by Jay | Nov 13, 2009 | Canada, New England
Poirier returns to defend Pro title
Semi-Pro division wide open for 2009-10 RMR season
DERRY, NH (Nov. 13, 2009) — If there’s going to be a new face atop the northeastern regional snocross ranks in 2010, that rider will need to get past one smooth, determined athlete.
After one of the most dominant seasons in series history, 2009 Pro division champion Danny Poirier will return to action, as teams around the region get ready for the 2009-10 Rock Maple Racing (RMR) season.
Poirier, of St. Theodore, Quebec, won all but two Pro finals last season, an amazing feat in such a competitive series. When the new season revs up just one month from now, Poirier will return with a new yet well known teammate in the Hulten Speed Sports/Polaris trailer. Bobby “The Rage” LePage will join the RMR ranks this season, and he’s not the only big name headed to New England for 2009-10.
Quebec native Mathieu Morin, who won the last RMR Pro final of 2009, will join the Ingles Performance/Ski-doo squad and should be among the top contenders. Both Morin and LePage are highly-skilled athletes with national experience, adding a great deal of excitement for race fans here in the northeast.
As Poirier looks to defend his 2009 title, a host of veterans and newcomers will be after his crown. Multi-time champion Jason Boron will be back aboard the D & Z Racing Ski-doos this season. While his brother Matt has retired from snocross, Jason isn’t quite ready to hang it up. He’s one of the most consistent, rock-solid athletes to ever climb on a sled, and will no doubt be running up front again in 2009-10.
Other riders to watch this season within the Pro division include Norwegian veteran Stale (pronounced Sto-lay) Eggen, who joins Bruce Gaspardi’s Team Southside organization; Jason Stone, part of the powerhouse Ingles Performance squad; Chris Chico, back for his second season on the mighty Amsoil/Arctic Cat Sno Pro 600; and Renaud Alexandre, back with Hulten Speed Sports.
Team Southside is also proud to announce the return of Alaska native Robert Graeber to RMR competition. Graeber turned a lot of heads when he joined RMR as a Semi-Pro rider two years ago. He’s recovering nicely from a serious accident in March of 2008, and everybody is thrilled to see this determined, talented young man with a big heart return this season.
While Graeber will compete in the Semi-Pro division for 2009-10, two other former Semi-Pro sensations are making the move up to Pro. Vermont-based veterans Brennan Berardo (Essex) and Jake Melville (Pownal) will be part of the hottest rookie class in recent memory, which will only enhance the competition. Think RMR’s Pro division will be exciting this year? Just wait until they throw the green flag Dec. 12-13 at the Hickory Ski Center.
Rock Maple’s Semi-Pro division is where future stars hone their skills, and they provide a ton of excitement as they rise to regional stardom. While defending champion Aaron Pfeifer won’t be back, there are plenty of athletes gunning to take his place. Among the top contenders is Corin Todd (D&Z Racing/Ski-doo), who many feel is the favorite to secure a title.
Yet talented young guns like Trevor Bouchard (now on Arctic Cat), Brad Davis, Garrett Mees, Lucas Brunelle, Lincoln Lemieux and Michael George have other ideas. A newcomer to the Semi-Pro ranks this year is motocross veteran Ash Woskob, of Tyrone, Pennsylvania. Woskob (D&Z Racing/.Ski-doo) is a multi-time MX champion and finished sixth in his RMR snocross debut last spring at Windham.
One of the sport’s rising stars is making the move up from Sport to Semi-Pro for 2009-10. Joey Stock, of Bearsville, NY, won the Sport 600 title in 2009 and finished only one point shy of Joey Mosher in Sport Super Stock. Watching this young man take his program to the next level will also be entertaining this winter.
Jake Dasilva and Andrew Bailey are two more former Sport division stars making the move to Semi-Pro. These two will run part time on both the RMR and International Series of Champions (ISOC) circuits for 2009-10. When ISOC rolls into historic Rockingham Park for the inaugural New England Nationals Feb. 13-14, Dasilva and Bailey will be going all-out for wins.
While RMR’s headline Pro and hotly-contested Semi-Pro divisions are expected to have banner seasons in 2009-10, the Sport, Women and Junior divisions are full of talented riders, as well. Add those eager young racers (ages 6 through 10) on the 120cc machines competing on their own little track, and you’ve got the recipe for another fantastic winter of snocross fun.
Some of Rock Maple’s teams will get a jump on the new season this month, as they travel to Minnesota to compete in the 18th annual Amsoil Duluth Nationals on Nov. 27-29. Look for a report on how these teams make out shortly after the event. Good luck to all as a new season of high-flying snocross competition get under way.
