by Jay | Mar 8, 2010 | ACT, Canada, New England, Thunder Road
25th ACT SEASON SEES NEAR RECORD FULL SEASON ENTRY LIST
Waterbury, VT – The American Canadian Tour (ACT) will celebrate 25 years of Championship Stock Car Racing with one of its largest number of pre-season full season entered teams. The balance of veteran champions and new teams joining the US touring division represents five New England states and two provinces of Canada. ACT statistician Nick Bigelow said, “I have reviewed past seasons and this looks like the most diverse and best count ACT has had in the past half dozen seasons.”
A fourteen race schedule will carry teams from the shores of Connecticut at the historic Waterford Speedbowl to new tracks located as far north as Quebec City, (the newly renovated 5/8th mile Riverside Speedway in Ste-Croix), and west to the newly paved 4/10th mile Albany Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY, just outside the New York capital city.
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by Jay | Feb 5, 2010 | ACT
GOODYEAR ACT LIMITED LATE MODEL TIRE TEST SUCCESSFUL
Waterbury, VT – Officials of the Goodyear Engineering and Racing Division and the American Canadian Tour (ACT) have announced that the final test of their new tire designed for a Limited Late Model was very successful.
Veteran racer Joey Laquerre from Barre, VT took his ACT Tiger Sportsman car to Hickory Speedway in North Carolina last week to assist with the test of the D2637 – 7.5” treaded tire designed for a Limited Late Model, or +/- 3000 lb ‘street stock’ division type race car. Laquerre originally tested the Goodyear D2635 tire for the ACT Sportsman division in 2008. He was instrumental in helping to get the modifications made resulting in a revolutionary tire for these kinds of race cars throughout the country. Laquerre also did extensive testing on the ACT Late Model tire in 2004, which led to present use by a dozen tracks, and both ACT Touring divisions in the US and Canada.
“The test went really well, and working with Joel (Reichert, a development engineer for Goodyear racing) is always interesting. He listens to what we as racers think might help the product. Goodyear really improved the tire with the added half inch, creating a better contact patch, and I was very pleased that after 150 laps of testing the tire was still performing within a tenth or two of where we had been 100 laps earlier,” said Laquerre.
The American Canadian Tour has been involved with development of short track tires in conjunction with Goodyear for over 20 years. “ It is great to have the world’s highest profile racing tire company work with us for the betterment of short track racing,” said Tom Curley, President of the American Canadian Tour. “We started out working on a treaded tire back around 1990. A few years ago we saw a need for an upgrade on the 8” Late Model slick, and Goodyear allowed us to work with them to produce the state of the art 8” slick which has become very popular nationwide and is used by our affiliate tracks and both our US ACT and Canadian Castrol tours. Now with the development of the 7.5” D2637 treaded tire, we have come full circle.”
The American Canadian Tour, which is a 25-year old sanctioning body for short track events throughout the Northeast is also working with Goodyear on a cost-effective four-cylinder tire. Additionally, Goodyear will be providing ACT competitors with a special tire for their second ACT INVITATIONAL to be held at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 18, 2010.
Scott Junod, Goodyear Sales Manager, Short Track Racing, said, “Working with the competitors at ACT is always a very positive and rewarding experience for Goodyear. We have done a lot of testing with them over the past few years, and all of us in Engineering and Sales have really enjoyed the relationship. We are especially grateful to Joey (Laquerre) and appreciate all the help and input he has given us in development of this new tire for the Limited Late Model (ACT Tiger Sportsman) type car.”
The ACT Tiger division has been popular since 1966 at the flagship track, Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, VT. Annually, there are over forty (40) teams that compete weekly. Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY has seen continued success with the division for twenty years, and in 2010, White Mountain Motorsport Park in Lincoln, NH and the Devil’s Bowl Speedbowl in Fair Haven, Vermont will adopt the ACT rules for the ACT Tiger Sportsman division.
The Bond Auto/Wix “Tiger Sportsman Tour” will be expanding in 2010 to include events at both Thunder Road and White Mountain, as well as Riverside Speedway in Groveton, NH and Canaan Fair Speedway in Canaan, NH.
Tracks from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and Ontario have indicated they will run the new Goodyear tire in 2010 following the testing results from Hickory.
by Jay | Feb 3, 2010 | ACT
Waterbury, VT – Ford Racing announced an aggressive $35,000 contingency plan for the American Canadian Tour (ACT) for the 2010 campaign. The contingency program, tailored to support those teams that have chosen to compete in 2010 with the Ford powered S347JR engine in any ACT affiliate track weekly events, as well as the touring programs under the ACT sanction, is the largest contingency plan offered in the 25-year history of ACT.
