LEE, NH – Late Model stock car driver Katrina Canney has filed an entry for the “New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 200” at Lee USA Speedway, the season-opening event for the American-Canadian Tour Championship Series on Sunday, April 20. The 18 year-old Barrington, NH racer will become just the third woman to compete in the ACT Late Model Tour ranks.
Canney is a front-runner in the weekly Late Model division at Lee USA Speedway, and has finished inside the Top 10 in championship points in each of her two seasons in the track’s top class. The Coe-Brown Northwood Academy high school senior also finished in the Top 10 in all 15 of her feature starts at the 3/8-mile oval in 2007.
“I want to gain some experience by racing against the ACT cars,” Canney said. “Our goal is to qualify for the feature event and stay consistent throughout the race. We’ve done pretty well at Lee, but this will be a big step for our team.”
Canney joins Tracie Bellerose and Katie Hagar as a female competitor with ACT. Bellerose, of Gorham, NH, has three ACT victories to her credit and finished third in championship standings in 2000. Hagar, of Damariscotta, ME, made one ACT start at Oxford Plains Speedway in 2006.
Seven-time and defending ACT Late Model Tour Champion Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, VT will attempt to break a winless streak that dates back to August 2006 at the NH Governor’s Cup 200. He won at Lee USA Speedway in September 2005. Home-state drivers Randy Potter, Joey Polewarczyk, and Brad Leighton are expected to be ACT championship contenders, and are also among the early favorites to win the NH Governor’s Cup. Vermont’s Scott Payea and Brent Dragon, Maine’s Ron Henry, Massachusetts star Eddie MacDonald, Ontario rookie Jonathan Urlin, and Série ACT Castrol Champions Patrick Laperle and Donald Theetge of Québec will also be on hand.
Other Lee USA Speedway drivers expected to compete at the NH Governor’s Cup include two-time Track Champion J.R. Baril of Haverhill, MA, young gun Jeff Labrecque, Jr. of Rochester, NH, 2007 Rookie of the Year Miles Chipman of Epping, NH, and Newmarket, NH’s Jeremy Harclerode, who finished second in the most recent ACT Late Model Tour event at Lee USA Speedway two years ago.
The New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 200 will feature a pair of 100-lap races for the ACT Late Model Tour and the open-wheel True Value Modified Racing Series. The Allison Legacy Series and New England Legends Cars are also on the card. Post time is scheduled for 1:00 pm on Sunday, April 20. General admission is only $20 for adults, $10 for children age 11-15, and free for children 10 and under. For more information on the American-Canadian Tour, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.acttour.com. For information on Lee USA Speedway, call (978) 462-4252 or visit www.leeusaspeedway.com.