Oval Racing Stock car style in Québec, Ontario and New England States

2011-12-01

ACT ANNOUNCES 2012 SCHEDULE

For Immediate Release ACT–120111-70

Waterbury, VT – The American Canadian US Tour (ACT) 2012 schedule will feature ten (10) point-counting events at nine different tracks. In addition, there will be four ‘special’ non-point counting events that most ACT teams will put on their 2012 calendars.

Lee USA Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire will continue the tradition of opening the ACT Late Model race season with the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 on Sunday, April 15, 2012.

Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl in Barre, VT will host the 14^th annual Merchants Bank 150 lap event to open the 53^rd season at the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” on Sunday, April 29, 2012. Thunder Road will present a second event over Labor Day weekend with the 34^th Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 scheduled for Sunday, September 02, 2012.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway, under the new management team of Mike and Alayne Bruno in West Haven, VT will open their season with the historic Spring Green 112 lap championship race on Sunday, May 06, 2012. The freshly paved wide half mile has become a favorite of the ACT teams over the past two years, since the conversion from dirt to asphalt.

White Mountain Motorsports Park was a charter member of the ACT Late Model touring program. Saturday, June 23, 2011 will be the 15^th consecutive year that a Tour event will be held at the scenic facility in the heart of the White Mountains.

The Pine Tree State will host two events in 2012. Oxford Plains Speedway will open their season featuring a solid challenge by the very competitive weekly Late Model teams when the Tour arrives for a Sunday, May 20^th 150 lap battle. Local racer, Jeff White from Winthrop, ME, stunned the ACT regular teams with a dominant win during the opening event in 2011. He went on to win the Oxford Plains Speedway Championship. The Beech Ridge Motor Speedway near the Portland seacoast will once again host a mid-summer 150 lap race on Saturday, July 28, 2012.

The Tour will head north of the border during August. A return to the SANAIR Super Speedway has teams from both the Castrol Series and the US excited for the 2012 season. The very fast tri-oval design was opened by ACT in the early mid-eighties and hosted numerous events over the decades of the 80’s and 90’s. The 100-mile combination event (also an ACT Castrol Series point race) is scheduled for Saturday, August 11, 2012. The return of the $40,000 Can-Am 200 to the 5/8^th mile Circuit Riverside Speedway along the St. Lawrence River across from Quebec City will be presented on Saturday, August 25, 2012.

The final point-counting event in 2012 will again be the Fall Foliage 200 at the fabulous and very competitive half mile Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY. The season finale will be held on Saturday, October 06, 2012.

Teams from the ACT Late Model ranks in both the US and Canada will once again have some non-point must participate events in 2012. The TD Bank Oxford 250 will have the best Late Model teams in the region competing for the 2012 bragging rights in what has been billed as the nation’s richest one day short track event. Qualifying begins at high noon on Sunday, July 22, 2012.

The $40,000.00 5^th annual Showdown at Chaudière will once again challenge the best of the ACT Castrol teams against the best of the ACT US teams. A favorite event for the season’s best competitors will take place on Saturday, September 8, 2012.

New Hampshire Motor Speedway will host NASCAR Cup Chase weekend over September 21-23, 2012. The 4^th ACT Invitational will provide both weekly and ACT Tour teams with the opportunity to compete at the ‘Magic Mile’ during NASCAR Cup weekend again in 2012.

The 50^th People’s United Bank Milk Bowl will take place at Thunder Road on Saturday and Sunday, September 29-30, 2012. Plans for a very special 50^th Milk Bowl are already in the works, including a Late Model ‘mini-milk bowl’ for non-qualified teams.

2012 ACT US SCHEDULE

EVENT DATE DAY TRACK LAPS NOTE

1 APR 15 SUN LEE USA SPEEDWAY 150

2 APR 29 SUN THUNDER ROAD 150

3 MAY 06 SUN DEVIL’S BOWL 112

4 MAY 20 SUN OXFORD PLAINS 150

5 JUN 23 SAT WHITE MOUNTAIN 150

JUL 22 SUN OXFORD PLAINS SPEEDWAY 250 250

6 JUL 28 SAT BEECHRIDGE MOTOR SPDWY 150

7 AUG 11 SAT SANAIR SUPER SPEEDWAY 100 [combo]

8 AUG 25 SAT CIRCUIT RIVERSIDE SPDWY 200 [combo]

9 SEP 02 SUN THUNDER ROAD 200

SEP 08 SAT AUTODROME CHAUDIÈRE SHOWDOWN 200 [combo]

SEP 22 SAT NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPDWY INVITATIONAL 50

SEP 29-30 SA/SU THUNDER ROAD MILK BOWL 150

10 OCT 06 SAT AIRBORNE SPEEDWAY 200

Schedule Subject to Change

For additional information contact the ACT office at 802.244.6963, www.acttour.com, or media@acttour.com.

