-by Justin St. Louis
VMM Editor
Bryan Kruczek set the sport of short track racing back 50 years last Friday night.
The Newmarket, N.H., driver is a leading weekly Late Model competitor at Lee USA Speedway, and is a part-time competitor with the American-Canadian Tour, most recently racing at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine last month. Last August Kruczek was invited to test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for the inaugural ACT Invitational, and although he did not participate in the race, he was surprisingly fast at the Loudon mile.
On paper, Bryan Kruczek has proven himself a solid competitor for several years, both at and away from Lee USA Speedway. But what he did last week is simply inexcusable.
Four ACT teams that do not compete regularly at Lee USA Speedway took part in the track's Friday night NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model program: Joey Polewarczyk, John Donahue, Glen Luce, and rookie Dave Farrington, Jr. Thirteen other teams were racing in the division that night including A.J. Begin, Wayne Helliwell, Jr., J.R. Baril, Jimmy Linardy and Miles Chipman, each one a name familiar to ACT fans.
Coming to the final lap of their qualifying heat race, Polewarczyk sat in third place as Kruczek -- who came from the rear after being penalized by Lee USA officials for a three-wide maneuver that caused a wreck in the opening laps of the race -- drilled Polewarczyk's rear bumper at the start/finish line. As Polewarczyk attempted to correct his car as it slid out of control toward the infield, Kruczek hit him again, this time hard enough to lift Polewarczyk's rear tires off the track.
With his front tires turned to the right while still attempting to make the first save, Polewarczyk's car immediately shot across the track and nearly head-on into the frontstretch wall, destroying the chassis and many bolt-on parts. Polewarczyk was not hurt in the crash, but strained a leg muscle from "standing on the brake pedal" with both feet as his car careened into the wall.
But far worse than the damage done to Polewarczyk's car was the fact that Kruczek intended to cause the crash, justifying his actions with an "us-against-them" attitude reminiscent of racing's earliest, most rambunctious days. When Polewarczyk confronted him in the pit area for an explanation, Kruczek essentially told Polewarczyk he wasn't welcome at Lee USA.
"I love racing at Lee and I've never had a problem with any of the drivers when I've raced there," Polewarczyk said. "But when I asked [Kruczek] why he wrecked me, he pointed at himself and said, 'I'm running for points, you ACT boys stick to your own turf.' I was shocked. I don't want to sound like a whiner, but that wreck was totally unnecessary and I'm lucky I wasn't hurt. We had an in-car camera, and the replays are scary to watch."
Polewarczyk said that his car's chassis was bent from the front clip to the center section, and that it needed to visit a fabricator for repairs before it could return to a raceable condition. Polewarczyk, Donahue, and Luce were at Lee USA to test their Ford crate engines after having them rebuilt at Butler-MacMaster in Maine.
Donahue said he "didn't trust" any of the drivers after Polewarczyk's crash and stayed out of the way for the rest of the evening, and according to another report, Farrington's team was also involved in a shouting match after the feature event later in the evening.
With the ACT rulebook expanding over the last decade to include Late Model divisions at nearly a dozen weekly tracks in the region, ACT Late Model Tour competitors have been encouraged to support weekly events, just as weekly competitors have been invited to race with ACT at other venues. Kruczek's participation in ACT over the past half-dozen years is a prime example of the rulebook working succesfully in both directions.
But his antics need to stop now. It appears that both Lee USA and ACT are doing their part in making sure that the Kruczek-Polewarczyk incident is a one-time-only happening.
"It was an unnecessary wreck," said Lee USA Speedway General Manager Bob Watson. "Bryan races here on a weekly basis, and I like the kid, he's a good little shoe, but sometimes he gets in a little over his head."
Watson said that Kruczek was involved in a racing incident in May 2009 that warranted a probationary period lasting through the season. "It seems like almost on a yearly basis we have to sit down and have a chat with him, and he was beautiful for the rest of the season last year," said Watson. "But we can't overlook this."
Watson said that Lee USA Speedway has suspended Kruczek from competition for two weeks and has again placed him on probation throught he 2010 season.
"We hope this is an isolated incident at Lee," said ACT President Tom Curley. "ACT encourages race teams to compete throughout the season, when the opportunity exists, at all tracks that are part of the ACT rules package." Curley said. "We have enjoyed much success with various teams joining the tour regulars at our events over the years [and] there are also many positive examples of ACT teams racing at other tracks besides the scheduled ACT events. We will continue to encourage that participation for what we perceive as good for fans, race teams, and promoters."
Kruczek's suspension means that he will not compete at Lee USA Speedway when the ACT Late Model Tour arrives on June 11. It's probably a safe bet that he won't be invited to race at NHMS this September, either.
***
AROUND THE REGION:
Time to take a look at the top Vermonters from the past weekend...
Airborne Speedway (Plattsburgh, N.Y.): Dwight Jarvis of Ascutney was third in the Modified Racing Series 100-lap event on Saturday night. Brandon's Don Scarborough finished fourth in the Modified feature, and Swanton's Kevin Boutin was third in the Renegades.
Albany-Saratoga Speedway (Malta, N.Y.): Mike Bruno of Bomoseen was eighth in the Modified feature on Friday night with Brandon's Don Scarborough ninth.
Bear Ridge Speedway (Bradford): Rookie Dan Douville of Concord, N.H., won his first SCoNE 360 Sprint Car feature on Saturday over Robby Bodwell of Sanford, Me., and rookie Chris Donnelly of Orford, N.H. Fairlee's Adam Pierson won the Sportsman Modified race over Brian Whittemore of Florence and Travis Shinn of Groton, N.H., Topsham's Josh Harrington won the Sportsman Coupe feature over East Corinth drivers Gene Pierson and Melvin Pierson. Newbury's Jeremy Hodge took his second Limited Late Model win over Will Hull of East Montpelier and T.C. Forward of Lyme, N.H., and Josh Sunn of White River Junction stayed perfect through three features in the Fast Four division, winning over Kevin Harran of St. Johnsbury and Andy Johnson of Wilder. Bradford's Tom Placey won the Hornet race over Wilder's David West, Jr., and Steve Sheldon of St. Johnsbury Center, while Melissa King of Corinth beat St. Johnsbury's Misty Bell and Dawn Woodward of Corinth in the Hornet Queen race.
Big Daddy's Speedway (Rumney, N.H.): Josh Sunn of White River Junction was the Mini Stock winner on Sunday over St. Johnsbury's Kevin Harran.
Canaan Dirt Speedway (Canaan, N.H.): Rookie Dan Eastman of Thetford Center was third in the Sportsman Modifed feature on Friday, and Josh Sunn of White River Junction was third in Mini Stock feature. Mike Stender of South Strafford beat Tunbridge's Baxter Doty to win the Bandit feature.
Canaan Fair Speedway (Canaan, N.H.): Mendon's Chris Wilk won Saturday's Pro Stock feature, with South Royalton's Kevin Menard sixth. Hartland's Bruce Jaycox was third in the Super Street feature, and Jamie Hodgdon of Ascutney was fifth in the Pure Stocks. Thetford's Chris McKinstry won the Northeast Mini Stock Tour feature.
Devil's Bowl Speedway (West Haven): Don Scarborough of Brandon won the Modified Tri-Track Series opener on Sunday over Patrick Dupree of Saranac Lake, N.Y., and Ketih Flach of Ravena, N.Y. Don Miller of Wells won the Sportsman feature over Paul Dunham of Indian Lake, N.Y., and Chris Johnson of Malta, N.Y. Dave Emigh of Ballston Spa, N.Y. beat Milton's Cody Benoit to win the Renegade feature, with Jon Miller of Malta, N.Y., third. Milton's Chad Brown beat Brent Warren of Salisbury and Nathan Woodworth of Essex Junction to win the Bomber Warrior race. Andy Smith of South Glens Falls, N.Y., won the Duke Stock race.
Lee USA Speedway (Lee, N.H.): Graniteville's John Donahue was ninth in the Late Model feature on Friday night.
Modified Racing Series: On Saturday at Airborne Speedway, Ascutney driver Dwight Jarvis finished third, with his rookie nephew Joey Jarvis 23rd. On Sunday at Thunder Road, Joey Jarvis finished seventh with Dwight Jarvis ninth. Les Hinckley of Windsor Locks, Conn., won at Airborne, and Steve Masse of Bellingham, Mass., won at Thunder Road.
Monadnock Speedway (Winchester, N.H.): Putney's Dana Shepard was tenth in the Super Street feature on Saturday, and Joe Rogers of Ludlow finished seventh in the Mini Stocks.
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Shelburne's Kevin Lepage finished 37th at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Saturday.
