FRASERVILLE, ON – The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car racing series makes its long-awaited return to Ontario on Saturday, September 15, as Fraserville’s Kawartha Speedway hosts the ACTion Super Series’ $50,000 Summer Sizzler 200 at 6:00 pm. As many as 40 Late Model race teams from Ontario, Quebec, and the northeastern United States are expected to attempt qualifying at the fast 4\/10-mile, progressively-banked oval just outside the city of Peterborough.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
“I can’t wait to go out to Kawartha for the first time,” said Vermont driver Brent Dragon, a former winner of the historic VT Milk Bowl at his home track, Thunder Road. “I spoke with Donald Theetge (of Quebec City) who has raced there, and he says we’re going to love the place.”<\/p>\n
Kawartha Speedway’s increasingly steeping banked corners allow for multi-lane, side-by-side action, while its long front- and back-straightaways produce top speeds of 130 miles per hour. The Summer Sizzler 200 will be just the second ACT-sanctioned event in Ontario since 1993. A handful of ACT Late Model Tour racers tested the Kawartha Speedway waters at the first Summer Sizzler in 2004, when the event was an “open-competition” race. Six-time ACT Champion and current point leader Jean-Paul Cyr of Vermont was among them.<\/p>\n
“It’s an awesome track,” said Cyr. “I would suggest Kawartha to anyone that has a Late Model car,
anywhere. It’s not like any other track we race on; the straightaways are very long and fast, and there are a lot of ‘G-forces’ when you drive down into the corners. Two hundred laps of that will be tough on a lot of drivers.” Three-time CASCAR National Champion Dave Whitlock of Wyoming, ON took the inaugural Sizzler victory. He was followed into victory lane by Kirk Hooker in 2005 and Jeff Hanley last year. The 2007 ACTion Super Series’ Summer Sizzler 200 will pay a whopping $6,000 to the race winner and $800 for the 34th-place (last) finisher.<\/p>\n
“The best memories I have for ACT were the glory days of the early 1990s when we covered Ontario from border to border,” said ACT President Tom Curley. “For me and a lot of others, ACT returning to its Ontario fan base at Kawartha Speedway is definitely one of the highlights of the 2007 season. I am particularly excited about showing Ontario fans our “New Breed” of drivers like Scott Payea, Randy Potter, and Roger Brown, and also giving the old-timers someone to root for with names like Robbie Crouch, Jamie Aube, and the Dragon family.”<\/p>\n
Following an optional practice session on Friday afternoon (4pm-7pm), a chicken barbeque will be open for the public with live entertainment from 8:00pm to Midnight. Tickets for Friday’s festivities are just $10. Also on speedway grounds is a beautiful casino compete with slot machines, bingo, and more, open 24 hours a day.<\/p>\n
“Sizzler Saturday” begins at 8:00am as the pit gates open. ACT Late Model practice will begin at 1:30pm. The green flag drops on qualifying action for the $50,000 ACTion Super Series Summer Sizzler 200 at 6:00pm.<\/p>\n