43 TEAMS ANNOUNCED FOR 3RD ANNUAL ACT INVITATIONAL
For Immediate Release ACT – 091411-55 Waterbury, VT –The American Canadian Tour (ACT) has finalized the invitations for the forty-three (43) teams who will compete in the 3rd annual ACT Invitational at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) to be held Saturday, September 24, 2011. The Invitational is part of a spectacular Saturday race program. The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will join the ACT Late Model teams in the biggest triple header event of the year. |
The 2011 edition of the eighty thousand dollar ($80,000) 50-mile Invitational will feature the strongest field of ACT competitors from throughout New England, New York, Ontario and Quebec that have appeared at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the three year ACT partnership beginning in 2009. There have been three winners in three events. Recently crowned 2011 ACT Champion Brian Hoar from Williston, VT is the most recent winner, his first ever at NHMS when he won the ACT Invitational in August. Hoar had many podium finishes during his days with the former NASCAR Busch East division and also set the track pole position record for that division. “Winning the ACT All Star Challenge at my favorite track (NHMS) was fulfillment of a racing goal. Getting the ACT title locked in last weekend means the RPM team can really just enjoy the weekend at New Hampshire. Bring it on (Invitational),” said Hoar. Eddie MacDonald from Rowley MA is a perennial favorite to win at NHMS. He has once again entered. Crew chief Rollie Lachance will have his hands full as MacDonald will also compete in the NASCAR K&N East Series event on Friday at NHMS. When asked about the Invitational handicap system (teams are assigned various bags to draw chips from, and ACT officials usually put the teams with more experience at NHMS in the last third of the starting grid)- “It is a lot of fun. I guess I like the challenge of starting out back, but without the benefit of some yellows it is getting tougher each year to get to the front. I hope to redeem our August effort when I thought Brian (Hoar) and I were going to go at it for the win. That was before my coil burned up and ended our day early”, said the 2009 inaugural Invitational winner. Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (Pole) from Hudson, NH had a dominant car in 2010. Starting 27th on the grid, Pole kept his late season winning streak alive with an incredible run to the front at New Hampshire. “It will always be one of my greatest racing memories. Winning the Invitational, at the biggest race track, in my home State of New Hampshire, is about as good as it gets. Our team could sure use a lift from our disappointing season in 2011 and to repeat at this year’s race would be just as great as last year”, said Pole. Teams representing all six New England states, New York, and the Canadian Provinces of Quebec and Ontario have all accepted invitations to the annual race. There will be eight (8) 2011 regional Track Champions or contenders for the season-ending laurels competing in the Invitational. Representing Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine is track champion Jeff White from Winthrop, ME. Seekonk Speedway in Massachusetts will be represented by Ryan Vanasse from Warwick, RI and Guy Caron from Lempster, NH will fly the Claremont, NH Twin State Speedway colors. Other track champion invitees are Dan McHattie – Kawartha Speedway in Peterborough, Ontario, Wayne Helliwell, Jr. who recently won the Lee USA Speedway championship driving a small block Super Modified weekly, while competing full-time on the American Canadian Tour where he sits second in points. Waterford Speedbowl Late Model point leader and former champion, Bruce Thomas will represent the “Bowl”. Thomas led the early laps of the original Invitational in 2009 and finished in the top ten. Two other New Hampshire natives, Quinny Welch from Lancaster, NH representing the White Mountain Motorsport Park and Donnie Lashua, who recently claimed double championships at the Canaan Fair Speedway in the Late Model and Pro Stock divisions have accepted invitations to the biggest racing stage on the ACT schedule. The ACT Castrol Series will send a half dozen of the best teams in the Northeast, led by current point leader Patrick Laperle, St. Denis, QC, Karl Allard driving for the Quebec City based Larue Racing team, along with fellow Quebecois Donald Theetge all have experience in the past three events at NHMS which should provide success for those flying the ‘fleur de lys’. The full schedule of racing at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway begins on Friday, September 23, 2011 with NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying scheduled for 3:10 followed by the K&N Pro Series East 125 lap event. Saturday, September 24, 2011 will feature NASCAR Sprint Cup practice; a 12:45 start for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour 125 mile event; a 3:00 green flag for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series followed by the 3rd annual ACT Invitational at approximately 5:30. Tickets are now on sale for all events during the NASCAR Race for the Chase weekend to be held September 23-25, 2011 at NHMS The following lists the 43 invitees for the 3rd annual ACT Invitational: Car# Driver Hometown 5 RI Richard Staskowski Hope Valley, RI 7 ME Glen Luce Turner, ME 7 NC Ben Lynch Derry, NH 11 RI Ryan Vanasse Warwick, RI 12 NH Guy Caron Lempster, NH 14 VT Phil Scott Berlin, VT 15 ME Ben Ashline Pittston, ME 15 VT Joey Laquerre Barre, VT 16 NY Mark Lamberton Mooer’s Forks, NY 17 MA Eddie MacDonald Rowley, MA 17 RI Ray Parent Tiverton, RI 18VT Jamie Fisher Shelburne, VT 21 MA Pete Yetman Peru, MA 21 QC Jean-Francois Déry Quebec City, QC 23 ME Dave Farrington, Jr. Jay, ME 26 VT John Donahue Graniteville, VT 27 NH Wayne Helliwell, Jr. Dover, NH 29 NH Aaron Fellows Croydon, NH 31 NH Luke Hinkley Claremont, NH 32 VT Jean-Paul Cyr Milton, VT 34 NH Todd Davis Claremont, NH 35 CT Bruce Thomas Groton, CT 37 VT Brian Hoar Williston, VT 40 QC David Michaud Ste-Anne des Plaines, QC 40 VT Nick Sweet Barre, VT 41 VT Jamie Aube Bow, NH 48 QC Karl Allard Ste Felicien, QC 50 ME Jeff White Winthrop, ME 51 ME Ricky Rolfe Albany Twp, ME 55 NH Brad Leighton Center Harbor, NH 55 VT Brent Dragon Milton, VT 57 ME Austin Theriault Fort Kent, ME 61 ME TJ Brackett Buckfield, ME 71 ON Dan McHattie Cavan, ON 78 NH Quinny Welch Lancaster, NH 80 QC Donald Theetge Boischatel, QC 88 ME Jeff Taylor Farmington, ME 89 VT Scott Payea Milton, VT 91 QC Patrick Laperle St-Denis, QC 94 ME Shawn Martin Turner, ME 97 NH Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. Hudson, NH 07 MA Tom Carey, Jr. New Salem, MA 08 NH Donnie Lashua Meredith, NH For additional information contact the ACT office at 802.244.6963, www.acttour.com, or media@acttour.com. Information is also available at www.nhms.com. -30- |
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment