Waterbury, VT – Veteran American Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car racer Randy Potter of Groveton, NH filed the first full season entry for the 10-event 2012 ACT Tour. Potter and his Lancaster Auto Sales/Speedway Sports Park Chevrolet team were recently honored at the ACT Banquet of Champions for their 5th [...]]]>

Waterbury, VT – Veteran American Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car racer Randy Potter of Groveton, NH filed the first full season entry for the 10-event 2012 ACT Tour. Potter and his Lancaster Auto Sales/Speedway Sports Park Chevrolet team were recently honored at the ACT Banquet of Champions for their 5th place finish in the 2011 standings.

“Our chances at the 2012 title right now are as good as anyone’s, but in order to pull it out of the clutches of RPM and Brian Hoar we are going to need luck, no mechanical or mental break downs and some really good finishes in all of the 10 races,” said Potter.

During the 2011 season, Potter had one of the most consistent years of his career. He finished with four podium finishes, including three straight at White Mountain Motorsports Park, Twin State Speedway and Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. He capped off the year with a second at Airborne Speedway in the season finale.

Potter is looking forward to the 10-event 2012 season and ACT’s return to Sanair Super Speedway in St-Pie, Quebec. “Ten races will probably get more cars to run the whole tour schedule, which is good for the car counts and the competition, but it will make it tougher to qualify too,” said Potter. “I’ve always wanted to go to Sanair. Something always happens to keep us from making the trip so I hate to jinx anything, but I’m really looking forward to it.”

Potter, a former Riverside Speedway (Groveton, NH) Late Model Champion, raced off and on with ACT beginning in 1993. He returned to the Tour full-time in 2007 and immediately established himself as a championship contender with his first career ACT win in the season opener at Oxford Plains Speedway. Since 2007, Potter has finished in the top ten in the final standings each season, including three times in the top five. He is also the only driver to qualify for all 63 ACT feature events since 2007.

The 2012 will kick off with the traditional NH Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH on Sunday, April 15.

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Burlington, VT – The American Canadian Tour (ACT) crowned Brian Hoar of Williston, VT and Patrick Laperle of St-Denis, Quebec as the ACT Tour and Série ACT Castrol stock car racing champions respectively, at the ACT Banquet of Champions on Saturday, January 21 at the Double Tree [...]]]>
Jimmy “Scruffy” Linardy Receives MacTavish Award

Burlington, VT – The American Canadian Tour (ACT) crowned Brian Hoar of Williston, VT and Patrick Laperle of St-Denis, Quebec as the ACT Tour and Série ACT Castrol stock car racing champions respectively, at the ACT Banquet of Champions on Saturday, January 21 at the Double Tree Inn in Burlington, VT. It was the first ever combined banquet for the sister championship stock car racing series. Both champions cashed a point fund check of $10,000.

Hoar earned his eighth career championship on the U.S.-based ACT Tour during another strong season in which he earned five wins in 12 events. With those five wins he solidified himself on top of the ACT Late Model career wins list with 33 and added wins at four new tracks including New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He also won the Showdown at Chaudiere in Vallee-Jct., Quebec and the 49th Annual People’s United Bank Milk Bowl at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road. Hoar and car owner Rick Paya earned their third straight ACT Tour title.

Laperle earned his second career title on the Quebec-based Série ACT Castrol. He finished the season with four wins in his 12 events, including his first ever win in the Quebec season finale St-Eustache 300 at Autodrome St-Eustache. Laperle and his crew chief brother, Eric, now have 13 career wins on the Série ACT Castrol. Patrick is also the 2008 ACT Tour (U.S.) Champion and three-time People’s United Bank Milk Bowl Champion.

The 43rd Annual Don MacTavish Award went to ACT veteran Jimmy “Scruffy” Linardy of Somerville, MA. The prestigious MacTavish Award is named for legendary New England racer Don MacTavish who was killed in 1969 while racing at Daytona International Speedway. Linardy received the award for his continued support of ACT and Northeast stock car racing and his always positive attitude. Those qualities also helped Linardy grace the cover of this month’s edition of Late Model Racer magazine.

Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Dover, NH and car owner Bruce Bernhardt were honored for their second straight Ford Blue Oval Cup Championship. The special program was designed for competitors who ran the Ford crate engine on the ACT Late Model Tour, Série ACT Castrol Edge or any of the twelve ACT affiliated tracks. Helliwell is a multi-time Lee USA Speedway Champion and joined the ACT Tour full-time in 2011. While visiting most of the tracks on the ACT schedule for the first time, they put together an impressive season with 10 top tens in 12 starts and earned second in the ACT Tour standings. They also earned feature wins at Twin State Speedway and Waterford Speedbowl on their way to the Ford title.

Rookie of the Year honors went to Ben Ashline of Pittston, ME and Yannick Tremblay of Chicoutimi, Quebec for the ACT Tour and Série ACT Castrol, respectively. The 21-year-old Ashline and his family team claimed 9th in the final standings of the ACT Tour. They also earned a career best 5th place finish in the Spring Green at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT. Tremblay finished 9th in the Série ACT Castrol standings on his way to the Rookie title. He also gained the respect of the veterans with his clean driving on his way to just one did not finish for the year.

The Crew Chief of the Year Awards were awarded for the fourth consecutive season on the U.S. tour and for the first time on the Série ACT Castrol. Eric Laperle earned the first ever Castrol Crew Chief Award as part of the two-time Série ACT Castrol Championship team with his brother Patrick behind the wheel. Bruce Bernhardt received the fourth ACT Tour Crew Chief of the Year Award as part of the second place ACT Tour and Ford Blue Oval Cup Championship team with driver Wayne Helliwell, Jr.

Teams will continue to prepare their cars for the 2012 seasons during the winter months. The U.S.-based ACT Tour will start their season at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH with a 150-lap event on Sunday, April 15. The Quebec-based Série ACT Castrol kicks off their season with a 100-lap event at Autodrome Montmagny in Montmagny, Quebec on Saturday, May 26. The 2012 Série ACT Castrol schedule will consist of 12 events, while the ACT Tour will hold 10 events. Special events include the 50th People’s United Bank Milk Bowl at Thunder Road, the fourth annual ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the Showdown at Chaudiere at Autodrome Chaudiere, and the Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway.

For more information contact the ACT office (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com or visit www.acttour.com.

FORT KENT, Maine – Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, will try and complete some unfinished business this season while also setting out on a new venture in his racing career.

Theriault will run the complete ACT Late Model Tour [...]]]> Theriault to chase full ACT Late Model Tour, southern Super Late Model races for BKR

FORT KENT, Maine – Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, will try and complete some unfinished business this season while also setting out on a new venture in his racing career.

Theriault will run the complete ACT Late Model Tour schedule in 2012 as he chases his first career Tour championship, while the 17-year-old will also run more than half a dozen Super Late Model events as a development driver for Brad Keselowski Racing.

“We’ve had all kinds of good opportunities in the last couple of years and learned from all of them,” said Theriault, who made his debut with BKR in the World Crown 300 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., last November. “I know it all has happened fast, but I feel everything happens for a reason and I’m ready for the challenge.

“I’m really looking forward to this season.”

Theriault, who finished third in the final 2011 ACT Late Model Tour standings after posting six straight Top-5 finishes to close out the season, will attempt all ACT points races this year with his family-owned AT Racing No. 57 Ford.

“We’re really putting all our efforts into going after the title,” said Mickey Green, crew chief of the No. 57. “That’s the main goal for us on the ACT side. Hopefully we can pick up where we left off last year.”

Theriault will begin his 2012 season in the BKR No. 29 at Lanier (Ga.) National Speedway in the CRA-sanctioned Speedfest 200 on Jan. 28-29. He also has plans to run The Rattler 250 at South Alabama Speedway in March, the Rowdy 251 in Berlin, Michigan, in June, as well as both ends of the famed Snowball Derby – both the Super Late Model and Pro Late Model events – in December as part of his schedule with BKR.