-30-

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2011-11-30

Colt James Victorious in PASS South Mason-Dixon Meltdown 200

Ryan Blaney and Ben Rowe Earn Series Championships

The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) South and National Super Late Model Series seasons concluded at Concord Speedway (NC) on Saturday, November 26th with the running of the Thanksgiving Classic /Mason-Dixon Meltdown 200. When the checkered flag flew, Colt James earned his first PASS South victory while Ryan Blaney won his first PASS South championship and Ben Rowe earned his second PASS National series title.

34 Super Late Model drivers took to the track for qualifying. Jay Fogleman, who entered the event as the South division points leader by a mere six points over Blaney, set fast time, followed by Heath Hindman, James, Blaney, Eric Darnell, Logan Ruffin, Austin Theriault, Gray Gaulding, Preston Peltier and Trey Mitchell. Andy Loden, who entered the event 10 points behind Fogleman in third, qualified 16th. National points leader Rowe (by 38 points) timed in 19th while Cassius Clark, second in National points, qualified 18th.

Before the green flag dropped Gaulding and Clark both had issues getting going, forcing them to start the event from the back of the pack. When the green flag flew, Blaney paced the field, not giving up the top spot until well over halfway in the event. Meanwhile, South points leader Fogleman (tire issue) and National points leader Rowe (shifter broke) both had trouble, putting them laps down to the field. Loden also had trouble during the race, ending his chance at the South title.

On lap 74, a scary incident placed the field under the red flag when Kevin Love and Michael Pilla made contact through the dogleg on the backstretch, sending Pilla up into the fence. Both drivers walked away from the incident.

During the final 50 laps, Blaney, Darnell and James battled hard for the top spot, taking turns as the leader. James took the lead for the final time though at lap 171, driving on to win the Mason-Dixon Meltdown; his first PASS victory.

“It got wild there at the end,” said James. “It got so spread out there I didn’t know where I was. We finally got that restart and I was fourth. I had a good restart there. Me and Ryan touched a little bit there, and had a good run at the end. I felt like I could pull away, but the one lapped car kind of held me up there the last lap.

“This is our first PASS win. I really love this series. I have never had any luck. I finally had some luck tonight.”

Blaney wanted to end the season with a third victory, but his second-place finish was enough to earn him the 2011 PASS South championship over Fogleman, who finished 17th.

“We led most of the race and just rode around,” said Blaney. “We pitted; they got me in and out of the pits pretty clean. We got back to the lead with about 40 to go. We had a restart and I missed a shift; it messed us up there. We got back to Colt with about 20 to go and couldn’t find a way around him.

“We were trying for two years (for the championship). We had the points lead going into the last race last year and we had a cracked rim and it cost us the championship. We worked really hard this year to get this. It feels really good to have our hard work pay off.”

Rowe entered the race with a virtual lock on the National championship, but early problems with his shifter almost cost him the title. Still, the multi-time divisional champion from Maine was able to finish 18th and earn his second National title.

“The car was really good,” said Rowe. “I thought we had a top four or five car. Then on the second restart I ripped the shifter right off in my hand. It was stuck in third and never made it into fourth, so that kind of ruined our day. We ended up fixing it. It sheered the bolts off. It is just one of them things.

“The National deal is pretty neat. You have the North and the South (championships), then the National, which I think is above them. It is something that we strive all year for, and there is a lot of travel involved. It is a whole team effort. We have a good time, and if you have a good time, good things happen.”

Peltier, Darnell and Brandon Ward rounded out the top-five finishers in the race. Also, after finishing 11th, Gray Gaulding was named the PASS South 2011 Rookie of the Year.

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Oxford Plains Speedway Announces 2012 Schedule and Discounted Season Passes

OXFORD PLAINS SPEEDWAY NEWS

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NOVEMBER 30, 2011

CONTACT BILL RYAN 207-539-8865

OXFORD, Maine – Oxford Plains Speedway today released its 2012 racing schedule. The highlight of the schedule is the TD Bank 250 on July 22. NASCAR star Kyle Busch won the 2011 edition of the TD Bank 250, defeating the top Late Model pilots from around the region.

“Since 2004, the TD Bank 250 has attracted a number of Sprint Cup competitors. July 22, 2012, again falls on an off weekend for the Sprint Cup, so it is likely Oxford fans will have the opportunity to see a NASCAR star try and take the checkers,” Speedway owner Bill Ryan said.

“We are very happy with how our schedule lays out. We again feature the American Canadian Tour and the Pro All Star Series, the two premier tours in New England,” Ryan continued. “We believe we have scheduled great events for our drivers, teams and fans.”