“We want short track supporters across North America to know that we are very supportive of their efforts. Short tracks have been the backbone of stock car racing for over 50 years, and Ford recognizes their importance. We believe the contingency program that we have offered the ACT competitors and supporters reflects our support,” said Mike Delahanty, Program Manager-Sportsman Circle Track Racing for the Ford Racing Technology division of Ford Racing.
The Ford spec engine program was begun as a joint venture between Ford engineering and ACT in 2008. After months of research and development to make the Ford compatible with the existing motors that were exclusive in weekly and touring Late Model racing throughout the Northeast, the approved product was introduced at the beginning of the 2009 season. Long-time ACT competitor, and three-time King of the Road Champion at Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, VT, Cris Michaud, brought Ford Racing their first crate victory in mid-summer last season. 2009 Lee USA Track Champion Wayne Helliwell, and ACT regular young gun Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. from Hudson, NH, among others, have switched over to Ford for their 2010 campaigns.
The FORD Racing Blue Oval Challenge Program will offer several contingency programs to registered and approved competitors who compete in ACT Tour (US) events; ACT Castrol Série events, two ACT special events: the New Hampshire Motor Speedway Invitational II and the Vermont Milk Bowl at Thunder Road. The contingency program will award the following:
I ACT TOUR & ACT Castrol Série
Win $500
2nd $250
3rd $100
II ACT Special Events, NHMS ACT Invitational II, VT Milk Bowl
Win $1000
Best FORD $ 500
III ACT Ford Racing Blue Oval Cup
(A season-long point program encompassing all Ford participants throughout the ACT Tour, ACT Castrol Canadian Series, and all ACT affiliate weekly tracks. An end-of-season point tally will reward Ford-powered competitors finishing in the top 10 as follows):
1st place- $3000 6th place- $ 600
2nd place- $1500 7th place- $ 500
3rd place- $1000 8th place- $ 400
4th place- $ 800 9th place- $ 300
5th place- $ 700 10th place- $ 200
A total of 43 ACT events will be eligible for contingency during the 2010 race season, and all ACT affiliate weekly programs will be eligible including: Thunder Road in Barre, VT; Lee USA in Lee, NH; White Mountain Motorsport Park in Lincoln, NH; Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, ME; Seekonk Speedway in Seekonk, MA; Waterford Speedbowl, in Waterford, CT; Twin State Speedway in Claremont, NH; Kawartha Speedway in Peterborough, ON; and Capital City Speedway in Ottawa, ON. Other tracks may be added and eligible number of point-counting events and further details will be forthcoming from the ACT office to registered competitors.
“This program, designed by Ford, validates the vision we have been working on over the past decade at ACT,” said Tom Curley, President of ACT. “We have tried to bring one region of the country under a ‘universal’ set of rules that was cost efficient for race teams, promoters, and fans. The idea was to have a strong, cost effective race car for weekly racing that was still exciting to watch and also capable of running touring events in the region. Recent events like the TD Bank 250 at Oxford and the ACT Invitational at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway have certainly showcased how successful the format for these times has been. The Ford vs. Chevrolet rivalry is now officially re-established.”
The sensational young star of ACT racing, Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., said, “We made the switch to Ford for the 2010 season for a couple of reasons. We needed to try something different to compete with teams like Brian Hoar, Brent Dragon, and Brad Leighton in order to get an ACT Championship, which is our goal. If we are successful, we are hoping that Ford might also help us with some future goals we have in racing. This contingency incentive program is just great–not only the money involved, but racing against all the other potential Ford teams in a region gives our competitive juices just one more goal to go after.”
The ACT season opens on April 18, 2010 at the Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH with the annual running of the NH Governor’s Cup 150. This will also be the first opportunity to lock in an invitation to the ACT Invitational II at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 18, 2010.
Additional information contact the ACT office at 802.244.6963 or [email protected]
by Jay | Jan 26, 2010 | ACT
Waterbury, VT – The American Canadian Tour (ACT) announced today that Bond Auto Parts, a family run business since 1956 with 37 locations throughout Vermont and New Hampshire, will become the title sponsor of the 2010 ACT 4 event series for the “Tiger Sportsman” division, known as the Bond Auto/WIX Tiger Sportsman Tour.
The Sportsman division is a Limited Late Model car, which has been a mainstay of Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, VT, the home of Bond Auto.
“We are really happy to be able to support this ACT division, which will appear in several markets that we service,” said Mark Mast, Vice President of Marketing for Bond. “Our employees have been great fans of ACT and Thunder Road over the years, as well as all the regional race tracks. This series of 100 lap events for the popular ACT Tiger Sportsmen seemed like a great fit for some of our marketing needs, and allows us to show support for the racers that have always supported our Bond Auto locations.”
