Joey Polewarczyk Jr.: ACT Late Model Tour
ACT Goodyear Speedweeks Cup Preview
The hottest driver on the ACT Late Model Tour, Joey Polewarczyk Jr. of Hudson, N.H., joins 27 other teams when he heads to the inaugural ACT Goodyear Speedweeks Cup at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Fla., on Sunday and Monday, February 13 and 14. The two-night event includes a pair of 100-lap main events as part of the annual World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna during Florida Speedweeks. Polewarczyk won the final three ACT events of 2010 — the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the Milk Bowl at Thunder Road and the season-finale at Waterford Speedbowl. He is one of just three drivers entered in the Speedweeks Cup to have raced at New Smyrna previously, making starts there in both 2006 and 2008.
WHO: Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Hudson, N.H.
TEAM: No. 97 Pole’s Automotive/NH Precision Ford Fusion
BEST CAREER NEW SMYRNA ACT FINISH: n/a
LAST RACE NEW SMYRNA ACT FINISH: n/a
WHAT: Inaugural ACT Goodyear Speedweeks Cup
WHERE: New Smyrna Speedway, New Smyrna Beach, Fla. (.500-mile oval)
FORMAT: Heat races determine starting lineup for Sunday night’s 100-lap event; finish inverted to comprise starting lineup for Monday night’s 100-lap event. Lowest total score declared overall champion.
WHEN: 7:30 p.m., Sunday, Feb. 13; 7:30 p.m., Monday, Feb. 14.
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JOEY, YOU MUST BE EXCITED ABOUT GETTING BACK TO THE RACE TRACK FOLLOWING THE END OF YOUR 2010 SEASON.
Definitely. We want to keep on the roll we started twoard end of the year. The main thing is to go have a good run, a solid run to run up front and have some momentum going into the season. Basically, we want to go there and just to make sure no one’s forgotten anything — you know, keep everyone on their toes.
Everything’s the same. Nothing’s different. It’s the same car — the setup is obviously different for the track — and the same group of people. We just figured it was so good last year that we weren’t going to touch it until something needed to be touched.
WHAT WERE YOUR IMPRESSIONS OF NEW SMYRNA?
It’s a fast track. I think the cars will go really good there. You’re not going to have to use a lot of brakes there, but I also think that if you have to start in the back, you should be able to go to front.
HOW IMPORTANT IS WINNING THIS INAUGURAL EVENT TO THE NO. 97 TEAM?
This race might not have the history of a Milk Bowl or be as big of a stage as New Hampshire, but this could be the start of something for the future, who knows? It would be cool to get our name on the first Speedweeks win for the ACT Tour. It’s definitely a big deal to us.