Jun 6, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Waterbury, VT – There was a big question mark surrounding the beginning of the 2014 season for the dozen weekly tracks and two touring series of the American Canadian Tour. After nearly a decade of racing with the specially designed Goodyear Eagle slicks, a change was mandated at the end of the 2013 season.
“We faced a seemingly daunting task at the end of the 2012 season when Goodyear announced that they were going to discontinue their short track program. ACT was fortunate to negotiate an extra year with Goodyear to allow us to work to find a suitable replacement tire,” said Tom Curley, President of the American Canadian Tour (ACT).
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Jun 4, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Touring Series News
Emily Packard
Up Next: Thunder Road Weekly and Riverside ACT 150
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – As Thunder Road is about to kick off its 55th season, Emily Packard and the Packard Motorsports crew are ready for the Thursday night weekly challenge. “This is my home track,” said Packard. “Weekly racing is so different than tour racing; only having 50 laps, there is no tire conservation, you just have to go from the drop of the flag.”
This Thursday night is the first weekly event of the season, but the second point’s race towards the track championship. Coming off the 18th place finish on Memorial Day weekend, Packard knows that she has some ground to make up, but is confident that she can do just that. “I can’t get discouraged. It’s a tough track with a lot of good competition,” said Packard. “I think it’s going to be a very intense weekly battle among competitors to make races.”
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Jun 4, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Touring Series News
Photo by Alan Ward
Groveton, NH – Veteran driver and perennial American Canadian Tour Championship Contender Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson, NH is off to the best start of his ten (10) year ACT career and currently sits atop the standings. This Saturday, June 7, he will look to continue his run of three straight top fives as the tour heads to Riverside Speedway in Groveton, NH for the Central Asphalt Paving 150. He will have to fend off the likes of Jimmy Hebert, most recent ACT winner Ray Parent, and a host of others.
One year ago, Polewarczyk marched from his 12th place starting position to lead the final 39 laps of the ACT 150 at Riverside on his way to his second of three straight ACT wins. His three wins on the season helped him earn second in the 2013 final ACT standings. This season his hunger for a title is more apparent than ever. His intensity and focus guided him to second in the season opener at Lee, fourth at Thunder Road and third in the most recent ACT event at Airborne.
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Jun 2, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Barre, VT – Thunder Road International Speedbowl begins the traditional Thursday night racing on June 5, 2014. Beginning its 55th year of stock car racing, the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” will present the strongest field of American Canadian Tour Late Models in the 22-year history of the division.
“We had a tremendous transition from a year ago with several Bond Auto Tiger teams moving into Late Models for the 2014 season. These are high caliber teams with lots of Thunder Road high-bank experience. Earlier this month the 100-lap Mekkelsen Memorial Day Classic went the 100 lap distance without a caution, and that defines just how good the talent level is,” said Tom Curley, Promoter at Thunder Road.
The latest star to emerge from the famous Thunder Road Tiger division is Jason Corliss whose surprise win in the Memorial Day Classic might have sounded the alarm for Thunder Road’s favorite sons Nick Sweet, Phil Scott, Dave Pembroke, Dave Whitcomb and Jamie Fisher, all former “Kings of the Road”.
“You have to remember we all started there (Street Stock and Tiger divisions) at one time in our racing careers,” said Sweet, two-time Thunder Road Champion. Sweet was also a star in the four-cylinder Allen Lumber Street Stock division and Bond Auto Tigers. “The cars certainly are different, but learning how to be patient, taking the necessary time to complete passes and figuring out things like the ‘widow maker’ (turn 4 at T-Road) make the transition from a Tiger to an ACT Late Model car a lot easier,” explained Sweet.
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May 30, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Barre, VT – A summer time of Thursday night action on the high banks of Barre’s Thunder Road is set to kick off with FairPoint Communications night. This Thursday, June 5, the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” opens its gates for its 55th season of stock car racing Thursday night action. The Late Models, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will all be racing. While the first two events of the season were among the biggest and most prestigious held at Thunder Road, it’s the gritty Thursday night action each week where drivers win or lose titles.
Barre’s Jason Corliss sits atop the Late Model standings after his thrilling win in the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic. The division will run its first 50-lap feature this Thursday for their second point-counting event. Unlike the 100-lap Memorial Day event, weekly 50-lap features are sprint races that require drivers to be aggressive each and every lap. Two-time “King of the Road” Nick Sweet will look to avenge his Memorial Day loss, while Cody Blake, Dave Pembroke and a host of others continue their title campaigns.
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May 28, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Emily Packard
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt – With the rain cancelling the race scheduled for Friday night, all the focus was on the Vermont State Championship Race #1 at Thunder Road for Packard and her 9x Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels team.
Packard and the team unloaded the car and immediately got to work readying the car for the first practice. After running a few laps, Packard found the track to be greasy and the car really loose. The team continued to work on tightening the car up for her, and eventually found something that worked for her. “The guys tried hard to get the car set up, so that I could race.”, said Packard. Starting second in the second heat, Packard wasted no time in moving out front of the 25vt, running in the lead until the 58vt got by her to take the checkers, giving her second place. The car showing that team had found a way to tighten it up.
Packard found herself starting 14th in the Mekkelson RV Memorial Day Classic, and with only 100 laps, she would have her work cut out for her. “We had a semi-decent run; the car was just too free all day,” said Packard, “the track was definitely a lot different than the last time we ran here.”
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