Ryan also announced that season passes for all the Speedway events were being sold at a fifty percent discount if purchased by December 31. “We know that the economy continues to be tough for many of our teams and fans. We are giving them the opportunity to be part of all the action for half off if they purchase their pass by the end of December. It is our way of saying thanks to our loyal supporters,” Ryan explained.

For more information on all Oxford Plains Speedway events, go to www.oxfordplains.com or find the Speedway on Facebook. To purchase season passes, call 207-539-8865.

Oxford Plains Speedway 2012 Schedule

Sat May 12 8:00 am Practice for all Divisions

Sun May 20 2:00 pm ACT Tour OCS/OAS All Divisions Points Race

Sat May 26 6:30 pm OCS/ Outlaws/ Fireworks

Sun May 27 9:00 am Awesome Auto & Bike Fest

Sat June 2 6:30 pm OCS/Rebels

Sun June 3 2:00 pm Aaron’s Presents Motor Mayhem #1

Sat June 9 6:30pm OCS/Outlaws

Sat June 16 6:30 pm OCS/Rebels

Sat June 23 6:30 pm OCS/OAS All Divisions Points Race

Sat June 30 6:30 pm OCS/Outlaws

Sun July 1 2:00 pm Aaron’s Presents Motor Mayhem #2

Wed July 4 6:30 pm OCS/Rebels/ Maine State Lottery Fireworks

Sat July 7 6:30 pm OCS/Outlaws

Wed July 11 6:30 pm OAS

Sat July 14 6:30 pm OCS/Rebels

Wed July 18 6:30 pm OAS

Fri July 20 6:30 pm OCS/OAS/PASS Mods/No Late Model

Sat July 21 6:30 pm PASS 150/Strictly/Mini

Sun July 22 2:00 pm TD Bank 250 LM/Strictly/Mini/Outlaws

Wed July 25 6:30 pm OAS

Sat July 28 6:30 pm Aaron’s Motor Mayhem #3/ Fireworks

Wed August 1 6:30 pm OAS

Sat August 4 6:30 pm OCS/Rebels Wed August 8 6:30 pm OAS

Sat August 11 6:30 pm OCS/Outlaws

Wed August 15 6:30 pm OAS

Sat August 18 6:30 pm OCS/Rebels

Wed August 22 6:30 pm OAS

Sat August 25 6:30 pm OCS/Outlaws

Wed August 29 6:30 pm OAS

Sat Sept. 1 6:30 pm OCS/OAS All Divisions Championship Night

Sat Sept. 8 6:30 pm Aaron’s Motor Mayhem #4/Fireworks

Fri Sept. 28 2:00 pm OPS/PASS Fall Finale Practice

Sat Sept. 29 1:00 pm OPS/PASS Fall Finale/OAS/PASS Qual/Mini

Sun Sept. 30 1:00 pm OPS/PASS Fall Finale/ PASS Features

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2012 PASS South Super Late Model schedule

The 2012 PASS South Super Late Model schedule was released on the PASS website today. The schedule, 16 events will visit a minimum of eight tracks. Two of the races do not list the tracks being visited. Speculation found on facebook Friends of PASS page is about a possible race at Nashville, Tennessee.

2012 SOUTH SLM SCHEDULE

1 - Sat., March 10th - Dillon Motor Speedway - Dillon, SC - 150 laps
"South Carolina Clash"

2 - Sat., March 24th - South Boston Speedway - South Boston, VA - 150 laps

3 - Sat., April 7th - Hickory Motor Speedway - Hickory, NC - 150 laps
"Easter Bunny 150"

4 - Sat., April 21th - Orange County Speedway - Rougemont, NC - TBA
"Orange Blossom Special"

5 - Fri., May 11th - Wake County Speedway - Raleigh, NC - 125 laps
"Capitol City Clash / Bull Ring Tough Guy Challenge"

6 - Sat., May 26th - Concord Motorsports Park - Concord, NC - 125 laps
"Memorial Day 125"

7 - Sat., June 9th - South Boston Speedway - South Boston, VA - 150 laps

8 - Tues., July 3rd - Anderson Speedway - Williamston, SC - 150 laps
"Firecracker 150"

9 - Sat., July 14th - Motor Mile Speedway - Radford, VA - 150 laps
"Motor Mile 150"

10 - Sat., July 28th - Orange County Speedway - Rougemont, NC - 150 laps
"The Southern Sizzler"

11 - Sat., August 18th - South Boston Speedway - South Boston, VA - 150 laps

12 - Sat., September 1st - Caraway Speedway - Sophia, NC - 150 laps
"Labor Day Classic"

13 - Sat., September 22nd - Hickory Motor Speedway - Hickory, NC - 150 laps
"Over the Mountain 150"

Sat., October 6th - Possible date if needed / possible rain date

14 - Sat., October 20th - MAJOR EVENT - TBA

15 - Sat., November 10 - TBA

16 - Sat., November 24 - Concord Motorsports Park - Concord, NC -200 laps
"Thanksgiving Classic / Mason Dixon Meltdown"

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2011-11-29

Simplified Points System To Be Instituted In NASCAR Regional Touring Series

For Immediate Release

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Nov. 29, 2011) – NASCAR announced today that the points system all NASCAR national series began using this year will be instituted in the regional touring level for 2012.

