Fifty ACT teams tested at NHMS a week ago, and twenty-two teams were invited to confirm entries for the first ever event for the region’s top Late Model touring and weekly race teams. Three teams from Maine, two teams from Vermont, and one team from Connecticut have been added to the list, which now totals 28. There are still eight positions to be filled in the next two weeks.
Former Oxford Plains Speedway driver and full-time ACT competitor in 2009, Ricky Rolfe from Albany Township, ME, has joined the list. Rolfe is a car builder at Race Basics Chassis in Andover, Maine, and is a former track champion at Oxford Plains Speedway in both the Pro-Stock and Late Model divisions. Another Oxford Plains Speedway competitor and part-time ACT racer, Shawn Martin from Turner, ME, has been asked to join the field which will become 36 cars after the completion of the Fall Foliage 300 at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY on September 13th.
ACT Rookie driver Joey Doiron from Berwick, ME has been invited. Doiron, who will be a senior in high school beginning this week, has had an outstanding freshman year on the ACT. Doiron is coming off a top ten finish in the All-Star Showdown at Chaudiere last weekend, which involved the top teams from the ACT US, along with the top teams from the ACT Castrol Quebec tour competing over 200 laps.
Veteran ACT competitors Eric Chase from Milton, VT and Jamie Fisher from Shelburne, VT are two long time ACT competitors. Both Chase and Fisher have pulled double duty in 2009, running weekly at Thunder Road in Barre, VT and competing on the US Tour. Fisher is a former “King of the Road” at Thunder Road, winning the title in 2003 in a tie-breaker by virtue of having one more win than three-time track champion Phil Scott, who was previously invited to the Invitational.
Connecticut’s Waterford Speedbowl will be well represented when Tim Jordan from Plainfield, CT joins track Champion Bruce Thomas in the Invitational. Jordan had an outstanding race in the only appearance of the ACT at the seacoast speedplant in 2009. His test and tune effort at NHMS was equally impressive. Jordan brings the current total to 28 teams that will come from all six New England states and two provinces of Canada to participate in the inaugural ACT Invitational.
With three events remaining, there are eight spots still available to fill the 36 car starting field. “ We have to leave some spots open for the remaining ACT affiliate track champions, and for the three events still to be run before the Invitational,” said ACT President, Tom Curley. There are still three ACT qualifying events before the NHMS event. They include the rained-out Twin State Speedway 100 lap event on Friday, September 4 in Claremont, NH. Two days later, the 31st Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 will take place at Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, VT. The final event will take place at the newly designed 1/2 mile Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY with the Fall Foliage 300.
ACT Invitational Invited Teams:
Car# State Name Hometown Track/Series
9 ON Brandon Watson Stayner, ON Kawartha Downs
10 NH Ben Rowe Turner, ME ACT
11 VT Jean Paul Cyr Milton, VT Thunder Road
11 RI Ryan Vanesse Warwick, RI Seekonk
14 VT Phil Scott Middlesex, VT Thunder Road
14 ON Sean Kennedy Dunrobin, On Capital City
17 MA Eddie MacDonald Rowley, MA ACT
18 VT Jamie Fisher Shelburne, VT ACT/TR
21 QC Jean Francois Dery Quebec City, QC ACT Castrol
26 VT John Donahue Graniteville, VT ACT/TR
35 CT Bruce Thomas Groton, CT Waterford
37 VT Brian Hoar Williston, VT ACT
40 VT Eric Chase Milton, VT ACT/TR
44 VT Dave Pembroke Montpelier, VT Thunder Road
47 CT Tim Jordan Plainfield, CT Waterford
48 QC Karl Allard Ste Felicien, QC ACT Castrol
51 ME Ricky Rolfe Albany Twnshp, ME ACT
55 VT Brent Dragon Milton, VT ACT
55 NH Brad Leighton Center Harbor, NH ACT
71 ON Dan McHattie Cavan, On Kawartha Downs
73 ME Joey Doiron Berwick, ME ACT
80 QC Donald Theetge Quebec, City, QC ACT Castrol
89 VT Scott Payea Milton, VT ACT
91 QC Patrick Laperle Montreal, QC ACT Castrol
94 ME Shawn Martin Turner, ME Oxford Plains
97 NH Joey Polewarczyk Hudson, NH ACT
02 NH Randy Potter Groveton, NH ACT