Wayne Helliwell, Jr. will be looking for another ACT Tour championship when that series begins the 2015 season on Saturday, April 18 at Oxford Plains Speedway. (Credit: ACT Tour photo.)
The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) will see the return of one of the Northeast’s most accomplished drivers this coming season. Wayne Helliwell Jr., the 2012 and 2013 ACT Champion, recently stated that he will be competing full-time on the Tour in 2015.
Taunton’s Eddie Leclerc will be hauling his Late Model race car to the New Smyrna Speedway in Florida in mid-Feb. to compete in the three day ACT Tour races during Speed Weeks. (Credit: Seekonk Speedway photo)
By Lou Modestino
2014 American Canadian Tour (ACT) Champions Alex Labbe, (21 years old), of St-Albert, Quebec and Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (Pole), (25 years old), from Hudson, New Hampshire, have both been celebrated by their peers for their championship runs last season. They now lead twenty-nine (29) teams from eight (8) different states and the province of Quebec to the New Smyrna Speedway World Series of Asphalt Racing on Sunday-Tues, February 15-17, 2015. Continue reading
Meriden, CT driver Keith Rocco is at home driving both Modified and Late Model race cars and heads to the New Smyrna Speedway to compete in the ACT American Race Challenge in mid-Feb. (Credit: NASCAR Home Tracks photo)
Lou Modestino
Keith Rocco from Meriden, CT is a 2010 NASCAR National Champion, has three (3) NASCAR SK Modified championships at the Waterford Speedbowl, two (2) ACT type Late Model Championships at the Speedbowl, and too numerous feature event wins in the heart of Modified country, Connecticut, to list. His next challenge is to head to the New Smyrna World Series of Asphalt Racing and enter the American Canadian Tour (ACT) American Racer Challenge Series on Monday and Tuesday, February 16-17, 2015. Continue reading
Joey Pole of Hudson, NH won the Fall Foilage 200 at Airborne Speedway in NY which resulted in also winning his first ACT Tour title. (Credit ACT photo)
By Lou Modestino
Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson, NH capped off his 2014 American Canadian Tour title with a win in the season finale Fall Foliage 200 at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY on Saturday, September 27. Polewarczyk used the high lane to get around Quebec’s Patrick Laperle on the final restart with just over 20 laps remaining in the event to take the lead and become the only repeat winner on the 2014 American Canadian Tour and claim his first career championship. Continue reading
Which of the 30 ACT Tour drivers will have the pleasure of kissing the cow at Thunder Road’s Milk Bowl? (Credit: Vermont Dairy Assoc.)
By Lou Modestino
The People’s United Bank Milk Bowl is full of ceremony, tradition, and exceptional stock car racing. The fall season in Vermont is the perfect backdrop for one of America’s greatest closing short track events of the race season. Continue reading
Emily Packard has emerged as one of the rising stars on the American Canadian Tour and is looking for success in this Saturday’s ACT Tour Invitational at NHMS, (Credit: ACT Tour photo)
By Lou Modestino
The starting field for the 6th annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) on Saturday, September 20, 2014 has been set. The sixth edition of the event will have the American Canadian Tour (ACT) introducing fans to a promising future for regional Late Model short track stock car racing. Veteran champions and former NHMS winners Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, MA; Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (Pole), Hudson, NH; Ray Parent, Tiverton, RI; and Brian Hoar, Williston, VT have all won events at the “Magic Mile”. This year there are lots of young emerging stars who will challenge the veterans.
Top ten point chasers who are looking to make a statement at the Bond Auto ACT Invitational include two Vermont drivers, Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown and 18 year-old Emily Packard, E. Montpelier. Hebert already has two ACT wins with an opening event at Lee USA Speedway in 2013 and a win at the 7/8ths mile Sanair Speedway, outside Montreal, Quebec. He was also second-fastest of the thirty-five (35) cars participating in the recent test and tune session at NHMS. Packard may have more laps in 2014 than any other competitor in the field entering the Invitational. She has raced a full schedule on the ACT US and is currently 5th in points, less than 10 points out of second place. She also has maintained full-time weekly schedules at both Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl in Barre, VT and Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT.
