Apr 25, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Barre, VT – The Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and the Allen Lumber Street Stocks will begin their 2014 championship campaigns at Thunder Road this weekend during Merchants Bank 150 weekend. The two perennial Thunder Road support divisions will hit the track for their first point-counting events of the year when they join the American Canadian Tour Late Models on Sunday, April 27.
The Tiger Sportsman division will see a changing of the guard during the 2014 season, as four of the top five in the final point standings from last year have made the jump to the Late Model division. Three-time Tiger Champion Shawn Fleury along with Jason Allen, Mike Ziter and Eric Badore will all compete in the Late Models this season. That opens the door for several veterans looking for their first title.
(more…)
Apr 25, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
ACT (Photo by Leif Tillotson)
Waterbury, VT – The 16th annual Merchants Bank 150 opening event at Thunder Road in Barre, Vermont offers a big advantage for the hometown ACT Late Model race teams. The high banks and famous fourth turn “widow maker” have proven to be major obstacles for generations of “outsiders”. Not so for the regular Thunder Road graduates.
The opening event on the Tour, held at Lee USA earlier this month, was highlighted by some outstanding performances from Thunder Road alumni, including Emily Packard from East Montpelier, VT. In just her second year of tour racing, the 17 year-old Packard had an impressive two days of racing at Lee USA. Likewise, Rookie of the Year contender Mike Ziter from Williamstown, VT, in his first ever ACT event, was steady throughout the highly competitive 150-lap event won with a late race charge by Rowley, MA veteran Eddie MacDonald.
(more…)
Apr 22, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, More Maine Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Waterbury, VT –Thunder Road International Speedbowl will open this weekend for the 55th season of championship stock car racing. Billed as the “Nation’s Site of Excitement”, Thunder Road is known for its close door-banging, “take no prisoners” style of racing action.
_
The Merchants Bank 150 for the ACT Championship Late Model teams is the featured event this Sunday, but there will be plenty of racing action from the Bond Auto Tigers and Allen Lumber Street Stocks. They will also open their 2014 championship charge.
(more…)
Apr 16, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Touring Series News
Fans Can Win Free Tickets and VIP Experiences
Waterbury, VT – Bond Auto Parts has announced a new program for the American Canadian Tour competitors who win qualifying events and attend the prestigious Bond ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Sunday, September 20. Bond has put up a total of $10,000 spread across nine qualifying events for drivers and fans.
Bond has announced that they will award ACT competitors $1,000 for their first win in the nine qualifying events. Repeat winners will receive $500 for each additional win, while the other $500 will be awarded to the highest finishing driver who has not yet won or received a bonus in a qualifying event. The nine events include the first seven American Canadian Tour point counting events, as well as the Vermont Governor’s Cup at Thunder Road and the International race at Airborne. Along with the $1,000 bonus, Bond Auto will also award the 15th place finisher in each of the nine events with a $100 Bond Auto gift card.
(more…)
Apr 15, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Barre, VT – Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, VT will enter their 55th season of stock car racing with the 16th annual Merchants Bank 150 on Saturday and Sunday, April 26 and 27. The stars and cars from the American Canadian Tour Championship Series (ACT) will tackle both the high banks of the famous Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl, and one of the largest fields of regular Thunder Road Late Model racers in recent memory. The Merchants Bank event has been the season opener at the ¼-mile speedbowl since 1999.
Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (Pole) from Hudson, NH is looking for his first win in a Merchants Bank opener. When asked why Thunder Road is so tough, the 2014 ACT title contender said, “I love racing at Thunder Road and I hate racing at Thunder Road. It‘s been good to me and frustrating for me. Man, you earn everything you get every lap at that place. First, you have to race the track, which is high-banked, narrow, two grooves and pretty wild. Then you have to take on what is probably the largest and best group of weekly racers in the country, along with the Tour regulars. I have won some big shows (Governor’s Cup 150 in 2009 and the People’s United Bank Milk Bowl in 2010), but I’ve always wanted to win the Merchants Bank opening race. It would give our team tremendous momentum toward our goal of winning the ACT title this year,” concluded Pole.
(more…)
Apr 15, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Lee Speedway, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
The American Canadian Tour kicked off its 23rd season at Lee USA Speedway again this year with the Governor’s Cup 150 on Sunday April 13th. Hitting the track for her first race of the season, Emily Packard, the 17 year old East Montpelier native, brought home her 9X Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels sponsored car in 12th place.
Rain early in the day changed the track and the schedule, shortening day and allowing little to no practice to feel the car out prior to the heat races. Starting 5th in the heat race, Packard dropped back a position early on fighting a pushing race car, but battled her way up to 4th by Lap 4. The closing laps found her in a battle of side by side racing for the last three laps holding off the 5VT car to cross the line in 4th place to secure her place in the show. “I hope it was an exciting race for the fans to watch, because it was definitely exciting from the driver’s seat,” said Packard of her tight racing with the 5vt car, “it was a good (heat) race and a good start to the season.”
(more…)
