By Lou Modestino
We heard from a good source that Tom Curley of the ACT Tour is giving serious thought about taking some of his Tour cars over to Africa. So the deal goes the African promoter is going to pick up the tab for shipping the race cars and everything else. Curley met with some southern New England racers at a restaurant in Essex County. Curley has also sold his ACT Serie that competes in Quebec and Ontario.
The American Canadian Tour and Thunder Road earned several awards in the 2013 Speed51 Awards thanks to their diehard fans. The awards included Best Promoter, Best Short Track and Best Action Photo by Thunder Road’s Alan Ward. The annual awards are voted on by fans from across the nation on the premier international stock car racing news website www.speed51.com. Speed51 follows series and tracks from all over the United States and Canada, bringing the latest news and coverage to fans unlike any other site.
ACT and Thunder Road promoter Tom Curley was voted as the best promoter of 2013. He received the award for his continued efforts in developing ACT as one of the premier series in the United States and Canada, and maintaining Thunder Road’s status as one of the top short tracks in the country.
Barre Vermont’s Thunder Road was voted Best Short Track, edging North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway and Wisconsin’s State Park Speedway. The “Nation’s Site of Excitement” continues to deliver side-by-side action each and every week thanks to its fierce competitors, highbanks, and tight ¼-mile layout. It continues to be known for edge-of-your-seat racing.
Thunder Road track photographer Alan Ward received the honor of best action photo. Ward snapped a four-wide photo of Brooks Clark, Jamie Fisher, Jean-Paul Cyr and Wayne Helliwell, Jr. racing off turn two during the opening day Merchants Bank event. Ward will be presented with a large wall mural of the photo for his award.
The ACT website (www.acttour.com) finished second behind the NASCAR Home Tracks site for best series website in the country. ACT strives to maintain fresh, current content on its website, with viewership continually expanding.
Thunder Road and the American Canadian Tour thank all their fans for their continued support and dedication, as well as www.Speed51.com for their coverage of stock car racing. The 2014 season will kick off with the ACT event at Lee USA Speedway on Sunday, April 13, while Thunder Road opens its gates for the first time for the 16th Annual Merchants Bank 150 on Sunday, April 27.
We welcome Applebee’s of Oxford / Norway to our proud list of sponsors for 2014 here at Oxford Plains Speedway. Applebee’s may be relatively new to the area, but they certainly have been busy. Applebee’s is the 2014 sponsor of the Super Fan Card, a punch card that will allow race fans to receive free general admission tickets during the race season. Every time you come to the races at OPS and purchase a general admission ticket, your Applebee’s card receives a punch. When you receive ten (10) punches on your card you will receive a ticket for a future Oxford Championship Series or Oxford Acceleration Series event.
We have some great Valentine’s gift ideas for the love of your life here at Oxford Plains Speedway. You can purchase Oxford 250 tickets, Monster Truck Throwdown Tickets, competitors licenses, gift cards for any amount, and season’s passes are just a few of the ideas we have to offer. Contact our office Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. 207-539-8865.
As we get closer to spring and we get considerably busier, we have extended our weekly office hours to now include Tuesdays. The hours are Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Our new Office Manager, June Walker will be very happy to answer any questions you might have. Rules and registration forms are available at the office.
It looks like it could be a banner year for Oxford Plains Speedway and the PASS touring divisions in 2014. Several new faces will be invading OPS on Friday nights this year. New faces include Trevor Sanborn whom is planning to race on a regular basis. Trevor is an extremely talented racer and will be a welcome addition to the OPS weekly show. I talked to Gary Smith out Bangor, Maine this morning and it looks like he’ll be filing a license application for the Pro Late Models. Smith is awaiting the return of his chassis from Jeff Taylor’s shop where he has had many updates to his racer. There will also be many new faces in the PASS Mods, and PASS Sportsman this season as many new drivers have filed number requests.
The talk of the Northeast appears to be the addition of the PASS Northeast Late Model Series. Right from the day it was announced, the buzz has been at an all time high. Interest has been strong throughout New England and Canada, and it looks like the three race series scheduled for June 13, July 19, and September 27th at Oxford Plains Speedway should be well attended by racers. The rules are designed to be similar in format to the old Getty Opens that were beloved to OPS many years ago. Just about any Late Model, Pro Stock, Super Street or Sportsman car from anywhere in the Northeast should be able to compete with minor changes. If you have any questions on the rules feel free to contact Charlie Rockwell at 802-754-2822.
Laps for the Oxford 250 scheduled for July 20th ,2014 are now on sale for just $100 per lap. Contact Dick Therrien if you or your business would like to sponsor one or one hundred laps.
Don’t let your business be left behind this race season. Advertise it in our weekly program here at Oxford Plains Speedway. You receive a business card sized ad, two free general admission tickets, and your business receives a lap on the Oxford 250 Lap Sponsor Board, and recognition on our website. The cost is just $350, and we offer a very affordable payment plan to help you out. Contact Dick Therrien at 802-274-8823 to reserve your space today!
Don’t forget to set aside plans for the Racin’ Preview, Friday night and Saturday, February 21st and 22nd. Show hours are 4 p.m.-10 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. on Saturday. OPS will be well represented at the show.
Polly’s Variety in Oxford, Maine will once again be handling all the concession booths at OPS for the 2014 racing season. Dennis and Lisa Fournier do a great job of providing quality food at affordable prices. Polly’s Concessions will be featuring some delicious new items on the menu this year as we want our track food so good that you will want to eat at the track instead of elsewhere. Oxford Plains Speedway has always been known for quality food sales but since Polly’s has been here, their huge selection caters to everyone’s food tastes.
Auto racing returns to the airways this coming April, as new OPS General Manager, Dick Therrien will be hosting Down Pit Road. DPR is a weekly live half hour radio show that will feature results, interviews, upcoming events and more. Down Pit Road will air every Monday from 6-6:30pm. Joanie from WOXO is actively seeking sponsors for the show and can be reached at 207-743-5911.