The points system was simplified to make it easier for fans, competitors and the industry to understand.

Beginning in 2012, the system will be integrated into the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East, NASCAR K&N Pro Series West, NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and NASCAR Mexico Series.

The new structure awards points in one-point increments. As an example, race winners earn 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win. Drivers also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and leading the most laps, bringing the race-winning total to a possible maximum of 48 points.

All other drivers in a finishing order are separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher earns 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on.

“Implementing the simplified points system at the regional touring level will make the points structure consistent with the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series,” said George Silbermann, NASCAR vice president, regional and touring series. “The change at the national level was welcomed in the industry this year and has provided a points system that is much easier for everyone to understand.”

This year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup™ demonstrated that use of the new points structure is viable with a shorter schedule, such as with each touring series.

“Considering the tight competition in NASCAR’s touring series, we anticipate that with the new points system in place we will see close championship battles similar to the ones this year in all NASCAR national series,” Silbermann said.

The move to bring the simplified points system from NASCAR’s national series to the regional touring level is part of an effort to integrate uniform race formats and procedures throughout the NASCAR ranks. Earlier this year, two race procedures were changed to bring the touring series in line with the national series. One of those procedures stipulated that if a green-white-checkered finish is necessary, a maximum of three attempts will be made. The other change directed that on all restarts, passing will not be permitted until the car reached the start-finish line.

In some cases, race procedures developed at the touring level have been adopted at the national level. In 2009, the double-file restarts that had come about in the regional series, became a part of the national series race procedures.

For additional information, contact:

Kevin W. Green, Integrated Marketing Communications

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2011-11-28

Steve Addington Named Crew Chief for Tony Stewart

For Immediate Release

Contact Mike Arning

True Speed Communication on behalf of Stewart-Haas Racing

KANNAPOLIS, N.C., (Nov. 28, 2011) – Steve Addington, winner of 16 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races as a crew chief, has been named to the same position for three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) effective immediately.

The Spartanburg, S.C., native is only the third crew chief Stewart has had during his 13-year Sprint Cup career, and it comes just a week after Stewart captured the 2011 Sprint Cup title.

“I know Steve well and I know how he goes about setting up a racecar,” said Stewart, who worked with Addington from 2005 through 2008 during his time at Joe Gibbs Racing. “My comfort level with him is already strong. He balances the technical part of our sport with the real-world experiences we get at the track, and that will allow for a smooth transition as we prepare to defend our title in 2012.”

Addington has served as crew chief for Bobby Labonte (2005), J.J. Yeley (2006-2007), Kyle Busch (2008-race No. 33 of 2009) and Kurt Busch (2010-2011) during his ongoing Sprint Cup career. Twelve wins were scored with Kyle Busch at Joe Gibbs Racing and four wins were notched with older brother Kurt during his most recent tenure at Penske Racing.

Prior to rising to the elite Sprint Cup ranks, Addington spent 15 seasons as a crew chief in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, 11 of which came with driver Jason Keller where the duo won 10 races, 11 poles and scored 69 top-five and 122 top-10 finishes.

“Tony and I are a lot alike and we’re able to push each other,” Addington said. “I saw how he worked when we were at Gibbs together and I’m not surprised at all at the success he’s created at Stewart-Haas Racing. He expects a lot and he knows a lot. His talent behind the wheel is obvious, but his ability to motivate and get everyone to believe that whatever goal they set is attainable is something every crew chief wants, and I plan to make the most of it.”

Addington has proven he can win with all kinds of drivers at all kinds of tracks. From the quiet and low-key drivers of Keller and Mike Bliss, whom Addington worked with in the Nationwide Series, to the competitive personalities of Kyle and Kurt Busch, Addington has steered his pilots to victory, and he’s done so at every conceivable type of racetrack – superspeedways, road courses, intermediates and short tracks.

“Steve has proven himself everywhere he’s been,” Stewart added. “Our expectation when we unload each weekend is to win, and that’s Steve’s expectation, too. Getting there is never easy, but we’ve both been around long enough to know what it takes to be successful.”

Addington replaces Darian Grubb, who served as Stewart’s crew chief since the inception of SHR in 2009.

“Darian was a very important part of the success we’ve had at Stewart-Haas Racing,” Stewart said. “I’m very proud of everything he helped accomplish, especially this year when we all rallied to win the championship. He’s a great person and I know he’ll continue to be successful in this sport.”

