Atkins Left Fuming after Contact with MacDonald at WMMP
Posted By Tj Ingerson On June 21, 2015
Categories: American-Canadian Tour
PHOTO: Brandon Atkins (#4ny) and Eddie MacDonald (#17ma) race side-by-side on Saturday night at White Mountain Motorsports Park. The two would tangle in the closing stages of Saturday's 150-lap race that would see MacDonald go to the rear and leave Atkins fuming. (Eric LaFleche/VLFPhotos.com photo)
--by T.J. Ingerson (@TJIngerson)
VMM Editor
NORTH WOODSTOCK, N.H. -- Brandon Atkins looked to be nearing his first career ACT Late Model Tour victory on Saturday night at White Mountain Motorsports Park until contact with Eddie MacDonald sent the Atkins’ car around and both cars to the rear of the field.
Atkins first took the lead on lap 93 restart from Ziter, but Ziter would regain the point on lap 97. However, another restart just one lap later saw Atkins time the restart perfectly and zoom out into the lead.
Atkins maintained the top spot through multiple restarts that saw both Ziter and eventual race winner Wayne Helliwell Jr. to his outside, with each time resulting in Atkins maintaining the lead. However, following a lap 104 restart, Helliwell would fall back into third with MacDonald controlling the second spot. MacDonald would look to the outside of Atkins on lap 113, but the attempt was short lived as the two crossed the start/finish line for lap 115.
As they did, MacDonald changed lanes in front of Helliwell as they entered turn one, but in the process, MacDonald would tag the rear bumper of Atkins’ car and send the No. 4NY car around in turn one and out of the lead.
The incident left Atkins furious while MacDonald shouldered the blame.
“Eddie straight dumped us,” Atkins said. “That’s how he races and he’s allowed to get away with it.”
MacDonald would be penalized by race control for the incident, while Atkins would make contact with MacDonald’s car under caution in frustration. As a result, ACT race director Cris Michaud would call on Atkins to be parked for the remainder of the event.
“My first reaction was I was hoping we wouldn’t end up getting wrecked,” Atkins said. “We had the whole pack coming and all I could think was we’re going to be about to win this thing and then (MacDonald’s) going to dump us and we’re going to need a front clip. Then after that, I was just…it was one of those moments in life when you have nothing but pure rage. Just really, really, really mad.
“Especially given, that when I saw Eddie was behind us, I knew we weren’t going to make it to the finish. I knew he was going to dump us. That’s how he races.”
“We were racing hard and I figured I would give him a try on the outside,” MacDonald explained. “We couldn’t get him and I figured I’d pull in behind him or try a crossover and dive to the inside. He was kind of washed up a little bit higher and I don’t know if he got tight or loose just had to back out of it for a second, but as he backed out of it I was getting back in the throttle and just caught the rear of his car and turned him around.
“It’s unfortunate. I definitely wanted to race him hard for the win, but not ruin both of our days.”
When asked, Atkins pointed to the high points of the race as he looked to be en route to his first career ACT Late Model Tour win, but was still fuming.
“It makes me really, really proud of all my guys and what we were able to put together,” Atkins said. “We had a really fantastic car. We knew we had a good piece and everything came together today. We made the right adjustments and we were good all day.
“And just, he was allowed to screw us.”