2011-03-29

CURLEY'S CORNER - SPRING 2011

SPRING

The Spring of 2011 is taking a long time to get here!!!!

Usually, we who work at ACT throughout the winter season would kind of like the

‘off-season’ to last as long as possible. However, this year with the great results

of the Florida Goodyear Cup events, most of us came away wanting to see the

cold weather get out of here, get through ‘mud season’ here in Vermont, and to

jump on the momentum we gathered at New Smyrna heading into the 2011

season.

 

With just three weeks until the Lee USA Governor’s Cup opening event, we still

have lots of snow, cold weather, and not many signs of melting and warmer

times in Vermont. In spite of this, there is a lot of enthusiasm and some very

positive and healthy signs for the upcoming season. I am particularly excited

about the schedules we have put together for 2011; the many specials we have

for the ACT Late Models on both sides of the border; the healthy expansion we

are experiencing on the US Tour into Maine, New Hampshire and

Massachusetts; and the emergence of some of the new talent we have been

fostering over the past few years on our Castrol Edge Series. I am also very

excited about the apparent addition of as many as a half dozen new quality ACT

Late Model teams heading to Thunder Road; the expansion of the Bond/Wix Tiger

Tour; the new Street Goodyear tire, and the introduction of new rules for the

Allen Lumber Streets; and the specials we have coming to Thunder Road for the

coming season. It should be a great year for all our teams and fans. We can’t

wait to get started, and appreciate all the effort and support you continue to give

ACT Late Model racing.

FLORIDA

We continue to get very positive feedback from the two events we promoted at

the New Smyrna Speedway a couple of months ago. I wrote a full report when

we returned, so I will just mention again how much we appreciated all the teams

that made that experiment such a success. I am sure those that participated

have also enjoyed hearing from many people, both fans and industrial types,

letting them know just how impressed they were with your efforts to put on a

couple of high quality race events.

I read this week about Pat Summit, the very successful Tennessee Vols

Women’s basketball coach. Apparently her team was not playing up to her

standards in an early NCAA Tournament playdown game during the first half.

She pretty much unloaded on them with a patented ‘rant’, which captured

headlines around the country. The second half was considerably different. The

Vols went on the win easily and will probably make it to the Final Four for the

woman’s NCAA Tournament. It reminded me of a few ‘rants’ I have had over the

years, but sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!!! The bottom line

is that the Florida trip was a great success, and we all appreciate the efforts

made.

SCHEDULES

We have tried to put together for all divisions a manageable schedule for the upcoming

season. Here are a few thoughts:

ACT AFFILIATE WEEKLY RACING - I want to remind competitors that our

first priority at ACT has always been to have a strong program for racing weekly

at our weekly affiliate tracks. The reality is that with our kind of program, if there

is not a lot of support for our weekly tracks, there would, in all likelihood, not be

much incentive for promoters to offer ‘tour type’ events. We make an effort to try

and ‘front load and back load’ our schedules to accommodate that philosophy

so that many of you can race your weekly tracks during the bulk of the race

season. We hope you will support your weekly tracks, they are the backbone of

short track racing and the foundation of any success we have enjoyed with the

ACT tours and special events.

Although we have lost Lee USA as an ACT weekly affiliate track in 2011, they will

continue to support ACT Late Model racing with the traditional opening New

Hampshire Governor’s Cup over the April 16-17 weekend. (Entries have been

sent or can be found on line at acttour.com).

We also have added Riverside Speedway in Groveton, New Hampshire, Canaan

Fair Speedway, Devil’s Bowl Speedway and Albany Saratoga Speedway to our

list of ACT affiliate tracks who have fully incorporated, or are in the process of

integrating, the ACT Late Model rules package into their programs. They join

long-time supporters Thunder Road, White Mountain, Oxford Plains, Seekonk,

Waterford Speedbowl, Twin State Speedway, Capital City in Ottawa, and

Kawartha Speedway in Ontario. We urge Late Model teams to support these

tracks whenever they can…again, they make up the foundation of our touring

and special event opportunities.

TOURS

A quick addition of the purse and prize money being posted for the 2011 season

shows that between the US and Castrol Edge tours and ‘special events’ (Oxford

TD Bank 250, NHMS Challenge, NHMS Invitational, Chaudiere Showdown, point

funds etc.,) there will be over $900,000.00 up for various purse and prize money

during the 2011 campaign.

We will be announcing the criteria for the August New Hampshire Motor

Speedway Late Model Challenge before the opening of the season at Lee USA

on April 17th.