Bond Auto has a long history with the ACT flagship track, Thunder Road. “When we were asked to take Thunder Road back from the bank in 1980, it was Bond Auto that jumped on board to help us. They have remained not only loyal corporate partners throughout the years, but great fans as well,” said Tom Curley, President of ACT.
In 2010, Bond will also become the entitlement sponsor of the Tiger Sportsman division at all Thunder Road events. The division will be known as the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman division. Bond Auto is the entitlement sponsor of one of the most historic races held at Thunder Road for the American Canadian Tour, the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic.
Brendan Moodie from Wolcott, VT, a long time veteran of the Tiger division said, “This is just great. I love going to different tracks and this division always seems to have a huge number of guys that can win on any given day. That is what makes it so much fun. This series of four races should be fun for the teams and fans, I can’t wait until the snow gets out of here and we can start racing again.”
The BOND Auto/WIX Tiger Sportsman Tour will open at White Mountain Motorsport Park on Saturday, June 05, 2010 with the first of four 100-lap events the series will run. Thunder Road will host a holiday 100-lap event on Thursday, July 01, 2010. The BOND Auto/WIX Tiger Sportsman Tour will visit Canaan Fair Speedway on Saturday, August 21, 2010, and the Champion will be crowned on Saturday, October 09, 2010 at the new Riverside Speedway in Groveton, NH.
Jun 05 White Mountain 100
Jul 01 Thunder Road 100
Aug 21 Canaan Fair 100
Oct 09 Riverside, NH 100
by Jay | Jan 23, 2010 | ACT
Waterbury, VT – The Kendall Roberts-owned Vermont National Guard team of veteran driver John Donahue filed the first full season entry for the American Canadian Tour (ACT) 2010 season. There was plenty of excitement following the recent 2009 Banquet of Champions, and ACT headquarters received the Donahue entry 24 hours after the entry forms were sent this week.
“We are very excited about taking a run for the title this year,” said car owner Kendall Roberts. “We really came together as a team around TD Bank 250 time last season when Dale Shaw started giving us a hand, and John and the team have been very busy getting things freshened for the 2010 season. Everyone is excited about our new car, and we still get charged up about weekly racing at Thunder Road. We will be ready as soon as spring gets here,” concluded Roberts. The Donahue team is only one of three teams that ran the entire ACT US Tour and a full weekly schedule at Thunder Road in 2009. Jamie Fisher of Shelburne, VT and Eric Chase of Milton, VT were the other drivers to tackle both schedules in 2009, and are expected to do the same in 2010.
The National Guard team took advantage of the ‘big shows’ last year to make a racing statement to the Late Model teams in the region. An impressive third place at Oxford, Maine during the TD Bank 250 started the march to the front for the Graniteville, VT team. Donahue thinks of the Oxford oval as kind of his second ‘home track’. Several years ago he raced weekly at the famous speed plant. The next two months were highlighted with outstanding ACT Tour finishes — a 4th at Waterford, CT, 2nd at Twin State in Claremont, NH, and a 2nd at the Bond Labor Day Classic 200 at Thunder Road in Barre, VT finished the summer season. A solid run to 5th in the first ACT Invitational on the mile at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September turned many heads. Closing the season a week later on the ¼ mile high banks of Thunder Road by capturing the $10,000 to win 47th annual Chittenden Milk Bowl was the highlight of the season for the National Guard team.
Karl Allard from Ste. Felicien, QC, driver for the Quebec City-based Larue Industries Racing team has filed the first full season entry for the Série ACT Castrol. In 2010 the popular series will run at five different tracks throughout the Province of Quebec.
Allard, a world class snowmobile racer, is a perennial challenger for the ACT title. A former ADL Series Champion in Quebec, Allard is one of the most respected drivers on both sides of the border. “We really want to win an ACT title one of these years, and I think 2010 just might be our year,” said Allard. He has qualified for every ACT Castrol event over the past three years and has completed the most laps of any driver. Allard finished 5th, 2nd and 3rd during the past three ACT Castrol Series campaigns. The Larue team often competes in the US, including the Oxford 250 and had a solid top five run going at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the first ACT Invitational last September. He finished 12th in the all star field.
“We have announced very good schedules for our competitors on both sides of the border for 2010,” said the ACT Media Director and Statistician, Nick Bigelow. “It is great to see these early entrants. It is a sure sign that there is going to be some enthusiasm for both our tours, and it also means that spring and a new racing season is just around the corner.”
