ACT Youth Look to Come of Age at Oxford

by Jay | Apr 15, 2016 | ACT, Maine, New, Oxford Plains Speedway, Touring Series News

Dave Brown Photo

Waterbury, VT – The opening race of 2016 racing season will have several young guns looking to make a good first impression competing against the top Late Model drivers in the Northeast.

The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Stars Series (PASS) head to Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway Sunday, April 17 for the first ACT/PASS doubleheader of the 2016 season, featuring 100 laps for the ACT Late Models and 150 laps for the PASS North Super Late Models. The event is the 67^th season opener for the historic 3/8-mile speedway.

Vermont’s Emily Packard, Brandon Atkins of New York and New Hampshire’s Kyle Welch and Ryan Olsen look to be contenders at several tracks this year wheeling late models on the American Canadian Tour. The 21-year-old and under group has had various success the last two racing seasons and all look to carry the ACT checkered flag in 2016.

(more…)

Emily Packard Kicks Off 2016 in the American Canadian Tour 100 at Oxford Plains Speedway

by Jay | Apr 15, 2016 | ACT, Maine, New, Oxford Plains Speedway, Touring Series News

photo by RPM 360

EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – Emily Packard and the 9x Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels team is ready to get this season rolling this weekend at Oxford Plains Speedway.  For the second straight year, thanks to the New England weather, the American Canadian Tour kicks off at OPS and Packard and the team are more focused and better prepared this season than ever.  After announcing back in March the partnership with Joey Pole Racing to maintain her cars for a minimum of 9 races, the Polewarczyk’s have spent the last few weeks making a number of changes to her race car to prepare for this event.  “The first couple of laps on Sunday are going to be exciting,” said Packard, “I am going to be focusing on shaking the car down and getting used to the new set-up.”

“It’s been an adjustment not having the car here in our shop,”  Packard said, “but the guys (Joe Sr. and Joey Jr.) have kept me updated, texting and sending pictures as they make progress on the car.  They have made a bunch of changes, and I am really looking forward to getting the car out on to the track to see how it handles.”  Last year, in her first visit to the track, Packard qualified in the 20^th starting position, and spent the race calculating her moves around cars towards the front.  Eventually, the laps would run out as she challenged for a top three, and settled for a fourth place finish. On the second trip back to the track, Packard went in to the race with a high level of confidence from her earlier season finish here and raced her way to a sixth place finishing position when the checkers fell.

(more…)