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.
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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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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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