BKR is owned by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver and 2010 NASCAR Nationwide Series champion Brad Keselowski.

“It’s definitely a huge opportunity to spread your wings and head down south for these Super Late Model races, to get some seat time with those guys.” Theriault said. “We did a couple races at the end of last year for BKR and look forward to expanding on what we’ve been able to accomplish in the ACT Tour in the last few years.

“I’m trying to climb the ladder. We’ve been given a huge opportunity now and we’re going to see where it takes us. I wouldn’t be able to be successful without the help of my 57 crew and all the guys that I’ve worked with at BKR.”

Green, who has worked as Theriault’s crew chief on the Late Model side since Theriault’s rookie season in ACT in 2010, believes that Theriault can head as far as he wants.

“I look at him as a Ryan Moore type,” Green said, noting another Maine native and ACT graduate who has driven in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and worked for a number of Sprint Cup Series organizations. “Austin’s equally as good, if not better. Sometimes he doesn’t give himself enough credit for how good he really is.”

Theriault hopes to add two things to his racing resume this season – a run for the series championship and a victory in one of the country’s premier short-track events in the South. It’s one of the reasons he made sure his schedule allowed enough room for all ACT points races as well as some of the bigger Super Late Model shows in the nation down south.

“Last year was a good example of how we can adapt to different obstacles and threaten for a win, and we came close a couple times (in ACT races),” Theriault said. “Over the winter, we’ve taken everything we’ve learned to try and make things better for this season. Championships will come, but we’ve got to win some races, too.

“I think we’ve obviously taken steps in that direction.”

Waterbury, VT – The 2012 schedule featuring twelve (12) point- counting events, and the special combination event with the ACT US teams, the “Showdown at Chaudière”, has been announced for the popular Castrol Late Model racing series sanctioned by The American Canadian Tour (ACT).

Four tracks will host three events each from the [...]]]>

Waterbury, VT – The 2012 schedule featuring twelve (12) point- counting events, and the special combination event with the ACT US teams, the “Showdown at Chaudière”, has been announced for the popular Castrol Late Model racing series sanctioned by The American Canadian Tour (ACT).

Four tracks will host three events each from the opening event at the Autodrome Montmagny east of Quebec City in late May through the close of the race season at the Autodrome Ste. Eustache outside Montreal. Circuit Riverside Speedway in Ste. Croix, QC and Autodrome Chaudière will each host three events, including the CAN-AM combination event with ACT Castrol teams and ACT US teams and the fifth annual “Showdown at Chaudière”.

The addition of the Sanair Super Speedway in St. Pie, QC, which will be promoted by Jean Bergeron and the Riverside Speedway, will highlight the ambitious schedule. The event will be 100 miles on the unique tri-oval.

“Our ACT Quebec promoters have provided the ACT Castrol teams with their best schedule in the seven years of the series. We are very pleased with the way the 2012 season has evolved, and the addition of Sanair back on the schedule certainly will please the teams”, said Tom Curley, President of the American Canadian Tour.

The teams of the ACT Castrol Series will compete for a record of over $400,000.00 in purse and prize money in the 2012 point-counting events. In addition, ACT Castrol teams will have special non-point events to compete in such as the TD Bank Oxford 250 at the Oxford Plains Speedway, July 22, 2012; the Fall Foliage 200 at Airborne Speedway, October 6, 2012 in Plattsburgh, NY; and the 50th annual Milk Bowl at Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, VT, September 29th.

Two-time ACT Castrol Series Champion Donald Theetge from Boischatel, QC said, “This is a great schedule for our Quebec teams. I appreciate that ACT listened to some of our concerns about the schedule and purses. I love racing at the US events, but we really wanted to have our series point races in Quebec and now we have that.”

“The addition of Sanair this coming season is exciting news for fans and racers. It should be an unbelievable race now that many of us have had some experience at Loudon (New Hampshire Motor Speedway),” concluded Theetge.

