May 23, 2016 | Maine Race Tracks, More Maine Racing News, NELCAR Legends News, Touring Series News
Credit Photos: Mary and Peter Taylor – petespicks.smugmug.com
By Lisa and Rich Maguire
Last Saturday Wiscasset Speedway saw packed grandstands and some exciting racing action. The bright lights lit up Maine’s fastest oval for the spotlighted race of the evening, the Amsoil Nelcar Legends National Qualifier. Also on the schedule were the group one division of racing, including the Thunder Four Mini’s, ServePro of Biddeford Saco Prostocks, New England Four Cylinder Prostocks, and the Super Streets.
Starting of the evening was the thirty-five lap Amsoil Nelcar Legends Spotlighted feature. Prior to race beginning, the drivers had first competed in time trials to determine heat position. The heats finalized race start position, with the fastest at the front. At race time start the cream had risen to the top, and the three front runners battled for a win.
From the start, the #19 of Kevin Girard Jr set a grueling pace with an average speed of about 78 mph. Behind Girard was the #399 of Bob Weymouth. Weymouth and third place starter, Matt Grant of the #84, gave Girard a challenge. Girard was able to hold them off despite three cautions. On the restarts, Weymouth and Grant fought for position. Whoever started at the bottom of the track on the restart was able to advance to second using the inside advantage. However, when the trio flew under the checkered, it was Girard in first, Weymouth in second, and Grant rounding out the top three.
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May 21, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News
CTWaterford, CT – Hudson, NH’s Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. returned to American Canadian Tour action and victory lane at New London-Waterford Speedbowl with his win in the first event of the Southern New England Tripleheader on Saturday, May 21. Polewarczyk claimed his third straight New London-Waterford Speedbowl ACT win dating back to the last two times the tour visited the track in 2010.
The 2014 ACT Tour Champion started from the third position and, after a brief battle with Scott Payea, took over the lead for good on lap 18. Polewarczyk distanced himself from the remainder of the field on a couple of long green flag runs, but Eddie MacDonald worked his way free from traffic and managed to close the gap to a car length with just two laps remaining in the 100 lap event.
MacDonald couldn’t get to Polewarczyk’s back bumper but still managed to create a wild finish as his axle broke coming off of turn four, sending him hard into the front stretch wall and sending the remainder of the field scrambling. His momentum allowed him to limp across the start finish line just ahead of third place finisher Payea.
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May 20, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, More Maine Racing News
for Race #1 of the Southern New England Triple-header
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – Emily Packard is no stranger to the New London/Waterford Speedbowl, having raced her Allison Legacy cars there early on in her racing career and even has a win there. This weekend the 19-year old driver is set to wheel her 9x Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels car around the 1/3 mile oval for the first race in the American Canadian Tour Southern New England Triple-header. “It’s been four or five years since I last raced at Waterford,” said Emily. “It’s one of my favorite tracks, and I have always wanted to go there in a late model and now we get the opportunity, so I am really excited.”
Earlier this year ACT announced the addition of the Southern New England Triple-header, which also includes races at Seekonk Speedway and Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park, so the local drivers from those three tracks can showcase their talent against the ACT tour regulars. A separate point fund has been set-up and at the conclusion of the race at Thompson, someone will be crowned the Triple-header Champion. The East Montpelier native and her team are planning to run all three races and chase that championship starting this weekend.
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May 20, 2016 | More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, PASS, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
PASS starting field in 2015 (photo by Alan Ward)
Waterbury, VT – The 54th running of the Mekkelsen Memorial Day Classic at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, VT (TR) on Sunday, May 29, 2016 will once again feature a double-header with the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) and the American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models of Thunder Road.
The inaugural race a year ago saw former ACT competitor Joey Doiron from Berwick, Maine tackle the high banks of Thunder Road for a dominant win over a cast of all-star Super Late Model Champion racers, including Mike and Ben Rowe, Johnny Clark, Travis Benjamin and DJ Shaw. This year they will be joined in the 150 lap showdown by Middlebury, Vermont’s Todd Stone, Oxford 250 winner Glen Luce, and Derek Ranstrom from Worcester, MA.
“Thunder Road can be intimidating, but everyone had a great time last year and we are looking forward to a return trip over the Memorial Day weekend. I am especially excited to see our PASS Modifieds hit those high banks at TR. They should be fun to watch and any time you visit a new track it is good for fans and racers,” said the President of PASS, Tom Mayberry.
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May 19, 2016 | American Canadian Tour, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road
Waterbury, VT – Thunder Road International Speedbowl announces the continuation of a thirty-seven thousand ($37,000.00) point fund program for their weekly competitors’ 2016 season. Started in 2014, the three divisions – ACT Late Models, Bond Auto Tigers, and Allen Lumber Street Stocks – have enjoyed one of the largest weekly point funds in the country.
The Thunder Road Late Model Champion is awarded $7,500.00 at the end of the season. The top 15 positions in both the Late Model and Tiger divisions battle throughout the race season for positions in the point standings. The Late Models receive a total payout of $25,000.00; the Tiger division has a total of over $7,500; the 4-cylinder Street Stock division has a point fund through 20 positions that will pay over $4,400.00 in post season awards.
“Thunder Road has been known for paying some of the best weekly purses around the country, and certainly some of the best point funds. When I was racing the purse for Late Models was around $6,000 on the quarter mile. When you added in the year-end point fund, together it really helped with the expenses to race at the level we raced at. I think the same thing applies to the two other divisions,” said former three time-track champion and current ACT race director, Cris Michaud.
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May 19, 2016 | GSPSS, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Touring Series News, WMMP
WALPOLE, N.H. __ The Granite State Pro Stock Series (GSPSS) is proud to announce the contingency awards and bonuses for the 2016 season of racing, which begins this Saturday, May 21, at White Mt. Motorsports Park in New Hampshire.
More than 13 different businesses have come on board to award drivers on the GSPSS for their accomplishments this upcoming season. Some of them return from 2015, but others are welcomed to the series this season with many thanks. Drivers have the chance to win awards in heat races, the feature races and also at the annual awards banquet at the conclusion of the racing season.
Drivers will compete in heat races for points and feature starting spot, but also for multiple different bonus awards. Sunoco Race Fuels will present each heat race winner five gallons of Sunoco Fuel for the duration of the season and MacLellan Metal Finishing will present all the heat race winners with a check for $25. MacLellan will also present a check for $300 to the driver who scores the most heat race wins during the entire season.
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