Waterbury, VT – Noted racing columnist ‘Big’ Bigelow from the Caledonia Record, a daily paper from St. Johnsbury, VT, has won the first round of the ACT Invitational Media Contest. Ironically, Bigelow picked Canadian Patrick Laperle in the final bonus race this past weekend, the Fall Foliage 300, to beat out Toronto, Ontario’s Evan Towle from the CanadianRacingOnLine.com. The five bonus points were the margin of victory for the winner. “People pretty much know me as a ‘stats freak’. I guess this time my fun with facts and figures paid off for me. It has been fun to watch each week to see if I could climb the ladder to the top, and now, I guess my next job will be to pick the winner of the Invitational”, said Bigelow.
Bigelow competed against nearly three dozen members of the media who entered the ACT Invitational last April, just prior to the start of the season. Media members had to pick 36 teams from across all of New England and the Quebec and Ontario provinces of Canada. In addition, they were required to pick from 12 ‘bonus’ point events held on the ACT Tour, the Série ACT Castrol, and special events including the Oxford Plains’ TD Bank 250, the Governor’s Cup 150 at Thunder Road, and the Wiscasset Speedway Center of Speed 300. By picking Laperle in the Fall Foliage 300, he broke the tie to sit on top of a crowded score sheet among over two dozen Northeast racing media members.
Bigelow has won a week’s family vacation to the Steele Hill Resort in Sanbornton, NH during the next 12 months. Part two of the Invitational becomes a little more difficult. Pick the Winner of the Invitational and win a fully paid trip for two to the Sprint Cup Chase event at the Lowe’s Motor Speedway being held this October. Bigelow and other media members who finished in the top 12 standings now have to pick this Saturday’s inaugural winner of the ACT Invitational. Bigelow will have an ace up his sleeve as any tie breaker will be broken by ‘first round’ standings.
The final field of twelve has been expanded as there was a tie in the standings from 12th through 16th. Entry forms will be sent to eligible media members on Wednesday, September 16, 2009. The winner of the Grand Prize trip to Charlotte, NC will be announced immediately following the ACT Invitational Saturday evening at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
ACT INVITATIONAL MEDIA STANDINGS (Round I)
(eligible to ‘Pick the Winner’ for Grand Prize)
1. Big Bigelow Caledonia Record 240
2. Evan Towle CanadianRacingOnLine 235
3. Norm Cote Late Model Digest 230
4. Gene Gagne Outside Groove 230
5. Kevin Provencher NH Union Leader 230
6. Jim Carson Late Model Digest 225
7. Lee Elder Goodyear Public Relations 225
8. Steve Poulin Newport Daily Express 225
9. Mickey Smith Morrisville New & Citizen 225
10. Mark Thomas Racin’ Paper 225
11. Alan Ward News & Citizen/Racin’ Paper 225
12. Melissa, Betty St Albans Messenger 220
13. Grearson, Anna Times Argus 220
14. Kaufman, Josh St Albans Messenger 220
15. Michaels, TJ WORK – FM 220
16. Lou Modestino The Enterprise 220
The ACT Invitational invited roster:
Car# State Name Hometown Track/Series
6 VT Cris Michaud Williamstown, VT ACT/TR
7 ME Glen Luce Turner, ME ACT
8 NH Guy Caron Goshen, NH Twin State
9 ON Brandon Watson Stayner, ON Kawartha Downs
10 NH Ben Rowe Turner, ME ACT
11 VT Jean Paul Cyr Milton, VT Thunder Road
11 RI Ryan Vanasse Warwick, RI Seekonk
14 VT Phil Scott Middlesex, VT Thunder Road
14 ON Sean Kennedy Dunrobin, On Capital City
15 VT Joey Laquerre Barre, VT ACT/TR
17 MA Eddie MacDonald Rowley, MA ACT
18 VT Jamie Fisher Shelburne, VT ACT/TR
21 QC Jean Francois Déry Quebec City, QC ACT Castrol
26 VT John Donahue Graniteville, VT ACT/TR
27 MA Wayne Helliwell, Jr Dracut, MA Lee USA
35 CT Bruce Thomas Groton, CT Waterford
37 VT Brian Hoar Williston, VT ACT
40 VT Eric Chase Milton, VT ACT/TR
44 VT Dave Pembroke Montpelier, VT Thunder Road
47 CT Tim Jordan Plainfield, CT Waterford
48 QC Karl Allard Ste Felicien, QC ACT Castrol
51 ME Ricky Rolfe Albany Twnshp, ME ACT
55 VT Brent Dragon Milton, VT ACT
55 NH Brad Leighton Center Harbor, NH ACT
71 ON Dan McHattie Cavan, On Kawartha Downs
73 ME Joey Doiron Berwick, ME ACT
80 QC Donald Theetge Quebec, City, QC ACT Castrol
88 VT Nick Sweet Barre, VT ACT/TR
89 VT Scott Payea Milton, VT ACT
91 QC Patrick Laperle Montreal, QC ACT Castrol
94 ME Shawn Martin Turner, ME Oxford Plains
97 NH Joey Polewarczyk Hudson, NH ACT
03 ME Travis Adams Canton, ME Oxford Plains
02 NH Randy Potter Groveton, NH ACT
04 ME TJ Watson Cundy’s Harbor, ME Wiscasset
The ACT Invitational will take place at 5:30 on Saturday, September 19, 2009. Tickets for NASCAR ‘Chase’ weekend, including the ACT Invitational, can be obtained by logging on to www.nhms.com. For additional information on the ACT Invitational check the American Canadian Tour website at www.acttour.com