The State of Maine sends two drivers to the annual event with Rowland Robinson, Jr. from “Downeast” Steuben and Ben Ashline from Pittston. Robinson’s family team has found consistency in the 2014 season and this will be the #28ME team’s third Invitational. Ben Ashline has been the surprise of the 2014 season. After sitting out over a year and a half from racing due to non-racing injury, the Ashline team has been fast, and brought home consistent top finishes all season.
Veteran Joey Pole said, “This is always one of the most fun races to be involved with. Not only is it in my home state, and I have lots of friends and family there, but it really is like no other race we run all year. ACT has a starting system that makes teams like ours sweat it out all day. We try to figure out what we should do to come from what usually is in the mid twenties on the starting grid in order to try and win in just 50 laps. We usually end up throwing the playbook out the window and just put the right pedal on the floor and hang on!”
Two young Quebec stars have experience and talent to challenge the former winners and ACT Champions. Alex Labbe, driving the Larue Industrial Ford out of Quebec City, has risen to become another in a long line of favorites for an enthusiastic Quebec fan base. Labbe will lock up his first ACT title at the Autodrome Ste. Eustache 200 on Sunday, September 14, 2014 just by showing up. He was at the top of the speed charts throughout the NHMS test and tune day. The potent Larue team won two events during the championship run this season. Dany Trepanier is another of the fast Quebec teams with experience in the Bond Auto ACT Invitational. He won an event this season at the Autodrome Ste. Eustache (ASE), and currently sits just five points out of second place in the ACT Quebec Series, going into the final event of the year in a return visit to ASE.
Tom Curley, President of the American Canadian Tour said, “I think the great strength of our ACT system is that the program seems to introduce new and talented young teams every season., As we look to the future this is good for ACT and especially good for regional racing, both weekly and touring. The field of 43 teams we have assembled for the Invitational this year is the most diverse to attend over the past six years. It should be exciting.
The 6th annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational will be part of a sensational triple-header Saturday at NHMS. Forty-three (43) ACT teams will join the NASCAR Modified and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series on Saturday, September 20, 2014. Post time is 1:00 following the final NASCAR Sprint Cup practice. The ACT 50 mile event will post at 5 p.m.
6th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational Driver Roster
Car # Driver Hometown
3VT Ricky Roberts Washington, VT
4NY Brandon Atkins Au Sable Forks, NY
5RI Richard Staskowski Hope Valley, RI
7ME Glen Luce Turner, ME
8NH Guy Caron Lempster, NH
9ME Emily Packard East Montpelier, VT
9MA Brian Tagg Oxford, MA
9NH Kyle Welch Newport, NH
9VT Chip Grenier Graniteville, VT
10MA John Falconi Oakham, MA
10VT Josh Demers Middlesex, VT
11NH Brett Gervais Island Pond, VT
11NY Josh Masterson Charlotte, VT
15ME Ben Ashline Pittston, ME
15VT Joey Laquerre East Montpelier, VT
16ME Travis Stearns Auburn, ME
16VT Scott Dragon Colchester, VT
17MA Eddie MacDonald Rowley, MA
17RI Ray Parent Tiverton, RI
19QC Dany Trepanier St-Edouard, QC
20NH Taylor Martin Windham, NH
27NH Wayne Helliwell, Jr. Dover, NH
28ME Rowland Robinson, Jr. Steuben, ME
29NH Aaron Fellows Croyden, NH
34NH Todd Davis Claremont, NH
37VT Brian Hoar Williston, VT
38VT Tyler Cahoon St. Johnsbury, VT
41QC Jonathan Bouvrette Blainville, QC
41VT Jamie Aube N. Ferrisburg, VT
48QC Alex Labbe Quebec, QC
49NH Matt Anderson Franklin, NH
50ME Jeff White Winthrop, ME
58VT Jimmy Hebert Williamstown, VT
66VT Jason Corliss Barre, VT