About Stewart-Haas Racing:

Stewart-Haas Racing is the title-winning NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team co-owned by three-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, founder of Haas Automation – the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world. The team fields two entries in the elite Sprint Cup Series – the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala for Stewart and the No. 39 U.S. Army/Quicken Loans/Tornados/ Outback Steakhouse/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala for 2008 Daytona 500 winner Ryan Newman. Based in Kannapolis, N.C., Stewart-Haas Racing operates out of a 140,000-square-foot facility with more than 160 employees. For more information, please visit us on the Web at www.StewartHaasRacing.com, on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/StewartHaasRacing and on Twitter at @StewartHaasRcng.

-SHR-

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NEW OWNERS AT DELAWARE SPEEDWAY

Nov 28, 2011
Delaware, Ontario

Effective December 1, 2011, Delaware Speedway will be operated by a new ownership group. The members of this group are the de Melo and family and the Spivak family.

The de Melo family has been involved in Delaware racing for quite some time. Having them join in this new ownership group is a great asset to fans and drivers at Delaware. Their valued input in decisions will help tie the new ownership in with many aspects of the racing community.

The Spivak family has owned the land that Delaware Speedway is on for many years and has seen the track through many changes in that time. Although for the past years they have only been involved as the land owners, they now join as part of the new ownership group and will be actively involved in working with the de Melo family.

Arlen Scherba has announced he will not be returning to Delaware Speedway. The ownership group would like to thank the Scherba family for their countless contributions over the past ten years. Arlen and his team have made many positive changes to Delaware Speedway and have put many hours of hard work and persistence into making Delaware Speedway the track it is today. "I've had a lot of fun with this track, and can't thank everyone enough for all your support and I wish the new ownership group success" Arlen states. The de Melo and Spivak Families wish the Scherba family the best in their future endeavours and many years of health and happiness.

The race track will be in full operation for the 2012 season. The speedway has already secured some major race dates including the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and ISMA Super Modifieds. The track is currently working on the official release of the full-season schedule.

“We would like to thank all the drivers, partners, and fans for their patience as we sort through the opportunities and challenges ahead of us as the new ownership group,” the de Melo and Spivak families said in a statement. “We are very eager to move forward and can’t wait to work with everyone to continue to improve Delaware Speedway, the iconic track it is.”

The new team is aware there is a great deal of interest from the racing community and many questions about the ownership. There will be a general meeting scheduled in December to discuss these changes and the opportunities that are ahead. Drivers are encouraged to keep an eye to the speedway website for more information.

About Delaware Speedway: Delaware Speedway is a half-mile paved oval stock-car track located just west of London, Ontario, Canada. Since 1952, Delaware Speedway has been the home to some of the best stock car racing in Canada. Its unique natural amphitheatre-like setting allows a family or group of friends to enjoy exciting, comfortable and affordable evening or afternoon of action at the track.

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De l'intérêt des deux cotés de la frontière.

Comme l’avaient fait les pilotes SPORTSMAN-ANCA et la direction de l’Autodrome St-Eustache samedi, les pilotes SPORTSMAN de Plattsburgh NY et les dirigeants de la piste AIRBORNE PARK SPEEDWAY se sont réunis dimanche à Plattsburgh NY en vue de la saison de stock car 2012.

Tout comme le promoteur américain Mike Perrotte pour la réunion de samedi, le directeur des opérations course de l’Autodrome St-Eustache, Yves Ladouceur et son adjoint Howard Romanado ont accepté l’invitation de M. Perrotte de participer à la rencontre Sportsman en sol américain et ont été agréablement surpris de l’accueil qui leur a été réservé et par l’engouement des pilotes de la piste Airborne lors de l’annonce de la mise sur pied le la Série de la Coupe Master Canada USA pour les Sportsman des deux pistes.

L’annonce de l’utilisation des mêmes pneus, avec les mêmes procédures en ce qui concerne le contrôle des achats que ceux des pilotes québécois à été très bien accueillie par les pilotes américains réunis en grand nombre pour l’occasion.

Les bourses, le fond de points et les procédures de déroulement de cette série en ont épatés plusieurs qui se promettent déjà d’être de la partie lors de la journée porte ouverte qui se tiendra le printemps prochain à l’Autodrome St-Eustache.

Si on se fie à tout ce qui a été annoncé et aux réactions positives notées lors de ces rencontres de samedi et dimanche, on peut déjà prévoir toute une saison 2012 pour les pilotes SPORTSMAN, tant canadiens qu’américains des pistes de St-Eustache et de Plattsburgh et un intérêt des plus grandissants pour cette Coupe Master Canada USA.

