ACT Returns to Oxford for Latest Round of Title Showdown
Waterbury, VT – The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) gets back into the point-counting season this Saturday, August 24 at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway. The Oxford Plains 150 is part of a huge night of racing that will thrill fans and set the stage for the final rounds of this year’s $10,000-to-win heavyweight championship bout.
Saturday’s show is part of the “Night Before the 250” as Oxford Plains sets the stage for the 46th Annual Oxford 250 on Sunday. The ACT Late Model Tour has been part of “Night Before” program three of the last four years, and this year’s Saturday night showdown is bigger than ever. ACT is joined by the Tri-Track Open Modified Series, NELCAR Legends, Northeast Classic Lites, Oxford Plains Street Stocks, and Wicked Good Vintage Racing Association for one hot night on the historic 3/8-mile oval.
“We’re thrilled to have ACT back for the Oxford 250 weekend again,” Oxford Plains Speedway President Tom Mayberry said. “Every time they’ve visited Oxford the last few years, they’ve put on a fantastic race, and the outcome is almost never decided until the final laps. Championship implications are once again on the line, so we’re sure it’s going to be another intense race from start to finish.”
With three point-counting races remaining, two racers have stood out above all others in 2019. Plainfield, NH’s Rich Dubeau currently leads Williamstown, VT’s Jimmy Hebert by 21 points in the overall standings. They’re the only two drivers to finish in the top-10 at every event this year. That consistency has put both in position to claim their first ACT title.
The two off-track friends have much in common. Both are former ACT Rookie of the Year honorees, both won lower-division weekly championships before joining ACT, and both scored wins in this year’s Summer Kickoff Series. However, with a championship and its $10,000 point fund prize on the line, neither will be cutting the other any breaks once the green flag drops.
One driver who still has a reasonable chance to catch them is Colchester, VT’s Scott Payea. The two-time defending champion is 60 points behind Dubeau and will need a lot to go in his favor — especially after he and Hebert tangled fighting for the lead late in the Midsummer 250 two weeks ago. But his RPM Racing team is the same team that helped him win the last two titles, and they may well have one more push left.
A strong field is expected for this weekend’s Oxford Plains 150 as pre-entry numbers are near those for the Midsummer 250. Newmarket, NH’s Bryan Kruczek, who won the ACT event at Oxford in April, is going for the season sweep. White Mountain Motorsports Park Late Model point leader Quinny Welch of Groveton, NH will take advantage of the track’s weekend off and head to Maine in search of his first ACT win.
Father/son duo John and Stephen Donahue of Graniteville, VT are both attempting to qualify for the event. Berlin, NH’s Cody LeBlanc is trying to follow up on a solid showing at the Midsummer 250 while Thompson Speedway regular Michael Benevides is making the trip north from Westerly, RI. Entries have also been received from N. Haverhill, NH’s Ryan Olsen and New Gloucester, ME’s David MacDonald while Richard Green Racing has stated they will bring Scott Dragon’s #16VT to Oxford.
They’ll join the rest of the ACT Late Model Tour regulars for 150 green-flag laps of edge-of-your-seat action. E. Bridgewater, MA’s Ryan Kyan is running away with the Rookie of the Year title while Milton, VT’s Dylan Payea has put together a strong follow-up to last year’s Rookie honors. Jonathan Bouvrette, Christopher Pelkey, Scott Coburn, and others are all looking to put the finishing touches on solid seasons with a strong run.
Post time is 4:30pm for the “Night Before the 250” at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday, August 24. The Oxford Plains 150 for the ACT Late Model Tour headlines a card that also includes the Tri-Track Track Open Modified Series, NELCAR Legends, Northeast Classic Lites, Oxford Plains Street Stocks, and Wicked Good Vintage Racing Association. The pits open at 9:00am and the front gates open at 10:30am. Admission is $30 for adults, $15 for kids ages 6-12, and $65 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).
