by Jay | May 2, 2010 | ACT, New England, Thunder Road
Nick Sweet Earns First Career ACT Win in Merchants Bank 150
Barre, VT – Barre’s own Nick Sweet earned his first career American Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car win in the 12th Annual Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road International Speedbowl on Sunday, May 2. Sweet started from the 12th position after qualifying through a consi. He battled his way to the front, driving around Patrick Laperle and then Dave Pembroke for the lead. Sweet held off six-time and defending ACT Late Model Tour Champion Brian Hoar of Williston late in the event. Hoar took second followed by Laperle in third.
Pembroke led the majority of the first half of the race before battling Laperle just after the halfway point in the 150 lap event. Pembroke drove back around Laperle but then lost the battle with Sweet. Pembroke would hold on for fourth and Mark Lamberton took fifth. Craig Bushey, Joey Laquerre, Chip Grenier, Scott Payea and Mark Hayward rounded out the top ten.
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by Jay | Apr 28, 2010 | ACT, Thunder Road
DEVIL’S BOWL SPEEDWAY OPENS THUNDER ROAD CHAMPIONSHIP CHASE
Waterbury, VT – There will be a new challenge for the American Canadian Tour (ACT) Thunder Road Late Model teams when they begin pursuit of the 2010 “King of the Road” title in 2010. With the announcement of the Sunday, May 23rd opening event at the newly renovated and paved Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Fair Haven, VT, the ACT Late Models from Thunder Road have been invited to compete at the historic speedway. It will be the first point-counting event of the season for the Thunder Road Late Models.
It all started with the announcement by the Champlain Valley Racing Association (CVRA) in the fall of 2009. The Richards family ownership intended to redesign both their dirt tracks for the 2010 racing season, converting them to asphalt. Sister track Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, NY was completed late last fall, and Devil’s Bowl expects to have pavement down the first week of May. It was a natural for the most popular asphalt Late Model division in the Northeast to join in the opening day celebration at Devil’s Bowl.
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by Jay | Mar 27, 2010 | ACT, New England, Thunder Road
LEIGHTON TO DEFEND TITLE AT ACT LEE USA OPENER
Waterbury, VT – Center Harbor, New Hampshire’s Brad Leighton, defending Champion of the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup has entered the opening event for the American Canadian Tour (ACT) at the Lee USA Speedway on Sunday, April 18, 2010. Leighton won the 2009 event after holding off the 2008 Governor’s Cup winner, Joey Polewarczyk, from nearby Hudson, NH.
Over fifty cars attempted to qualify for the event that saw nine different leaders before Leighton took over on lap 132 of the 150 lap grind. There were only five cautions in the event that saw one of the largest opening day crowds at Lee USA in many years.
“I am happy to get this first win of the season here at Lee Speedway, and I am really happy that in a few months I will be able to head about 30 minutes up the road to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) for the first ACT Invitational,” said an excited Leighton in victory lane.
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by Jay | Mar 10, 2010 | ACT, Thunder Road
Chip Grenier Aims for Bond/WIX Tiger Tour Title
American Canadian Tour (ACT) standout Chip Grenier of Graniteville will run the four (4) event ACT Bond/WIX Tiger Sportsman Tour for car owner Greg “Burger” Blake in 2010.
Grenier, the 2007 Thunder Road Late Model Rookie of the Year, is no stranger to the ACT Limited Sportsman (Tiger) car. During his eight (8) years behind the wheel of a Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman at Thunder Road, Grenier earned eleven (11) career victories and became a fan favorite of the Barre high banks. After running two (2) years in Thunder Road Late Model competition, Grenier ran the full season on the 2009 ACT Tour, earning ninth place in the final point standings and the 2009 ACT Tour Sportsmanship Award.
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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 17, 2010 | Thunder Road
Waterbury, VT – Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel has announced that their Hot Shoe Award program for Thunder Road competitors will continue for the 2010 season. Lenny’s awards a cash bonus to drivers in Thunder Road’s top three divisions that earn their first or second feature win of the season.
The Late Models earn $150 for their first win, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen receive $100 and the Allen Lumber Street Stocks make $50. For a driver’s second win they receive half the amount of their first win. These checks along with an embroidered hat are given to the “Hot Shoe” drivers during the pre-race ceremonies of the next event.
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