Apr 20, 2015 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Race Tracks, NE Racing News, Oxford Plains Speedway, Touring Series News
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – After a disappointing run at New Smyrna, Emily Packard and the Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels team spent the last 6 weeks focusing on bettering the car for the American Canadian Tour opener, and it looks to have paid off. In Packard’s first trip to Oxford Plains Speedway, a track that really suits her driving style, the sophomore driver in the ACT tour showed patience of a veteran, which paid off with a fourth place finish. “When we returned from New Smyrna, we found a few little things that were wrong with the car, but we made those changes and just seeing how it ran this weekend makes me feel a lot better about going forward through the season,” said Packard.
With limited practice on Friday, the team unloaded the car Sunday and readied it for first practice. Packard took to the track for a few laps, posting the fourth fastest time in that first practice then brought the car back to the attention of crew chief, Neal Woodward, to see if they could make any changes to get it a little tighter through turns 3 and 4, but all in all the car was really good. “After the first practice, we knew that we had a really good car at that point, and we just spent the remaining practices trying a couple things to see if we could make the car better or how the car changed after each adjustment,” Packard said.
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Apr 20, 2015 | Granite State Series, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
Photos- Eric LaFleche
Claremont, NH – Derek Griffith, the young, talented Pro-Stock driver from New Hampshire will be making his Claremont Speedway debut this Friday, April 24th as the Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) makes its return to the 1/3 mile facility for 125 green flag laps.
Formally known as Twin State Speedway, Claremont is under new ownership for 2015 and is ready to set the stage for what should be an exciting event.
Griffith will be entering Claremont not knowing anything about the race track, “I don’t think I’ve ever been there, maybe when I was a little kid but I can’t remember” remarked Derek.
“This will be exciting for our MOM’s of Manchester/LCM Racing crew as Louie [Crew Chief Louie Mechalides] doesn’t even have any set-up sheets for Claremont. I think it’ll be a learning experience, that’s for sure. “ (more…)
Apr 18, 2015 | NE Racing News
Devil’s Bowl Speedway Fan Festival Returning to Downtown Rutland
Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce to host racecar show on May 9
RUTLAND, VT – The windows will rattle and the ground will shake in one of Vermont’s largest cities on Saturday, May 9 as the Rutland Region Chamber of Commerce hosts the return of the Devil’s Bowl Speedway Fan Festival in Downtown Rutland, VT. The free-admission racecar show will give fans an up-close preview of the racing season and a chance to meet the drivers at Devil’s Bowl Speedway just hours before the season premiere in nearby West Haven, VT.
Cars and drivers from the track’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will line Center Street in the heart of the shopping, dining, and entertainment district of the city with gleaming machines from the Bond Auto Parts Modified, Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model, Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade, and Portland Glass Mini Stock divisions. Fans can meet drivers, collect autographs, and enter to win tickets for the opening event at Devil’s Bowl Speedway that evening.
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Apr 15, 2015 | American Canadian Tour, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
photo by Eric Lafleche
Waterbury, VT – The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Airborne Park Speedway have announced a new “Triple Crown” program for the Canada-based Série ACT Late Model Tour. The 2015 Triple Crown will offer point fund of more than $10,000 to Série ACT competitors for events held at the ½-mile oval in Plattsburgh, NY.
ACT will visit Airborne three times in 2015. The Série ACT season and the Triple Crown will kick off with the Spring Green 115 on Saturday night, May 16 as part of a combination event with the ACT U.S. Tour. The International 500 on Saturday, July 18 and Sunday, July 19 will be the Triple Crown’s second leg, with the ACT championship cars running a 200-lap open event in their half of the program. The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models will also run a 200-lap event that weekend.
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Apr 10, 2015 | American Canadian Tour, Lee Speedway, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
Lee, NH – Although the season-opening American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model event had to pushed back two weeks due to the heavy snows Mother Nature piled on the Lee USA Speedway this winter, all systems are go to open the 2015 season on the rescheduled date of April 25 at “New Hampshire‘s Center of Speed“.
The Northeast Classic Lites and North East Mini Stock Tour will also be taking to the fast 3/8th’s mile as part of the opener, and the pre-season touring series action continues with the second annual Bullring Bash for the Tri-Track Open Modified Series along with the NEMST and the North East Street Stock Tour on May 17. (more…)
Apr 10, 2015 | NE Racing News
The Devoted Daredevil: Jim Boyle Makes Racing a Family Affair
NORTH STONINGTON, CT – Jim Boyle started his racing career a step behind most drivers. The East Windsor, CT resident climbed behind the wheel of a Super X car at New London-Waterford Speedbowl at age 43, with help of friends and family.
“I have always been a race fan, and now that my kids are older, and time is a little more available, it seemed like something my son, Jim Jr., and I could do together,” Boyle spoke. “We both love the sport, and he is my right-hand man, putting in the hours it takes to run competitively.”
Boyle’s wife of twenty years, Deanna, has been by his side with everything the risk-taker does; Jim loves to sky dive, scuba dive, and ride his Harley-Davidson motorcycle, as well; and his four children, and three grandchildren, are all devout race fans. The relationship between family and racing doesn’t end there.
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