by Jay | Apr 28, 2014 | ACT, New England, Thunder Road, Touring Series News, Vermont
Wayne Helliwell, Jr. Wheels His Way to Merchants Bank Win
Barre, VT – Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Dover, NH used a cross over move on Jimmy Hebert with about 15 laps to go to claim his first career Thunder Road win in the 16th annual Merchants Bank 150 on Sunday, April 27. Hebert held on for second while 17 year old Emily Packard came home third.
Hebert led for the majority of the event after taking the lead on lap 26 from his third place starting position. He held off two former Thunder Road Late Model Champions in Nick Sweet and Derrick O’Donnell in a fierce battle, while protecting the low lane. With just under 20 laps to go, Sweet and O’Donnell made hard contact on the backstretch, bringing out the ninth caution of the event. Sweet would be done to the day with front end damage, while O’Donnell returned after changing a flat. (more…)
by | Apr 17, 2014 | ACT, Touring Series News
CHARLOTTE, NC (April 16) – The best short track racers from across North America will once again be descending on Hickory Motor Speedway this weekend as they prepare for the 9th Annual Easter Bunny 150. Racers flock to the legendary speedway nestled in the North Carolina Piedmont as the Easter Bunny 150 has become an Easter weekend tradition for the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South Super Late Model division. Likewise, fans of short track racing recognize the Easter Bunny 150 as one of the sport’s premier races, thanks in large part to the star studded field of drivers the event attracts year after year.
Names like Rowe, Lawler, Williams, Naase, and Grissom have all visited victory lane in the Easter Bunny 150 at Hickory. And, until last year’s win by Preston Peltier, no driver had achieved victory in racing’s ultimate Easter egg hunt more than once. But, even with the best the sport has to offer coming to duke it out against one another, it is a home grown product of Hickory Motor Speedway that some have circled on their entry lists as the early favorite.
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by | Apr 17, 2014 | ACT, Touring Series News
Fans Can Win Free Tickets and VIP Experiences
Waterbury, VT – Bond Auto Parts has announced a new program for the American Canadian Tour competitors who win qualifying events and attend the prestigious Bond ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 20. Bond has put up a total of $10,000 spread across nine qualifying events for drivers and fans.
Bond has announced that they will award ACT competitors $1,000 for their first win in the nine qualifying events. Repeat winners will receive $500 for each additional win, while the other $500 will be awarded to the highest finishing driver who has not yet won or received a bonus in a qualifying event. The nine events include the first seven American Canadian Tour point counting events, as well as the Vermont Governor’s Cup at Thunder Road and the International race at Airborne. Along with the $1,000 bonus, Bond Auto will also award the 15th place finisher in each of the nine events with a $100 Bond Auto gift card.
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by | Apr 17, 2014 | ACT, Touring Series News
Barre, VT – Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, VT will enter their 55th season of stock car racing with the 16th annual Merchants Bank 150 on Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27. The stars and cars from the American Canadian Tour Championship Series (ACT) will tackle both the high banks of the famous Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl, and one of the largest fields of regular Thunder Road Late Model racers in recent memory. The Merchants Bank event has been the season opener at the ¼-mile speedbowl since 1999.
Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (Pole) from Hudson, NH is looking for his first win in a Merchants Bank opener. When asked why Thunder Road is so tough, the 2014 ACT title contender said, “I love racing at Thunder Road and I hate racing at Thunder Road. It‘s been good to me and frustrating for me. Man, you earn everything you get every lap at that place. First, you have to race the track, which is high-banked, narrow, two grooves and pretty wild. Then you have to take on what is probably the largest and best group of weekly racers in the country, along with the Tour regulars. I have won some big shows (Governor’s Cup 150 in 2009 and the People’s United Bank Milk Bowl in 2010), but I’ve always wanted to win the Merchants Bank opening race. It would give our team tremendous momentum toward our goal of winning the ACT title this year,” concluded Pole.
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by | Apr 17, 2014 | ACT, Touring Series News
The American Canadian Tour kicked off its 23rd season at Lee USA Speedway again this year with the Governor’s Cup 150 on Sunday April 13th. Hitting the track for her first race of the season, Emily Packard, the 17 year old East Montpelier native, brought home her 9X Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels sponsored car in 12th place.
Rain early in the day changed the track and the schedule, shortening day and allowing little to no practice to feel the car out prior to the heat races. Starting 5th in the heat race, Packard dropped back a position early on fighting a pushing race car, but battled her way up to 4th by Lap 4. The closing laps found her in a battle of side by side racing for the last three laps holding off the 5VT car to cross the line in 4th place to secure her place in the show. “I hope it was an exciting race for the fans to watch, because it was definitely exciting from the driver’s seat,” said Packard of her tight racing with the 5vt car, “it was a good (heat) race and a good start to the season.”
Starting 9th, Packard had a good handling car, but fell back a few spots where she concentrated on saving her tires for later in the race. On lap 47, Packard passed the 37VT to move up to the 12th position and gaining on the next car in line, only to have the caution come out on lap 53. A couple of the leaders chose to pit, allowing Packard to move up to 10th on the restart. “We were able to drive away from the guy behind us and ride for a while,” said Packard. The second caution came out on lap 71, and Packard restarted 15th, working her way around the 3/8ths mile track, for the next 75 laps, moving up to 13th place. “There were a good amount of laps that we were running and taking down lap cars. We were trying to make passes and fill any holes that we could.” When the final caution came out on lap 146, Packard found herself restarting in 12th position, as the 17RI spun out while battling for the lead. When the checkers fell, Packard came home with a 12th place finish. “I think it’s a very respectable finish and I am really happy with it going into the start of the season,” said Packard. “And a big thank you to my sponsors, Northstar Fireworks, Packard Fuels, Yipes! of Barre, Fecteau Homes, Berlin Optical Expressions, GossCars.com, Be the Match, Rutland Regional Medical Center, and R.G. Paving.”
Next up for Packard is the ACT Race at Thunder Road April 26th and 27th.
by | Apr 17, 2014 | ACT, Lee USA, Touring Series News
By Dick Casey
Eddie MacDonald crossed another item off his racing “bucket list” winning the Governor’s Cup 150 at his home track in ACT’s 23rd season on Sunday. Driving the Freddie Peterson owned Late Model, Eddie Mac started on the pole, then faded back to preserve tires , and then taking the lead with five laps to go on the three‐eighths mile oval owned by his parents, Judy and Red MacDonald. The win was the first in nine ACT attempts at Lee for the Rowley, Mass. Veteran.
“This win is just incredible,” said Eddie Mac in Victory Lane. “We wanted this one for a long time. We have had fast cars in the past but have been unable to get the win. I am so happy and thankful for Sheila and Freddie Peterson for all their support. I know this win means a lot to them and I am glad we could get it for them. Rollie (LaChance) and I have been lucky enough to win some big races including Loudon, the Oxford 250, and Bristol recently but this one has eluded us so now I can cross this off the bucket list. Of course, winning at Lee in front of my mother and father, family, and all our friends and fans is really something special.”
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