2009 RESULTS and PHOTOS

With more than 50 Late Models trackside, Brent qualified via the second consi and started on the outside pole, next to Brian Hoar, because of his +/- score. Brent ran in the top three or top five most of the race but slid back to 9th at the finish.

ACT RELEASE: Graniteville’s John Donahue won the 47^th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl at Thunder Road International Speedbowl on Sunday, October 4. Donahue’s fifth place finish in the third segment was enough to edge out Brent Dragon by just four points. Dragon went into the third segment as the overall leader after winning the first segment and placing 10^th in the second segment. His tenth place finish in the third segment gave him an overall score of 21 points for the three segment event.

Donahue took the green in the final segment trailing Dragon by just one point. The two fought hard through traffic to get to the front but Donahue got into the open air quicker and made it up to fifth and secured the win with a combined score of 17.

Top 10 - 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl Results

Pos      Car #   Driver                            TOTAL

1          26vt     John Donahue                17

2          55vt     Brent Dragon                  21

3          7vt       Eric Williams                   26

4          97nh    Joey Polewarczyk, Jr.   28

5          37         Brian Hoar                      29

6          44         Dave Pembroke             31

7          18         Jamie Fisher                   31

8          88         Nicholas Sweet               31

9          15vt     Joey Laquerre                 34
10        9vt       Chip Grenier                    37

ACT RELEASE - The 47^th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl at Barre’s Thunder Road originally scheduled for Sunday, September 27^th, has been postponed due to rain. The event has been rescheduled for next Sunday, October 4^th.

The 47^th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl is the final event of Thunder Road’s 50^th Anniversary Season. Barre’s Nick Sweet will start on the pole of the first segment next Sunday, after earning the Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Pole award on Saturday, September 26. Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. will start on the outside pole after coming up just short in his bid for a fourth straight pole award. A total of 54 cars attempted to qualify for the non-point counting event. The field of 30 has been set for the first segment.

Brent starts 3rd from his performance in the time trials, also posting a sub 13.2 sec. lap time. Since the top three are only required to run half of the 50 lap heat race, Brent will start the Milk Bowl with 25 lap fresher tires.

The Invitational was a great opportunity and a great learning experience for Brent and the 55VT team. The jump to a 1 mile superspeedway was indeed a big jump.

In the morning 20 minute practice session, the plan was to set the car up loose in anticipation of the track tightening up later in the day. The 55VT posted competitive times in that session.

But the combination of 400 laps of race rubber, shade and cooler temps on the main straight and turns 1 and 2, and finally the aero push effects of the 36 cars running together made the 55 a car that just wouldn't turn. Loose hadn't been anywhere near loose enought. At the second caution, Brent headed for pit lane to have the crew make a big change in the Panhard bar to really loosen it up. That, worked and Brent was running times close to winner Eddie MacDonald in the #17 during the final eight laps.

Another discovery was that the draft of multiple cars pulled the revs right up to the chip in the rev limiter. So gearing will have to be adjusted for the next race at NHMS.

Brent started in 20th, dropped toward the back at the pit stop, and moved up to 19th at the checkers with the car much improved.

With plenty of notes and knowing what it all feels like out there, Brent is looking forward to a return to the NHMS "Magic Mile" next season.

Montreal’s Patrick Laperle used smart tire strategy and a strong car to win the American Canadian Tour Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Fall Foliage 300 after leading the majority of the way. Laperle battled early with another Quebecer Donald Theetge as they both started on the front row. Theetge spun on lap 14 and opened the door for another Serie ACT Castrol regular Karl Allard. Allard and Laperle then went at it until about the halfway point when Allard bowed out with rearend issues. Laperle then battled with Brent Dragon for the lead for nearly 100 laps.

The majority of the drivers chose to pit between about laps 120 and 160, while Laperle lasted until lap 248 until he pitted for fresh tires and fuel. It didn’t take Laperle long to move back to the front of the field and get by Brent Dragon and Brian Hoar, who were leading the way. Laperle took the lead again on lap 258 and led the rest of the way.

Brian Hoar and Brent Dragon held on for second and third. John Donahue, Scott Payea and Chip Grenier were the final 3 cars on the lead lap. Donald Theetge, Sylvain Lacombe, Craig Bushey and Glen Luce rounded out the top ten.

The 300 lap event took 1 hour, 57 minutes and 59 seconds to complete with 10 cautions. Nineteen of the thirty-six cars that started the event took the checkers. A total of 39 cars attempted to qualify.

