WATERBURY, VT – Three Québec stock car racers have filed the first full-season entries for the American-Canadian Tour’s 2008 Série ACT Castrol, a Late Model series with events in Québec and Ontario. Veterans Karl Allard of St-Félicien and Yvon Bédard of St-Nicolas, along with sophomore competitor Stéphane Durand of Québec, are the first to have committed to the nine-race schedule.
Allard, a four-time champion of the former Série ADL Tobacco, drove the #48 Larue Industrial Snow Blowers Chevrolet to fifth place in Série ACT Castrol standings in 2007. His top result, third place, came in La Québécoise 250 at Autodrome Montmagny. Allard also finished among the top-five at two other events, had a total of six top-tens, and was in the thick of the championship point battle throughout the season.
Driving the #9 FDL Habitations Ford, Bédard finished ninth overall in Série ACT Castrol point standings. His best effort, also a third-place finish, came at the PRO-FAB 100 at Autodrome Chaudière in Vallée-Jct., QC in August. He was also in the top-ten a total of six times. Bédard is an ACT veteran of more than 25 years.
As a rookie in 2007, Durand’s best finish was also at the PRO-FAB 100, in 12th place. He drove the #30 Arctic Cat/Pro Performance GPL Pontiac to 18th place in championship points and fourth in the Rookie of the Year standings.
The 2008 Série ACT Castrol opens at Autodrome St-Eustache near Montréal on Sunday, May 18. Autodrome Montmagny will host two events, on May 31 and August 23. Autodrome Chaudière also has two championship events, on June 14 and August 16, as well as the first-ever “ACT Showdown at Chaudière” – a special 200-lap, $5,000-to-win all-star invitational for the Top 10 Série ACT Castrol drivers and the Top 10 ACT Late Model Tour drivers.
Autodrome St-Félicien returns to the schedule with an event on July 5, while Capital City Speedway in Ottawa, ON hosts the Série ACT Castrol on August 9. Autodrome St-Eustache will hold two more events, on July 26, and the season-ending St-Eustache 300 on Sunday, Sept. 21. For more information, call (802) 244-6963, or visit www.laserieactcastrol.com or www.acttour.com.