77MA Jimmy Linardy Somerville, MA
78QC Stephane Descoste Oka, QC
84QC Martin Latulippe Vallee-Jonction, QC
88VT Nick Sweet Barre, VT
91CT Larry Gelinas Buxton, ME
91QC Patrick Laperle Montreal, QC
97NH Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. Hudson, NH
99VT Cody Blake Barre, VT
07MA Tom Carey, Jr. New Salem, MA
Joey Pole of Hudson, NH is always a contender when he races a Late Model, Super Late Model and ACT Tour Late Model (Credit; NHMS photo)
By Lou Modestino
Two former winners and a new young gun were the first to accept invitations to the 6th Annual Bond Auto ACT Invitational to be held at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) on Saturday, September 20, 2014. Invitations were first sent to those who qualified throughout the season by winning either an ACT US event or Série ACT event in Quebec. Continue reading
Quebec’s Patrick Leperle cleaned up and took home the lion’s share of the International 300 ACT Tour race at the Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY. (Credit: :ACT Tour photo)
By Lou Modestino
Patrick Laperle of St-Denis, Quebec has won nearly every big event the American Canadian Tour sanctions, but none match his $26,800 ACT International win at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, New York on Saturday, July 20. The former ACT and Serie ACT Champion battled by Nick Sweet over the final 20 laps of the third segment to claim the segment and overall win with finishes of 2nd, 3rd, 1st for a combined winning score of 6.
Barre’s Nick Sweet started sixth in the first 50 lap segment and took home the win followed closely by Laperle and Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. The trio then flew through the field in the 75 lap second segment using all three lanes around the ½-mile speedway. Polewarczyk claimed second followed by Laperle in third and Sweet in fourth setting up a three way tie with five combined points each for the trio heading into the final segment.
When the green flag flew on the third and final segment of 75 laps Sweet and Laperle began their march to the front, while Polewarczyk was held up in the heavy traffic. Polewarczyk suffered minor front end damage during the early stages of the event allowing Sweet and Laperle to duke it out.
Laperle followed Sweet through the field again taking advantage of Airborne’s three lanes. Sweet got to the point on lap 46, while Laperle moved into second following a lap 49 restart. Laperle hung tight to his bumper until Sweet slid up the track, giving Laperle the hole he needed. The pair remained side-by-side swapping the lead several times over the final 20 laps, while Sweet managed to lead at the start/finish line nearly every time in the outside lane. With just under five laps to go, Sweet slipped back giving Laperle the lead and the win.
The Quebecer rode to the $26,800 win over the final laps. Sweet and Polewarczyk completed the top three overall, while Brian Hoar used a second segment win and a third segment third to claim fourth. Three more Quebec drivers in Jean-François Déry, Alex Labbe and Jonathan Bouvrette took the fourth through seventh positions. Ben Lynch, rookie Brandon Atkins and Emily Packard completed the overall top ten.
On top of the $25,000 purse check, Laperle adds another $1,000 for the Bond ACT Invitational bonus and a qualifying spot in the event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH on Saturday, September 20. He also pocketed the $500 Ford Blue Oval bonus and $300 in lap money to bring his total unofficially to $26,800.
The three segment 200 total lap event was completed in just over an hour and a half with nine total cautions.
The ACT U.S. Tour heads next to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, ME on Saturday, August 9 for their 7th point counting event of the season. The Quebec-based Serie ACT has their 6th point counting event at Circuit Riverside Speedway in St-Croix, QC on Saturday, August 2.