Pos      Car #   Driver

1          91        Patrick Laperle

2          37        Brian Hoar

3      55VT  Brent Dragon

4          26VT    John Donahue

5          89        Scott Payea

6          9VT      Chip Grenier

7          80        Donald Theetge

8          3          Sylvain Lacombe

9          05        Craig Bushey

10        7ME     Glen Luce

Points Standings - With Two Races Dropped
1 - 37 - Brian Hoar - 913
2 - 89 - Scott Payea - 885
3 - 26VT - John Donahue - 844
4 - 55VT - Brent Dragon - 833
5 - 97NH - Joey Polewarczyk Jr. - 815
6 - 02NH - Randy Potter - 800
7 - 7VT - Eric Williams - 669
8 - 7ME - Glen Luce - 663
9 - 9VT - Chip Grenier - 646
10 - 51ME - Ricky Rolfe - 615

Pos         Car #      Driver

1              44           Dave Pembroke

2              26VT      John Donahue

3              91           Patrick Laperle

4              37           Brian Hoar

5              7VT         Eric Williams

6              6              Cris Michaud

7           55vt     Brent Dragon

8              9vt          Chip Grenier

9              05           Craig Bushey

10            88            Nicholas Sweet

Brent Dragon of Milton, VT scored his second feature win of the week in American Canadian Tour competition. Dragon took home the win in the Twin State 100 at Twin State Speedway in Claremont, NH after winning the Showdown at Chaudiere just five days ago. It was Dragon’s first win of the 2009 ACT Tour season.

Dragon took over the lead after Phil Scott was involved in a lap 82 accident. Prior to the accident Scott had led every lap after starting on the pole. Dragon came from the fourth starting position to challenge Scott before the wreck. John Donahue challenged Dragon for the final 17 laps but settled for second, followed by point leader Scott Payea in third. Young Joey Doiron came home fourth followed by Brian Hoar to round out the top five. Quebec’s Daniel Descoste finished sixth followed by Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Ben Rowe, Aaron Fellows and Dallas Trombley completed the top ten.


The 100 green flag laps were completed in just under 45 minutes with sixth cautions. Thirty cars started the event with 14 cars finishing on the lead lap. Forty-one cars attempted to qualify.

Dragon has already qualified for the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 19 with both a win on the Serie ACT Castrol at Riverside Speedway and with last week’s win in the Showdown at Chaudiere.

Pos      Car #   Driver                          Laps

1        55VT Brent Dragon      100

2          26VT    John Donahue             100

3          89        Scott Payea                 100

4          73ME   #Joey Doiron               100

5          37        Brian Hoar                    100

6          2          Daniel Descoste          100

7          97NH  Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. 100

8          10NH   Ben Rowe                     100

9          29        Aaron Fellows              100

10        25        Dallas Trombley          100

Brent dominated the final half of the Second Annual Showdown at Chaudiere 200 and led the U.S. team to the overall victory.

The first 91 laps saw a battle between former Serie ACT Castrol champion Karl Allard and current ACT Tour point leader Scott Payea. The two swapped the lead a total of five times before Dragon took the lead from Payea on lap 92. Dragon came from the ninth starting position to lead the final 109 laps of the 200 lap event.

The U.S. team took 7 of the top 10 positions on its way to taking the team win for the second year in a row. The best eleven competitors from the ACT US TOUR battled the best eleven from the Série ACT Castrol.

Brent and the #55vt joined twenty-six other teams at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Tuesday, August 25th for the first of two test and tune days in preparation for September 19th's ACT INVITATIONAL. Fifty-three total teams were selected to attend the test days. Brent earned his invitation with his win at the The Riverside 100 at Riverside Speedway in
St. Croix, QC on June 20th. Only 36 will start the 50 lap challenge on the largest (1.058 mile) race track that ACT competitors have ever tackled.

Rear end gearing and front camber settings to avoid overloading inside of the right front tires were the first tuning tasks. Brent did blister one tire but did not have a failure. The #55 turned times in the 32.2 range, right with the pack of the faster cars.

After solo runs in the morning and immediately after the lunch break, the cars were split into two groups for "mock races" to give the drivers experience in starting and drafting on the "Monster Mile."

The day went very well with few problems - a great success considering that only four of the 27 drivers had ever raced at NHMS or a track that size before. 

The American Canadian Tour (ACT) announced on August 13th that over a 30-day period from August 29^th through September 27^th there would be purses posted of over a quarter million dollars for Late Model race teams in the Northeast and Canada.