PASS South Super Late Models: Steven Legendre of Danville finished 14th in Saturday's event at Concord Motorsports Park. Rookie Andy Loden of Stanley, N.C., was the winner.
Riverside Speedway (Groveton, N.H.): Dan Sidney of St. Johnsbury was the Outlaw Sportsman runner-up on Saturday with Davey Ofsuryk of Newport Center fifth. Rookie Johanna Christman of Cabot was fifth in the Super Stock race. Brett Rowell of Concord was the Street Stock runner-up with Aaron Smith of Orleans third. Howard Switser of West Burke won the Dwarf Car race. Waterford's Lorin Vear won the Cyclone race.
Sprint Cars of New England: Lacey Hanson of Orwell was seventh in Saturday's event at Bear Ridge Speedway. Rookie Dan Douville of Concord, N.H., was the winner.
Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl (Barre): Steve Masse of Bellingham, Mass., won the Modified Racing Series event on Sunday over Ron Goodenough of Swanzey, N.H., and Ken Barry of Preston, Conn. Dave Pembroke of Middlesex won the 100-lap Late Model event over John Donahue of Graniteville and Hyde Park's Eric Williams. Brendan Moodie of North Wolcott won the Tiger Sportsman feature over Tom Therrien of Hinesburg and Ricky Roberts of Washington. Travis Hull of Graniteville took his first Street Stock win over Williamstown's Mike MacAskill and Dan Lathrop of Hyde Park. Ken Christman of Cabot won the Junkyard Warrior race over Josh Erwin of Waterbury and Brock Parrott of Williamstown.
Twin State Speedway (Claremont, N.H.): Rutland's Dallas Trombley was the Late Model runner-up on Friday night. Chris Wilk of Mendon was the Super Street winner. Jacksonville's Kaitlin Stone won the Strictly Stock feature with Pittsford's Kyle Davis third.
White Mountain Motorsports Park (North Woodstock, N.H.): Dwayne Lanphear was sixth in the Late Model feature on Saturday. Jason Corliss of Danville was the Super Sportsman runner-up with Tucker Williams of Hyde Park third. Stevie Parker of Lyndonville was seventh in the Strictly Stock feature, and Ernie Snider of Orange won the Strictly Stock Mini race.
***
THIS WEEK:
Friday, June 4
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 6:45pm (Spring Championships)
Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 7:00pm (SCoNE 360 Sprint Cars)
Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H. -- 7:30pm (Regular Event)
Saturday, June 5
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. -- 5:00pm (Regular Event)
Bear Ridge Speedway, Bradford -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Riverside Speedway, Groveton, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
White Mountain Motorsports Park, North Woodstock, N.H. -- 5:00 (ACT Tiger Sportsman Series)
Sunday, June 6
Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. -- 4:00pm (Granite State Mini Sprints)
Devil's Bowl Speedway, West Haven -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
TOURING SERIES:
ACT Tiger Sportsman Series: Sat., June 5 -- White Mountain Motorsports Park, No. Woodstock, N.H. (5:00pm)
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Fri., June 4 -- Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas (SPEED/8:30pm)
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Sat., June 5 -- Nashville Superspeedway, Nashville, Tenn. (ESPN/7:30pm)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Sun., June 6 -- Pocono Speedway, Long Pond, Pa. (TNT/1:00pm)
Pro All Stars Series: Fri., June 4 -- Ace Speedway, Altamahaw, N.C. (7:45pm)
Série ACT-Castrol Edge: Sat., June 5 -- Autodrome Chaudiere, Vallee-Jct., Qué. (6:00pm)
Sprint Cars of New England: Fri., June 4 -- Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. (7:00pm)
Showing posts with label Tom Curley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tom Curley. Show all posts
Friday, June 4, 2010
Friday, May 21, 2010
The Juice: Changes to the Plan
-by Justin St. Louis
VMM Editor
Ricky Craven grew up like so many kids across the country, wanting to be a NASCAR superstar. But actually Craven saw the plan through. He began racing at Unity Raceway in his native Maine in 1982 at age 15. By 1995, he was the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year.
He was fourth in points in his sophomore season before a series of harrowing crashes left him with head injuries and out of a ride. After months of rehabilitation, he returned full-time in 2001 to earn his first Cup win at Martinsville, and was made famous for his .002-second margin of victory over Kurt Busch at Darlington in 2003. After a season on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2005, Craven retired. He now works as a popular analyst for ESPN's "NASCAR Now" program.
Craven did an interview with writer Bones Bourcier for Stock Car Racing magazine during his rookie year in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. Craven was intense in the interview, noting himself that he was "aggressive," "hard to get close to," and "committed" while attaining his goal of graduating from the short tracks of Maine and becoming a Cup racer.
He said that he never intended to stay in one place for too long during his ascension to the Cup level, and planned to reach that plateau by the time he was 30 years old. For the record, he made absolutely good on that plan: He raced weekly at Unity for two years, moved to Pro Stocks at Wiscasset Raceway and other tracks for three years, raced with ACT for three years, ran just two full seasons of the old Busch North Series -- winning ten races and the championship during the second year in 1991 -- was in the Nationwide Series for two years, and made it to Cup by age 28, two years ahead of schedule.
"I love plans and my plans always come together," Craven told Bourcier in 1995.
Fifteen years later, he sat with us at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and looked back at that plan.
"I've always put a lot of thought in to things and I've always worked hard, because I felt like that was the only way I'd have an advantage, to put in the effort and the detail," Craven said. "I never considered myself the world's greatest race car driver. I knew I was good, I mean, you have to be good to get to a certain point, but things turned out about like I'd hoped, honestly."
"To be very clear, I expected to win. My goal was to win ten Cup races, and I felt like I should have won have won ten Cup races, but I didn't volunteer to go through trauma twice. I didn't volunteer to get helicoptered out of Talladega (in 1996) or Texas (in 1997). You just have to react to that, and I'm no different than anybody else."
After taking time off from his Hendrick Motorsports ride to deal with his injuries partway through the 1998 season, Craven's first race back was at his "home" track, New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He knocked his teammate Jeff Gordon off the top of the speed chart to win the pole position. Still, he lost his ride with Hendrick shortly thereafter and took second-rate rides until Cal Wells came calling in 2001.
"I never considered quitting, but I can't honestly sit here and say that it was easy to not quit," Craven said.
"I remember a reporter asking me in 1999, 'Why do you keep doing this?' I grew up on a farm in Newburgh, Maine, and I started racing when I was 15. When I won my first race at 15, Bobby [Allison] was a guest at Unity Raceway [and] gave me his hat. I wanted to be a big-time Cup racer [like him] and win, and I did."
On his way out the door, headed for a flight back home to Charlotte, N.C., to celebrate daughter Riley's high school graduation, Craven pulled out his cell phone. The background image was a photo of his wife and two children. He took a moment to reflect on his driving career, his current role with ESPN, and his role as a family man.
"Things you learn about life, it's never perfect. You shoot for perfect, but it's never perfect," he said. Then he looked at the photo again.
"I've got nothing to complain about," Craven smiled. "My life is great."
***
Sunday is a big day for Devil's Bowl Speedway. It marks the first time in nearly 40 years that the track will return as an asphalt facility. It'll be a great thing for Vermont and northeastern stock car racing if it works. We lose one-third of the racing in our state if it doesn't, something race folks can ill afford.
Champlain Valley Racing Association president C.J. Richards opened the West Haven half-mile in 1967 as a clay-dirt track. He laid a coat of asphalt down on top of the clay in 1970, but theexperiment was a flop. Clay was returned to the racing surface after the 1972 season and the track has operated that way since. Five years ago Richards' children took over control of the CVRA, Devil's Bowl, and its sister track, Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, New York. Things continued to run well with the two-track dirt circuit, with lots of fans and respectable car counts.
Politics and weather threatened to shutter the Albany-Saratoga track, though: A multi-million dollar microchip manufacturing plant in Malta began demanding that dust kicked up by race cars be eradicated. A three-year stretch of rainy summers had badly affected the racing schedules at both tracks. Dirt speedways require almost constant grading, packing, and massaging, especially after messy weather, and the manhours poured into the racing surfaces took time away from other important tasks that come with operating two race tracks.
The CVRA group had a choice to make: Get rid of the dust and the strain by closing their tracks, or by paving them. Thankfully, they chose the latter. They also chose to keep the same dirt-style divisions intact, implementing only minor rule changes and a switch to an asphalt-friendly tire in an attempt to keep their core group of racers.
A five-hour test session last Saturday was considered a success by all accounts, with teams from Devil's Bowl's Modified, Sportsman, Renegade, and Mini Stock divisions, as well as Tom Curley's Thunder Road Late Models, all giving favorable reviews. Modified driver Mike Bruno came within a few tenths of a second of the track speed record, reaching over 106 miles per hour -- that's an average speed for the entire lap, meaning straightaway speeds were closer to 130 mph -- even though he says he "wasn't pushing it." Perhaps most importantly, fans that attended agreed that the increased speeds on the asphalt have the potential for more exciting competition.
