May 16, 2016 | GSPSS, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Touring Series News, WMMP
WALPOLE, N.H.__
GSPSS photo
The Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) will kick-off their 2016 season on Saturday May 21, with a 100 lap feature at New Hampshire’s White Mt. Motorsports Park. It will be the first of 11 events on the calendar in what should be a season with lots of returning veterans and some new rookie challengers battling it out for victories.
It will be the third appearance by the New England based Pro Stock tour at White Mt., a track that opened for the first time in 1994, under operation from Donnie and Teri Avery. Brad Babb won the inaugural series race there in 2014 and defending series champion Derek Griffith scored the victory in the 100 lap feature in August of 2015.
The entry list for the event is already loading up with top-notch Super Late Model talent. Former Pro All Star Series North champion D.J. Shaw has entered, behind the wheel of his No. 60. The list also includes names like Barry Gray and Jeremy Davis, who are both former series winners — as well as series veteran Mike Parks. Brothers Tommy and Mike O’Sullivan also join the list with Cory Casagrande, Jacob Dore and many more. (more…)
May 13, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – After a tough finish to a good run at Thunder Road, Emily Packard and the 9x Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels team are prepared to head to Airborne Park Speedway this weekend for the Spring Green 116. “The car had some damage, but the guys fixed it up this week,” said Emily, “and we are ready to see what we can do this weekend at Airborne.”
This year the American Canadian Tour returns to half-mile track for the Egglefield Ford Spring Green 116 presented by Interstate Batteries, where Packard brought her Northstar fireworks sponsored car home in fifteenth place last year. This race was not originally on the schedule for the East Montpelier driver, but having kept the damage to a minimum last weekend the team decided to make the necessary fixes to the car and ready it to race this weekend. In addition to the car being set-up by last year’s winner, Joey Polewarczyk Jr, Emily and the team enter this weekend’s race riding the momentum from their good runs so far this season and high confidence that they will have another great showing at the track. “I am excited to return to Airborne this weekend,” said the 19-year old. “This is our only race at this track this season, so I am looking forward to going out and have a good race, as well as to continue to gel as a team and hopefully have a top-5 finish. Our finishes don’t reflect the how good a car we have had so far in the first three races, but my confidence remains high knowing that we are continuing to run well and that we are heading in the right direction.”
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May 13, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
Bobby Therrien working his way through the field at Oxford Plains Speedway. (Alan Ward photo)
42nd ACT Spring Green 116 Saturday
Waterbury, VT – The American Canadian Tour heads west to Airborne Park Speedway for the annual Spring Green Championship Stock Car race this Saturday night, May 14. The forty second (42nd) running of the historic event will begin with one of the largest contingents of front runners in the 30-year history of the sanctioning organization. Bobby Therrien from Hinesburg, VT holds a slim 12-point lead over a rebounding Nick Sweet, after the Barre, VT native’s spectacular win at the Merchants Bank 150, held at Thunder Road on May 8. Only twelve (12) points separate the top 2 teams after the first three events of the 2016 campaign. Just twenty-two (22) points separate the top five teams heading into the weekend at Airborne.
Therrien has led the chase by slim margins for the ten thousand dollar ($10,000.00) ACT Championship point check since his dominant win at the opening event held at the Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, ME in April. He followed that win up with a solid performance at Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire in the rain dated New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 the following week. This past weekend at the Merchants Bank 150 Therrian, a former Thunder Road Flying Tiger Champion, raced home to a sixth place (6th) finish to keep the Therrien-Duto team at the top of point battle heading to Plattsburgh, NY and the annual Spring Green 116.
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May 13, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Nick Sweet celebrates his wins in victory lane at the 18th Annual Merchants Bank 150 – (Alan Ward photo)
Waterbury, VT – Nick Sweet from Barre, VT has two “King of the Road” titles at Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl. The hometown hero has also won 19 races, which ties him with newly appointed Thunder Road Race Director Cris Michaud. Michaud had three track championship titles during his career in the highly competitive Late Model division.
“There is not much question that Nick is as good as there is at Thunder Road. I am sure he will win some more titles, and certainly a lot more major races. Doing what he did last Sunday is really unusual at T-Road. He won the Merchant’s Bank 150 with a ‘perfect’ score, winning his heat, leading a lap, leading the most laps, and winning the race. He received every point available at an ACT touring event. The Malone Property team jumped from 10th place to 2nd in the standings after three races,” said Michaud.
He goes into the Airborne Spring Green just twelve (12) points out of the American Canadian Tour point lead held by Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg, VT. After three races, the top teams span only a total of 59 points from first to tenth.
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May 13, 2016 | Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, PASS, Speedway 95, Touring Series News
PASS Photo
NAPLES, ME (May 11) – After a rain out last weekend at Star Speedway, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Super Late Models and PASS Modifieds will be back on track this Sunday afternoon at Maine’s Speedway 95. New England’s top short track stars will help kickoff the 50th Anniversary season of racing at the track in Hermon dubbed as “Maine’s Family Fun Track.”
Through the first three PASS North races of the 2016 season, there have been three different winners. Beech Ridge winner DJ Shaw currently leads the standings by four points over Oxford winner Ben Rowe and is just 13 markers ahead of Thompson winner Garrett Hall.
Speedway 95 favorite, Mike Hopkins, who also hails from Hermon, sits fourth in the standings just 23 points behind Shaw. Hopkins has had a fast start to the year with two top 10s to begin the PASS North campaign and a runner-up finish in the PASS National Championship opener at Greenville-Pickens Speedway in South Carolina. Hopkins feels he and his team are primed for their first PASS North Super Late Model victory this Sunday afternoon at Speedway 95.
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May 10, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News
photo by RPM 360
By Dick Casey
Eddie MacDonald battled a tight race car on Sunday, May 8 in the 18th Annual Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road in Barre, Vermont to post an eighth place finish in the American Canadian tour’s race at the famed speedway. The event originally scheduled for last weekend but postponed due to rain, was again delayed by morning rain and blustery cold weather prevailed throughout the day.
“I don’t really know what happened to the car during the race,” said Eddie Mac. “We were really happy with it in practice and in the heat. Even during last Saturday’s practice here, we felt like the car was going good and we would have solid shot at the win. I don’t know if it was the cold or something else but the car was tight right from the start of the race and just didn’t have any speed.”
Eddie Mac drew the sixth starting position in the second heat but actually started second when cars in front of the Rowley, Mass. veteran dropped out. The Exit Realty/Hancock Electric Chevy easily won the heat earning a plus one rating forcing a 12th place start in the feature with Eddie Mac saying, “We started on the outside and there were a number of cars in front of us that just couldn’t run out there. I fell back in the pack and with the car not handling, it just kept getting worse. It was a struggle during the race to get the car going.”
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