Starting with the Coors Light Showdown of Champions event at the 1/3-mile banked Autodrome Chaudiere in the Beauce region outside Quebec City, the top eleven (11) US ACT Tour teams will go head to head with the top (11) ACT Castrol Serie teams. The winner of the event gets the grand prize of $5,000 from the $35,000 in posted purse. Everyone is guaranteed $1,000 minimum, but this year, promoter Michel Lessard has posted a ‘kicker’. The winning ‘team’, be it the US or Castrol team, will share equal portions of an added $5,500.00. The $500 bonus per member will go to the team whose 11 total finishes outpoint the other team. The biggest names in ACT racing from both sides of the border will be attending the second edition of the Showdown. Patrick Laperle barely beat defending ACT Castrol Champion, Alexandre Gingras, in the inaugural 200-lap event in 2008.
FULL STORY HERE

NUTMEG STATE 100  TOP 10 RESULTS

Pos Car # Driver Laps
1 - 37 - Brian Hoar - 100
2 - 02NH - Randy Potter - 100
3 - 89 - Scott Payea - 100
4 - 26VT - John Donahue - 100
5 - 47 - Tim Jordan - 100
6 - 55VT - Brent Dragon - 100
7 - 73ME - Joey Doiron - 100
8 - 97NH - Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. - 100
9 - 88 - Ron Yumas Jr. - 100
10 - 38VT - Tyler Cahoon - 100

1. (9) 37 Brian Hoar, Williston, Vt.
2. (25) 7vt Eric Williams, Hyde Park, Vt.
3. (2) 6 Cris Michaud, Northfield, Vt.
4. (4) 02 Randy Potter, Groveton, N.H.
5. (10) 51 Ricky Rolfe, Albany Township, Maine
6. (22) 50 Jay Laquerre, East Montpelier, Vt.
7. (8) 55vt Brent Dragon, Milton, Vt.
8. (32) 26vt John Donahue, Graniteville, Vt.
9. (17) 89 Scott Payea, Milton, Vt.
10. (12) 12 Nick Brown, Topsham, Maine

Brent led the first two laps, lost it to MacDonald, then regained it on lap 15. Finally lost the lead to John Donahue about lap 85. Pitted at lap 129 with most of the other leaders. Fought back into the top ten by lap 165.
Up to sixth in the final 25 laps. Two and three wide racing for the entire
event plus heavy traffic.

John Donahue of Graniteville, VT dominated the White Mountain 150 American-Canadian stock car race at White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, NH. Donahue earned the pole starting position after receiving a plus 7 in the ACT Tour’s plus-minus handicap system. No one could keep up with the blistering pace he set as he led every lap of the event and lapped all but the top ten.

Brent Dragon earned the runner-up position after starting sixth, followed by Nick Sweet, Eric Williams, and Ben Rowe rounding out the top five. Scott Payea came home sixth, Cris Michaud seventh, Tyler Cahoon eighth, Brad Leighton ninth and Pete Potvin was the last car on the lead lap and finished tenth.

Donahue becomes the sixth different winner in six completed tour events. He becomes the eleventh different driver to earn his way to New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the ACT Invitational on September 19th.

The American-Canadian Tour has next weekend off before making its next stop north of the border in Fraserville, ON at Kawartha Speedway for the Summer Sizzler 200 on Sunday, July 12th.

Unofficial White Mountain 150 Results

Pos - Car # - Driver
1 - 26VT - John Donahue
2 - 55VT - Brent Dragon
3 - 88 - Nicholas Sweet
4 - 7VT - Eric Williams
5 - 10NH - Ben Rowe
6 - 89 - Scott Payea
7 - 6 - Cris Michaud
8 - 38VT - Tyler Cahoon
9 - 55NH Brad Leighton
10 - 41 - Pete Potvin, III

Young Joey “Pole” Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson, NH scored his first career win at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in the CARQUEST Governor’s Cup 150. Pole got by Jamie Fisher to take the lead shortly after a restart with just under 100 laps to go.

Unofficial CARQUEST Governor’s Cup Results

Fin Pos Car # Driver
1 - 97NH - Joey Polewarczyk, Jr.
2 - 6 - Cris Michaud
3 - 88 - Nicholas Sweet
4 - 18 - Jamie Fisher
5 - 26VT - John Donahue
6 - 44 - Dave Pembroke
7 - 85 - Trampas Demers
8 - 14VT - Phil Scott
9 - 15VT - Joey Laquerre
10 - 7VT - Eric Williams
11 - 8VT - Rich Lowrey
12 - 55VT - Brent Dragon

Milton, Vermont’s Brent Dragon dominated the Series ACT Castrol Riverside 100 stock car race at Riverside Speedway in St-Croix, QC. Dragon made the trek up north after finding out the Nutmeg State make-up scheduled at Waterford Speedbowl was cancelled. After taking the initial green in the 12th position, Dragon worked his way through the field to take the lead from Daniel Descoste on lap 23. Donald Theetge and Sylvain Lacombe both pressured Dragon late in the race but to no avail.