Comme déjà annoncé, la première manche de cette série de 6 courses aura lieu à Plattsburgh NY le 12 mai 2012, tandis que la 2e course aura lieu à St-Eustache la semaine suivante, soit le 19 mai. Quatre autres épreuves auront lieu en alternance entre les 2 pistes les 7 et 14 juillet, le 4 août et la dernière, un « shoot out » de 125 tours à l’ASE le 1er septembre.

-30-

Yves Ladouceur
Directeur des opérations courses
Racing operation Manager
AUTODROME ST-EUSTACHE
www.autodrome.ca
www.anca-qc.com
Tél.: (450) 472-6222
Rés.: (450) 735-4444

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2011-11-27

Theriault Impresses In Brad Keselowski Racing Debut

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – 11.27.11

For more information, visit www.AustinTheriault.com or E-Mail TBarrettGWC@hotmail.com

CONCORD, N.C. – Austin Theriault finished 12th in the PASS-sanctioned Mason-Dixon Meltdown 200 at Concord Motorsports Park on Saturday, wrapping up an impressive debut with Brad Keselowski Racing (BKR) this month.

Theriault made his first start with the team in the crash-marred World Crown 300 at Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., two weeks earlier.

“The opportunity to race for BKR is something not a lot of people can say they have,” said Theriault, 17, of Fort Kent, Maine. “Just being able to show your talent on the southern stage is something a lot of people want to be able to do. Anything we can do in the future with (Gary Crooks and Wayne Setteringon) at BKR will be great for us.

“Everything's looking pretty decent right now. We came out of these two races looking like there's going to be an ongoing future relationship. I'm not sure about specifics right now – it's too soon to know anything for certain – but I'm excited about whatever the future holds.”

Theriault made just his fourth career Super Late Model start in the Mason-Dixon Meltdown 200 and qualified seventh out of 35 cars on the fast, challenging half-mile tri-oval at Concord Motorsports Park. He ran with the leaders inside the Top-10 until losing track position following an early pit stop for adjustments, where a one-groove race track and a long green-flag run made it difficult to get back to the front.

BKR crew chief Gary Crooks said the No. 29 Brad Keselowski's Checkered Flag Foundation Dodge team was impressed with Theriault's performance.

“We're all racers and we all want to win, obviously,” Crooks said. “But Austin really did a great job. He's learning the cars, learning how to give feedback, all of that stuff. He held his own out there, and we were really happy with the job he did for us.”

Theriault first joined BKR for the World Crown 300 in mid-November, qualifying 19th in a stellar field. An early wreck not of his doing took him out of contention in that race – but his performance in both practice and qualifying before the green flag earned him a second shot in the BKR ride.

Theriault, who finished third in the ACT Late Model Tour standings in 2011, said there has been a learning curve in moving to Super Late Models.

“It's been different,” Theriault said. “Going from Late Models to Super Late Models, there are some adjustments you have to make. They actually drive pretty similarly – but there's different learning curves. There's a whole lot more you can do with a Super Late Model as a driver, in terms of giving feedback about what the car is doing.

“Really, it's all about giving feedback to Gary (Crooks) and all the guys on the BKR team, and just jelling in with the team at this point. Everything's clicked pretty well. It's been a great experience. I've learned a lot.”

Finishing 12th and on the lead lap at Concord was a big step in the right direction for Theriault.

“The race didn't quite turn out the way everybody had expected – but from practice to qualifying and even into the race, everything seemed to go pretty well,” Theriault said. “You can always look back at what you could have done different during a race, but overall – for how tough that track was – we came out pretty well with the car in one piece.

“It was important to go out and finish the race. Finishing great is a plus, but what is it they say? You've first got to finish before you can finish first, right? So I'm happy with how things have gone.”

###

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Unofficial results: PASS South/National Thanksgiving Classic/Mason-Dixon Meltdown

Concord Speedway, Concord NC 11/27/2011

1  15 Colt James

2  10 Ryan Blaney

3  26 Preston Peltier

4  7e Eric Darnell

5  62 Brandon Ward

6   8 Logan Ruffin

7  47 Trey Mitchell

8  44 Justin Johnson

9  23 Jimmy Weller

10 91 Heath Hindman

11  2 Gray Gaulding

12 29 Austin Theriault

13  7 Daniel Johnson

14 77 Cassius Clark

15 60 DJ Shaw

16 84 Kyle Beattie

17 4s Jay Fogleman

18 4n Ben Rowe

19 14 Clete Caywood

20 20 Steven Legendre

21 74 Andy Loden

22 17a Scott  Alexander

23 51 Bobby Measmer

24 33 Roger Newton

25 73 Joey Doiron

26 11 Kevin Love

27 48 John Batten

28 26n John Donahue

29 112 Derek Campbell

30 4p Michael Pilla

PASS South Unofficial Final Point Standings

1  Ryan Blaney       2708

2  Jay Fogleman     2684

3  Andy Loden         2666

4  Preston Peltier    2626

5  Heath Hindman  2592

6  Steve Legendre  2524

PASS National Championship Unofficial Final Point Standings

1  Ben Rowe           1225

2  Cassius Clark      1195

3  Jay Fogleman     1165

4  Steven Legendre 1144

5  Preston Peltier      831

6  Scott Alexander    752

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Réunion Sportsman-ANCA à l'ASE - Une Série Canada-USA en 2012

