a move and finish up strong.”
Stay tuned to TWI Sports for continuing coverage of Grimm Racing, Eddie MacDonald and the Camping World East Series.
