Eddie MacDonald of Rowley will have to wait another two weeks before he races his ACT Tour Late Model at his home track Lee USA Speedway in NH. (Credit: ACT Tour photo.)
The never-ending winter of 2015 has forced officials of the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and the Lee USA Speedway to postpone the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150, originally scheduled for Saturday, April 11 and Sunday, April 12.
By Lou Modestino
The Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) held the 2014 Championship Awards Banquet on Saturday night, January 10 at the Best Western Executive Court in Manchester, NH, where drivers received nearly $17,000 in contingency prizes and point fund moneys. Continue reading
Art Barry (right) has been responsible for giving winning Modified race cars to drivers for over six decades. (Credit: Jim Dupont photo)
By Lou Modestino
Justin Bonsignore of Holtsville, New York completed his goal Saturday night, December 6, when he officially became the 2014 Valenti Modified Racing Series champion at the 11th annual VMRS Awards Banquet at Best Western Executive Inn, Manchester, NH. Continue reading
Rick Savary of Canton won his fourth VMRS race at Lee USA Speedway in NH after Tommy Barrett, Jr. of Millis was disqualified for excessive use of the bumper. (Credit: Matt Wiernasz photo)
By Lou Modestino
Richard Savary of Canton scored his fourth win of the season on Sunday afternoon winning the 100-lap Valenti Modified Racing Series ‘Oktoberfest 100’ at Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire. Continue reading
Justin Bonsignore holds a six point edge over Rowan Pennink going into the second to last Valenti Modified Racing Series race at Lee USA Speedway. (Credit: NASCAR Home Track photo)
By Lou Modestino
The entire staff at Lee USA Speedway has been busy, readying for the final event of the 2014 season, and this weekend will welcome hundreds of race teams and thousands of race fans from all over New England for the annual Oktoberfest extravaganza at “New Hampshire‘s Center of Speed“. 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
NH driver Wayne Halliwell, Jr. is always capable of winning a Pro Stock race when he races with the Granite State Pro Stock Series. (Credit:: GSPSS photo)
By Lou Modestino
Wayne Helliwell, Jr. recorded his second career Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) win at Star Speedway in the Star 100 by surviving a green-white-checkered finish. Continue reading
Mike Sammut was able to hit the winners circle in the ISMA Supermodified race at Waterford Speedbowl’s Wings and Wheels event after a drought of four years. (Credit: ISMA photo)
By Lou Modestino
Mark Sammut of London, Ontario ended a winless drought that had lasted over four years on Saturday night at Waterford Speedbowl (CT). Sammut, whose last recorded International Supermodified Associaton (ISMA) win was on July 24, 2010 at Sandusky Speedway (OH), took the lead on lap 38 and cruised to his first career ISMA win at the 3/8-mile Connecticut oval.
“We’ve finished fourth here, we’ve finished third here, and we’ve finished second here,” said Sammut after the race. “It’s good to finally get the win here. It’s been four years since we’ve even won an ISMA race. You start to wonder if you’re ever going to win again. Tonight, the car was great and hopefully we can keep it up.”
For the second race in two nights, Ryan Coniam paced the field during the early stages of the event. Coniam led the first 37 laps of the race before heavy smoke became visible from the engine of his No. 46. Race officials would show him the black flag on lap 37 and he was forced to bring his car to pit road.
When Coniam brought his car to the infield, the car caught on fire before safety officials were able to get to the scene and extinguish the fire. Coniam would escape the car safely and go on to finish 15th.
On the ensuing restart, Mark Sammut would inherit the lead with Rob Summers and Friday night’s feature winner at Lee USA Speedway, Jon McKennedy trailing close behind. On this night, neither of the championship favorites were a match for Sammut.
“When I saw the 74 (Summers) get into second on that last restart I thought I may have seen him, but I never did,” said Sammut. “The car was strolling right along and it was working as good at the end as it was at the start of the feature. I knew if somebody was going to go by me they were going to be a lot faster.”