Yes, Sunday is a big day for Devil's Bowl Speedway. Maybe its biggest day ever. Go check it out.
***
AROUND THE REGION:
Time to take a look at the top Vermonters from the past weekend...
Airborne Speedway (Plattsburgh, N.Y.): Brandon's Don Scarborough finished third in the Modified feature last Saturday, with Milton's Bill Sawyer sixth in the Sportsman race. Lance Rabtoy of Fairfax was the Renegade runner-up.
Bear Ridge Speedway (Bradford): East Montpelier's Will Hull won the Limited Late Model feature on Saturday night before rains moved in. Jason Giguere of Enfield, N.H., was second, with Newbury's Jeremy Hodge third. Karl Sheldon of St. Johnsbury beat Bradford's Tom Placey for the Hornet checkers, with Mike Pittman of Corinth third. Make-up features for the Sportsman Modified, Sportsman Coupe, Fast Four, and Hornet Queen divisions have been added to this week's program.
Big Daddy's Speedway (Rumney, N.H.): Louie Cadwell of Vershire was sixth in Sunday's Sportsman Modified feature. Josh Sunn of White River Junction was the Mini Stock runner-up.
Canaan Dirt Speedway (Canaan, N.H.): Rookie Dan Eastman of Thetford Center was fifth in the Sportsman Modifed feature on Friday. Josh Sunn of White River Junction was second in the Mini Stocks. Dakota Stender of Tunbridge was fourth in the Bandit feature with Mike Stender of South Strafford fifth.
Canaan Fair Speedway (Canaan, N.H.): Chris Wilk of Mendon was second in Saturday's Super Street feature, and Jamie Hodgdon of Ascutney won the Pure Stock feature with North Springfield's Rory Merritt fifth. Bobby Prior of White River Junction was fourth in the Outlaw Mini feature. Mike Parker of Bradford won the Bandit feature over Ascutney's Tyler Lescord.
Monadnock Speedway (Winchester, N.H.): Josh King of Vernon was 13th in Saturday's Modified feature. Ascutney's Joey Jarvis won the Sportsman Modifieds with Nate Kehoe of Windham in eighth. Putney's Dana Shepard was tenth in the Super Street feature. Joe Rogers of Ludlow finished seventh in the Mini Stocks with Mike Metcalf of Westminster ninth.
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Shelburne's Kevin Lepage was 38th at Dover Int'l (Del.) Speedway on Saturday.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: David Stremme finished 27th at Dover Int'l (Del.) Speedway on Sunday for Vermont-based Latitude 43 Motorsports.
Riverside Speedway (Groveton, N.H.): Derek Ming of Island Pond won Sunday's Late Model feature, with Jesse Switser of West Burke third. Dan Sidney of St. Johnsbury won the Outlaw Sportsman feature, and Michael Smith of St. Johnsbury was third in the Super Stock race. Doug Dupuis of St. Johnsbury won the Street Stock race over Concord's Brett Rowell. Willie Merchant of Concord was fourth in the Dwarf Car race, Waterford's Lorin Vear won the Cyclones, and Alison Barney of Granby won the Angels.
Sprint Cars of New England: Anthony Cain of Fairfax was fourth at Canaan Dirt Speedway on Friday, with Orange's Kevin Chaffee sixth and Lacey Hanson of Orwell tenth.
Twin State Speedway (Claremont, N.H.): Dallas Trombley of Rutland finished fifth in the Late Model feature on Friday night. Chris Wilk of Mendon was the Super Street runner-up. with Russ Davis of Cavendish third. David Greenslit of Waitsfield won the Strictly Stock feature over Pittsford's Kyle Davis and Jacksonville's Kaitlin Stone. Robert Leitch of Cavendish was the Wildcat runner-up.
***
THIS WEEK:
Friday, May 21
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 6:45pm (Regular Event)
Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 7:00pm (Regular Event)
Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H. -- 7:30pm (Regular Event)
Saturday, May 22
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. -- 5:00pm (Regular Event)
Bear Ridge Speedway, Bradford -- 6:00pm (Regular Event plus make-up features for Modifieds, Coupes, Fast Fours, Hornet Queens)
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Season Opener)
Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Riverside Speedway, Groveton, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
White Mountain Motorsports Park, North Woodstock, N.H. -- 4:00 (PASS North)
Sunday, May 23
Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. -- 6:00pm (SCoNE 360 Sprint Cars)
Devil's Bowl Speedway, West Haven -- 2:00pm (Grand Re-Opening, Late Model 100)
TOURING SERIES:
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Fri., May 21 -- Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C. (SPEED/7:30pm)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Sat., May 22 -- Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C. (SPEED/7:00pm)
Pro All Stars Series: Sat., May 22 -- White Mountain Motorsports Park, North Woodstock, N.H. (4:00pm)
Série ACT-Castrol Edge: Sat., May 22 -- Autodrome St-Eustache, St-Eustache (Montréal), Qué. (6:00pm)
Sprint Cars of New England: Sun., May 23 -- Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. (6:00pm)
VMM Editor
Ricky Craven grew up like so many kids across the country, wanting to be a NASCAR superstar. But actually Craven saw the plan through. He began racing at Unity Raceway in his native Maine in 1982 at age 15. By 1995, he was the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year.
He was fourth in points in his sophomore season before a series of harrowing crashes left him with head injuries and out of a ride. After months of rehabilitation, he returned full-time in 2001 to earn his first Cup win at Martinsville, and was made famous for his .002-second margin of victory over Kurt Busch at Darlington in 2003. After a season on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in 2005, Craven retired. He now works as a popular analyst for ESPN's "NASCAR Now" program.
Craven did an interview with writer Bones Bourcier for Stock Car Racing magazine during his rookie year in what is now the Sprint Cup Series. Craven was intense in the interview, noting himself that he was "aggressive," "hard to get close to," and "committed" while attaining his goal of graduating from the short tracks of Maine and becoming a Cup racer.
He said that he never intended to stay in one place for too long during his ascension to the Cup level, and planned to reach that plateau by the time he was 30 years old. For the record, he made absolutely good on that plan: He raced weekly at Unity for two years, moved to Pro Stocks at Wiscasset Raceway and other tracks for three years, raced with ACT for three years, ran just two full seasons of the old Busch North Series -- winning ten races and the championship during the second year in 1991 -- was in the Nationwide Series for two years, and made it to Cup by age 28, two years ahead of schedule.
"I love plans and my plans always come together," Craven told Bourcier in 1995.
Fifteen years later, he sat with us at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and looked back at that plan.
"I've always put a lot of thought in to things and I've always worked hard, because I felt like that was the only way I'd have an advantage, to put in the effort and the detail," Craven said. "I never considered myself the world's greatest race car driver. I knew I was good, I mean, you have to be good to get to a certain point, but things turned out about like I'd hoped, honestly."
"To be very clear, I expected to win. My goal was to win ten Cup races, and I felt like I should have won have won ten Cup races, but I didn't volunteer to go through trauma twice. I didn't volunteer to get helicoptered out of Talladega (in 1996) or Texas (in 1997). You just have to react to that, and I'm no different than anybody else."
After taking time off from his Hendrick Motorsports ride to deal with his injuries partway through the 1998 season, Craven's first race back was at his "home" track, New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He knocked his teammate Jeff Gordon off the top of the speed chart to win the pole position. Still, he lost his ride with Hendrick shortly thereafter and took second-rate rides until Cal Wells came calling in 2001.
"I never considered quitting, but I can't honestly sit here and say that it was easy to not quit," Craven said.
"I remember a reporter asking me in 1999, 'Why do you keep doing this?' I grew up on a farm in Newburgh, Maine, and I started racing when I was 15. When I won my first race at 15, Bobby [Allison] was a guest at Unity Raceway [and] gave me his hat. I wanted to be a big-time Cup racer [like him] and win, and I did."
On his way out the door, headed for a flight back home to Charlotte, N.C., to celebrate daughter Riley's high school graduation, Craven pulled out his cell phone. The background image was a photo of his wife and two children. He took a moment to reflect on his driving career, his current role with ESPN, and his role as a family man.
"Things you learn about life, it's never perfect. You shoot for perfect, but it's never perfect," he said. Then he looked at the photo again.
"I've got nothing to complain about," Craven smiled. "My life is great."
***
Sunday is a big day for Devil's Bowl Speedway. It marks the first time in nearly 40 years that the track will return as an asphalt facility. It'll be a great thing for Vermont and northeastern stock car racing if it works. We lose one-third of the racing in our state if it doesn't, something race folks can ill afford.