Patrick Hamel came from the ninth starting position to finish in the runner-up position followed by Martin Lacombe, Sylvain Lacombe and Eric St-Gelais rounding out the top five. Trampas Demers finished sixth and was chased to the line by Jean-François Déry, Patrick Laperle, Donald Theetge and Pier-Luc Ouellette rounding out the top ten.
 

Follow along to see who become qualifiers for the ACT Invitational HERE

Dragon is the tenth driver to qualify for the American-Canadian Tour Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 19th.
Five have qualified by winning Series ACT Castrol events and five have qualified by winning ACT Tour events.

The race was slowed by nine cautions, one caused by a brief rain shower, and 17 cars finished on the lead lap. The Series ACT Castrol have next weekend off and will be back at Autodrome Montmagny on July 4th.

In the last five trips to the St-Croix facility, Brent has recorded 3 wins and 2 seconds at one of his favorite tracks.

A day of testing at White Mountain Motorsports Park to work on suspension tuning seems to have paid off, since the #55 has had great speed at both St. Croix and the rain-postponed Waterford events.

Unofficial Top 10 - Riverside 100

Pos - Car # - Driver
1 - 55VT - Brent Dragon
2 - 51PQ - Patrick Hamel
3 - 03 - Martin Lacombe
4 - 3 - Sylvain Lacombe
5 - 42 - Eric St-Gelais
6 - 85 - Trampas Demers
7 - 21QC - Jean-François Déry
8 - 91 - Patrick Laperle
9 - 80 - Donald Theetge
10 - 8QC - Pier-Luc Ouellete

On Saturday, May 30th, Brent, Dad Beaver (above left), and Uncle Bobby (above right) took a run down to Bradford, VT for a fun night of dirt racing at Bear Ridge Speedway.

After requiring a provisional to start the Oxford ACT race, Brent suffered mechanical problems immediately and spent the entire race in and out of the pits, posting a 30th place finish.

Brent Scores a Fifth in the Spring Green 100

Scott Payea of Milton, VT steals the  victory after a race long battle between Randy Potter of Groveton, NH and Brad Leighton of Center Harbor, NH. Potter and Leighton fought for the first 90 laps, swapping the lead back and forth. Potter appeared to gain the upper hand until Payea took the lead with less than ten laps remaining. Payea held off Potter during the final shootout setup by a caution with three to go.

Former Castrol Series champion Donald Theetge was fourth, while Brent posted his best finish of the year in fifth.

All 34 cars that stayed over after rain on Saturday moved the show to Sunday afternoon started the race.

Payea becomes the third different winner in the first three races of the 2009 ACT Tour season. He also becomes the third driver to stamp his ticket to the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 19^th.

The 2009 Spring Green 100 was one of the most exciting in recent ACT Tour history thanks to the newly redesigned Airborne Speedway. Drivers took advantage of the multiple racing grooves that Airborne has to offer to put on a great show for the fans.

Fin - Start - Car # - Driver

1 - 9 - 89 - Scott Payea
2 - 1 - 02NH - Randy Potter
3 - 2 - 55NH - Brad Leighton
4 - 14 - 80 - Donald Theetge
5 - 5 - 55VT - Brent Dragon
6 - 15 - 37 - Brian Hoar
7 - 16 - 7ME - Glen Luce
8 - 6 - 78VT - Ryan Nolin
9 - 28 - 32 - Mike Olsen
10 - 8 - 18 - Jamie Fisher

UnOfficial Points
after Airborne - 5/10
1. Scott Payea - 287
2. Brian Hoar - 253
3. Joey Pole - 252
4. Randy Potter - 249
5. Brent Dragon - 232
6. Mike Olsen - 229
7. Glen Luce - 212
8. Brad Leighton - 200
9. John Donahue - 196
10. Jamie Fisher - 181