To follow all of the action this season or to learn more, go to www.rockmaple.com. Rock Maple Racing is the proud eastern affiliate of ISOC, the national sanctioning body for snocross.
by Jay | Nov 13, 2009 | New England
NEAR Hall of Fame Adds
Harty, Blackadar, Arnold
Pioneer car builder Marty Harty, the late race official Archie Blackadar and the late Chuck Arnold, a driver with much open-cockpit success, have been added to the New England Auto Racing’s Hall of Fame’s Class of 2010 by the organization’s Veterans Committee.
The trio will join eight previously selected nominees at the 14th annual Induction Banquet on Sunday, Jan. 30 at LaReiaissance Banquet Hall in East Windsor, CT. Ticket forms will be on the NEAR website (www.near1.com) in the near future.
The three veterans will be inducted along with the previously selected drivers Geoff Bodine, the late Mike Murphy, George Savary and Pete Fiandaca, car owner/builders Billy Simons, Bob Garbarino and Vic Miller and contributor extraordinaire Frank Ferrara.
A Stamford, CT product, Arnold started in Modifieds in the late 1940s but soon moved to Midgets and Sprints. The 1953 NASCAR Midget champion, he went to score wins in NEMA, ARDC and USAC Midgets and USC Sprint Cars into the 1960s. He competed in the 1959 Indianapolis 500. He died in 1997.
New Hampshire’s Harty, a World War II veteran, started building racecars in 1949. Success was almost immediate and it continued for over two decades at tracks like Hudson, West Peabody, Fitchburg, Brookline and Catamount with drivers like Leo Richard, Jimmy Travers, Freddie Borden and Ernie Gahan.
Another World War II veteran, Blackadar began as a starter notably at a number of Vermont tracks, starting cars on the track. He was also involved in track ownership but is best known as a NASCAR Chief Steward throughout New England and New York State for 30 years. He passed away in 1993.
by Jay | Nov 13, 2009 | Canada, Maine, New England, PASS
Clark, Grant, Martin honored at PASS Banquet of Champions
Naples ME (10/11/09) Pro All Stars Series race teams, officials and fans gathered in Westbrook Maine Saturday night for the ninth annual PASS Banquet of Champions. Series president Tom Mayberry opened the evening by thanking all of the competitors for racing with PASS in 2009, especially given the challenges of our current economy. Although the 2010 PASS North Super Late Model schedule is about two weeks away, Mayberry did touch upon the upcoming season, including the January 29-30 PASS Florida Winterfest hosted by New Smyrna Speedway.
The President’s awards were up next and the most improved driver awards went to Derek Ramstrom (Super Late Model) and Scott McDaniel (PASS Mod). The award that no one hopes to receive came next. Hard Luck drivers for 2009 were Adam Bates (Super Late Model), Dan Somes (PASS Mod) and Dan McKeage (PASS Sportsman). Northern Race Tires Rookie of the Year accolades were collected by Nick Ribbe (Super Late Model), Scott Grant (PASS Mod) and Clyde Hennessey (PASS Sportsman).
Master of Ceremonies Mark Thomas and Michael Mayberry distributed the hardware to the top ten in each series. Carey Martin made it official, claiming the 2009 PASS Sportsman Champion’s spoils. Scott Grant came out on top in the PASS Mod series where he earned both the championship and rookie of the year.
2009 PASS National Champion Ben Rowe and the Richard Moody team were recognized for their accomplishments, and 2009 PASS Super Late Model Champion Johnny Clark closed out the awards presentation, making his fourth walk to the podium as Champion in the series premier division. Clark’s team received championship jackets and travel bags from Northern Race Tire and Superior Image Embroidery.
by Jay | Nov 13, 2009 | Hudson, New Hampshire
Hudson NH – The Hudson Speedway annual awards banquet was held this past Sunday at the Kings Court in Hudson N.H.
For the first time in speedway history a father and son were both crowned champions in the same year as Dean Wendell won the Rookie Stock title and his father Mitch Wendell won the Outlaw Sportsman title. Keith Caruso, third generation driver and grandson of Mario “Fats” Caruso, won the V-6 Modified crown. Thirteen year old Dylan Bilodeau won the Thunder Lite title. Louie Maher won the Roadrunner title and Eric Bacon went home with the Classic Lites championship hardware.
Most improved driver awards went to Dan Murphy Jr. in the Rookie Stocks, Eric Miller in the Roadrunners, Ron Lord Jr. in the Outlaw Sportsman and Jen Lord in the Thunder Lights.
Sportsmanship awards went to Sammy Gilman in the Thunder Lights, Jef James in the Roadrunners, Jerry Lepage in the Rookie Stocks and Bobby Allen in the Outlaw Sportsman.
