by Lou Modestino
The biggest stock car racing event of the summer keeps getting better as American Canadian Tour officials have announced a bonus program for participating racers in the Inaugural International 500 at Airborne Speedway on the weekend of July 20/21.
Drivers who file their entry by the Tuesday, April 16 deadline will be eligible for Goodyear Halfway Bonus awards, which will make the leader of the half-way mark of each segment $1,000 richer, leaving a potential for a driver to gain up to $3,000 in Goodyear bonuses alone. On top of that, every team that has filed their entry by the deadline will be entered into a drawing for eight (8) Goodyear tires, a $960 value, to be used for the 300-lap special event.
“This certainly sweetens the pot,” said defending ACT Champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr., who filed the very first entry into the International 500 back in March. “The halfway bonuses will be an extra incentive to get to the front early, and the eight Goodyear tires would be a huge boost on race day. I’m really hoping we get those!”
The International 500 has already garnered entries from all over the Northeast United States and Eastern Canada, boasting a purse worth over $140,000. The bonuses don’t end with Goodyear, either. The top qualifier for the International 500 will earn a bonus $1,000, and those who lead a lap in the event will receive $50 per lap led. The race also serves as a qualifying event for the Bond Auto ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and will send the winner to the event with an extra $500.
“There’s a lot of money on the line here,” said 7-time ACT Champion Jean Paul Cyr. “It would be really nice to get your name in the history books as the winner of the Inaugural International 500, but I won’t lie, the money would be nice, too!”
The International 500 is slated for the weekend of July 20/21 at Plattsburgh, NY’s Airborne Speedway .
The 3rd annual, $5,000 to win, Subway Fresh Fit 150, presented by Bond Auto Parts, Jaycox Property Maintenance, and LaValley Building Supply for ACT legal Late Model Sportsman is set to roll to the line on Saturday, May 11th at 5pm, at the Canaan Fair Speedway in Canaan, New Hampshire. This giant event will be the final touch on the giant Subway race weekend. The event pays the winner a guaranteed purse of $5,000, with $300 going to any driver taking the green in the main event. This also is a Canaan Fair Speedway Late Model championship point counting race.
The weekend will kick off with an open practice on the asphalt track for Late Model Sportsman from noon until 6 p.m. Then the excitement turns to the Canaan Dirt Speedway as Subway of Hanover and West Lebanon present a night of dirt track action featuring Twin 20’s for the Mods, plus Super Streets, Late Models and Bombers. Post time is 7 p.m
Then on Saturday, the pits open at 10 a.m., tire compound at 10:30am, practice at 1:30 p.m. and grandstands also open at 1:30 p.m. Post time for the Subway Fresh Fit 150 is 5pm, with qualifying going at 4:30 p.m. for Canaan’s regular divisions. The Canaan divisions in action include Pure Stocks, Bandits, Daredevils, Bombers and the “Wicked Good” Vintage Racing Association from the State of Maine.
There will be plenty of free camping from Thursday through Sunday on the grounds. General admission prices are $20 for Adults, Junior’s ages 12-17 and Seniors 62 and up are just $16. Kids 6-11 are just $2, and Kids five and under are free. Family packs for 2 Adults and 2 Kids is just $35, while 2 Adults and 2 Juniors is just $50. Pit admission with a NASCAR, ACT or Canaan Fair Speedway license is just $35, or non-licensed admission is $40.
All eyes head to Canaan Fair Speedway in Canaan, New Hampshire on Saturday, May 11th for the Subway Fresh Fit 150, presented by Bond Auto Parts, Jaycox Property Maintenance, and LaValley Building Supply. A large field of cars is expected as there will be no other tracks or series in the area competing on this day, and many ACT teams will be using this race as a tune-up for the ACT sanction, Subway 150 scheduled for June 15th.
This past Saturday, the mountains in Southern New Hampshire came alive as Monadnock Speedway held their annual Test and Tune session. The veterans, rookies and former Twin State Speedway competitors were in attendance to shake off the winter blues in preparation for next week’s season opener being held on Saturday, April 20th.
The management of Monadnock Speedway also accepted registrations for all divisions with all classes looking strong for the upcoming season. Super Stock John Lavoie, Mini Stock Kim Rivet and Lightning Stock Craig Chafee have all confirmed returning to defend their 2012 Championship titles. The Sportsman Modified division title will be up for grabs as Russ Hersey will not be returning full time to defend his 2012 championship.
This Saturday, April 20th, Monadnock Speedway will open its gates for its 42nd season with the Valenti Modified Racing Series headlining the special event in their traditional Spring Dash 100. The speedway’s regular divisions of the Mini Stocks, Super Stocks, Sportsman Modified, Lightning Stocks, Thunder Stocks and Young Guns will also present to kick of their 2013 season debut.
The Spring Dash will start at 5 p.m. with practice starting at 2:30 p.m. The pit gates open at Noon and main gate opens at 3 p.m. Monadnock Speedway is located on Rte 10 in Winchester, NH.
Here’s what’s happening in northern New England. It’s Street Night at 5 p.m. at New England Dragway in Epping, NH on Wednesday and Friday. Next door at Star Speedway it’s track clean-up all day Saturday. Over at the Lee USA Speedway up Rt. 125 it’s test and tune he same day for all divisions at noon.