NAPLES, ME (August 1) – Following the success of the 40th running of the TD Bank 250, Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Super Late Model teams must now shift their attention to the next test. What lies ahead is a challenge that will see PASS North race in two countries in three days. It starts on Sunday with the series’ first trip of the season to New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park and will be followed by a trip to Canada on Tuesday for the second leg of the Autobus La Quebecoise Triple Crown. The Budweiser 150 at Autodrome Chaudiere could be the biggest motorsports event ever held in Quebec and will feature Sprint Cup Series star Kyle Busch. And, with a championship struggle that sees the top five in points separated by less than 100 points, any misstep in the next two races could be detrimental towards claiming the 2013 PASS North title.
White Mountain Motorsports Park has long been a favorite for drivers in the PASS North Series. Sunday’s visit will see TD Bank 250 winner Travis Benjamin vying for his third straight PASS North checkered flag. Benjamin’s recent PASS North wins at Oxford Plains Speedway has seen him close the gap to just 12 points between he and points leader Joey Doiron. But, in Doiron’s favor, he has achieved a level of consistency rarely seen in short track racing as the only driver to finish in the top five in every PASS North race held this season. White Mountain could also be the place where other contenders close the gap on Doiron and Benjamin, including fourth place point man DJ Shaw, a Granite State native himself, and 4-Time PASS North Champion Ben Rowe, who currently sits fifth in points. Rowe is by far the most successful driver at White Mountain heading into Sunday’s race with 9 career PASS North wins to his credit at the tight quarter-mile oval.
Following Sunday’s slugfest in New Hampshire, the PASS North Super Late Model caravan will quickly load up and make their way north across the border to Canada’s Autodrome Chaudiere for Tuesday’s Budweiser 150. This will be race #2 of the Autobus La Quebecoise Triple Crown, a mini-series within the PASS North schedule that will award over $30,000 to the top 15 drivers in the trio of races in Quebec. Race #1 was a war between the best short track racers in Canada and the United States that saw veteran Patrick Laperle survive to take the checkered flag. But, as one expect, he will definitely have his work cut out for him as he seeks to repeat.
Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch returns to PASS for the first time in 2013 at Autodrome Chaudiere. As one of America’s most accomplished racers, Busch would have to be considered a favorite on Tuesday, although this will be the veteran racer’s first time ever competing in Quebec.
“My favorite type of vehicles to race have always been the Super Late Models — they look cool, are fun to drive, and when you put them on a quarter-mile track like Autodrome Chaudiere it always makes for an exciting race,” Busch said. “I try to make it to about five of the more prestigious races around my NASCAR schedule every season — we run two or three staples for us and then we try to find a couple of new venues to visit. The Canadian fans really support their racing and I know that the new track owners are working hard to make this a big event. I’m really looking forward to my trip to Quebec.”
PASS North veterans Cassius Clark and Johnny Clark will also favorites for Tuesday’s Budweiser 150 as they each seek yet another win. Cassius Clark sits third in PASS North points with two wins this season and is just 23 points behind Doiron. While Johnny Clark endures what has to be one of the toughest seasons of his long career, despite the fact that he is sixth in points. The 6-Time PASS North Champion has yet to finish in the top five in 2013, but J. Clark is known for a having a knack for stepping up in the big races. And, as many fans throughout Canada know, J. Clark has taken quite a few checkered flags throughout the years in the great North Country.
Doubleheader action gets underway Sunday at White Mountain Motorsports Park with rotating practice for the PASS North Super Late Models, PASS Modifieds, PASS Sportsman and Dwarfs from 11 AM to 1:30 PM, followed by heat races at 2 PM and main event racing afterwards.
On Monday, the PASS North Super Late Models and support divisions will have rotating practice at Autodrome Chaudiere from 5 – 9:30 PM. On Tuesday, gates open at Noon with rotating practice from 1 – 5:40 PM, with features starting at 7:30 PM and the PASS North Budweiser 150 slated to roll at approximately 9 PM.
Entry list and schedule for this week’s PASS North events at White Mountain Motorsports Park and Autodrome Chaudiere can be found at ProAllStarsSeries.com.
PASS North Super Late Model entry forms for White Mountain Motorsports Park and the Budweiser 150 at Autdrome Chaudiere can be found at ProAllStarsSeries.com.
The Pro All Stars Series is recognized as North America’s premier sanctioning body for asphalt Super Late Models and boasts such marquee events as the PASS Northwest Triple Crown at Wenatchee Valley Super Oval, PASS South’s Easter Bunny 150 at the historic Hickory Motor Speedway, the Autobus La Qubecoise Triple Crown at Autodrome Chaudiere, and the legendary TD Bank 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway.