Barre, VT—The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) will help Barre, VT’s Thunder Road open its 56th season of competition on Sunday, May 3 with the 17th Annual Merchants Bank 150. Wayne Helliwell Jr. will be going for his second straight win in the event, but a host of ACT Tour and local Thunder Road Late Model drivers are looking to take the trophy home.
Waterbury, VT – The American Racer Three Star program is designed to recognize three teams in no particular order of performance that had outstanding races at ACT U.S. Tour events. There are no specific criteria for deciding who might receive the award of a free American Racer Tire (value $125.00), but a special effort by a team, exceptional race, just plain old hard luck, or any other accepted reason to give the award is used to decide the award recipients.
The three stars are chosen by ACT officials and will receive certificates for use of a free American Racer tire at a race of their choosing during 2015.
The American Racer Three Star program has returned for the 2015 season. The program is designed to recognize three teams in no particular order of performance who had outstanding races at American Canadian Tour (ACT) U.S. Tour events. There are no specific criteria for deciding who might receive the award of a free American Racer tire (value $125.00), but special effort by a team, an exceptional race, just plain old hard luck, or other accepted reason to give the award is used to determine the recipients.
Lee, NH – Lee USA Speedway swung open the gates Sunday afternoon to drop the green flag on the 2015 season with the annual running of the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model event. The traditional season-opener also featured the NEMST Mini Stocks and Northeast Classic Lites doing battle at “New Hampshire‘s Center of Speed“.
The Northeast Mini Stock Tour got the honor of being the first feature that took to the fast 3/8th’s mile for the new season, with Cris King leading early and often before 6-time winner and 2014 NEMST champion Toby Wells finally worked his way past and took over the top spot.
Photos by Rich Hayes
Eddie MacDonald staged a familiar battle with eventual winner Wayne Helliwell in the Governor’s Cup 150 at their home track Lee USA Speedway on Sunday May 26 to post a third place finish in an exciting duel. The Grimm Construction/Hancock Electric Chevy started third on the grid after winning the heat to score a +2 rating.
Twenty-seven cars took the green flag under stormy skies that dictated the early race strategy for Eddie Mac saying, “We were riding around comfortably in sixth place when a little rain began to fall around lap 25. It looked like heavy rain would arrive shortly so we decided to go get some spots in case the race ended at the halfway mark. I used up a lot of the car racing on the outside for position. No one was out there so the little bit of rain really hurt the tires. Of course the rain never came but we committed early instead of saving tires for the end. We did what we needed to do ans that’s just racing.” (more…)
Eric LaFleche/VLFPhotos.com photo
Lee, NH — Wayne Helliwell Jr. came out on top of a battle with fellow home track driver Eddie MacDonald to win the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH.
Helliwell took the lead from MacDonald for the final time on a lap 117 restart following a caution for defending champion Joey Polewarczyk Jr.’s spin entering turn 3. The Dover, NH driver then held off McDonald and Maine youngster Brad Babb on two ensuing restarts to win his first Tour race at the 3/8-mile oval and eighth overall.
“We were able to cool our tires down and just crowd (MacDonald) down on that restart,” said Helliwell, who unofficially assumed the point lead following the event. “That helped us get the momentum and the drive up off the turn. Once we got to the lead, we were able to just keep the car on the bottom and roll around.