Fin - Start - Car # - Driver - Hometown
1 - 5 - 7VT - Eric Williams - Hyde Park, VT
2 - 23 - 91 - Patrick Laperle - St-Denis-sur-Richelieu
3 - 7 - 89 - Scott Payea - Milton, VT
4 - 4 - 44 - Dave Pembroke - Montpelier, VT
5 - 13 - 37 - Brian Hoar - Williston, VT
6 - 11 - 88 - Nick Sweet - Barre, VT
7 - 6 - 55VT - Brent Dragon - Milton, VT
8 - 16 - 02NH - Randy Potter - Groveton, NH
9 - 12 - 97 - Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. - Hudson, NH
10 - 8 - 7ME - Glen Luce - Turner, ME

Brent Dragon out of Milton, VT is ready for the 2009 ACT Tour Season. His goals are to win a couple races, the championship and to go to the Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September. For Dragon it was a big shock for the ACT Tour to run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “ We’ve heard talk about it for the last couple years. Tom (Curley) would like to go there before he gets out of racing.” Dragon stated.

He didn’t think it would be possible for the ACT Tour to run at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. The announcement was made in November where the ACT Tour drivers from the Northeast and Canada would showcase their talent in a 50 lap showdown with 36 cars starting in the event. The race will be held on September 19th.

The Dragon family does have experience to running race cars at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Brent’s father Beaver ran at Bryar Motorsports Park which was a road course before Bob Bahre turned it into New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Beaver ran the old NASCAR North and the NASCAR Busch North Series.

A track the ACT Tour has ran that is like Loudon is Sanair up in Canada. Sanair is a 7/8 mile track. The tour last’s visit at Sanair was in 2006 where Ben Rowe took down the win.

Dragon’s strong tracks were Airborne and Oxford in 2008. The way ACT Tour qualifying works is a driver would draw for his heat position. Oxford was the strongest track for Dragon in 2008 “ We drew absotuley terrible in our heat. We would start in the rear every time and finish in the top 10 in every race. Those were pretty good races.” Dragon would like to improve his performance at Thunder Road this season. Dragon had troubles there last year where he is use to finishing in the top 5. “ This year I don’t think we finished in the top 10.” Dragon stated.

For race setups, an ACT driver cannot go to a NASCAR Camping World East driver for those because the cars are setup differently. For an ACT driver to help setup a car for the Loudon race, they can go back to their notes from Sanair where the race happened two years ago. An ACT Tour team for an entire season can spend $50,000 to do the whole season according to Dragon. The ACT Tour has been using crate motors. Dragon has been in big favor of using the crate motors. Instead of running a $40,000-$50,000 motor, he can pay $7,000 for his motor. Dragon also used the same model crate in his Pro Tour Truck. With the economy tough for race teams to make ends meet. Dragon used to have two cars at the shop but sold one to a guy out of Canada. A gentlemen out of Ottawa purchased the car from Dragon. “ I raced up there one this summer. The guy was pretty happy the way it went. He came down a couple months ago and bought it.” If the economy got worse, Dragon would cut back his ACT Schedule.

Dragon for 2009 went with a yellow paint scheme for this season. Dragon likes the color yellow and has always wanted a yellow race car. Dragon started the ACT Season at Lee USA Speedway this past Sunday (April 19th). Dragon started 23rd and finished 14th one lap down.

Waterbury, VT - The American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model teams
will open the most ambitious schedule ever with the New Hampshire Governor's Cup 150 lap championship event on April 19, 2009 at the Lee USA Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire.

The excitement for the 2009 lid-lifter has reached an all-time high. Besides capturing an opening day victory, the winner of the New Hampshire Governor's Cup 150 will become the first of thirty-six qualifiers for the inaugural ACT INVITATIONAL to be held at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 19, 2009. It has brought out the most competitive field of racers to an ACT opening event in many years.

A record number of entries are expected for what has become a favorite stop for the touring regulars. ACT Tour Championship contenders, including Vermonters Brent Dragon, John Donahue, five-time ACT Champion Brian Hoar, 3-time Thunder Road Champion Cris Michaud, and former ACT and Thunder Road Champion Phil Scott have all entered the event. Former Lee USA competitor Ricky Wolf joins a strong group of Lee regulars with home track advantage including Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Bryan Kruczek and Jeremy Harclerode who have entered the opening event. The Lee regulars have tested the ACT Tour regulars at their home track in the past; they are expected to do the same on April 19th.

Cris Michaud finished third in the New Hampshire Governor's Cup last year and said, "Our team has always competed well at Lee, in fact, over the years we have been fortunate to finish in the top five nearly every time we have raced there. This year it would be special to win early and get the pressure off our team by securing a qualified spot the ACT INVITATIONAL. We are very excited about opening at Lee, it has become one of my favorite tracks, away from Thunder Road."