Rookie of the year awards went to Derek Griffith in the Thunder Lights, John Morin the Rookie Stocks and Don Soucy in the Roadrunners.
Dedication to racing awards went to Dennis O’Brien and Jim Ryder Sr. and multi car owners Jim Daley and Lewis Fortin.
The 2010 season opener is April 25th. Please visit www.hudsonspeedway.info for more information.
by Jay | Nov 12, 2009 | ACT, Canada, New England
Waterbury VT —- The American Canadian Tour (ACT) has announced the majority of its 2010 US Tour schedule. The confirmed schedule shows a total of 13 events, which will take place at nine (9) different racing facilities. There are two additional events that are expected to be announced within the month, according to Darla Hartt, Vice President and Director of Administration.
“The ACT Tour has enjoyed tremendous support in the Northeast and throughout the provinces of Quebec and Ontario over the past five years. We had many opportunities to book additional events as we continue to enjoy growth with our Late Model business model, but we feel at this time it is in the best interest of our affiliate tracks and race teams to continue to concentrate in helping our weekly affiliate tracks and marketing areas that best serve our various sponsors and team needs. We continue to study the possibility of how we might be able to accommodate an expanded schedule in the future as the popularity of regional Late Model racing continues to develop,” said Tom Curley, President of ACT. “We have reserved two dates for events that we are very hopeful will be a part of the 2010 campaign. We plan to release those dates before the end of this month, but wanted our present and interested race teams to have the benefit of the completed schedule to date,” concluded Curley.
There have been two new tracks added to the 2010 schedule. An April event will be staged at the historic Albany Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY in the greater Albany region. The popular former paved speedway will undergo improvements and a repaving project. The ACT will be the initial asphalt tour to be a part of the opening event of this major change by the CVRA (Champlain Valley Racing Association) organization.
A return to the 5/8th Riverside Speedway (formerly Autodrome Ste-Croix) will take place in August. The event will be the ‘$40,000 CAN-AM Confrontation by the Seaway’ a $40,000.00 combination event with the Série ACT Castrol division of the American Canadian Tour. Jean Bergeron, owner and manager of the new Riverside complex, has agreed to major renovations in the pits, pit road alterations, and improvements and repaving of the full 5/8th mile track. “This opportunity to race on what will become one of the premiere short track facilities in Canada will be a great opportunity for the competitors in both our series. Speeds of up to 130 mph with the long straight-aways will continue to provide our veteran and younger teams with a different and important kind of racing experience,” continued Curley.
The US Tour season will open at the Lee USA Speedway in mid-April with the annual Governor’s Cup event and will continue through the final event, the 48th annual Milk Bowl at Thunder Road to be held the first weekend of October 2010. Return mid-summer trips to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Maine, and the Twin State Speedway in Claremont, New Hampshire, along with the long supporting tracks Oxford Plains Speedway, White Mountain Motorsport Park, Airborne Speedway in New York and Thunder Road in Barre, Vermont will round out the 13 event 2010 schedule.
There will be additional ‘special events’ available to the teams of the ACT Late Model divisions on both sides of the border. The largest event of the race season, the TD Bank 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway will be held for Late Model teams on the weekend of July 18th. Thunder Road will present the Memorial Day Classic on May 30th and the Vermont Governor’s Cup in June. The third annual $5,000 to win Showdown at Chaudiere, which is contested by the best of the ACT teams in the US and on the Castrol Série, will again take place in August in Valle Junction, Que.
“For 2010 ACT feature events, we have requested that the features be started no later than 8:30 pm. We continue to try and accommodate the fans and teams of ACT racing in our efforts to make the tours friendlier to compete in and to attend. We are anxious to complete the US schedule and expect to have the final two dates in place within a couple of weeks,” concluded Curley.
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2010 Série ACT Castrol SCHEDULE
# DATE DAY TRACK LAPS
1 APR 18 SUN Lee USA 150
2 APR 25 SUN Albany-Saratoga 100
3 MAY 02 SUN Thunder Road 150
4 MAY 08 SAT Airborne 100
5 MAY 16 SUN Oxford 150
6 JUN 19 SAT Oxford 150
7 JUN 26 SAT White Mnt 150
Jul 18 Sun Oxford 250
8 JUL 24 SAT Beech Ridge 150
9 JUL 30 SAT Twin State 100
10 AUG 14 SAT Riverside (COMBO) 200
Aug 28 Sat Chaudiere (SHOWDOWN) 200
11 SEP 05 SUN Thunder Road 200
12 SEP 12 SUN Airborne 300
13 OCT 02/03 SA/SU Thunder Road 150