Champlain Valley Racing Association president C.J. Richards opened the West Haven half-mile in 1967 as a clay-dirt track. He laid a coat of asphalt down on top of the clay in 1970, but theexperiment was a flop. Clay was returned to the racing surface after the 1972 season and the track has operated that way since. Five years ago Richards' children took over control of the CVRA, Devil's Bowl, and its sister track, Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, New York. Things continued to run well with the two-track dirt circuit, with lots of fans and respectable car counts.
Politics and weather threatened to shutter the Albany-Saratoga track, though: A multi-million dollar microchip manufacturing plant in Malta began demanding that dust kicked up by race cars be eradicated. A three-year stretch of rainy summers had badly affected the racing schedules at both tracks. Dirt speedways require almost constant grading, packing, and massaging, especially after messy weather, and the manhours poured into the racing surfaces took time away from other important tasks that come with operating two race tracks.
The CVRA group had a choice to make: Get rid of the dust and the strain by closing their tracks, or by paving them. Thankfully, they chose the latter. They also chose to keep the same dirt-style divisions intact, implementing only minor rule changes and a switch to an asphalt-friendly tire in an attempt to keep their core group of racers.
A five-hour test session last Saturday was considered a success by all accounts, with teams from Devil's Bowl's Modified, Sportsman, Renegade, and Mini Stock divisions, as well as Tom Curley's Thunder Road Late Models, all giving favorable reviews. Modified driver Mike Bruno came within a few tenths of a second of the track speed record, reaching over 106 miles per hour -- that's an average speed for the entire lap, meaning straightaway speeds were closer to 130 mph -- even though he says he "wasn't pushing it." Perhaps most importantly, fans that attended agreed that the increased speeds on the asphalt have the potential for more exciting competition.
Yes, Sunday is a big day for Devil's Bowl Speedway. Maybe its biggest day ever. Go check it out.
***
AROUND THE REGION:
Time to take a look at the top Vermonters from the past weekend...
Airborne Speedway (Plattsburgh, N.Y.): Brandon's Don Scarborough finished third in the Modified feature last Saturday, with Milton's Bill Sawyer sixth in the Sportsman race. Lance Rabtoy of Fairfax was the Renegade runner-up.
Bear Ridge Speedway (Bradford): East Montpelier's Will Hull won the Limited Late Model feature on Saturday night before rains moved in. Jason Giguere of Enfield, N.H., was second, with Newbury's Jeremy Hodge third. Karl Sheldon of St. Johnsbury beat Bradford's Tom Placey for the Hornet checkers, with Mike Pittman of Corinth third. Make-up features for the Sportsman Modified, Sportsman Coupe, Fast Four, and Hornet Queen divisions have been added to this week's program.
Big Daddy's Speedway (Rumney, N.H.): Louie Cadwell of Vershire was sixth in Sunday's Sportsman Modified feature. Josh Sunn of White River Junction was the Mini Stock runner-up.
Canaan Dirt Speedway (Canaan, N.H.): Rookie Dan Eastman of Thetford Center was fifth in the Sportsman Modifed feature on Friday. Josh Sunn of White River Junction was second in the Mini Stocks. Dakota Stender of Tunbridge was fourth in the Bandit feature with Mike Stender of South Strafford fifth.
Canaan Fair Speedway (Canaan, N.H.): Chris Wilk of Mendon was second in Saturday's Super Street feature, and Jamie Hodgdon of Ascutney won the Pure Stock feature with North Springfield's Rory Merritt fifth. Bobby Prior of White River Junction was fourth in the Outlaw Mini feature. Mike Parker of Bradford won the Bandit feature over Ascutney's Tyler Lescord.
Monadnock Speedway (Winchester, N.H.): Josh King of Vernon was 13th in Saturday's Modified feature. Ascutney's Joey Jarvis won the Sportsman Modifieds with Nate Kehoe of Windham in eighth. Putney's Dana Shepard was tenth in the Super Street feature. Joe Rogers of Ludlow finished seventh in the Mini Stocks with Mike Metcalf of Westminster ninth.
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Shelburne's Kevin Lepage was 38th at Dover Int'l (Del.) Speedway on Saturday.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: David Stremme finished 27th at Dover Int'l (Del.) Speedway on Sunday for Vermont-based Latitude 43 Motorsports.
Riverside Speedway (Groveton, N.H.): Derek Ming of Island Pond won Sunday's Late Model feature, with Jesse Switser of West Burke third. Dan Sidney of St. Johnsbury won the Outlaw Sportsman feature, and Michael Smith of St. Johnsbury was third in the Super Stock race. Doug Dupuis of St. Johnsbury won the Street Stock race over Concord's Brett Rowell. Willie Merchant of Concord was fourth in the Dwarf Car race, Waterford's Lorin Vear won the Cyclones, and Alison Barney of Granby won the Angels.
Sprint Cars of New England: Anthony Cain of Fairfax was fourth at Canaan Dirt Speedway on Friday, with Orange's Kevin Chaffee sixth and Lacey Hanson of Orwell tenth.
Twin State Speedway (Claremont, N.H.): Dallas Trombley of Rutland finished fifth in the Late Model feature on Friday night. Chris Wilk of Mendon was the Super Street runner-up. with Russ Davis of Cavendish third. David Greenslit of Waitsfield won the Strictly Stock feature over Pittsford's Kyle Davis and Jacksonville's Kaitlin Stone. Robert Leitch of Cavendish was the Wildcat runner-up.
***
THIS WEEK:
Friday, May 21
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 6:45pm (Regular Event)
Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 7:00pm (Regular Event)
Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H. -- 7:30pm (Regular Event)
Saturday, May 22
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. -- 5:00pm (Regular Event)
Bear Ridge Speedway, Bradford -- 6:00pm (Regular Event plus make-up features for Modifieds, Coupes, Fast Fours, Hornet Queens)
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Season Opener)
Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Riverside Speedway, Groveton, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
White Mountain Motorsports Park, North Woodstock, N.H. -- 4:00 (PASS North)
Sunday, May 23
Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. -- 6:00pm (SCoNE 360 Sprint Cars)
Devil's Bowl Speedway, West Haven -- 2:00pm (Grand Re-Opening, Late Model 100)
TOURING SERIES:
NASCAR Camping World Truck Series: Fri., May 21 -- Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C. (SPEED/7:30pm)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Sat., May 22 -- Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, N.C. (SPEED/7:00pm)
Pro All Stars Series: Sat., May 22 -- White Mountain Motorsports Park, North Woodstock, N.H. (4:00pm)
Série ACT-Castrol Edge: Sat., May 22 -- Autodrome St-Eustache, St-Eustache (Montréal), Qué. (6:00pm)
Sprint Cars of New England: Sun., May 23 -- Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. (6:00pm)
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
PAVED: Devil's Bowl Speedway Officially An Asphalt Track
(From track press release)
WEST HAVEN -- Devil's Bowl Speedway, after months of hard work, has been transformed from a dirt race track to a modern paved speedway. The venerable track has been an institution in western Vermont since 1967 and will be opening its 44th season of racing on May 23rd on a brand new asphalt surface provided by Wilk Paving of West Rutland.
"Working with a local company like Wilk is the way I like to do business," said track promoter Jerry Richards. "Chris Wilk has been with me every step of the way and I couldn't be happier with the final product. We worked together using input from Mike Perrotte (promoter of Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y.) and Tom Curley (promoter of Thunder Road in Barre) to design the progressive banking in order to turn this clay track into a paved surface that would provide the same level of excitement and competitive racing that we're used to."
Jerry Richards, brother Bruce Richards (promoter at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta N.Y.), and sister Sharon Richards are partners of both race tracks and owners since 2005. In the past, Jerry managed the facilities while Bruce handled the promotional responsibilities. This year Bruce will take on all aspects of management at Albany-Saratoga and Jerry will do the same at Devil's Bowl.
Jerry Richards noted, "Bruce lives in New York and I live in Vermont. It just made good business sense. It would have been a big enough learning curve for both of us without the decision to go to pavement, but we've been through a lot together and he's learning from me at the same time I'm learning from him. As far as the asphalt goes, we're learning together."
Perrotte and Curley have been instrumental in helping Jerry Richards to make the transition to pavement racing. Having the advice of the other nearby pavement promoters has been invaluable.
"In working together, we hope to maintain and even strengthen local short track racing," Jerry Richards said. "It's a tough business, [it's] seasonal and dependent on weather and you have to have a certain amount of backbone to be in it year after year. Having grown up with it, it's in our blood and none of us can really imagine doing anything else, so this is a big gamble for us, but one we feel will really pay off going forward."