There are a number of 'outlaws' who have entered the opening event at Lee. Donald Theetge from Quebec City, QC has entered the opener. Theetge, who ran the ACT Tour for the past two years will return to challenge for the ACT Serie Castrol Championship in Quebec in 2009. Theetge is a two-time former Champion of the Quebec series. The 'King of the Outlaws', Eddie MacDonald from Rowley, MA has also entered. MacDonald has made it clear that he is interested in winning one of the ACT Tour Qualifiers which will get him an invitation to the New Hampshire Motor Speedway event. MacDonald swept both legs of the Loudon weekend in 2008 while competing in the NASCAR Camping World East Series at the 'magic mile'. The 'outlaw' also closed late in the 2008 edition of the 100-lap event to challenge eventual winner, Hudson, NH's
Joey Polewarczyk. This year the event will cover a distance of 150 laps.
That should fit right into the strategy of the versatile star from Rowley,
MA very well.

Opening day action at Lee USA has been a long tradition for the American
Canadian Tour. When owners Red and Judy MacDonald first opened Lee back in 1987, it was the ACT Pro Stock Tour that thrilled opening day crowds. ACT brought the most competitive exciting short track racing in the region to area short tracks back then. Not much has changed since those opening years, and with the return of the ACT Late Model Tour Sunday, April 19, 2009, a new season of short track excitement will start their engines one more time. Post time for the New Hampshire Governor's Cup is 1:00 pm. For additional information contact Lee USA Speedway at 987.462.4252. 
www.LeeUSASpeedway. com     www.ACTtour.com

Waterbury, VT - Milton, Vermont's veteran race driver, Brent Dragon
and Hudson, New Hampshire's young star Joey Polewarzcyk ('Pole') were the first to file full season entries to race for the American Canadian Tour
(ACT) Championship during the 2009 thirteen race campaign. Dragon has
finished either 2nd or 3rd during half the dozen years he has raced on the
TOUR. Joey "Pole" has finished in the top 10 in points since joining the
TOUR full time in 2005, at the age of sixteen.

Dragon, a multi-time Airborne Speedway Champion considers the addition of a 300-lap race at Airborne this September a favorable windfall for his 2009 effort to capture the ACT Championship. Dragon said, "I think it is about time we finally get a championship on the American Canadian TOUR. Having a second race at my favorite track (Airborne) hopefully will work in our favor. Dragon went on the say, "We were so proud to win the prestigious MacTavish Award at this year's banquet, I can't think of a better way to back it up than by winning the ACT title in 2009." Dragon knows that it won't be easy. The competition at ACT seems to get deeper and deeper each season. Maine veterans Glen Luce and former Oxford champion Ricky Rolf, along with 5-time ACT champion Brian Hoar from So. Burlington, VT, as well as the veteran team of Randy Potter from New Hampshire have all thrown their hats in the ring as title contenders to spoil Dragon's bid.

Young sensation, Joey Pole will certainly have something to say about who wins the title in 2009. Pole was a two-time winner on the TOUR in 2008, sat on the pole for the 45th running of the Chittenden Milk Bowl at Thunder Road, and is focused on winning the 2009 ACT Championship. Pole said, "There are so many good veteran teams and such a variety of different tracks that we will be going to in 2009, it will be tougher than ever, but our team is very focused as we get ready to take on the challenge. I think the past few years have taught me a lot about how to compete for the title. I guess it is time to see if I can take advantage of all the things I've learned. I sure am excited about the coming season and can't wait to get started."

The 2009 ACT TOUR will open at Lee USA Speedway, Lee, New Hampshire on Sunday, April 19. The 150-lap event will also be the first qualifier for the ACT Invitational to be held on September 19th at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the NASCAR Chase weekend. The Lee event will award a $500 bonus and starting spot in the highly anticipated ACT Invitational.   www.ACTtour.com

Dragon Motorsports is excited to announce that
Beverage Mart, Furniture World, R.R. Charlebois,
Kenyon Racing, Newton Construction, and
Dwight's Auto will be returning as our sponsors for
the 2009 season. We would also like to welcome
Vermont Shifter Karts, Vermont Fire Extinguishers,
and Newton Pellets to our race team. Thanks to all
for your support!

We are really looking forward to the season with our new Port City Race Car and a new paint scheme.
The highlights for 2009 will surely be the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway,
our return to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, and the second extra-distance race at Airborne.