This is the time of year when we ask race teams to ‘give back’. Events like the

Autism Foundation Casino Night in Barre has been supported by the ACT Late

Model teams for the past three years, various Car Shows, New Hampshire Motor

Speedway fan appreciation day, press conferences are all important parts of the

overall short track racing program that we involve ourselves with. For most,

time has become less and less available, and while that is understandable, the

business of short track is not just about racing, and more than ever before, the

race industry is fragile and all the promotional events that lead to the racing

events are equally important and necessary…please lend a hand when and

where you can.

ACT - US

Beyond the repeat events of past years, like those taking place at TR, Oxford,

Twin State, White Mountain, Lee, Airborne, Beech Ridge, Riverside, QC etc., we

are very much looking forward to the first-ever ACT US event at the Devil’s Bowl

Speedway on May 22. Some of you participated in the Thunder Road event last

year and had a very positive experience. Management has told us they plan to

change some of their spectator gate policies that were of concern and we hope

our fans will give them credit for these decisions based on your remarks and

concerns of last year. I am sure your event support at Devil’s Bowl will be

rewarded with another spectacular ACT Late Model event on May 22nd.

In addition, the second race at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway has

generated a lot of interest and enthusiasm. The format for the August NHMS

event is going to be similar to the New Smyrna Speedway events. The major

difference is that the NHMS event will pay a very large purse for ‘QUALIFING’!

Based on the large number of teams that we hope will take advantage of the

opportunity to race at NHMS, we have designed a program that will provide: a)

lots of laps of practice and racing, even if after qualifying, because of the large

number of entrants a team does not qualify for the feature, there is still a great

racing experience, and b) the money paid for heat races and last chance races

is significant enough to help underwrite some of the expenses of this first-ever

NHMS Late Model Challenge.

The NHMS experience should be one to always remember, we will be joining the

NASCAR Whelen Modifieds and will also be in the garage area with the Indy cars

and Indy Lights. The weekend should be one of the most anticipated ever for

short track fans and teams that support ACT Late Model racing.

The 3rd ACT Invitational at NHMS now has some history. After the first two

Invitationals, the third edition should really be the one that will cement ACT

racing at New Hampshire for years to come. We will be announcing the details

for this year’s Invitational soon. We do know that whoever wins the opening

event at Lee will once again be the first to receive the Invitational bonus money

and a spot in the 2011 ACT Invitational.

OXFORD TD BANK 250

With the surprise announcement that the PASS Super Late Models will be

appearing at the Oxford 250 on the Saturday night before the 250 (sound familiar

older ACT Late Model teams??!!!), this is going to be a defining moment in the

multi-year debate between the ACT Late Models and the Super Late Models (Pro

Stocks). Because ACT was responsible for Pro Stock racing for over a decade

during the 80s and 90s, I know how well they are capable of racing at the Oxford

oval. I also have seen some of the best ever racing by the Late Model division at

OPS. Never again as a full group of Late Model supporters will we have the

opportunity to show the region’s Super Late Model fans how successful our

teams have been at OPS and in particular the ‘250’. This season should be one

of the great 250 experiences. I hope as many Late Model teams as possible will

put the date of July 24th on their calendar and support what has always been one

of the signature races, not only in our region but throughout the country.

CASTROL EDGE SERIE

The Castrol Edge Série has produced some of the best young race teams in the

overall ACT organization. The growth and maturity of those teams over the past

few seasons has made the four years of work well worth the effort for those of us

at ACT who manage that series. The Quebec promoters are very supportive of

the ACT Castrol Edge Série and continue to present very team and fan friendly

events.

The mix of veterans and competitive young teams in the Castrol Edge Series has

also given depth to some of the US events like Airborne, NHMS and certainly the

Florida project. They have also provided the Quebec and Ontario fans with some

very exciting racing and we are looking forward to the coming season. Castrol

management has agreed to become more involved with the Series in 2011 and

that can only be very healthy for the future of racing in the region.

COMBO EVENTS

Events like the TD Bank 250, Chaudiere Showdown, and the ACT Invitational are

non-point events, which have posted the largest purses of the season and have

been well-supported by ACT teams from both sides of the border. That

continued support will be appreciated by fans, promoters, and ACT.

In 2011 there will be three ‘combo’ point-counting events. As in 2010 there will

be the $40,000 Riverside Speedway 200-lap event with points for both the US

teams and the Castrol teams. Two additional venues will be added this coming

season. The NHMS Late Model Challenge in August will carry points for both the

ACT and Castrol Edge touring series, and the Airborne Fall Foliage will be the

concluding events on both the ACT US and Castrol Series.

TIRES

I had a very interesting trip last week to Akron, OH. I was invited to go through

the Goodyear plant and see exactly how the tires that we use for all our divisions

are manufactured. From the high security to enter the facility until the end of the

day, which was full of meetings, it was a very productive, interesting and

educational trip.