The Devil's Bowl Speedway season opener is scheduled for Sunday, May 23rd and will feature the Thunder Road late models in a 100-lap race to christen the new pavement. Devil's Bowl has also been fortunate to have some very important partners sign on to support local racing in 2010: Coca-Cola Products has been instrumental in helping with schedule distribution, and will provide all beverages this year at the speedway. The May 30 Tri-Track Modified Series race is presented by Chittenden Bank. LaValley's Building Supply is holding their Employee's Night at the Races on June 6th, and Ace Carting Corp. of Fort Ann, N.Y., is sponsoring the traditional 4th of July show, in addition to bringing two race teams all season. Heritage Family Credit Union sponsors the Renegade Roundup on August 15th and will continue the tradition of saying thank-you to their customers by admitting all HFCU members into the grandstand for free that night. Brown’s Quarried Slate has returned as a sponsor, and CRM Specialties of Orwell has come on board for the first time.
The first two events on May 23 and May 30 are $15 adult tickets, while adult admission for regular shows remains only $10, and this year all children 12 and under will be admitted free. Racing will begin an hour earlier with a 6:00 p.m. start time. Up-to-date information and the complete racing schedule can be found on the internet at http://www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com/ and the speedway telephone is 802-265-3112.
WEST HAVEN -- Devil's Bowl Speedway, after months of hard work, has been transformed from a dirt race track to a modern paved speedway. The venerable track has been an institution in western Vermont since 1967 and will be opening its 44th season of racing on May 23rd on a brand new asphalt surface provided by Wilk Paving of West Rutland.
"Working with a local company like Wilk is the way I like to do business," said track promoter Jerry Richards. "Chris Wilk has been with me every step of the way and I couldn't be happier with the final product. We worked together using input from Mike Perrotte (promoter of Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y.) and Tom Curley (promoter of Thunder Road in Barre) to design the progressive banking in order to turn this clay track into a paved surface that would provide the same level of excitement and competitive racing that we're used to."
Jerry Richards, brother Bruce Richards (promoter at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta N.Y.), and sister Sharon Richards are partners of both race tracks and owners since 2005. In the past, Jerry managed the facilities while Bruce handled the promotional responsibilities. This year Bruce will take on all aspects of management at Albany-Saratoga and Jerry will do the same at Devil's Bowl.
Jerry Richards noted, "Bruce lives in New York and I live in Vermont. It just made good business sense. It would have been a big enough learning curve for both of us without the decision to go to pavement, but we've been through a lot together and he's learning from me at the same time I'm learning from him. As far as the asphalt goes, we're learning together."
Perrotte and Curley have been instrumental in helping Jerry Richards to make the transition to pavement racing. Having the advice of the other nearby pavement promoters has been invaluable.
"In working together, we hope to maintain and even strengthen local short track racing," Jerry Richards said. "It's a tough business, [it's] seasonal and dependent on weather and you have to have a certain amount of backbone to be in it year after year. Having grown up with it, it's in our blood and none of us can really imagine doing anything else, so this is a big gamble for us, but one we feel will really pay off going forward."
The Devil's Bowl Speedway season opener is scheduled for Sunday, May 23rd and will feature the Thunder Road late models in a 100-lap race to christen the new pavement. Devil's Bowl has also been fortunate to have some very important partners sign on to support local racing in 2010: Coca-Cola Products has been instrumental in helping with schedule distribution, and will provide all beverages this year at the speedway. The May 30 Tri-Track Modified Series race is presented by Chittenden Bank. LaValley's Building Supply is holding their Employee's Night at the Races on June 6th, and Ace Carting Corp. of Fort Ann, N.Y., is sponsoring the traditional 4th of July show, in addition to bringing two race teams all season. Heritage Family Credit Union sponsors the Renegade Roundup on August 15th and will continue the tradition of saying thank-you to their customers by admitting all HFCU members into the grandstand for free that night. Brown’s Quarried Slate has returned as a sponsor, and CRM Specialties of Orwell has come on board for the first time.
The first two events on May 23 and May 30 are $15 adult tickets, while adult admission for regular shows remains only $10, and this year all children 12 and under will be admitted free. Racing will begin an hour earlier with a 6:00 p.m. start time. Up-to-date information and the complete racing schedule can be found on the internet at http://www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com/ and the speedway telephone is 802-265-3112.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
The Juice: The Sweetness
-by Justin St. Louis
VMM Editor
How sweet it was at Thunder Road's Merchants Bank 150 last weekend. Sweet, yes, to be back in Barre at "The Nation's Site of Excitement", and Sweet, too, in victory lane. As in hometown boy Nick Sweet.
The 24 year-old grabbed his first career American-Canadian Tour victory in entertaining fashion, having driven from 12th starting spot to wage a 40-lap battle for the lead with Thunder Road heavyweight Dave Pembroke and Canadian star Patrick Laperle, then holding off defending ACT champion Brian Hoar in the final frames.
We've told parts of this story before, but what a story it is behind Sweet, who has become something of a cult hero in Central Vermont. In 2003, the high school student built a four-cylinder Street Stock and was an immediate contender for wins and championships. Four years later and ascending the local ladder, he was celebrated as the Tiger Sportsman champion and had won races at tracks like Airborne Speedway in New York, Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire, and the intimidating Sanair Super Speedway tri-oval outside Montreal.
With high-profile backing from Saint J Auto, Sweet tackled the ACT Late Model circuit in 2008, winning Rookie of the Year. He returned to Thunder Road last season to notch his first Late Model win, and ran impressively enough during the year to earn the final starting spot in the inaugural ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He responded in kind with a runner-up finish in front of a NASCAR crowd.
Sunday he etched his name on the ACT win list by beating a few future Hall of Famers. For those that have watched Sweet develop, it seemed like only a matter of time before he broke through.
"He's one of the best to come out of Thunder Road in the Tiger division," said Hoar, a six-time ACT title winner. "He’s a future champion for sure."
"We knew [at Thunder Road] last year that Nick was a great, great driver," said Middlesex racer Pembroke. "It's just no one knew it at this [ACT] level yet."
Sweet, as usual, humbly deflected all praise to his team, noting his father/crew chief, Shayne, "made me look good." He respects the drivers he races against, frequently citing men he beats on the track as his childhood heroes. He has an obvious love for Thunder Road and its fans: "It's my home place in front my home people," he said Sunday. "I'm a native of Barre, Vermont. Winning here is like a dream."
Apparently it was no surprise when Nick Sweet pulled into the ACT winner's circle for the first time last weekend. Therefore, it probably won't be a surprise the next time, either.
***
We asked ACT and Thunder Road prexy Tom Curley about his thoughts on Nick Sweet's breakthrough. Here is Curley, in his own words:
VMM: "What does it mean for you to have a kid like Nick Sweet win his first ACT race at Thunder Road after having come up through the ladder system there?"
TC: "Well the real interesting thing about Nick Sweet is that he has continually surprised me at every step of the way. I don't ever remember a driver that I have been so wrong about. I knew we had a great talent in the Street Stocks [but] I thought he made his move to Tigers too soon. Wrong!
"As soon as he rolled onto the track I knew I was wrong. He was more dominant in that division in just a couple years than some of the all-time best ever like Cooper [MacRitchie], [John] Donahue, Eric Williams, [Dave] Pembroke, etc. He was doing things that bordered on veteran skills in his first year [but] I thought his move to Late Models was too fast. Wrong!
"I knew I was wrong around the fourth race. The character of the entire team bouncing back from the horrible start, when I privately told myself 'I told you so' proved me wrong again. After the [Oxford] 250 performance, I knew he was going to [the ACT Invitational at] NHMS. I never in my wildest imagination thought he would be the star of Loudon that day, on and off the track.
"I think he is the absolute poster boy for why I have done this business for so long.
"His father [Shayne] is one of the most remarkable men I have ever known in the business. A perfectionist, methodical, very grounded, and deals as well as anyone I have ever known with controversy. As an example, he had quietly geared up pretty much for the now infamous 'bump stop' fiasco early last spring. After our decision to get rid of them for economic reasons, Shayne wrote me a very respectful email about his disappointment, and the expensive costs that had been wasted by the #88 team because of our decision last June. We had one quick telephone conversation and they moved on quietly and without all the usual negative stuff that might have adversely affected his team. I now know why Nick is one of the best young drivers to come out of our system in the past 20 years.
"He was on my short list of recommended 'draft picks' for the annual Speed 51 deal. I was pleased to see him join two others I pitched, Joey [Polewarczyk] and Eddie [MacDonald] who made the list from our neck of the woods.
"Nick has earned instant respect from the veteran champions, handles his success with great humility, and I would say he and his overall team effort from the start until now ranks right up there [as] being one of the most worthwhile rewards I have gotten for 33 years of work."
