May 1, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
BKR Development Driver 5th At Pensacola; Posts Top-10 In ACT Race
Planes, trains and automobiles. That’s what it felt like for Austin Theriault this weekend.
The 18-year-old Brad Keselowski Racing development driver hit opposite ends of the East Coast in a three-day span, posting a career-best Super Late Model finish of 5th in Florida less than 48 hours before returning to New England to post a Top-10 run in ACT Late Model Tour action at Thunder Road International Speedbowl.
“It was a long weekend, a lot of miles and a lot of racing, but I had a lot of fun, too,” Theriault said after finishing ninth Sunday in the Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road. “The Late Model, the Super Late Model – they both have four tires, but they really drive a lot different. At first, honestly, I don’t think I even realized how different they can be. But getting out here (at Thunder Road) and jumping into the Late Model and launching off into that first turn this weekend, it was like, ‘Whoa.’”
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Apr 30, 2012 | Granite State Series, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
Legendary Car Owner To Give Command For Granite State Pro Stock Series Season Opener
WINCHESTER, NH — Legendary NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour car owner Mario Fiore has been named the grand marshal for David’s House 106 presented by Fenton Family Dealerships Granite State Pro Stock Series event at Monadnock Speedway on Saturday, May 26. David’s House 106 event will benefit Ricky’s Race for Kids, a charity that assists David’s House, a home-away-from-home that offers support for families with children receiving treatment through Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, in Hanover, NH.
Ricky’s Race for Kids was created in the memory of the champion stock car racer Ricky Miller, who passed away in 2004. Miller was a one-time crew member and driver for Fiore.
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Apr 30, 2012 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, Speedway 95
Mike Hopkins of Hermon kept his streak of opening day wins in tact Saturday night at Speedway 95 when he won the season opener for the third year in a row. Starting third in the 16 car Dysart’s Late Model field, Hopkins was in the lead by the backstretch of the first lap, and kept that lead for the entire 35 lap distance. Andy Saunders of Ellsworth caught Hopkins following a lap 7 yellow, but was unable to pass for the lead, although he ran close behind at the end of the event. A caution flag on lap 30 gave Saunders one more chance at the lead, but Hopkins was simply too fast on the outside for Saunders to match. The race turned bad for several drivers on the final lap when, after Hopkins and Saunders took the white flag, third and fourth place runners Phil Richardson of Hermon and John Kalel II of Orrington came together just past the flag stand, scattering the field when Kalel came to a rest in the middle of the track. Hopkins and Saunders continued around to take the checkers in first and second respectively, but the rest of the field was so scattered that Dale Swoboda, who was running eighth under the white flag managed to cross the finish line third. Fourth went to Duane Seekins of Stockton Springs with Richardson salvaging a fifth place finish. The remainder of the finishing order was not immediately available. Phil Richardson of Hermon and George Dunn of Eastbrook won the qualifiers and started the feature from the front row.
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Apr 29, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
Barre, VT – Eight-time and defending ACT Champion Brian Hoar, of Williston VT, rode a hot streak on his way to his second win in a row on the ACT Tour in the Merchants Bank 150 on Sunday, April 29 at Thunder Road. Hoar fought off former Lee USA Champion Wayne Helliwell Jr, of Dover NH, and two-time Serie ACT Castrol Champion Patrick Laperle of St. Denis, QC for his first ever Merchants Bank 150 win.
Hoar started from the second position, after a +6 plus minus out of his heat, and stole the lead from Thunder Road defending Champion Dave Pembroke on lap 21. Hoar paced the field for 19 laps only to lose the lead to seven-time ACT Champion Jean Paul Cyr on lap 40. Cyr took the lead and looked unstoppable for 79 laps, slicing and dicing through lap traffic, until lap 109 caution in which he pitted after the other leaders to take tires. Helliwell Jr, and two-time Merchants Bank 150 Champ Nick Sweet battled it out before Sweet headed down pit road on a lap 116 caution, leaving Hoar, Laperle, and Helliwell to fight for the win.
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Apr 29, 2012 | Maine Race Tracks, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Unity Raceway
Defending Unity Raceway Late Model champion Jeff Burgess of Fairfield kicked off the 2012 points-earning season the way he ended the 2011 campaign at Maine’s Toughest racing Oval – in victory lane.
Burgess chased down early race leader (and opening day winner) Brian Whitney in the 35-lapper, then held off a stiff challenge from Burnham’s Justin Drake to earn his first trip to the top step of the podium this season.
Ajay Picard of Palmyra bounced back from an early spin to post a third-place finish. Oakland’s Mike Landry rebounded from a visit to the pit and a trip to the rear of the restart lineup to claim fourth position. Whitney, won won the heat race, crossed the line in fifth position.
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Apr 29, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
14th Annual Merchants Bank 150 Weekend
Thunder Road International Speedbowl
PITS NOTES SATURDAY APRIL 28, 2012
· 109 cars attended the annual Car Show held at Thunder Road
· 46 ACT Late Models participated in practice in preparation for Sunday’s Merchants Bank 150.
· Joey Polewarcyzk Jr. of Hudson, NH had the fastest lap time of 13.069.
· Other fast times were set by defending Late Model Champion Dave Pembroke, two-time defending Merchants Bank 150 Champion Nick Sweet, Lt. Governor Phil Scott, former Rookie of the Year Cody Blake, as well as Ben Rowe, Brooks Clark, Randy Potter, and Cris Michaud in the Merchants Bank Ford Fusion.
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