Waterbury, VT – The best eleven (11) teams from the ACT US TOUR and the best eleven (11) teams from the Série ACT Castrol will race each other, and they will also race as ‘teammates’, in the 2nd annual Coors Showdown at Chaudiere on Saturday, August 29th.
The annual All-Star event, attended by over 4,000 fans in 2008, will have a bonus twist in 2009. Both the US team or the Canadian team will receive points for their respective finishes. The winning ‘team’ will receive a $5,500 bonus to be divided equally between all eleven teammates. Each team is guaranteed $1,000.00 for attending and the additional ‘team’ incentive will bring he total to over $1,500 for the winning team.
Montreal’s Patrick Laperle won $5,000 first place money in the inaugural Showdown at Chaudiere held in 2008. Laperle and former Série ACT Castrol Champion Donald Theetge from Quebec City both represented the US team last season when they ran the full US schedule. The ACT US team will have their hands full this year as Laperle and Theetge are battling it out for the 2009 Castrol title, and will head a stellar field of ‘home track’ competitors.
The Série ACT Castrol team will be comprised of:
*Donald Theetge; *Patrick Laperle; *Karl Allard; JF Dery; Patrick Hamel; *Alexandre Gingras; Patrick Cliche; Jacques Poulin; Yvon Bedard; Claude Leclerc; and, Dany Ouellet.
* former Serie Castrol Champions
The ACT US team will be made up of former champions and some of the best young talent in years will help the red, white, and blue team try to win the bonus money.
The ACT US team will be comprised of :
Scott Payea; *Brian Hoar; Joey Pole; Randy Potter; John Donahue; Brent Dragon; Ricky Rolfe; Chip Grenier; Pete Potvin; Joey Doiron; Nick Sweet
* former ACT TOUR Champions
Laperle will have a ‘double-header’ day when he competes in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series road course event in Montreal prior to the running of the NASCAR Nationwide Series event on Sunday, August 30, 2009. The Laperle team will head for Chaudiere, following the Montreal road course race, to try and help the Castrol team on Saturday night. “I just hope we make it in time. It is about 4 hours to Chaudiere and I will just about get there in time for the qualifying. If I am late, I know I will have to start last. But with 200 laps, I think I can still help out the Castrol team. I love racing at Chaudiere and the extra $500 per team member is a great addition”, said Laperle.
Nick Sweet joined the US team late and was happy to be asked to participate. Sweet is in only his second year of ACT Late Model competition. The Sweet team enjoyed an unprecedented rookie season in 2008 on their way to winning the ACT Rookie of the Year award on the Tour last year. While concentrating on winning the title at his home track, Thunder Road in Barre, VT, Sweet managed to get enough points running select Tour events to be asked to join the US team at Chaudiere. “I am honored to be asked to join the US team. I had a ball racing at Chaudiere in last year’s Showdown. I know some of the top eleven could not make it for the Showdown and when our team got the call we were very excited to be able to go back to Quebec. I hope I can help the US team win the bonus money…it should be a lot of fun regardless of the outcome…but it is a lot more fun to win”, said Sweet.
The Coors Light Showdown takes place at the Autodrome Chaudiere in Vallee Junction, Quebec, just north of Thetford Mines on Saturday, August 29th. Post time is 6:00.