***
The first load of asphalt is being put down at Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven as this column is being written. The first practice is Saturday, May 15.
***
Martin Roy's 2009 championship at Airborne Speedway certainly seems a little bit tainted now, doesn't it?
Roy ran afoul of the DIRTcar rulebook -- specifically, illegally altered cylinder heads -- for the second time in the last two Airborne events on Saturday night. Roy and Modified rival Patrick Dupree were each penalized for the infraction at the 2009 season finale last September, one week after championship points had been finalized. Roy and third-place finisher Richard Tisseur were busted again after Saturday's season opener for similar findings. Ironically, Dupree inherited the Saturday victory after his heads passed inspection.
Airborne officials inspected the parts thoroughly on Saturday night, but sent the heads of all three cars to DIRTcar inspectors, from where the disqualifications come. Any further penalties, including fines, suspensions, etc., will be decided upon by DIRTcar rather than Airborne Speedway.
We've seen Martin Roy race enough times to know that illegal or not, he is one whale of a driver, and the Jean-Claude Fortin team he drives for is as nice and friendly a group of people as you can ask for. But this isn't the 1950s, when Modifieds had no rules. Play with fire, and you're gonna get burned.
***
Congratulations to Thunder Road veteran George May. May scored the Tiger Sportsman win on opening day, sixteen years after his last victory.
***
ACT driver Mark Lamberton joked on Saturday that it took him fifteen years to learn how to get around Thunder Road, but only a couple of years away to forget. After a fifth-place finish in the Merchants Bank 150, it's probably okay to guess that he figured it back out in a hurry.
***
We're trying something new for 2010 by strapping the VMM camera -- a four year-old Olympus FE-340 point-and-shoot that you can find at any electronics store for around $75 -- into some race cars. So far we've done a Tiger Sportsman practice, a Late Model practice, and a Street Stock feature race at Thunder Road, and a Modified heat at Airborne. Not to brag, but in the two races, we've pulled down a win at T-Road with Mike MacAskill and a third at Airborne with Chris Cayea.
We figure it'll be fun until a big ol' glob of clay bounces up and takes the camera out at Bear Ridge some night. Even then, that should be pretty good footage, right?
***
Make sure to pick up a copy of The Barre-Montpelier (VT) Times Argus each Wednesday to check out the new "Rear View Mirror" column, written by yours truly. You can also read it online at http://www.timesargus.com/.
***
AROUND THE REGION:
Time to take a look at the top Vermonters from the past weekend...
ACT Late Model Tour: Barre's Nick Sweet took his frist career win at Thunder Road on Sunday, followed by Williston's Brian Hoar in second. Middlesex racer Dave Pembroke was fourth.
Airborne Speedway (Plattsburgh, N.Y.): Lance Rabtoy of Fairfax scored his first career Renegade victory after a race-long battle with Swanton's Kevin Boutin. Whiting's Jimmy Ryan was the top Vermonter in the Modified feature, placing 13th.
Modified Racing Series: Dwight Jarvis of Ascutney won the Bond Auto Spring Dash 100 at Monadnock Speedway on Saturday night in Winchester, N.H. Joey Jarvis of Ascutney was 17th.
Monadnock Speedway (Winchester, N.H.): Nate Kehoe of Windham finished ninth in the Sportsman Modifieds on Saturday, while Dana Shepard of Putney finished eighth in the Super Stock feature. Ludlow's Joe Rogers was tenth in the Mini Stocks.
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Shelburne's Kevin Lepage was 38th at Richmond Int'l Raceway on Friday night.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: David Stremme finished 29th at Richmond Int'l Raceway on Saturday night for Vermont-based Latitude 43 Motorsports. Marshfield native Dave Rogers earned his first career Sprint Cup Series win as crew chief for Kyle Busch.
PASS North Super Late Models: Scott Dragon of Milton finished 11th in Saturday's event at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Me.
Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl (Barre): Barre's George May won the Tiger Sportsman feature over Williamstown's Mike Ziter and Barre's Cody Blake on Sunday. Mike MacAskill of Williamstown won the first Street Stock feature over Graniteville's Travis Hull and Bunker Hodgdon of Hardwick, while West Topsham's Tim Campbell won the second feature over Hardwick's Greg Adams, Jr., and Ron Gabaree of Barre. Ken Christman of Cabot won the first Junkyard Warrior feature over Williamstown's Kevin Hebert and Tommy Elwood of Morrisville, and Williasmtown's Kevin Wheatley won the second race over Barre's Kevin Dodge and Brock Parrott of Williamstown.
Twin State Speedway (Claremont, N.H.): Dallas Trombley of Rutland finished sixth in the Late Model feature on Friday night, while Robert Hagar of Windsor was fifth in the Modified event. Chris Wilk of Mendon won the Super Street feature over Russ Davis of Cavendish, and David Greenslit of Waitsfield won the Strictly Stock feature. Rob Leitch of Cavendish was second in the Wildcat feature, with Jeremiah Losee of North Springfield third.
***
THIS WEEK:
Friday, May 7
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 6:45pm (Grand Re-Opening)
Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 7:00pm (Season Opener)
Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H. -- 7:30pm (Regular Event)
Saturday, May 8
Bear Ridge Speedway, Bradford -- 10:00am (Car Show @ Jiffy Mart), 2:00pm (Practice)
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. -- 5:00pm (ACT Late Model Tour)
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Season Opener)
Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Riverside Speedway, Groveton, N.H. -- 11:00am Car Show, 1:00pm (Open Practice)
Sunday, May 9
Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. -- 4:00pm (Grand Opening)
TOURING SERIES:
ACT Late Model Tour: Sat., May 8 -- Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. (5:00pm)
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Fri., May 7 -- Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C. (7:00pm)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Sat., May 8 -- Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C. (7:30pm)
Pro All Stars Series: Fri., May 7 -- Wake County Speedway, Raleigh, N.C. (7:00pm)
VMM Editor
How sweet it was at Thunder Road's Merchants Bank 150 last weekend. Sweet, yes, to be back in Barre at "The Nation's Site of Excitement", and Sweet, too, in victory lane. As in hometown boy Nick Sweet.
The 24 year-old grabbed his first career American-Canadian Tour victory in entertaining fashion, having driven from 12th starting spot to wage a 40-lap battle for the lead with Thunder Road heavyweight Dave Pembroke and Canadian star Patrick Laperle, then holding off defending ACT champion Brian Hoar in the final frames.
We've told parts of this story before, but what a story it is behind Sweet, who has become something of a cult hero in Central Vermont. In 2003, the high school student built a four-cylinder Street Stock and was an immediate contender for wins and championships. Four years later and ascending the local ladder, he was celebrated as the Tiger Sportsman champion and had won races at tracks like Airborne Speedway in New York, Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire, and the intimidating Sanair Super Speedway tri-oval outside Montreal.
With high-profile backing from Saint J Auto, Sweet tackled the ACT Late Model circuit in 2008, winning Rookie of the Year. He returned to Thunder Road last season to notch his first Late Model win, and ran impressively enough during the year to earn the final starting spot in the inaugural ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He responded in kind with a runner-up finish in front of a NASCAR crowd.
Sunday he etched his name on the ACT win list by beating a few future Hall of Famers. For those that have watched Sweet develop, it seemed like only a matter of time before he broke through.
"He's one of the best to come out of Thunder Road in the Tiger division," said Hoar, a six-time ACT title winner. "He’s a future champion for sure."
"We knew [at Thunder Road] last year that Nick was a great, great driver," said Middlesex racer Pembroke. "It's just no one knew it at this [ACT] level yet."
Sweet, as usual, humbly deflected all praise to his team, noting his father/crew chief, Shayne, "made me look good." He respects the drivers he races against, frequently citing men he beats on the track as his childhood heroes. He has an obvious love for Thunder Road and its fans: "It's my home place in front my home people," he said Sunday. "I'm a native of Barre, Vermont. Winning here is like a dream."
Apparently it was no surprise when Nick Sweet pulled into the ACT winner's circle for the first time last weekend. Therefore, it probably won't be a surprise the next time, either.
***
We asked ACT and Thunder Road prexy Tom Curley about his thoughts on Nick Sweet's breakthrough. Here is Curley, in his own words:
VMM: "What does it mean for you to have a kid like Nick Sweet win his first ACT race at Thunder Road after having come up through the ladder system there?"
TC: "Well the real interesting thing about Nick Sweet is that he has continually surprised me at every step of the way. I don't ever remember a driver that I have been so wrong about. I knew we had a great talent in the Street Stocks [but] I thought he made his move to Tigers too soon. Wrong!
"As soon as he rolled onto the track I knew I was wrong. He was more dominant in that division in just a couple years than some of the all-time best ever like Cooper [MacRitchie], [John] Donahue, Eric Williams, [Dave] Pembroke, etc. He was doing things that bordered on veteran skills in his first year [but] I thought his move to Late Models was too fast. Wrong!
