Waterbury, VT – The upcoming Labor Day weekend will bring a major test for the American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model race teams. The first double-header weekend of the season takes place with a rain make up event at the Twin State Speedway in Claremont, NH on Friday night, September 4. Post time is 7 pm. Following the event at Twin State; the TOUR will head to Thunder Road for the 31st running of the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 on Sunday, September 6, 2009.
“This is just like the old days, when we used to race lots of double header weekends”, said Tom Curley, President of the ACT. “I actually liked doing a couple of races a weekend back when we ran the old NASCAR North and ACT Pro-Stock Tours. It seemed to build great camaraderie among the teams who helped put the cars together with each other, and certainly those weekends created some interesting short term rivalries”, continued Curley.
Five points separate Milton, VT’s Scott Payea and his closest competition with fellow Vermonter and 5 time ACT Champion, Brian Hoar. With the ‘best pick 10’ system used on the ACT, Hoar actually leads Payea by a single point if the worst point races of 2009 were dropped by the two drivers. “I will just have to keep doing what I have been doing all season”, said Payea. “I am trying to win every race and not get caught up in the Championship point battle. I know winning the title is our goal, but the focus for our team has been to try and win races and finish well in every race…if we can do that, the points will follow”, continued Payea. Payea has plenty of experience with how the points work. In 2008, the Payea team lost the ACT title by one point following the Chittenden Milk Bowl final event at Thunder Road. Patrick Laperle had to win the Milk Bowl to win the championship. He won the Milk Bowl and thus the championship.
Not one for being conservative in his young racing career, hard charger Joey Polewarczyk Jr. of Hudson, NH has taken over as the leader of the ‘young guns’ on the ACT. ‘Joey Pole’, as he is known, is a two-time winner in ACT competition this season. “I was pretty disappointed last Sunday at the Showdown when we started to overheat from a pin hole in the radiator. I am anxious to race at Twin State Speedway. Our team always likes the challenge that new tracks like Twin State present, and I can’t wait to get back to Thunder Road”, said Pole. He was leading the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 100 before flying off the turn three burm with just a handful of laps left. The team led by his father, Joe Pole, rebounded at the Vermont Governor’s Cup in June, when they fielded a car for Tony Stewart in his appearance at Thunder Road. Joey Pole went on the win the Governor’s Cup. The 97 team trails front runner Payea by only 35 points with four events to go on the 2009 ACT schedule.
Post time for the Twin State 100 this Friday is 7 pm. There were 37 teams that attempted to qualify when the rains came on August 2. The gates will open at Thunder Road for Labor Day holiday camping at noon on Friday. Over 40 Late Models from throughout New England and Canada are expected to try and qualify for the Labor Day Classic.
Saturday will be qualifying for the Thunder Road regular divisions and Sunday will be a full day of racing with qualifying and the 31st Annual Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 for ACT Late Models. The Thunder Road Sportsman, Street Stocks and Warriors will also run features on Sunday, September 6. Gates open at noon on Saturday, and 10 on Sunday morning. Post time is 1:30 on Sunday. Advance tickets are now on sale at over 30 Bond Auto locations throughout Vermont and New Hampshire. There is a five-dollar ($5) discount if tickets are purchased in advance until 5 o’clock on Friday, September 4, 2009. Day of race tickets will be $25 for the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200. The posted purse is over $40,000.00