The ACT Tour will open on April 18th with the traditional Governor’s Cup 150 at the Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH. The ACT Castrol Series opens outside Montreal at the Autodrome St. Eustache on May 22nd.
by Jay | Jan 16, 2010 | ACT, Canada, New England
South Burlington, VT – American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model stock car Champion Brian Hoar of Williston was honored for his sixth career ACT Late Model Tour Championship on Saturday, January 16 at the Sheraton-Burlington Hotel and Conference Center in South Burlington, VT. Hoar currently holds the record for the most career wins in ACT Late Model Tour history with 25, including back-to-back wins at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and Waterford Speedbowl in 2010. These wins, plus 11 top tens in 13 starts, helped Hoar edge out runner-up Scott Payea. Hoar was joined by over 500 teams, fans and officials as he celebrated his first championship with new car owner Rick Paya. Paya also has previous ACT Tour championships as a crew chief and car owner with Jean-Paul Cyr.
The 41st Annual MacTavish Award was given to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) for their contribution to Northeast stock car racing. The prestigious MacTavish Award is named for legendary New England racer Don MacTavish who was killed in 1969 while racing at Daytona International Speedway. In 2010, NHMS hosted the first annual ACT Invitational, which invited 36 of the best Late Model competitors from around the region. It was the showcase event for ACT Late Model competition during the 2010 season.
Thunder Road International Speedbowl crowned Milton’s Jean-Paul Cyr as the 2009 50th Anniversary Season “King of the Road.” The seven-time ACT Late Model Tour Champion took a break from the touring scene in 2009 and set his sights on the 50th Anniversary Season title. He joined forces with car owner Joey Laquerre and crew chief Jeff Laquerre. Cyr used his Times Argus Mid-Season Championship win to beat “Senator” Phil Scott for the championship.
The NAPA Tiger Sportsman title went to Williamstown’s Jimmy Hebert in just his third season. Hebert also scored the first feature win of his career in 2009. The 2009 Tiger Sportsman Tri-State Series Championship was won by Morrisonville, New York’s Shawn Duquette. Duquette tied Jason Bonnett for the title, but used his two victories to win the tie breaker. Veteran Gary Mullen of Tunbridge took the top Allen Lumber Street Stock honors. Donnie Yates of North Montpelier won the Power Shift Junkyard Warriors title.
Over $85,000 plus trophies were awarded to the top teams in all divisions of Thunder Road and the ACT Tours for their efforts during the 2009 season.
The second annual ACT Crew Chief of the Year Award went to John Doiron. Doiron was the crew chief for his son, Joey, who won the ACT Rookie of the Year Award for 2009. John was recognized for his hard work, dedication, enthusiasm and attitude on the ACT Tour and the continual improvement of the Berwick, Maine Doiron race team.
A new award was created this year in memory of Pete Hartt, who covered the American-Canadian Tour and Thunder Road during his time with WDEV Radio and as the sports editor for the Times Argus. The Pete Hartt Memorial Media Award was presented to WCAX sports anchor Seth Leavitt for his support of regional stock car racing.
Troy Germain, “The Voice of ACT” from St. Johnsbury received the Ken Squier Award. Germain was presented the award for his hard work and dedication as the ACT Tour and Thunder Road announcer.
The Gordon R. Nielsen Rookie Achievement Award went to Hyde Park’s Tucker Williams. Williams is the 2009 Allen Lumber Street Stock Rookie of the Year and led the division with four wins. His first career feature win came on opening day of 2009 in his first feature start. Other rookies that qualified for the award were from the ACT Tour, Joey Doiron of Berwick, Maine along with Thunder Road Late Models, Dylan Smith from Randolph and NAPA Tiger Sportsman, Erik Steel of Barre.
Sportsmanship and Most Improved driver awards were presented for all divisions based on driver and official voting. ACT Late Model Tour winners were Chip Grenier of Graniteville for the Sportsmanship Award and Graniteville’s John Donahue for Most Improved. Thunder Road Late Model awards went to Brooks Clark from Fayston for Sportsman and Cambridge’s Craig Bushey for Most Improved. The Thunder Road Sportsman awards were presented to Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie for Sportsmanship and Bradford’s Derrick O’Donnell for Most Improved.
The Ed Carroll Memorial Award for Sportsmanship in the Street Stocks was awarded to Craftsbury’s Mike Martin. The Junkyard Warrior Sportsmanship Award was given to Cabot’s Ken Christman.
The 2010 ACT Late Model Tour season will kick off on Sunday, April 18 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH. Thunder Road will open its gates for the first time on Sunday, May 2 for the 12th annual Merchants Bank 150. For complete schedules and more information visit www.acttour.com or www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