"I knew I was wrong around the fourth race. The character of the entire team bouncing back from the horrible start, when I privately told myself 'I told you so' proved me wrong again. After the [Oxford] 250 performance, I knew he was going to [the ACT Invitational at] NHMS. I never in my wildest imagination thought he would be the star of Loudon that day, on and off the track.
"I think he is the absolute poster boy for why I have done this business for so long.
"His father [Shayne] is one of the most remarkable men I have ever known in the business. A perfectionist, methodical, very grounded, and deals as well as anyone I have ever known with controversy. As an example, he had quietly geared up pretty much for the now infamous 'bump stop' fiasco early last spring. After our decision to get rid of them for economic reasons, Shayne wrote me a very respectful email about his disappointment, and the expensive costs that had been wasted by the #88 team because of our decision last June. We had one quick telephone conversation and they moved on quietly and without all the usual negative stuff that might have adversely affected his team. I now know why Nick is one of the best young drivers to come out of our system in the past 20 years.
"He was on my short list of recommended 'draft picks' for the annual Speed 51 deal. I was pleased to see him join two others I pitched, Joey [Polewarczyk] and Eddie [MacDonald] who made the list from our neck of the woods.
"Nick has earned instant respect from the veteran champions, handles his success with great humility, and I would say he and his overall team effort from the start until now ranks right up there [as] being one of the most worthwhile rewards I have gotten for 33 years of work."
***
The first load of asphalt is being put down at Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven as this column is being written. The first practice is Saturday, May 15.
***
Martin Roy's 2009 championship at Airborne Speedway certainly seems a little bit tainted now, doesn't it?
Roy ran afoul of the DIRTcar rulebook -- specifically, illegally altered cylinder heads -- for the second time in the last two Airborne events on Saturday night. Roy and Modified rival Patrick Dupree were each penalized for the infraction at the 2009 season finale last September, one week after championship points had been finalized. Roy and third-place finisher Richard Tisseur were busted again after Saturday's season opener for similar findings. Ironically, Dupree inherited the Saturday victory after his heads passed inspection.
Airborne officials inspected the parts thoroughly on Saturday night, but sent the heads of all three cars to DIRTcar inspectors, from where the disqualifications come. Any further penalties, including fines, suspensions, etc., will be decided upon by DIRTcar rather than Airborne Speedway.
We've seen Martin Roy race enough times to know that illegal or not, he is one whale of a driver, and the Jean-Claude Fortin team he drives for is as nice and friendly a group of people as you can ask for. But this isn't the 1950s, when Modifieds had no rules. Play with fire, and you're gonna get burned.
***
Congratulations to Thunder Road veteran George May. May scored the Tiger Sportsman win on opening day, sixteen years after his last victory.
***
ACT driver Mark Lamberton joked on Saturday that it took him fifteen years to learn how to get around Thunder Road, but only a couple of years away to forget. After a fifth-place finish in the Merchants Bank 150, it's probably okay to guess that he figured it back out in a hurry.
***
We're trying something new for 2010 by strapping the VMM camera -- a four year-old Olympus FE-340 point-and-shoot that you can find at any electronics store for around $75 -- into some race cars. So far we've done a Tiger Sportsman practice, a Late Model practice, and a Street Stock feature race at Thunder Road, and a Modified heat at Airborne. Not to brag, but in the two races, we've pulled down a win at T-Road with Mike MacAskill and a third at Airborne with Chris Cayea.
We figure it'll be fun until a big ol' glob of clay bounces up and takes the camera out at Bear Ridge some night. Even then, that should be pretty good footage, right?
***
Make sure to pick up a copy of The Barre-Montpelier (VT) Times Argus each Wednesday to check out the new "Rear View Mirror" column, written by yours truly. You can also read it online at http://www.timesargus.com/.
***
AROUND THE REGION:
Time to take a look at the top Vermonters from the past weekend...
ACT Late Model Tour: Barre's Nick Sweet took his frist career win at Thunder Road on Sunday, followed by Williston's Brian Hoar in second. Middlesex racer Dave Pembroke was fourth.
Airborne Speedway (Plattsburgh, N.Y.): Lance Rabtoy of Fairfax scored his first career Renegade victory after a race-long battle with Swanton's Kevin Boutin. Whiting's Jimmy Ryan was the top Vermonter in the Modified feature, placing 13th.
Modified Racing Series: Dwight Jarvis of Ascutney won the Bond Auto Spring Dash 100 at Monadnock Speedway on Saturday night in Winchester, N.H. Joey Jarvis of Ascutney was 17th.
Monadnock Speedway (Winchester, N.H.): Nate Kehoe of Windham finished ninth in the Sportsman Modifieds on Saturday, while Dana Shepard of Putney finished eighth in the Super Stock feature. Ludlow's Joe Rogers was tenth in the Mini Stocks.
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Shelburne's Kevin Lepage was 38th at Richmond Int'l Raceway on Friday night.
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: David Stremme finished 29th at Richmond Int'l Raceway on Saturday night for Vermont-based Latitude 43 Motorsports. Marshfield native Dave Rogers earned his first career Sprint Cup Series win as crew chief for Kyle Busch.
PASS North Super Late Models: Scott Dragon of Milton finished 11th in Saturday's event at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Me.
Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl (Barre): Barre's George May won the Tiger Sportsman feature over Williamstown's Mike Ziter and Barre's Cody Blake on Sunday. Mike MacAskill of Williamstown won the first Street Stock feature over Graniteville's Travis Hull and Bunker Hodgdon of Hardwick, while West Topsham's Tim Campbell won the second feature over Hardwick's Greg Adams, Jr., and Ron Gabaree of Barre. Ken Christman of Cabot won the first Junkyard Warrior feature over Williamstown's Kevin Hebert and Tommy Elwood of Morrisville, and Williasmtown's Kevin Wheatley won the second race over Barre's Kevin Dodge and Brock Parrott of Williamstown.
Twin State Speedway (Claremont, N.H.): Dallas Trombley of Rutland finished sixth in the Late Model feature on Friday night, while Robert Hagar of Windsor was fifth in the Modified event. Chris Wilk of Mendon won the Super Street feature over Russ Davis of Cavendish, and David Greenslit of Waitsfield won the Strictly Stock feature. Rob Leitch of Cavendish was second in the Wildcat feature, with Jeremiah Losee of North Springfield third.
***
THIS WEEK:
Friday, May 7
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 6:45pm (Grand Re-Opening)
Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 7:00pm (Season Opener)
Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H. -- 7:30pm (Regular Event)
Saturday, May 8
Bear Ridge Speedway, Bradford -- 10:00am (Car Show @ Jiffy Mart), 2:00pm (Practice)
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. -- 5:00pm (ACT Late Model Tour)
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Season Opener)
Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Riverside Speedway, Groveton, N.H. -- 11:00am Car Show, 1:00pm (Open Practice)
Sunday, May 9
Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. -- 4:00pm (Grand Opening)
TOURING SERIES:
ACT Late Model Tour: Sat., May 8 -- Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. (5:00pm)
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Fri., May 7 -- Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C. (7:00pm)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Sat., May 8 -- Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C. (7:30pm)
Pro All Stars Series: Fri., May 7 -- Wake County Speedway, Raleigh, N.C. (7:00pm)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
The Juice: It's Head-Smashing Time
-by Justin St. Louis
VMM Editor
Laperle made it adamantly clear at the beginning of his career that he was going to do things his way, and to his credit, he has stayed one hundred percent true to that. Unfortunately for Laperle, Curley did the same thing twenty years earlier, and has stuck to his guns ever since.
The result? A total win-win for ACT fans.
There are spats between drivers here and there -- Brian Hoar vs. Mike Bruno in the 1990s, Hoar vs. Joey Polewarczyk last year, Cris Michaud vs. Brad Leighton the year before, and Laperle vs. Donald Theetge, well, forever -- but the rivarly between Laperle and Curley is a horse of a different color.
Curley, a fiercely independent Irishman from the Maine seacoast, is arguably the most
successful short track promoter in the history of northeastern racing, and is in the elite crowd of the Bob Harmons, the Rex Robbins, the Hugh Deerys, and the Humpy Wheelers of the world. He has been called a maverick, a rebel, and, by his own admission in a Stock Car Racing Magazine article some twenty-odd years ago, "a pain in the ass." It's his way or the highway.
Laperle, a very focused, very talented, very popular Frenchman from suburban Montréal, has been a house afire since virtually the first race he ever drove at Airborne Speedway in 1998. He has won races and championships almost everywhere he's been from Québec to Florida, and is without question the most controversial racer in these parts.