Les équipes de la division Sportsman-ANCA étaient conviées à l’Autodrome St-Eustache le 26 novembre pour une réunion d’information en vue de la saison de courses 2012 qui prendra son envol en mai prochain.

Une trentaine de personnes étaient présentes à cette rencontre qui a été précédée par un lunch et deux réunions avec les dirigeants de trois organisations différentes.

En plus des équipes de courses et des dirigeants de l’Autodrome St-Eustache on a pu noter la présence de Monsieur Mike Perrotte et de son assistant de la piste Airborne Speedway de Plattsburg NY ainsi que de Monsieur André Poulin de la Série Sportsman Québec accompagné de deux membres de son comité de direction.

Les annonces qui ont été faites ont porté sur la réglementation Sportsman ANCA qui demeure inchangée pour 2012 à l’exception du fait que es équipes pourront dorénavant se procurer leurs moteurs GM 602 chez Boisvert Chevrolet Buick de Blainville. Un moteur 602 « rafraichi » à très bon prix sera aussi une alternative pour les équipes qui voudront faire des économies. Monsieur Vincent Maheu sera le préparateur exclusif de ces moteurs préparés selon des normes et un choix de pièces établis par l’ANCA. Monsieur Maheu aura aussi le mandat d’apposer les scellés ANCA autant sur les moteurs neufs et « rafraichis ».

Monsieur Maheu a également accepté le poste d’inspecteur technique de la division Sportsman ANCA pour 2012, décision qui a été chaleureusement reçue de toutes les équipes présentes.

L’annonce principale a été certe celle de la mise sur pied d’une Série Canada USA qui comprendra 6 épreuves entre les pilotes de Saint-Eustache et ceux de la piste Airborne Park Speedway de Plattsburg. Un fond de points supplémentaire intéressant étant rattaché à ces 6 épreuves, cela n’a pas manqué d’en intéresser plusieurs. Il y a également le fond de points local ASE, un des plus intéressants au Québec qui fera que le champion des 12 étapes, incluant Plattsburg pourrait se mériter 5 000$, soit une augmentation de 25% sur le montant payé au champion 2011 !

Parmi les 12 manches prévues, il y en aura 9 à St-Eustache et 3 à Plattsburg NY. Des 50, 75 tours et un « shoot out » de 125 tours pour compléter la saison, dont une manche spéciale de 4 x 20 tours à Plattsburg, tel qu’annoncé par Mike Perrotte.

D’intéressantes bourses sont également rattachées à ces courses dont, entr’autres un minimum garanti de 300$ au 20^e, ainsi qu’une bourse bonifiée pour tous, lors d’une course de 50 tours dans la 2^e partie de la saison pour récompenser les fidèles à « temps plein » à l’Autodrome St-Eustache.

La saison 2012 de la division Sportsman ANCA débutera le 12 mai prochain par la présentation de la première épreuve de la Série Sportsman Canada USA à Plattsburg NY, tandis que l’ouverture officielle de l’Autodrome St-Eustache aura lieu le week-end suivant le 19 mai pour la 2^e manche de cette série Canada USA. La dernière épreuve de cette série, le « shoot out » 125 tours aura lieu le 1^er septembre.

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2011-11-23

Makar Helped Build JGR from the Ground Up - Literally

For Immediate Release

Contact Joe Crowley

True Speed Communication

Interstate Batteries, Jarrett and Makar Comprised Start-Up Team in Late 1991

Editor’s Note: In honor of Interstate Batteries’ and Joe Gibbs Racing’s 20^th anniversary together in NASCAR, a series of press releases highlighting 20 big moments will be distributed throughout 2011. This is the 18^th of the 20 releases.

When Jimmy Makar was hired as the first employee at Joe Gibbs Racing (JGR), he didn’t report to the shop on his first day of work in August 1991, and the reason was simple – there wasn’t a shop. In fact, there wasn’t much of anything except a sponsor and a driver.

When Joe Gibbs decided to form a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team in 1991, the order of occurrences was quite simple: he signed Interstate Batteries as a sponsor and then hired Dale Jarrett to drive what would be the No. 18 Interstate Batteries car. Next, he hired Makar, who spent the first half of the 1991 season with Penske Racing with driver Rusty Wallace after six seasons with Blue Max Racing, which won the 1989 Sprint Cup Series championship with Wallace behind the wheel.

