Monthly Archives: January 2015

Joey Pole celebrates his first ACT Tour championship after trying nine previous efforts

 

Joey Pole celebrates his first 2014 ACT Tour championship in Burlington, VT. (Credit: ACT Tour photo) Joey Pole celebrates his first 2014 ACT Tour championship in Burlington, VT. (Credit: ACT Tour photo)[/caption]

By Lou Modestino

American Canadian Tour staff, officials and teams honored their 2014 ACT Champion Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. from Hudson, NH with the Banquet of Champions at the Doubletree Inn in South Burlington, VT on Saturday, January 15, 2015.

The 25-year-old Polewarczyk captured his first career ACT title in his 9th season with the series and pocketed the $10,000 point fund check. He was also honored with the prestigious Don MacTavish Award for his dedication and contribution to stock car racing in the Northeast. Competitors and teams who finished in the top 15 in the 2014 final standings were all recognized, along with several special awards.

Polewarczyk and his father and car owner Joe Polewarczyk, Sr. began competing on the American Canadian Tour in 2006. Considered the youngster of the series, Polewarczyk and his father quickly progressed over the years into big race winners, consistent favorites, and finally veteran Champions. In 2014, they put together arguably the best Championship Season in ACT Late Model history.

The 2014 ACT Champion was also honored with the Don MacTavish Award, which recognizes individuals for their contributions to stock car racing in the Northeast. Polewarczyk is not only a Champion and respectful driver on the track, but his positive attitude and leadership is felt throughout the pit area at any track he visits.

Other special awards of the night included the 2014 ACT Crew Chief of the Year Award, which recognizes the hardworking people behind the scenes of ACT teams. Keith Clark, crew chief of the Jimmy Hebert team, received the 2014 honors. Clark has helped develop Hebert and his team from Rookie of the Year in 2012 into race winning and championship contending caliber. Clark led the Hebert team to second place in the 2014 ACT standings.

Brandon Atkins of Au Sable Forks, NY was honored as the 2014 ACT Rookie of the Year and the Dr. Gordon Nielsen Award winner. Atkins battled amongst one of the biggest rookie classes in recent memory on the ACT Tour and claimed the top honors. The 18-year-old earned the respect of his peers, while gaining invaluable experience on the Tour in 2014. He also received the Nielsen Award as the top rookie across all ACT and Thunder Road divisions.

The teams of the American Canadian Tour can now look ahead to the 2015 season, which will kick off early this year with the special

American Racer Challenge at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna, FL on Monday and Tuesday, February 16 and 17, 2015. The regular 2015 season will open with the NH Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway at Lee, NH on Sunday, April 12, 2015. The 2015 ACT season consists of 13 events at 11 tracks across the Northeast and Quebec.

Source: ACT Tour press release

Scott Pruett looks for more success at the upcoming Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway on Jan. 24-25.

Scott Pruett has won many professional sports car races. He's always a threat whenever he competes. (Credit: Rolex Series) Scott Pruett has won many professional sports car championships ande races. He’s always a threat whenever he competes. (Credit: Rolex Series)[/caption]

By Lou Modestino

There is an old adage in motor sports: “To race is to live; all the rest is just waiting.” For many of the sports car racing teams that have gathered at Daytona International Speedway this week, it has seemed like forever since the last season ended. And now with off-season sponsor negotiations and other game-changing business matters mostly behind them, it’s time for getting down to the real business of preparing for the first major international motor sports event of 2015: the upcoming Rolex 24 At Daytona. Continue reading →

Matt Swanson looking for a Sk Lite Modified championship at Stafford in his rookie year

Matt Swanson moves from the Modified Tour Type cars to the Sk Modifieds at Stafford Motor Speedway. Credit: Matt Swanson photo.) Acton’s Matt Swanson moves from the Modified Tour Type cars to the Sk Lighht Modifieds at Stafford Motor Speedway. Credit: Matt Swanson photo.)[/caption]

By Lou Modestino

In the short 9 -year life span of Stafford’s SK Light Modified division, the track championship has been won three times by a rookie driver. The 2015 season could see a fourth rookie champion in 10 years. Acton native Matt Swanson will look to join Michael Gervais, Jr., Matt Galko, and Jeremy Sorel as rookie champions when he makes his Stafford SK Light debut at the April 24-26 NAPA Spring Sizzler. Swanson is making the move to Stafford after winning the Modified track championship at Star Speedway as a 14-year old this past season. Continue reading →

Stock cars to compete for the first time on Thompson Motorsports Park’s 1.7 mile road course!

The New England Truck Series will run on the first road course at TMSP in early September. (Credit: Wayne Barber Race Chatter photo. ) The New England Truck Series will run on the first road course at TMSP on Sept. 11-12. (Credit: Wayne Barber Race Chatter photo.)[/caption]

By Lou Modestino

Founded by long-time road racer, Lou Gingerella, and experienced motorsports professional, Josh Vanada, OTB Promotions has announced that they will host an event on Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s (CT) road course, featuring three of the region’s grassroots stock car divisions. Drivers from the North East Mini Stock Tour (NEMST), North East Street Stock Tour (NESST), and New England Truck Series (NETS) will join drivers from Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park’s (TSMP) Mini Stock Division for this historic event on Friday, September 11 and Saturday, September 12. Continue reading →

The 2015 ACT Tour to visit Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway will have a different look

Emily Packard will be making the trip to New Smyrna Speedway in mid-February during Speed Weeks. (Credit: VT Motorsports Mag. photo.)