With early indications from the initial orders we have received this year and after

the Akron trip I am very encouraged that we have three of the best tires on the

short track market. Sizes look great; construction of the new Street Stock unit

has been completed with all the items we tested throughout last summer; Tiger

tires were tested with the new ‘venting’ at both Thunder Road and Riverside,

(Groveton) last fall, and the 2011 LM tires look great as well. The Late Models

and Tigers will have strict tire usage controls put in place for the 2011 season in

the interest of costs. The Street/Warrior tire tested so well that we do not expect

the need for tire limits, but if usage gets out of control, it may be implemented.

There will be tire memos sent to both the Thunder Road Late Models and Tiger-

Sportsman outlining the tire policies in both divisions for the coming season

before the opening of Thunder Road weekly point races. Any suggestions will be

appreciated.

TIGER SPORTSMAN

The Sportsman will have a great opportunity to do some touring at different

tracks in 2011 with the Bond/Wix Tiger Tour. We are very pleased to have White

Mountain, Thunder Road, Canaan and Riverside (Groveton) back on the

schedule. We are also very excited about taking the ACT Tigers to Airborne on

the new ½ mile in October, along with the Late Models for the Fall Foliage. The

rules for participation in this series will be 100% ACT legal Tiger Sportsman cars

ONLY and there will be no exceptions at any BOND Tour events.

SS/WARRIORS

The Allen Lumber Streets and Warriors enter a new era. The introduction of the

OHC option and the new tire will make for a very interesting Thunder Road

season. ACT had meetings and discussions with several area tracks during the

off season to try and start the process of a ‘universal’ 4-cylinder set of rules for

all the tracks in our region. Although we did not get a full understanding

between all the tracks, both Thunder Road and Riverside (Groveton) have gotten

their rules very close. Plans are for a ‘home and home’ series with Riverside in

2011. There is another event being worked on for the Thunder Road Street

Stocks, hopefully before the weekly season begins on Memorial Day weekend at

Thunder Road. There will be more information on these events in the next few

weeks.

THUNDER ROAD

TR had such a great 50th anniversary year in 2009. Last year we caught our

breath, worked through the recessionary issues like most other businesses, and

like many racers did also. We are encouraged by the prospects of an increase in

Late Model teams, the maturity and signs of growth in the Tiger Sportsmen and

the excitement generated in the SS/Warrior division with the new rules and tires.

We are working on some drivers for the June Vermont Governor’s Cup Event.

Hopefully, we can have an announcement on that within a month or six weeks.

We will also have the NEMA Midget group coming back to TR for the first time in

many, many years. The Airborne Renegade division was started back when we

owned Airborne and has turned into one of the most competitive and fun

divisions at AIR. We are going to have them at Thunder Road for a special event,

and then again on our Fall Foliage program in October, along with the ACT

BOND Tiger Tour and ACT US.

The People’s United Bank Milk Bowl will finish the season at TR the first

weekend of October. In 2012, it will be the 50th anniversary of the Milk Bowl. The

celebrations for that historic event are already in the planning stages.

CONCLUSION

Ken and I had a target goal to be involved with Thunder Road for the 50th

anniversary. With your help we were able to celebrate that with what became a

very memorable season.

Following that season, I set a goal of wanting to be a full time promoter and

manager through the 50th anniversary of the Milk Bowl at TR. As long as my

health allows, that still remains a target goal for me personally.

The end of 2012 will also be the end of 35 years of being involved on a full time

basis in the race promotion and organizing business. In the interest of keeping

the racing programs we have established over the years viable for the future, my

hope is that over the next two seasons we can aggressively put some people in

positions to take over and/or share much of the grueling 7 months of nearly 7

days a week work that is required to organize and run some 42-45 events per

year. My goal would be to begin to phase out some of my responsibilities

following the 2012 season. It is a necessary decision and certainly not an easy

one. I feel an obligation to all the race teams to keep you informed of what I see

for the future of the various businesses we all have helped establish over the

past three plus decades. The goal is to try and make sure they remain

successful and available to all who enjoy the sport at the levels we offer for

many years to come. That will be very much in my planning and efforts over the

next couple race seasons.

For now it is get ready for the 2011 season opener at Lee on April 16-17, the

Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road on April 30-May 1st, and the Oxford

opening on May 15th. The anticipation of beginning another season for the 34th

time is just as exciting for me today as it used to be when we would try to open

the season with the Spring Green at Catamount Stadium in mid-April many years

ago! I hope you all can share in that same kind of anticipation and enthusiasm

as you prepare for your opening events.

See you at Lee.

Tom

 

Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 29.3.11

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