ACT International 300 Unofficial Results
American Canadian Tour Late Models
Airborne Speedway – Plattsburgh, NY
Sunday, July 20, 2014
Pos. Driver, Hometown, Seg. 1, Seg. 2, Seg. 3, TOTAL
1. Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, QC, 2, 3, 1, 6
2. Nick Sweet, Barre, VT, 1, 4, 2, 7
3. Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Hudson, NH, 3, 2, 6, 11
4. Brian Hoar, Williston, VT, 13, 1, 3, 17
5. Jean-Francois Dery, Quebec, QC, 4, 12, 5, 21
6. Alex Labbe, St-Albert, QC, 5, 6, 10, 21
7. Jonathan Bouvrette, Blainville, QC, 11, 7, 4, 22
8. Ben Lynch, Huntersville, NC, 6, 13, 7, 26
9. #Brandon Atkins, AuSable Forks, NY, 7, 10, 12, 29
10. Emily Packard, E. Montpelier, VT, 12, 11, 8, 31
11. Jeff White, Winthrop, ME, 9, 5, 23, 37
12. Todd Davis, Claremont, NH, 10, 15, 14, 39
13. Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, MA, 8, 9, 24, 41
14. Eric Chase, Milton, VT, 14, 18, 11, 43
15. Rowland Robinson Jr., Steuben, ME, 17, 19, 9, 45
16. Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, VT, 15, 14, 16, 45
17. #Lance Allen, Barre, VT, 16, 17, 13, 46
18. Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg, VT, 23, 8, 17, 48
19. Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT, 19, 16, 15, 50
20. Jason Corliss, Barre, VT, 20, 20, 21, 61
21. #Matt Anderson, Franklin, NH, 22, 22, 20, 64
22. Boomer Morris, Barre, VT, 18, 21, 25, 64
23. Rejean Plante, St-Hyacinthe, QC, 25, 23, 19, 67
24. #Mike Ziter, Williamstown, VT, 28, 24, 18, 70
25. Patrick Emerling, Orchard Park, NY, 24, 25, 22, 71
26. #John Falconi, Oakham, MA, 21, 26, 25, 72
27. Kyle Welch, Newport, NH, 26, 27, 25, 78
28. Nick Lagoy, Plattsburgh, NY, 27, 27, 25, 79
Lap Leaders:
Segment #1 -Bobby Therrien, 1-2; Brian Hoar, 3-19; Nick Sweet, 20-22; Hoar, 23; Sweet, 24-50; Segment #2 – Bobby Therrien, 1-40; Brian Hoar, 41-50;
Segment #3 – Rowland Robinson, Jr., 1-3; Eric Chase, 4-11; Robinson, 12-13; Chase, 14; Robinson, 15-45; Nick Sweet, 46-63; Patrick Laperle, 64; Sweet, 65-70, Laperle 71-75.
Time of Race: 1:32:12 – Segment #1: 31:30; Segment #2: 31:40; Segment #3: 29:02.
Cautions: 9 (Segment #1 – 5: Laps 2, 19, 22, 23, 28) (Segment #2 – 2: Laps 2, 40) (Segment #3 – 2: Laps 39, 49)
Brian Hoar (right) and his team will be facing rival Jean Paul Cyr and other top ACT Tour drivers on Sunday, July 20 in the International 300 at Airborne Speedway Park. (Credit: Devil’s Bowl Speedway photo)
By Lou Modestino
Eight-time ACT Champion, Brian Hoar from Williston, VT and seven-time Champion Jean-Paul Cyr from Milton, VT will renew their rivalry at the ACT International 300 on Sunday, July 20 at the Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh. Continue reading
Joey Pole is a hot driver on the ACT circuit and should never be counted out. (Credit: ACT Tour photo)
By Lou Modestrino
Defending ACT International winner Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson, NH has filed the first entry for the 2014 edition of the event to be held at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY on Sunday, July 20. Polewarczyk’s historic win in the inaugural event in 2013 earned him $25,000. Continue reading