Apr 25, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Lee Speedway, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News
photo by RPM 360
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – After leaving the American Canadian Tour season opener last weekend with the car relatively unscathed, Emily Packard and the 9x Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels team made a mid-week decision to add the Governor’s Cup 150 to their season schedule. “After Oxford we talked it over and decided that we would benefit from running the Lee race,” said Packard. “Last week was a learning curve, and we believe that running this week would help us to continue to gel and work towards getting the car more comfortable for me.”
The 19-year old returns to the 3/8 mile track for only the third time in her late model career, where she has had two top-15 finishes. This year she hopes to better her best finish of twelfth, and is looking for a top-5 finish. “Last year I finished fifteenth,” Packard said. “Hopefully, this year I can finish in the top-5, and if not, at least a top-10 would be great. I like running Lee, I am really glad that we decided to add this one to our race schedule this season. Although I haven’t had the success at Lee USA Speedway that I would like, I feel confident going into this race that we are going to have a really great car, so I am excited to be racing this weekend.” (more…)
Apr 20, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Lee Speedway, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News
Therrien Leads Charge into Lee USA Speedway. (Heather Aube photo)
Waterbury, VT – After a convincing victory at Oxford Plains Speedway last Sunday, Bobby Therrien is looking to continue his hot start as American-Canadian Tour (ACT) takes the green flag this Sunday, April 24 at Lee USA Speedway with the annual New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150. The NH Governor’s Cup, which was postponed due to weather in early April to start 2016 racing season, has been the traditional ACT opener since 2008, and with 12 different winners in the previous 13 ACT Late Model Tour events at the 1/3-mile speedway, the stage is set for another unpredictable and exciting event.
Four of the last six NH Governor’s Cup winners – Miles Chipman (2010), Jimmy Hebert (2013), Eddie MacDonald (2014), and Wayne Helliwell, Jr. (2015) – have entered the event. Each hopes to become just the second repeat ACT Late Model winner at Lee.
The four will have plenty of challengers trying to add their names to the Lee USA record books. Colchester, VT’s Scott Payea now pilots the RPM Motorsports car that Brian Hoar drove to back-to-back NH Governor’s Cup wins in 2011 and 2012. Windham, ME’s Brad Babb was the runner-up in the 2015 Governor’s Cup and hopes to do one spot better in 2016. Kyle Welch and Rich Dubeau also turned in impressive performances at Lee in 2015 and could challenge for the win.
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Apr 5, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Lee Speedway, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
Lee, NH – It’s been over five months since Oktoberfest 2105 closed out last year’s racing action at Lee USA Speedway, but the off-season is coming to a close next weekend. Saturday, April 23rd will be the first time the roar of race engines will be heard this spring, as teams from all over the region take advantage of an open test and tune session from noon-5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, April 24th, it‘s the highly-anticipated 2016 season opener, featuring the annual running of the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model event along with the NEMST Mini Stocks and Northeast Classic Lites in competition at “New Hampshire‘s Center of Speed“.
Last year’s Governor’s Cup winner and eventual 2015 ACT champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Dover will be opening up his title defense at his longtime home track, and will be looking to bring car owner Bruce Bernhardt, a former Lee USA champion himself, the team’s fourth championship in five years.
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Apr 5, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Lee Speedway, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News
photo by RPM 360
Eddie MacDonald will take the green flag at Lee USA Speedway, his family-owned track, on Sunday, April 10 in the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 American Canadian Tour’s 25th season opener. As the 2014 Governor’s Cup winner, Eddie Mac would like nothing better than to start the season off with a victory on the track he honed his skills as a teenager.
“We are really looking forward to this race and hope to win in front of all our families and friends,” said Eddie Mac. “My parent’s, Judy and Red, will be celebrating their 30th season owning and operating Lee. It would be awesome to win this for them for everything they have done for me. They haven’t put any pressure on me to win other than my father expecting me to win every race, but I know it would mean a lot to them.”
Following last season’s finale in the Fall Brawl at Speedway 51 the #17 Freddie Peterson owned Hancock Electric/Exit Realty Chevy needed extensive body repairs with Eddie and the crew spending a lot of shop time getting the car back in shape with Eddie saying, “We had to replace all the body panels, nerf bars and just about everything else you could think of but it looks great and we think it will be fast once we hit the track. The guys worked hard getting everything done. Joe St. Jacques did a great job with metal and tin and John Tiernan did his usual great job with the paint and lettering. Rob Drandson took care of all the welding. Herbie Wing and Dick Casey were the guys taking everything apart and putting it all back together. Rollie and I have been putting the final touches in for the set up so we are ready to go.”
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Apr 4, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Lee Speedway, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News
Lee, NH – It’s been over five months since Oktoberfest 2105 closed out last year’s racing action at Lee USA Speedway, but the off-season is coming to a close next weekend. Saturday, April 9 will be the first time the roar of race engines will be heard this spring, as teams from all over the region take advantage of an open test and tune session from noon-5:00 p.m.
On Sunday, April 10, it‘s the highly-anticipated 2016 season opener, featuring the annual running of the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model event along with the NEMST Mini Stocks and Northeast Classic Lites in competition at “New Hampshire‘s Center of Speed“.
Last year’s Governor’s Cup winner and eventual 2015 ACT champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Dover will be opening up his title defense at his longtime home track, and will be looking to bring car owner Bruce Bernhardt, a former Lee USA champion himself, the team’s fourth championship in five years.
(more…)
Mar 25, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Lee Speedway, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, North East Mini Stock Tour
Lee, NH – Lee USA Speedway is readying for the 2016 season opener just two weeks from now on April 10, with the annual running of the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model event. The traditional season-opener will also feature the NEMST Mini Stocks and Northeast Classic Lites doing battle at “New Hampshire‘s Center of Speed“.
Last year’s running of the Governor’s Cup event saw longtime Lee USA regular and eventual 2015 ACT champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of nearby Dover take down his first career ACT win at Lee, with Maine racer Brad Babb and hometown hero Eddie “The Outlaw” MacDonald of Rowley, MA rounding out the podium.
Both Helliwell and MacDonald cut their racing teeth on the fast 3/8th’s mile oval back in the 1990’s, with feature wins and track championships coming early and often in their careers. “Junior” has taken home championship titles in the Late Model Sportsman, Late Model, and Supermodified ranks over the years, with the 2015 Governor’s Cup 150 win among his career highlights.
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