2012-09-12

Dan McHattie Heads Back for Another Attack on the Magic Mile

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications

 

In high school, the most popular kids were invited to all the parties.  While the textbooks have long since been put away, no one can dispute the educational and entertainment value of the annual American-Canadian Tour Invitational – Saturday, September 22nd – at Loudon, New Hampshire’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway.  Every year since the event’s inception, Dan McHattie has been selected to represent Kawartha Speedway at the show that shares the stage with the second race in the 2012 Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.  Wrapping-up the hometown oval’s current campaign may be his immediate priority, but McHattie is anxious for his 4th start in the Granite State.

 

“My first order of business is finishing the season at Kawartha Friday, September 14th,” said McHattie.  “There are 3 of us in contention for the NAPA Auto Parts ACT Late Model title, so the battle for the championship is sure to go right down to the final checkered flag.  First thing Saturday morning, we’ll start changing the car over for the trip to New Hampshire.  It shouldn’t take too long, but I want to make sure everything is ready before we roll it into the hauler.”

 

McHattie – along with his Kawartha Speedway counterparts Ryan Kimball and Bryan Mercer – participated in the practice session at NHMS on Wednesday, August 29th.  Having 3 years experience on the one mile oval sent the Cavan, Ontario veteran to the track with a full set of notes on how to prep his ride.  Familiarity with the track – and having built his car from the ground up – saw the driver of the #71 J.J. Stewart Chrysler/Corp Construction/Uniglass Plus Ziebart/ Napa Sidey Auto Supply/Douglas Automotive/Barry McLennan Masonry/Foxon Alternator and Starter/Praxair Peterborough/Webb Transmission/Ontario Truck Training Academy Dodge Charger by Dan McHattie Racecars set the fast practice time on the day.

 

“We unloaded for the test with essentially the same package we used during the race last year,” said McHattie.  “Right off the bat, the car felt great.  I was able to run some solid laps and experimented with how the car would handle in the different grooves and race traffic.  This will be our 4th trip to the race and while it’s an honour to be invited, it would be the ultimate thrill to roll into victory lane when they wave the checkered flag.”

 

As he has done in the past, McHattie will make the trek to Loudon with a strong support crew of familiar faces including his parents, his wife Heidi, along with Colin Winslow and Chris Mitchell.  With so many events also on the Saturday, September 22nd schedule, television coverage of the ACT Tour Invitational isn’t possible, but Dan McHattie doesn’t think there’ll be a problem for fans looking to follow his progress.

 

“I know that within minutes of ending the first practice round at the test session, updates were flowing back home via Facebook and Twitter,” said the driver.  “Social media is a great thing and I’m sure that no matter how we do, the news will travel as fast as the racecar.”

 

Photo attachment:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

For the 4th time in his career Cavan, Ontario’s Dan McHattie will make the trip to Loudon, New Hampshire to run the American-Canadian Tour Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

 

Prepared by:  Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications

 


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Diverse Field Expected for Vermont 200 Weekend at Devil's Bowl Speedway

ATTACHED PHOTOS:

 

dragon55bushey05: Brent Dragon (#55) will be at Devil's Bowl Speedway for the Vermont 200 Weekend as he chases Nick Sweet and Dave Pembroke for the Vermont State Late Model Championship.  Devil's Bowl Speedway 2012 champion Craig Bushey (#05) will try for his tenth win of the year; he won the "I Am Vermont Strong 100" for the Vermont State Late Model Championship Series at Devil's Bowl in June.  (Alan Ward photo)

 

tremont115: Living legend Kenny Tremont, Jr. (#115), shown here at Devil's Bowl Speedway in July with rookie front-runner Andy Smith (#91), is among as many as 30 drivers expected to tackle the 100-lap Bond Auto Parts Modified event at the Vermont 200 Weekend.  (MemorEvents photo)

 

Stone, Tremont to tackle Modifieds; Late Model stars running for Vermont State Championship

 

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                     DBS-091112-1

 

WEST HAVEN, VT – The deepest and most diverse field of northeastern stock car racing talent will be at Devil’s Bowl Speedway for the Vermont 200 Weekend on Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, September 16.  The event is expected to draw a pool of Late Model drivers and open-wheel Modified racers from all corners of the Northeast for a pair of 100-lap events to close out the Devil’s Bowl season.

 

Top drivers from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bond Auto Parts Modified division will face stiff competition from a strong group of invaders.  Charlton, NY veteran Ron Proctor, the newly crowned 2012 Devil’s Bowl Speedway track champion, will square off against Vince Quenneville, Jr., of Brandon, VT, teenagers Hunter Bates of Middlebury, VT and Jessey Mueller of Olmstedville, NY, and feature winners Leon Gonyo, Alex Bell, Joe Williams, and Rookie of the Year Joey Roberts.

Expected to challenge the Modifieds are multi-time champions Todd Stone of Middlebury, VT and Kenny Tremont, Jr., of West Sand Lake, NY.  Stone won the 2008 Devil’s Bowl title on dirt and is the 2012 Airborne Speedway champion on asphalt, and Tremont has 34 track championships on his resume including six titles at Devil’s Bowl on both dirt and asphalt surfaces.  As many as 30 Modified teams could attempt qualifying on Saturday and Sunday.

Nick Sweet and Dave Pembroke enter the Vermont 200 Weekend tied for the point lead in the Vermont State Late Model Championship Series.  Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl 2012 champion Sweet, of Barre, VT, won both Vermont State Championship events at Thunder Road earlier this year, but struggled in the “I Am Vermont Strong 100” at Devil’s Bowl in June.  Meanwhile, Middlesex, VT racer Pembroke won the first-ever asphalt Late Model race at Devil’s Bowl in 2010 and finished fifth in June.

Craig Bushey of Fairfax, VT was crowned the J&S Steel Late Model champion at Devil’s Bowl last Friday after earning his ninth win of the season; among his victories was the I Am Vermont Strong 100.  Brent Dragon, third in Vermont State points, also has a feature win at Devil’s Bowl in 2012, as does eight-time American-Canadian Tour champion Brian Hoar; both are expected on Sunday along with fellow Devil’s Bowl winners Dan Petronis, Kevin Elliott, Jamie Fisher, and Rookie of the Year Robert Bryant, Jr.  Champion racers Ricky Rolfe, Bryan Town, and Vermont Lieutenant Governor Phil Scott are also among those expected to attempt to qualify.

Special events will be held throughout the weekend for Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s weekly Renegade and Bomber divisions.  Qualifying heats and features will be held on both days for the eight-cylinder Renegades, with a 15-lap shootout-style feature on Saturday and a 50-lap, $500-to-win event on Sunday.  The Bomber event will be a two-day, three-segment, cumulatively scored race paying $200 to the overall winner.

Several other special races will be held during the Vermont 200 Weekend including 10-lap shootouts in the Modified and Bomber divisions for drivers who have not won a feature race at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 2012.  The Daredevil division will also be in action with a feature race on Saturday for race team crew members and another race on Sunday for pre-registered fans selected by random draw.

Two-day adult general admission for the Vermont 200 Weekend at Devil’s Bowl Speedway is $30, with the Sunday-only ticket just $25; children age 12 and under are free.   Spectator gates open at 12:00 noon on both Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, September 16, with racing at 1:30pm both days.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, VT, four miles north of Exit 2 on US Route 4.  For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or click www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com.  Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/devilsbowlspeedway and Twitter at @DevilsBowlSpeed.

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