The teams from the 2011 season will honor both the Castrol and US teams at a Late Model combined banquet in Burlington, VT on January 21, before they begin to focus on the ambitious 2012 schedule.

2012 SCHEDULE

EVENT DATE DAY TRACK LAPS NOTE

1 MAY 26 SAT AUTODROME MONTMAGNY 100

2 JUN 02 SAT AUTODROME STE EUSTACHE 100

3 JUN 08 FRI AUTODROME CHAUDIÈRE 150

4 JUN 16 SAT CIRCUIT RIVERSIDE SPDWY 100

5 JUN 30 SAT AUTODROME MONTMAGNY 200

6 JUL 14 SAT AUTODROME STE EUSTACHE 200

7 JUL 28 SAT CIRCUIT RIVERSIDE SPDWY 150

8 AUG 03 FRI AUTODROME CHAUDIÈRE 150

9 AUG 11 SAT SANAIR SUPER SPEEDWAY 100 [combo]

10 AUG 25 SAT CIRCUIT RIVERSIDE SPDWY 200 [combo]

11 SEP 01 SAT AUTODROME MONTMAGNY 200

SEP 08 SAT AUTODROME CHAUDIÈRE SHOWDOWN 200
[combo]
12 SEP 16 SUN AUTODROME STE EUSTACHE 300

SCHEDULE SUBJECT TO CHANGE

Waterbury, VT – The American Canadian Tour (ACT) announced today that the top teams of the US-based ACT Tour, the Quebec based ACT Castrol Series, and Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl will receive in excess of $100,000 in championship point fund awards at the season-ending ACT banquets to be held in December, 2011 and [...]]]>

Waterbury, VT – The American Canadian Tour (ACT) announced today that the top teams of the US-based ACT Tour, the Quebec based ACT Castrol Series, and Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl will receive in excess of $100,000 in championship point fund awards at the season-ending ACT banquets to be held in December, 2011 and January, 2012.

Highest money earners are car owners Rick Paya from the ACT US Tour and Patrick Laperle from the ACT Castrol Series. They will each receive year-end point fund checks of $10,000.00. Both teams ran the full twelve (12) race series in their respective areas.

Brian Hoar, now a record-setting eight (8) time ACT Champion from Williston, VT brought home the championship to Paya’s RPM team, and Patrick Laperle, driving for his family team located in St. Denis, QC, was a second time ACT Castrol Series Champion.
Ford Racing contributed $11,000.00 to those teams who elected to race the ACT-approved Ford crate engine in 2011. Ten of the 17 Ford teams registered with ACT collected Ford Blue Oval Challenge point fund money. Wayne Helliwell, Jr. won for the title for the second straight year. Team owner, Bruce Bernhardt, from Hudson, NH, will collect the $5,000.00 point check, along with the Blue Oval Challenge Cup, at the upcoming ACT Banquet of Champions.

ACT will pay out over $20,000.00 on behalf of those competitors that participated at Thunder Road in 2011. Over the 15-event battle for the ‘King of the Road’ championship, Montpelier, VT’s David Pembroke narrowly beat out former multi-time champion Phil Scott and “Irish” John Donahue, from Graniteville, VT. Pembroke will earn point fund money of $5,000.00 for his 2011 effort.

In addition to the $101,720.00 to be paid in point fund money, a record amount of combined purse money was paid to ACT Late Model teams in 2011. There was $739,277.00 paid in purse money to the two ACT series and ACT managed Thunder Road.

Lee USA Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire will continue the tradition of [...]]]>
Waterbury, VT – The American Canadian US Tour (ACT) 2012 schedule will feature ten (10) point-counting events at nine different tracks. In addition, there will be four ‘special’ non-point counting events that most ACT teams will put on their 2012 calendars.

Lee USA Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire will continue the tradition of opening the ACT Late Model race season with the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 on Sunday, April 15, 2012.

Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl in Barre, VT will host the 14th annual Merchants Bank 150 lap event to open the 53rd season at the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” on Sunday, April 29, 2012. Thunder Road will present a second event over Labor Day weekend with the 34th Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 scheduled for Sunday, September 02, 2012.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway, under the new management team of Mike and Alayne Bruno in West Haven, VT will open their season with the historic Spring Green 112 lap championship race on Sunday, May 06, 2012. The freshly paved wide half mile has become a favorite of the ACT teams over the past two years, since the conversion from dirt to asphalt.

White Mountain Motorsports Park was a charter member of the ACT Late Model touring program. Saturday, June 23, 2011 will be the 15th consecutive year that a Tour event will be held at the scenic facility in the heart of the White Mountains.

The Pine Tree State will host two events in 2012. Oxford Plains Speedway will open their season featuring a solid challenge by the very competitive weekly Late Model teams when the Tour arrives for a Sunday, May 20th 150 lap battle. Local racer, Jeff White from Winthrop, ME, stunned the ACT regular teams with a dominant win during the opening event in 2011. He went on to win the Oxford Plains Speedway Championship. The Beech Ridge Motor Speedway near the Portland seacoast will once again host a mid-summer 150 lap race on Saturday, July 28, 2012.

The Tour will head north of the border during August. A return to the SANAIR Super Speedway has teams from both the Castrol Series and the US excited for the 2012 season. The very fast tri-oval design was opened by ACT in the early mid-eighties and hosted numerous events over the decades of the 80’s and 90’s. The 100-mile combination event (also an ACT Castrol Series point race) is scheduled for Saturday, August 11, 2012. The return of the $40,000 Can-Am 200 to the 5/8th mile Circuit Riverside Speedway along the St. Lawrence River across from Quebec City will be presented on Saturday, August 25, 2012.

The final point-counting event in 2012 will again be the Fall Foliage 200 at the fabulous and very competitive half mile Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY. The season finale will be held on Saturday, October 06, 2012.

Teams from the ACT Late Model ranks in both the US and Canada will once again have some non-point must participate events in 2012. The TD Bank Oxford 250 will have the best Late Model teams in the region competing for the 2012 bragging rights in what has been billed as the nation’s richest one day short track event. Qualifying begins at high noon on Sunday, July 22, 2012.

The $40,000.00 5th annual Showdown at Chaudière will once again challenge the best of the ACT Castrol teams against the best of the ACT US teams. A favorite event for the season’s best competitors will take place on Saturday, September 8, 2012.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway will host NASCAR Cup Chase weekend over September 21-23, 2012. The 4th ACT Invitational will provide both weekly and ACT Tour teams with the opportunity to compete at the ‘Magic Mile’ during NASCAR Cup weekend again in 2012.

The 50th People’s United Bank Milk Bowl will take place at Thunder Road on Saturday and Sunday, September 29-30, 2012. Plans for a very special 50th Milk Bowl are already in the works, including a Late Model ‘mini-milk bowl’ for non-qualified teams.

2012 ACT US SCHEDULE

EVENT DATE DAY TRACK LAPS NOTE
1 APR 15 SUN LEE USA SPEEDWAY 150
2 APR 29 SUN THUNDER ROAD 150
3 MAY 06 SUN DEVIL’S BOWL 112
4 MAY 20 SUN OXFORD PLAINS 150
5 JUN 23 SAT WHITE MOUNTAIN 150
JUL 22 SUN OXFORD PLAINS SPEEDWAY 250 250
6 JUL 28 SAT BEECHRIDGE MOTOR SPDWY 150
7 AUG 11 SAT SANAIR SUPER SPEEDWAY 100 [combo]
8 AUG 25 SAT CIRCUIT RIVERSIDE SPDWY 200 [combo]
9 SEP 02 SUN THUNDER ROAD 200
SEP 08 SAT AUTODROME CHAUDIÈRE SHOWDOWN 200 [combo]
SEP 22 SAT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPDWY INVITATIONAL 50
SEP 29-30 SA/SU THUNDER ROAD MILK BOWL 150
10 OCT 06 SAT AIRBORNE SPEEDWAY 200
Schedule Subject to Change

