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Don MacLaren drove his first race on his
15th birthday, driving a homebuilt supermodified, a Willys Coupe
with a Ford engine. Telling officials at the Norwood Arena he was 18
years old, MacLaren went out and won the first heat he ever drove.
From Canada to Florida, Don has
won well over 500 races. His 1st big win came at Oswego, driving the
Tewksbury Auto Parts "Flying 5". Today, MacLaren says no one win, or
one championship, stands out. "Each week was exciting as hell", says
the gentle giant affectionately known as "Big Daddy". "Each feature
win was exciting, each championship a battle. You took your car
home, worked on it, slept with it, and worked on it some more. If
you worked hard enough, you'd win."
Dick Berggren remembers one
classic NESRA season opener at Thompson. "Ollie (Silva) and Don (MacLaren)
were racing side by side with three laps to go. Ollie was the
classic hero, and, in the eyes of the crowd, MacLaren was the
classic villain. Three laps they ran side by side, with neither
driver giving an inch. They took the white flag, and both drove deep
into the turn, with neither driver lifting. Big Daddy was on the
inside, Ollie on the outside, and both drove in too deep. They never
touched, but both cars spun at the same time, with Eddie West coming
through to take the win." Don grinned after hearing the story
retold. "Ollie and I would start dead last every week, and battle
our way through the pack. That's what made it exciting. That's what
made it fun", says Don.
Don was a fierce competitor on the
track, but a gentleman once the racecar was parked. Berggren
remembers Ollie and Sue Silva's wedding day. "Sue was sooooo worried
to learn that MacLaren was coming to the wedding. 'What would he
do?', Sue wondered. Would there be a fist fight? Would he drive a
car through the reception hall? What would happen? Well, Don showed
up". Dick continued. "He was a perfect gentleman." We welcome that
gentleman to NEAR's New England Auto Racers Hall of Fame |
