by | Mar 22, 2014 | ACT, Touring Series News
Waterbury, VT –The best group of young talent in nearly 30 years has emerged to challenge some of the biggest stock car racing stars in the Northeast during the 2014 American Canadian Tour (ACT) upcoming season.
“Having this many talented young teams is exactly what ACT racing was designed for. All these teams have come out of weekly tracks and are now testing the longer distance events. ACT tries to create schedules that will still allow teams to race at their “home tracks” during the height of the race season. We have lots of events scheduled in early Spring and later in the Fall. Watching these new young teams develop has become one of the most fun parts of the business for me. There is nothing more exciting than to see a young racer win his/her first major event!!”, said Tom Curley, long-time promoter of ACT racing.
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by | Mar 21, 2014 | ACT, Lee USA, New Hampshire, Touring Series News
Waterbury, VT –American Canadian Tour (ACT) teams look at Lee USA Speedway’s annual New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 to kickstart their race season on Sunday, April 13, 2014. The optimism is well-founded. ACT Late Models can boast 10 different winners in 11 events held at Lee since 2003.
The list of winners is impressive, with a huge diversity of experience. Starting the list of winners are two Canadian teams, featuring four-time ACT US and Canadian Champion Patrick Laperle from St. Denis, QC and NASCAR Canadian Champion DJ Kennington, St. Thomas, ON in 2003 and 2004, respectively.
Seven-time ACT Champion Jean-Paul Cyr, and three time Thunder Road Champion Cris Michaud, along with the 1995 ACT Pro Stock Champion from Fast One racing, Brad Leighton all went to victory lane at Lee USA Speedway. Pro All Star Series Champion Ben Rowe from Turner, Maine won the NH Governor’s Cup in 2008. Lee regular weekly racer Miles Chipman shocked the ACT regulars in 2010 with a win for long-time car owner David Storey.
Perennial front-runner Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. from Hudson, NH was a first-time winner in 2008. “I remember what a great feeling it was to win that race. I started my ACT career at Lee and to get that win really gave my career a boost. I think Brian (eight (8) time ACT Champion Brian Hoar from Williston, VT) is the only guy who has won the Lee opener twice, and that is definitely my goal this year. If we can start the season like we ended 2013, this could help us get that first ACT Championship this season. I can’t wait for the season to begin,” said Pole.
The defending New Hampshire Governor’s Cup winner, Jimmy Hebert, from Williamstown, VT stunned the veterans and the full house a year ago, with his first ever ACT win in just his second year of competition. “It was with a lot of help from my team and Dale Shaw that got me that win, but really with the number of cars and quality of race teams we raced with, it was pretty much a shock to me. I only remember coming around with the checkered flag victory lap and seeing my father jumping up and down on the track. That was pretty special. I hope to repeat this year,” said Hebert.
The ACT opening event at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH will take place with a full practice on Saturday, April 12 and a 150-lap feature event on Sunday, April 13, 2014. Qualifying will begin at 1:00 on Sunday.
by | Feb 19, 2014 | ACT, Touring Series News
Waterbury, VT – Veteran stock car driver Aaron Fellows, from Croydon, New Hampshire, is the first to file a full season entry for the 2014 American Canadian Tour season. Fellows has compiled an impressive ten championships in his weekly short track career in both the weekly Late Model and Modified divisions at New Hampshire’s Twin State (6) and Canaan (4) Speedways.
“We have decided to give the ACT Tour a try this year. With the shutdown of Canaan, and the rumors of some veteran teams planning to cut back from a full touring schedule, this looks like an opportune time. We had some good finishes in the races we were at last season with ACT. Top ten runs at Canaan and Beech Ridge gave our team some confidence. Of course the highlight of the year was when we finished fourth at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS). The Bond ACT Invitational is really a short track racers dream event. My goal is to get back to NHMS in September,” said Fellows.
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by | Feb 4, 2014 | ACT, Touring Series News
Waterbury, VT – The U.S.-based American Canadian Tour (ACT) has announced a management change for its Canadian Late Model stock car series, beginning in 2014. Racing Promotion Management, Ltd. (RPM), a Quebec-based company, led by long-time racing enthusiast and promoter Sylvain Brouillette and his partner Jean-François Fredette, will take over the day-to-day promotion, marketing and event responsibilities for the 2014 season.
ACT took over the struggling Series in 2007, and it has turned into the most exciting stock car racing in Quebec, drawing large crowds and crowning notable champions of the Series like Donald Theetge from Quebec City, Patrick Laperle from Montreal, Ste. Felicien’s Karl Allard, and 2013 defending Champion Jean-François Déry from Quebec City.
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by | Jan 24, 2014 | ACT, Touring Series News
Labor Day Replaces Governor’s Cup
Waterbury, VT – The four race Vermont State Late Model Championship series, which boasts an $11,000 point fund, will see changes in 2014. The series, which features four events split between Vermont’s only two paved oval speedways, will now include the Labor Day Classic at Barre’s Thunder Road on the schedule, instead of the Vermont Governor’s Cup as in years past.
The Vermont State Late Model Championship was created in 2012 and hosts two races each at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven and Thunder Road in Barre. Once again the series will kick off with the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 100 at Thunder Road on Sunday, May 25. The 1/4-mile portion of the series will conclude with the Labor Day Classic 200 on Sunday, August 31. The Labor Day event will also be the final Thunder Road Late Model point-counting event for 2014.
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by | Dec 3, 2013 | ACT, New England, Touring Series News
Waterbury, VT – The American Canadian Tour (ACT) released its 2014 schedule which is highlighted by visits to nine (9) different Northeast tracks. The schedule includes a total of twelve (12) events with nine (9) Championship point counting events and three popular ‘special’ events on the calendar.
The traditional event to open the 2014 campaign on April 12-13 will once again be at the Lee USA Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire. The ACT has been visiting the 1/3 mile oval since Red and Judy MacDonald purchased the speed plant in 1987. “It is just one of those relationships that have endured throughout the past 25 years. We tried to help Red and Judy when they first started, and they have been there for us whenever we needed help over the years. This kind of relationship, in this type of business, is generally very rare, but greatly appreciated” said Tom Curley, President of the American Canadian Tour, which was established in 1986.
The home of the ACT, Thunder Road International Speedbowl will host its only point counting event with the Merchants Bank 150 on opening weekend April 26-27. Next up will be the historic Spring Green 114 to be held at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Fair Haven, VT on Sunday, May 4. This will be the fourth opening day Spring Green event at the super fast ½ mile oval.
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