Waterbury, VT – For the first time in several years the American-Canadian Tour has announced separate banquets for the 2011 ACT competitors and the 2011 Thunder Road competitors. The ACT Late Model Tour (US) and the Série ACT Castrol (Canada) Banquet of Champions will be held at the Doubletree Inn in Burlington, VT on [...]]]>

Waterbury, VT – For the first time in several years the American-Canadian Tour has announced separate banquets for the 2011 ACT competitors and the 2011 Thunder Road competitors. The ACT Late Model Tour (US) and the Série ACT Castrol (Canada) Banquet of Champions will be held at the Doubletree Inn in Burlington, VT on Saturday, January 21, while the Thunder Road Banquet of Champions will be at the Elks Club in Barre, VT on Saturday, December 10, 2011.

The ACT Banquet will honor Brian Hoar of Williston, VT as the eight-time ACT (US) Champion as well as Patrick Laperle of St-Denis, QC as the two-time Série ACT Castrol (Canada) Champion. Hoar had a record setting season in his Rick Paya-owned ride for RPM Motorsports. He claimed five point counting wins as well as the People’s United Bank Milk Bowl and the Showdown at Chaudiere non-point counting events. Laperle, who also has a ACT (US) Championship, secured his second career Série ACT Castrol title with four wins in 2011.

Competitors from Thunder Road and the Bond/WIX Tiger Tour will be honored at the Thunder Road Banquet. Montpelier, VT’s Dave Pembroke claims the top prize as he is the “King of the Road” for the second time in his career. Pembroke vaulted to the points lead with back-to-back wins including the double-points Mid-Season Championship. Derrick O’Donnell of Bradford, VT took both the Thunder Road Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and the Bond/WIX Tiger Tour Championships. Greg Adams, Jr. from Hardwick, VT was the Allen Lumber Street Stock Champion, while Jason Woodard of Waterbury, VT is the Junkyard Warrior title holder.

Both banquets will feature a social hour, dinner, and award presentations followed by a live DJ. The Thunder Road Banquet of Champions at the Barre Elks Club on Saturday, December 10 will have the social hour beginning at 6:00pm followed by dinner. The ACT Banquet will have the same format at the Doubletree Inn in Burlington, VT on Saturday, January 21. Tickets order forms for both events will be available Monday (11/14) by contacting the ACT office in Waterbury, VT at (802) 244-6963, dar@acttour.com or at www.acttour.com and www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.

Waterbury, VT – Eight-time American Canadian Tour Champion Brian Hoar of Williston, VT topped the $250,000 mark in career earnings during the 2011 season. Including special events, Hoar pocketed $65,000 in 2011 alone.

Hoar and his Rick Paya Motorsports team put together one of the greatest ACT Late Model seasons ever to claim their [...]]]>

Waterbury, VT – Eight-time American Canadian Tour Champion Brian Hoar of Williston, VT topped the $250,000 mark in career earnings during the 2011 season. Including special events, Hoar pocketed $65,000 in 2011 alone.

Hoar and his Rick Paya Motorsports team put together one of the greatest ACT Late Model seasons ever to claim their third straight title. While finishing outside the top ten just once in twelve starts, the team managed to tie the previous record for most wins in a season with five, which Hoar set back in 1999. Those five wins bring Hoar’s record career wins total to 33.

Not included in those statistics are the special events of 2011. The Goss Dodge Chrysler team claimed wins in the 49th Annual People’s United Bank Milk Bowl at Thunder Road (Barre, VT), the Showdown at Chaudiere at Autodrome Chaudiere (Vallee Jct., QC), and a 100-lap segment of the Goodyear Speedweeks Cup at New Smyrna Speedway (New Smyrna Beach, FL). Their Milk Bowl win alone earned them over $13,000 with combined special event winnings surpassing the $20,000 mark.

Hoar will be honored as the Champion for the 8th time in twenty ACT Late Model seasons at the 2011 Banquet of Champions in January of 2012. More details on the banquet will be announced soon.