Exciting changes have been announced for the 2009 American-Canadian Tour Late Model Championship stock car racing schedule.  The 12-event calendar will put the Northeast’s premier Late Model touring series race teams to the test, bringing them to championship races at nine vastly different tracks in the United States and Canada, with an additional five “bonus” events at four tracks, including the division’s first superspeedway race at the 1-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The series begins its 18th season at the 3/8-mile Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH on Sunday, April 19, with the race distance increased from 100 laps in 2008 to 150 for 2009.  The second event is the Merchants Bank 150 at the 1/4-mile Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl bullring in Barre, VT on Sunday, May 3.  The Airborne Speedway half-mile in Plattsburgh, NY hosts the 35th Annual Spring Green 100 on Saturday, May 9, with Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway holding the first of its two 150-lap races on Sunday, May 17.  The ACT Late Model Tour returns to Thunder Road on Sunday, May 24 for the 47th Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic, a Twin 100 doubleheader with the open-wheel True Value Modified Racing Series.

The historic, 3/8-mile Waterford Speedbowl on the Connecticut shoreline will return to the ACT schedule on Saturday, June 13 for a 100-lap event, and the scenic White Mountain Motorsports Park 1/4-mile in North Woodstock, NH will hold its annual 150-lap race on Saturday, June 27.  Ontario’s Kawartha Speedway, a state-of-the-art, 4/10-mile oval near the city of Peterborough, will host the Summer Sizzler 200 on Sunday, July 12.

ACT racing makes its much-anticipated return to the 1/3-mile Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, ME, just outside Portland, on Saturday, July 25.  Also making a return to the ACT schedule is the 1/3-mile Twin State Speedway in Claremont, NH, on Friday, July 31.  The ACT Late Model Tour last visited Beech Ridge in 1993, while Twin State last hosted the Tour in 2004.

Thunder Road will host the 31st running of the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 on Sunday, September 6, with the championship season drawing to a close at the Oxford Plains Speedway 3/8-mile on Sunday, October 11.

Five dates have been held open for a series of non-points events, beginning with the CARQUEST Vermont Governor’s Cup 150 at Thunder Road on Thursday, June 25, and followed by the 36th Annual TD Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway, on Sunday, July 19 and the 2nd Annual Coors Light 200 “Showdown at Chaudière” at the high-banked Autodrome Chaudière in Vallée-Jonction, QC on Saturday, August 29.  Each of these races will award the winner a guaranteed starting spot in the first-ever ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH.  The ACT Invitational will be held on the weekend of Sept. 18-20 as part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series’ Sylvania 300 weekend.  The winners of each ACT Late Model Tour and Série ACT-Castrol event to the date of the ACT Invitational will also receive guaranteed starting berths at NHMS.  The final “bonus” event is the 46th Annual Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl at Thunder Road on Sat./Sun., Sept. 26/27.

Many local Late Model competitors are expected at their home tracks to challenge the ACT Late Model Tour championship contenders, attempting to win a qualifying position for the NHMS event.  Weekly Late Model competitors at nine Northeastern speedways compete under ACT-compliant rulebooks.  Ricky Rolfe of Oxford Plains and Thunder Road’s John Donahue were each victorious in ACT events at their home tracks in 2008, while Waterford Speedbowl’s Bruce Thomas, Jr. led 50 laps and finished second in the Nutmeg State 100.

Event No. – Day/Date – Track – Location – Laps
1. Sun., Apr 19 – Lee USA Speedway – Lee, NH – 150 laps
2. Sun., May 03 – Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl – Barre, VT – 150 laps
3. Sat., May 09 – Airborne Speedway – Plattsburgh, NY – 100 laps
4. Sun., May 17 – Oxford Plains Speedway – Oxford, ME – 150 laps
5. Sun., May 24 – Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl – Barre, VT – 100 laps
6. Sat., Jun 13 – Waterford Speedbowl – Waterford, CT – 100 laps
*** Thu., Jun 25 – Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl – Barre, VT – 150 laps
7. Sat., Jun 27 – White Mnt'n Motorsports Park – N. Woodstock, NH –150
8. Sun., Jul 12 – Kawartha Speedway – Fraserville, ON – 200 laps
*** Sun., Jul 19 – Oxford Plains Speedway – Oxford, ME – 250 laps
9. Sat., Jul 25 – Beech Ridge Motor Speedway – Scarborough, ME –150
10. Fri., Jul 31 – Twin State Speedway – Claremont, NH – 100 laps
*** Sat., Aug 29 – Autodrome Chaudière – Vallée-Jonction, QC – 200
11. Sun., Sep 06 – Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl – Barre, VT – 200 laps
12. Sun., Sep 13 - Airborne Speedway - Plattsburgh, NY - 300 laps
*** TBA, Sep 18-20 – New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Loudon, NH–50
*** Sat./Sun., Sep 26/27 – Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl–Barre, VT–150
13. Sun., Oct 11 – Oxford Plains Speedway – Oxford, ME – 150 laps

