Waterbury, VT – The chase for the 2016 American Canadian Tour (ACT) Championship heads to the Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine this Saturday for event number ten (10) of the 2016 season. Following the 150-lap White Mountain Motorsports Park event, there are only fourteen (14) points separating the current point leader. Nick Sweet, (Barre, VT), from Scott Payea, (Milton, VT), and Rowley, Massachusetts’ Eddie MacDonald sits in third, just nineteen points (19) points behind Payea. It will be the first of two events to be held in 2016 at the third mile coastal speed-plant, one of the favorite stops for teams on the ACT US series. [The ACT Fall Foliage 200 will join the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) on September 17 & 18 for the annual PASS 300 event at the 1/3 mile.]
In the previous nine events when the ACT teams have visited Beech Ridge there has never been a repeat winner. Two of the current top three in points, Sweet and MacDonald, each have a win at the ‘Ridge during that time.
“I guess I am feeling the pressure going into the weekend. The best thing is Beech Ridge has been good to our race team over the years, and we have finally gotten our tour car consistently competitive. Now I need to stay out of trouble and try and get the finishes we think we are able to get, with a little luck. With only four more races this season, now is the time when none of us can afford to slip up and have a bad race, or probably hopes for the Championship might be over”, said Sweet.
The top three teams still have to look in the mirror, as there are other contenders looking to keep themselves in the hunt. White Mountain Motorsport Park winner Dillon Moltz, of Waterford, CT has been the surprise of the year. Driving for the RB Performance team from Andover, ME, Moltz had a break-out race at White Mountain, when he bested Eddie MacDonald. They traded first place for the win over the final laps two times. Three-time ACT Champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. has had a tough season. The potent Bernhardt Ford team has yet to get a win this season, and are currently in fifth place. By reputation and skill, this team is long overdue for a win, and the flat track at Beech Ridge just might be what turns their season around. Bobby Therrien won at Oxford Plains Speedway (OPS) on opening day in April, and Beech Ridge has some similarities to OPS. The defending champion of the annual summer coastal race is Brad Babb from Windham, ME. Beech Ridge is his home track and he is expected to return to competition Saturday night.
The 100-lap event will take place this Saturday night, August 6, 2016 with a post time of 7:00pm. Gates open for the public at 3:00.
For additional information contact the ACT office at 802.244.6963, media@acttour.com, or visit acttour.com, or beechridgespeedway.com