Mar 16, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Lee Speedway, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News
Alan Ward photo
Waterbury, VT – The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) opens its 25th season of ACT Late Model racing, along with the 33rd season of racing at Lee USA Speedway, with the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 on Sunday, April 10. The traditional ACT season opener often sets the tone for what to watch throughout the season, and the 2016 edition should be no exception.
ACT competition at the 1/3-mile speedway has historically been hard to predict. The previous 13 ACT Late Model Tour events at Lee have seen 12 different winners, with Brian Hoar’s back-to-back Governor’s Cup wins in 2011 and 2012 standing as the only repeat triumph. Former Lee USA Champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Dover, NH became the latest ACT winner at the track when he captured the 2015 Governor’s Cup, the first of his four wins en route to the 2015 ACT Championship.
Surprise performances at the event also abound, and performances by these drivers have frequently led to even bigger things for them. Williamstown, VT’s Jimmy Hebert was the surprise winner of the 2013 Governor’s Cup, which kick-started a breakout season that saw him finish third in ACT points. In 2015, Windham, ME’s Brad Babb scored a then career-best runner-up finish at Lee. Babb went on to win two races and finish third in the final 2015 standings.
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Mar 14, 2016 | More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, NHMS
photo by RPM 360
story by Chris Roy
Aliyah Neale, of Royalston, MA even though racing concluded last October, racing really never stops. “I’ve been helping my Dad get the cars ready for the upcoming race season. I did some kart racing at Maine Indoor Karting.”
Aliyah learned a lot last year racing the #14 bando at NHMS and, looks to improve on it this race season. “My plan is to get some podium finishes. I learned a lot last season and I’m looking forward to getting back on the track!”
The mini oval at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, can be a hard track to race as the cars go from a flat track to a banked track in turn 1 and just the opposite in turn 4, which can upset the car. “The Oval track is definitely a challenge because it not really oval. But I think mastering turn 1 is the key.”
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Mar 10, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, Lee Speedway, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News
Eric Lafleche/Victory Lane Radio photo
Waterbury, VT – The 2016 American-Canadian Tour (ACT) season begins in just a month’s time on Sunday, April 10, when the ACT Late Model Tour travels to Lee USA Speedway for the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150. The annual event will kick off a milestone season for ACT in both the United States and Canada.
The upcoming season will mark the 25th year of competition for the ACT Late Model Tour, which was created in 1992. Meanwhile, the Quebec-based Série ACT is entering its 10th season, having been born in 2007 out of the former Série National Late Model Sportsman division.
Both Tours continue to be among the most sought-after racing series in the Northeastern United States and eastern Canada. ACT will visit 15 different race tracks during the 2016 season, traveling from the banks of the St. Lawrence River to the eastern shores of Long Island Sound. The 13-race U.S. Tour schedule will be contested at 11 different tracks, matching the most in Tour history. Nearly 160 different drivers attempted to qualify for at least one ACT-sanctioned event in 2015, and with a number of changes and additions to the schedule in 2016, that number may grow even larger.
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Mar 9, 2016 | Lee Speedway, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News
Lee, NH – Lee USA Speedway owners and promoters Red and Judy MacDonald are getting ready for their 30th consecutive season operating “New Hampshire’s Center of Speed”, and dozens of teams are busy in their shops doing their cars to prepare for the Friday night regular season opener on May 27th.
The 2016 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at Lee USA will once again be headlined by the EKeys4cars Supermodifieds, with the R & R Public Wholesalers “The Tool Store and More” Late Model Sportsmen, David’s Race Cars and Components Hobby Stocks, Tri-City Line-X Ironman, and MLM Diagnostics Pure Stock divisions rounding out the weekly program.
Defending and four-time (2010, 2012, 2013, 2015) Super Modified champion Tommy Tombarello Jr., of Haverhill, MA will once again be the man to beat in the Supers, coming of an impressive five-win season that brought him to the title once again last year. Tommy wrecked hard on championship night in 2015, but his team has been hard at work and will have the champ ready to go for the opener.
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Mar 8, 2016 | More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, NHMS
photo by RPM 360
story by Chris Roy
Jake Matheson, of Hillsboro, NH., will be back in the #52 Bandolero Car racing in the ProWraps Series at New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS).
The driver of the #52 car has been keeping busy in the off season, doing what he loves most. “I have been doing a lot of IRacing and driving at Maine Indoor Karting during the off season.”
Jake has already been turning some laps down south this season. “We already ran the US Legends Winter Nationals in Orlando and came in 3rd overall!” (more…)
Feb 25, 2016 | More Maine Racing News, NASCAR Whelen Mods, NE Racing News, NHMS
photo by RPM 360
Story by Chris Roy
Max Zachem is ready to get back behind the wheel of the #14 Whelen Modified car as the tour gets set to kick off the 2016 race season in the “Icebreaker 150” at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on April 10th.
Max has been keeping busy during the winter months, “This offseason has been really busy. I started a new job working for M2 Services as a contractor (painter/sandblaster) for Army National Guard. Also, I am a corner flag man for the Len Sammons Productions Indoor races. In between that MPZ Motorsports has been searching for sponsors and rebuilding our program for 2016.
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