Summers would hold off Jon McKennedy in a battle for crucial championship points to finish in the runner-up position. After the race, Summers believed that he may have had a shot to steal the win from Sammut if he was able to get a caution later in the race.
“There were a couple times on restarts where he was better on the long runs, but on a short run I was able to get beside him,” said Summers of Vernon, Connecticut. “It was a good points night. I just wish I could bring these guys a victory. Brad Lichty and the whole team have just given me an awesome car all year. But hey, we’ll take a second-place.”
Saturday night’s win for Sammut is his first of the 2014 season and comes after a number of strong runs, most notably a race earlier this year at Oxford Plains Speedway (ME) in which he gave up the lead to Lou Cicconi while battling slower traffic in the closing stages of the race.
“It was nice to seal the deal tonight,” said Sammut. “At Oxford, it kind of got away from us. You don’t forget those because you don’t always get the chance to do it again.”
McKennedy of Chelmsford, Massachusetts would stand on the podium for the second straight night after a third-place finish. Jeff Locke and Ben Seitz completed the top-five.
Although his night came to an abrupt halt due to apparent engine issues, Ryan Coniam led the most laps (37) on Saturday night and claimed the Radical Racegear Lap Leader Award. Coniam will receive a $100 Radical Racegear product certificate for his performance.
Mike Netishen made his way to the race track later than he expected to on Saturday afternoon, but he was rewarded with a solid day and a top-10 finish. Netishen started from the 18th position and gained a total of nine positions during the 50-lap event to claim the $100 Hard Charger Award presented by Colonel Arnold Briggs In Memory of his brother, SFC Charles T. Briggs, USMC, an early supporter of Supermodified racing.
As is a tradition whenever the ISMA Supermodifieds are in town, a lucky fan in the grandstands on Saturday night took home a free bicycle in the ISMA Free Bike Giveaway presented by New England Motor Racing Supply in Hollis, New Hampshire.
The “Winged Warriors” of the International Supermodified Association will return to action next weekend with a doubleheader north of the border in Ontario, Canada. On Friday, August 15, ISMA will travel to Delaware Speedway before finishing the weekend on Saturday, August 16 at Sunset International Speedway.
ISMA Wings & Wheels 50-Lap Feature Results
Waterford Speedbowl – Waterford, Connecticut
August 10, 2014
1. Mark Sammut
2. Rob Summers
3. Jon McKennedy
4. Jeff Locke
5. Ben Seitz
6. Justin Belfiore
7. Eddie Wiltkum
8. Jon Gambuti
9. Mike Netishen
10. Dave Duggan
11. Jamie Timmons
12. Bobby Chartier
13. Eric Lewis
14. Dan Bowes
15. Ryan Coniam
16. Chris Perley
17. Dave Sanborn
18. Tim Ice
19. Craig Rayvals
Lap Leaders: Coniam (1-37), Sammut (38-50)
Cautions: 4 – Lap 5, Lap 11, Lap 16, Lap 38
Heat 1: Ryan Coniam, Rob Summers, Ben Seitz, Tim Ice, Dan Bowes, Dave Sanborn, Craig Rayvals
Heat 2: Chris Perley, Jeff Locke, Eric Lewis, Jamie Timmons, Bobby Chartier, Dave Duggan
Heat 3: Mark Sammut, Jon McKennedy, Eddie Witkum, Justin Belfiore, Jon Gambutti, Mike Netishen
Joey Pole is a very talented driver and is always a threat to win where ever he races. Be it in ACT, PASS or NASCAR. (Credit: Joey Pole photo)
By Lou Modestino
The American Canadian Tour (ACT) will next appear at the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, ME on Saturday, August 9. The Hudson, New Hampshire native, Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (Pole) has to be considered a favorite to win the race. In the 2014 ACT Championship standings Pole has a comfortable 56 point lead over second place racer Jimmy Hebert, from Williamstown, VT. He is also winless so far during the 2014 campaign. Continue reading
By Lou Modestino
The Valenti Modified Racing Series returns to New Hampshire Friday night, June 27, when the series invades Lee USA Speedway, a mainstay on the series schedule since 2004. Continue reading