Emily Packard will be making the trip to New Smyrna Speedway in mid-February during Speed Weeks. (Credit: VT Motorsports Mag. photo.)

By Lou Modestino

The first trip to New Smyrna Speedway (NSS) in 2011 ended up with 28 very diverse teams. Half the teams were “regular ACT touring teams”, the rest were from various elements of the overall ACT Late Model racing program that covers a wide area of the Northeastern US, and Provinces of Quebec and Ontario. Continue reading →

Modified standout Ryan Preece enters the Atlantic City Boardwalk TQ midget race

Modified standout Ryan Preece hopes that he can win another TQ Midget race at the end of January. (Cedit: Speed 51 photo)

Modified standout Ryan Preece hopes that he can win another TQ Midget race at the end of January. This time at Atlantic City, NJ.  (Credit: Speed 51 photo)

By Lou Modestino

The entire equation of the NAPA Know How Racing Weekend inside Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall changed dramatically this past week with confirmation of the entry of Ryan Preece into the Three Quarter (TQ) Midget field. The two-day race program is set for Friday and Saturday, January 30-31, 2015 and is the latest event under the promotional endeavors of Len Sammons Motorsports Productions (LSMP). Continue reading →

Devil’s Bowl Speedway releases 19-event schedule for 2015

Devil's Bowl Speedway will offer a diverse schedule schedule of both paved and dirt track racing in 2015. (Credit: Devil's Bowl Speedway photo.)

Devil’s Bowl Speedway will offer a diverse 19 race schedule of both paved and dirt track racing in 2015. (Credit: Devil’s Bowl Speedway photo.)

By Lou Modestino

Devil’s Bowl Speedway has released an exciting new 19-event stock car racing schedule for its 49th season in 2015, providing something for fans of all types of action. From May to early October, 14 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series events will be contested on the half-mile asphalt oval with an expanded five-event slate on the new one-third-mile clay surface on The Dirt Track at Devil’s Bowl. Continue reading →

Joey Logano will visit the fans at Greater Philadelphia Expo Center on the weekend of Jan. 23-25

 

Middleton, Connecticut NASCAR Sprint Cup driver Joey Logano will visit the PPB Motorsports show in Philly. (Credit: AP photo)

Middleton, Connecticut NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, Joey Logano will visit the PPB Motorsports Show held at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, PA on Jan. 23-25.  (Credit: AP photo)

By Lou Modestino

Middletown, Connecticut’s Joey Logano,the man who could very well become the next NASCAR Sprint Cup champion, will visit with fans at the huge Pioneer Pole Buildings Motorsports 2015 Presented by Sunoco Race Fuels Distributed by Insinger Performance Race Car and Trade Show which is set to take place at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, Oaks, PA January 23-25. Continue reading →

Rowley’s Eddie MacDonald will be looking for his first 2015 win at New Smyrna Speedway next month

Eddie MacDonald of Rowley hopes to start the 2015 racing season with a win at the New Smyrna Speedway's ACT Tour events in mid-February. (Credit: NASCAR Home Tracks photo)

Eddie MacDonald of Rowley hopes to start the 2015 racing season with a win at the New Smyrna Speedway’s ACT Tour events in mid-February. (Credit: NASCAR Home Tracks photo)

By Lou Modestino

Many of the long time race chasers in the Northeast have talked about the big half-mile at New Smyrna Speedway (NSS) in Florida being just like an extra-large Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH. If that is an accurate assumption, then one former Rookie-of-the-Year and two veterans from the American Canadian Tour (ACT) will have an edge going into the February trip to Florida at the “World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing”. The American Racer Challenge Cup will post $35,000 for teams from throughout the Northeast and Eastern Canada on Monday and Tuesday, February 16 and 17, 2015 in a unique twin 100 lap event over the two days. Continue reading →

Atlantic City Indoor Race Weekend on Jan. 30-31 boasts 183 entries

Kingston's Randy Cabral was disappointed that he couldn't race in the indoor TQ midget Battle of Trenton. But, he will be able to make the Jan.30-31 event to be held at the Atlantic City Convention Hall. (Credit: NEMA Photo)

Kingston’s Randy Cabral was extremely disappointed that he couldn’t race in the indoor TQ midget Battle of Trenton, NJ  in December. But, he will be able to make the Jan.30-31 event to be held at the Atlantic City Convention Hall. (Credit: NEMA Photo)

By Lou Modestino

Three Quarter (TQ) Midget driver Anthony Sesely has had the last weekend in January circled on his racing calendar – in red – ever since January 25 of 2014. Continue reading →