*** – denotes non-championship (non-points) events

                                  Schedule subject to change

Late Model stock car drivers will get their first super-speedway experience next year, as the 1-mile New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH hosts the inaugural American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Invitational on NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Sylvania 300 weekend, September 18-20, 2009. The ACT/NHMS event will have a purse of more than $65,000 for invited and approved teams that attend the historic, groundbreaking event for Late Model stock car racing.

“New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been looking for a way to support the short track industry throughout the Northeast and Québec/Ontario markets. ACT offers the perfect conduit to help us meet our marketing goal,” said NHMS Vice President and General Manager Jerry Gappens.

“New Hampshire Motor Speedway is giving short track fans and teams throughout the Northeast and Canada a wonderful opportunity,” said ACT President Tom Curley.

The ACT Invitational race will be a 50-lap all-star event with 36 starters. Each 2009 race winner on the U.S.-based ACT Late Model Tour and the Québec/Ontario-based Série ACT-Castrol as of Sept. 18, 2009 will be awarded a guaranteed starting spot at NHMS, along with a $500 bonus for each win, contingent upon participation at the NHMS event.

Three non-championship events will also be NHMS qualifying races with a $500 NHMS bonus: the CARQUEST Vermont Governor’s Cup 100 at Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl in Barre, VT, the TD Banknorth 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, ME, and the Coors Light 200 “Showdown at Chaudière” all-star race at Autodrome Chaudière in Vallée-Jonction, QC on Sat., August 29.

Other invitees will be 2009 champions and/or point leaders as of Sept. 18, 2009 on the ACT Late Model Tour and Série ACT-Castrol, as well as at the following ACT-affiliated short tracks: Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl, Oxford Plains Speedway, Lee USA (NH) Speedway, Twin State Speedway (Claremont, NH), White Mountain Motorsports Park (N. Woodstock, NH), Seekonk (MA) Speedway, Waterford (CT) Speedbowl, Capital City Speedway (Ottawa, ON), and Kawartha Speedway (Peterborough, ON). Provisional starting spots will be awarded to fill the field to 36 cars, if needed.

“Short track racing is grass roots racing, and is the engine that drives the entire stock car industry,” said Curley. “Jerry Gappens and his NHMS team are to be commended during these challenging times with their proactive, innovative ideas to be inclusive of the region’s short tracks. Obviously, the American-Canadian Tour teams and fans, along with their affiliate Late Model tracks, are very excited and appreciative about this opportunity.”

“This is great news for Late Model racing as a whole,” said ACT Late Model Tour veteran Brent Dragon of Milton, VT. “Racing at Loudon is something I think all drivers in this region want to do, and now we’ve all got even more motivation to win races. Being at New Hampshire Motor Speedway brings this group to a whole new level.”

“I’m very proud of the fact that ACT is going to New Hampshire,” said Donald Theetge of Québec City, the 2006 Série ACT-Castrol champion. “It will be great for our drivers, our fans, and it would be a great thing to win a race in front of those Sprint Cup teams. I know I’m going to try everything I can to get in that race and win it.”

A strategic marketing plan will be created for race fans throughout the northeastern U.S. and Canada to make attending the event affordable and give fans more action and value for their ticket money. Promotions will be held in all major markets of the region, including the Canadian metro areas of Montréal, Ottawa, Québec City, and eastern Toronto, and U.S. metro areas including Providence, Portland, Boston, Hartford, Burlington, VT, Manchester, NH, Plattsburgh, NY, and more.

“It’s our intention to give the best short track teams in the region a chance to compete at the premier super-speedway in the northeast,” said Gappens. “In addition, it will also help to encourage more passionate short track race fans to visit our speedway during our mega-event NASCAR race weekends.”

The Série ACT-Castrol 2009 schedule was released at the annual Banquet of Champions in Drummondville, QC last Saturday night. The 2009 ACT Late Model Tour schedule will be released in the coming days. For more information, call ACT at (802) 244-6963 or visit www.acttour.com, or call New Hampshire Motor Speedway at (603) 783-4931 or visit www.nhms.com.

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