ACT Late Model Tour: Brian Hoar
Airborne Speedway Race Preview
THE STORY
GEORGIA, Vt. – Eight-time ACT Late Model Tour champion Brian Hoar of Williston, Vt., heads to one of the tracks that has been the best to him in his career – Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y. – for the Fall Foliage 200 on Saturday, September 28. Hoar has an ACT Late Model Tour-record 39 career victories, including a Tour-record eight alone at Airborne, where he began his racing career in the weekly divisions. Hoar won at the track already this season while running a partial ACT schedule, taking the Airborne 100 in May, and the RPM Motorsports No. 37 GossCars.com Dodge also finished second in the inaugural International 500 at the track in July.
THE FACTS
WHO: Brian Hoar, Williston, Vt.
TEAM: RPM Motorsports No. 37 GossCars.com Dodge Charger
CREW CHIEF: Rick Paya, Georgia, Vt.
BEST CAREER AIRBORNE SPEEDWAY FINISH: 1st (8 times, most recently May 2013)
LAST RACE AT AIRBORNE SPEEDWAY: 4th (July 2013)
WHAT: ACT Late Model Tour Fall Foliage 200
WHERE: Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. (.500-mile oval)
WHEN: Saturday, September 28 – 10 a.m., practice; 1:30 p.m., qualifying; 4 p.m., race
ACT Late Model Tour
LAST RACE: September 21, ACT Invitational, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H. (3rd)
NEXT RACE: October 6, People’s United Bank Milk Bowl, Thunder Road International Speedbowl, Barre, Vt. (.25-mile banked oval)
DID YOU KNOW?
Brian Hoar holds the ACT Late Model Tour record for championships (8) and wins (39).
RPM Motorsports is running a part-time schedule in 2013, including the first four ACT Late Model Tour events of the season and then select Late Model events throughout the summer and fall. Brian Hoar has won twice in eight starts this season.
RPM Motorsports and Brian Hoar won the ACT All-Star Challenge in August of 2011, the only points race held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in series history.
Brian Hoar has won back-to-back ACT Late Model Tour races seven times in his career, most recently taking consecutive events at Riverside Speedway in St. Croix, Que., and Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vt., on Aug. 25 and September 2 of 2012.
Brian Hoar has more wins at Airborne Speedway (8) than at any other track on the schedule.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
BRIAN HOAR, Driver of the RPM Motorsports No. 37 GossCars.com Dodge Charger, On his ‘home track’ advantage at Airborne Speedway: “It certainly doesn’t hurt that I started out racing there, no question. I’m sure racing there for many years definitely helped. I won the track championship in 1999, and I spent a lot of Saturday nights at that place.
“When they paved it (in 2010), it changed things a little bit. It hasn’t really changed the configuration if you were to look at the track from above, but the way you run the lines through the corners always changes a little bit with fresh pavement. But it’s not a lot – it’s still the same Airborne that it’s been last 20 years. It’s like any other race track – it’s got its own little parts that are unique, but it’s still go fast, turn left.”
On racing at Airborne Speedway in the spring, the summer and the fall each season: “It’s probably more consistent than some tracks we go to. It’s not as temperamental with weather changes as some places, like Thunder Road or some others. I’m looking forward to going racing this weekend. We’ll see what happens from there.”
On why he’s been able to win so many Tour races at Airborne: “I’m always comfortable there. That’s my home track. We’ve been in the hunt to win that 200 each of the last few years, and it’s been stolen from us in a way. I got dumped under caution while leading (in 2011), and the two races before that, I had a couple issues going on and lost it right at the end.
“I’d like to win this one. We’re always good there, and I like the track. It’s still the same animal.”
UP NEXT
Brian Hoar heads to the popular season finale at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vt., for the 51st annual People’s United Bank Milk Bowl on Sunday, October 6… Hoar will try and join a select group of New England’s best drivers in history by winning the event for a second straight year.