Makar was hired in August 1991 and was brought in to build the team from the ground up. That included hiring a crew, finding a shop and buying parts and pieces so the Interstate Batteries car would be able to partake in preseason testing in 1992 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

Easy, it was not.

“Joe had an agreement with Hendrick Motorsports to supply engines for the cars,” said Makar, who is now JGR’s senior vice president of racing operations. “He also bought some old cars and parts, which ended up being the remnants of the 17 team, the Tide team that Darrell Waltrip drove for. So that’s what he had.”

Waltrip had left Hendrick following the 1990 season to form his own team, Darrell Waltrip Motorsports.

“The first order of business was to go over to Hendrick and find out what Joe bought because he literally had no idea what he bought,” Makar said. “We went over to Hendrick and went in one of the back buildings. It was a warehouse and there was all this stuff that went with the sale. There were three cars, one short-track car and a couple of other cars, and a bunch of scrap parts, basically. Just miscellaneous stuff and about half of it was not useful for what we were going to do. It wasn’t that it was bad stuff, it just wasn’t the direction I was going in as far as brakes and other parts.

“So, basically, we had to figure out what was going to be useful for getting the race team up and running and what would be sold or thrown away. That’s exactly what we did the first week.”

Fortunately, Makar had some help as David Wagner was hired by Makar shortly after he began with JGR. Wagner, who plans to retire from JGR following the 2011 season, is the special projects manager for the team.

But while Wagner and Makar had taken inventory of the parts and pieces from Hendrick back then, they still didn’t have a place to put it.

“We didn’t have a building,” Makar said. “Thankfully, we located a building fairly quickly over on Harris Boulevard in Charlotte. But it was a warehouse with just a few offices on the front side of it. So we had to turn it into a race shop and that meant dividing it up into a fabrication department, a car prep department and a paint booth – things like that. We spent a lot of time getting that done. I think we finally moved in about a month after I was hired.”

Before they were able to move into the shop, however, Makar and Wagner essentially worked out of Makar’s house in Mooresville, N.C., ordering all the things needed to get a race team up and running. And perhaps the biggest need couldn’t be ordered from a part supplier – people.

“I was going to races on the weekends for two reasons,” Makar said. “One, Dale was still driving for the Wood Brothers, so I would listen to him on the radio to get an idea of how he communicated. The other reason, though, was to recruit people to come to work at JGR.”

And that was not easy, either.

“The challenge in it was getting people to come to work at a start-up operation that nobody had any idea how long it would last,” Makar said. “It was a football coach and, at the time, Dale, who hadn’t won a race, yet. It was an unproven driver with a football coach owner starting from scratch. People weren’t anxious to jump on board to go do something like that. But we hired some really great people and it’s so different than it is today because, back then, we had 15 people and that was it. That was all we needed.”

By November 1991, while Makar wasn’t comfortable by any means, he at least knew he had a team assembled and could look toward pre-season testing at Daytona. And when the team turned its first laps at Daytona in January 1992, Makar knew he had at least accomplished something.

“It was a good feeling, but we knew we weren’t out of the woods,” Makar said. “Daytona was just one race and then you roll right into another race right after that. We still had a lot of work to do. It wasn’t like we stood there and said, ‘Ah, we’ve done it.’ It was more a matter of, ‘OK, that’s done, what’s next on the list?’”

The “list” has grown extensively in Makar’s 20 years at JGR and he’s been a part of all three Sprint Cup Series championships the team has claimed, as well as 94 Sprint Cup race victories and 55 Sprint Cup pole positions.

And none of it would have happened had Makar and Wagner not gone through a warehouse of used race car parts at Hendrick Motorsports in 1991.

–TSC–

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2011-12-01

ACT ANNOUNCES 2012 SCHEDULE

2011-11-30

Colt James Victorious in PASS South Mason-Dixon Meltdown 200

Oxford Plains Speedway Announces 2012 Schedule and Discounted Season Passes

2012 PASS South Super Late Model schedule

2011-11-29

Simplified Points System To Be Instituted In NASCAR Regional Touring Series

2011-11-28

Steve Addington Named Crew Chief for Tony Stewart

NEW OWNERS AT DELAWARE SPEEDWAY

De l'intérêt des deux cotés de la frontière.

2011-11-27

Theriault Impresses In Brad Keselowski Racing Debut

Unofficial results: PASS South/National Thanksgiving Classic/Mason-Dixon Meltdown

Réunion Sportsman-ANCA à l'ASE - Une Série Canada-USA en 2012

2011-11-23

Makar Helped Build JGR from the Ground Up - Literally

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