Apr 19, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
photo by Norm Marx
Eddie MacDonald spent the weekend racing, literally, after posting an impressive eighth place finish in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East Pittlite 125 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night then flying into Boston on Sunday morning then race to Oxford Plains Speedway to score a third place finish in the ACT Tour’s Oxford 100 later that afternoon.
Nothing was easy for the Grimm Racing team beginning Wednesday evening when the lift gate on the hauler malfunctioned and unable to close with the car loaded in the top. With the gate stuck eight feet in the air, two ramp trucks and a construction forklift were called into service to free the car. One ramp truck was place on top of the other and supported by the forklift, the Grimm Construction/Multiple Sclerosis Chevy was rolled from the hauler on to the ramp truck and eventually lowered to the ground. The car and the equipment were loaded into two car trailers the following morning for the trek to Bristol.
“That was something you do not see every day,” laughed Eddie Mac. “We knew the weekend would be hectic making two races in Tennessee then Maine in two days, so to start out like this was definitely strange. Fortunately Rob (Grimm) knew the right people to call to get the car down and those guys worked until one in the morning. Then early the next morning Rob’s guys showed up to help us load the trailers for the trip. It was a huge relief to get to the track that night without anything else happening. Racing was easy after all that.”
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Apr 18, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
Therrien Races to Victory in ACT Opener at Oxford, (Heather Aube photo)
Waterbury, VT – Hinesburg, VT’s Bobby Therrien passed defending American Canadian Tour Champion Wayne Helliwell Jr. on lap 49 and never looked back winning the Oxford 100 going away on Sunday, April 17th at Oxford Plains Speedway.
Therrien led the final 51 laps, holding off Steuben ME’s Rowland Robinson Jr. on a pair of late restarts to win the 2016 ACT season opener. It was Therrien’s second career victory and first since 2013.
Robinson came home second to earn his first career podium finish with ACT. Former Oxford winner Eddie “The Outlaw” MacDonald charged from 16th on the starting grid to finish third.
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Apr 18, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway, PASS, Touring Series News
photo by Norm Marx
Oxford, Maine — Ben Rowe of Turner edged DJ Shaw of Center Conway, New Hampshire by a razor-thin margin of .023-seconds in a wild, and wildly-competitive, Speedway Homes 150 for Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models on Sunday at Oxford Plains Speedway.
“I’ve got to thank (new crew chief) Mickey Green for coming on board,” Rowe said in victory lane, greeted by a decidedly mixed reaction from a very vocal crowd after the race. “I haven’t had a top ten finish here in about five years – it was in the paper – and Mickey and his guys got us back on the right track, and my spotter (Steve Tapley) did a great job today.”
Rowe started 27th, and had methodically worked his way into third position behind Bryan Kruczek of Newmarket, New Hampshire and Dan McKeage of Gorham after McKeage had led almost the entire race to that point. Rowe found an opening under Kruczek as they headed into turn one on a restart, and contact between the two as Kruczek tried to close the hole saw him bounce into McKeage, who was forced three-wide to the outside, costing him several positions.
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Apr 14, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
Dave Brown Photo
Waterbury, VT – The opening race of 2016 racing season will have several young guns looking to make a good first impression competing against the top Late Model drivers in the Northeast.
The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Pro All Stars Series (PASS) head to Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway Sunday, April 17 for the first ACT/PASS doubleheader of the 2016 season, featuring 100 laps for the ACT Late Models and 150 laps for the PASS North Super Late Models. The event is the 67th season opener for the historic 3/8-mile speedway.
Vermont’s Emily Packard, Brandon Atkins of New York and New Hampshire’s Kyle Welch and Ryan Olsen look to be contenders at several tracks this year wheeling late models on the American Canadian Tour. The 21-year-old and under group has had various success the last two racing seasons and all look to carry the ACT checkered flag in 2016.
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Apr 14, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
Wayne Helliwell Jr. (27NH) on his way to an ACT win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Pelham NH (4/14/2016) When Dover New Hampshire’s Wayne Helliwell Jr. rolls out Bruce Bernhardt’s familiar 27NH at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway Sunday, the three – time and defending American-Canadian Tour champions will carry a new name on the quarter panels of their Ford Fusion.
Rydemore Heavy Duty Truck Parts, a Fitchburg Massachusetts-based reseller of used, remanufactured and new medium and heavy duty truck parts, originally signed on for the postponed Lee USA Speedway ACT season opener and the sponsorship will remain in place for the PASS/ACT doubleheader at Oxford on Sunday April 17th.
Said team owner Bernhardt, “It’s great to have Rydemore on board for Oxford. Our quarter panels were going to be blank to kick off the season, so they stepped up at just the right time. It’s a one race deal, but Wayne and I hope that a solid performance at Oxford might lead to more Rydemore support down the road.” The Helliwell/Bernhardt combination plans to compete in all thirteen ACT series points races, with an eye on a fourth series title. (more…)
Apr 14, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway
photo by RPM 360
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – Emily Packard and the 9x Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels team is ready to get this season rolling this weekend at Oxford Plains Speedway. For the second straight year, thanks to the New England weather, the American Canadian Tour kicks off at OPS and Packard and the team are more focused and better prepared this season than ever. After announcing back in March the partnership with Joey Pole Racing to maintain her cars for a minimum of 9 races, the Polewarczyk’s have spent the last few weeks making a number of changes to her race car to prepare for this event. “The first couple of laps on Sunday are going to be exciting,” said Packard, “I am going to be focusing on shaking the car down and getting used to the new set-up.”
“It’s been an adjustment not having the car here in our shop,” Packard said, “but the guys (Joe Sr. and Joey Jr.) have kept me updated, texting and sending pictures as they make progress on the car. They have made a bunch of changes, and I am really looking forward to getting the car out on to the track to see how it handles.” Last year, in her first visit to the track, Packard qualified in the 20th starting position, and spent the race calculating her moves around cars towards the front. Eventually, the laps would run out as she challenged for a top three, and settled for a fourth place finish. On the second trip back to the track, Packard went in to the race with a high level of confidence from her earlier season finish here and raced her way to a sixth place finishing position when the checkers fell.
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