When you put the two together, it's a recipe for a sort of magical disaster. The magic is in watching Curley set rules in place and create an entertaining racing product, and in watching Laperle at times make that product his own personal stomping ground. The two are among the very best in their chosen fields. The disaster comes when they challenge each other -- and they've been doing that since the beginning -- and feelings get hurt.
Remember, Laperle left racing full-time with ACT in 2005 and 2006 after repeated disagreements with Curley. He came back in 2007 and won the Série ACT-Castrol title, the ACT Late Model Tour title the next year, and nearly won the Castrol title again last season. When everything came to a head at St-Eustache last September, Laperle swore Curley off and said he'd be gone for two years, unless he felt like "smashing [his] head off a wall" again in 2010.
Apparently, it's already head-smashing time. We'll sit back and watch at Albany-Saratoga Speedway this weekend for anything that may or may not come out of the next chapter of Laperle vs. Curley.
***
Don't forget: If you can't make it to Albany-Saratoga Speedway this weekend (or even if you can!), follow VMM for raceday coverage of the ACT Late Model Tour opener, presented by RPM Racing Engines. We're here on the blog, but we're also on Twitter and Facebook!
***
How Hollywood-perfect would it be if Laperle was to win in ACT's first go at Albany-Saratoga this weekend?
History is a bit on his side, too. Of Laperle's 16 career ACT Late Model Tour wins, four have come in the series' first-ever appearance at a track: Lee USA Speedway in 2003, Twin State Speedway in 2004, and both Autodrome St-Eustache and Kawartha Speedway in 2007. He also won last year's Fall Foliage 300 in his first start at Airborne Speedway since the track was redesigned, and won the first-ever Coors Light 200 Showdown at Autodrome Chaudière in 2008.
***
Hey, if you haven't checked out the total facelift done on the new Big Daddy's Speedbowl in Rumney, N.H., you need to. Holy cow. Congratulations to Mike Rivers and his crew.
***
One more bit on Laperle -- We spoke with him again on Wednesday morning, and Laperle praised Curley and ACT for moving to electronic scoring this season. Laperle said that the decision to come back to ACT was helped largely because of the switch.
***
Kudos to both ACT and the Modified Racing Series on their decisions regarding the weather last weekend, for very different reasons.
Facing a total washout on Sunday, ACT and Lee USA Speedway called their event in southern New Hampshire off two days in advance. The result was a lot of travel, time, and money saved.
Up against the same thing in New York, the MRS troops tried to get their combination event with the Race of Champions Tour in at Albany-Saratoga, but were unable to do so. With nasty weather in the forecast on Friday, A-S management called Saturday's events off but played a wait-and-see game for the Sunday race, hoping the forecast would improve. It did, and they kept on schedule for Sunday and were even able to get a couple of heat races in. Unfortunately, the forecast is only a prediction, and the skies ultimately opened up anyway.
Valiant calls by both groups, we say. Pro All Stars Series officials have been blasted by fans and competitors for years over calling off events early due to unfavorable forecasts. They've also been blasted for waiting too long by the same groups of people. We're of the opinion that both ACT and MRS did the right thing -- an actually, so did PASS, having also been rained out at Speedway 95 in Bangor, Me., on Sunday -- by working with the options they had.
***
THIS WEEK:
Saturday, April 24
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. -- 1:00pm (Open Practice)
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 1:00pm (Open Practice)
Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 11:00am (Open Practice)
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 11:00am (Open Practice)
Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H. -- 12:00pm (Open Practice)
Riverside Speedway, Groveton, N.H. -- Tire Sale & Track Clean-Up Day
Sunday, April 25
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 1:00pm (ACT Late Model Tour/Modified Tri-Track Series)
Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. -- 12:00pm (Car Show)
Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H. -- 12:00pm (Open Practice)
TOURING SERIES:
ACT Late Model Tour: Sun., April 25 -- Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. (1:00pm)
Modified Tri-Track Series: Sun., April 25 -- Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. (1:00pm)
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Sat., April 24 -- Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Ala. (2:30pm)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Sun., April 25 -- Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Ala. (1:00pm)
Pro All Stars Series: Sat., April 25 -- Orange County Speedway, Rougemont, N.C. (7:00pm)
VMM Editor
It seemed like it was only a matter of time. Patrick Laperle coming back to the American-Canadian Tour, that is. After all, it seemed like it was only a matter of time for his falling out with Tom Curley last September.
Laperle made it adamantly clear at the beginning of his career that he was going to do things his way, and to his credit, he has stayed one hundred percent true to that. Unfortunately for Laperle, Curley did the same thing twenty years earlier, and has stuck to his guns ever since. The result? A total win-win for ACT fans.
There are spats between drivers here and there -- Brian Hoar vs. Mike Bruno in the 1990s, Hoar vs. Joey Polewarczyk last year, Cris Michaud vs. Brad Leighton the year before, and Laperle vs. Donald Theetge, well, forever -- but the rivarly between Laperle and Curley is a horse of a different color.
A battle like this gives fans something new to cheer for -- The rebellious cog upsetting the dictator's machine.
Curley, a fiercely independent Irishman from the Maine seacoast, is arguably the most
successful short track promoter in the history of northeastern racing, and is in the elite crowd of the Bob Harmons, the Rex Robbins, the Hugh Deerys, and the Humpy Wheelers of the world. He has been called a maverick, a rebel, and, by his own admission in a Stock Car Racing Magazine article some twenty-odd years ago, "a pain in the ass." It's his way or the highway. Laperle, a very focused, very talented, very popular Frenchman from suburban Montréal, has been a house afire since virtually the first race he ever drove at Airborne Speedway in 1998. He has won races and championships almost everywhere he's been from Québec to Florida, and is without question the most controversial racer in these parts.
When you put the two together, it's a recipe for a sort of magical disaster. The magic is in watching Curley set rules in place and create an entertaining racing product, and in watching Laperle at times make that product his own personal stomping ground. The two are among the very best in their chosen fields. The disaster comes when they challenge each other -- and they've been doing that since the beginning -- and feelings get hurt.
Remember, Laperle left racing full-time with ACT in 2005 and 2006 after repeated disagreements with Curley. He came back in 2007 and won the Série ACT-Castrol title, the ACT Late Model Tour title the next year, and nearly won the Castrol title again last season. When everything came to a head at St-Eustache last September, Laperle swore Curley off and said he'd be gone for two years, unless he felt like "smashing [his] head off a wall" again in 2010.
Apparently, it's already head-smashing time. We'll sit back and watch at Albany-Saratoga Speedway this weekend for anything that may or may not come out of the next chapter of Laperle vs. Curley.
***
Don't forget: If you can't make it to Albany-Saratoga Speedway this weekend (or even if you can!), follow VMM for raceday coverage of the ACT Late Model Tour opener, presented by RPM Racing Engines. We're here on the blog, but we're also on Twitter and Facebook!
***
How Hollywood-perfect would it be if Laperle was to win in ACT's first go at Albany-Saratoga this weekend?
History is a bit on his side, too. Of Laperle's 16 career ACT Late Model Tour wins, four have come in the series' first-ever appearance at a track: Lee USA Speedway in 2003, Twin State Speedway in 2004, and both Autodrome St-Eustache and Kawartha Speedway in 2007. He also won last year's Fall Foliage 300 in his first start at Airborne Speedway since the track was redesigned, and won the first-ever Coors Light 200 Showdown at Autodrome Chaudière in 2008.
***
Hey, if you haven't checked out the total facelift done on the new Big Daddy's Speedbowl in Rumney, N.H., you need to. Holy cow. Congratulations to Mike Rivers and his crew.
***
One more bit on Laperle -- We spoke with him again on Wednesday morning, and Laperle praised Curley and ACT for moving to electronic scoring this season. Laperle said that the decision to come back to ACT was helped largely because of the switch.
***
Kudos to both ACT and the Modified Racing Series on their decisions regarding the weather last weekend, for very different reasons.
Facing a total washout on Sunday, ACT and Lee USA Speedway called their event in southern New Hampshire off two days in advance. The result was a lot of travel, time, and money saved.
Up against the same thing in New York, the MRS troops tried to get their combination event with the Race of Champions Tour in at Albany-Saratoga, but were unable to do so. With nasty weather in the forecast on Friday, A-S management called Saturday's events off but played a wait-and-see game for the Sunday race, hoping the forecast would improve. It did, and they kept on schedule for Sunday and were even able to get a couple of heat races in. Unfortunately, the forecast is only a prediction, and the skies ultimately opened up anyway.
Valiant calls by both groups, we say. Pro All Stars Series officials have been blasted by fans and competitors for years over calling off events early due to unfavorable forecasts. They've also been blasted for waiting too long by the same groups of people. We're of the opinion that both ACT and MRS did the right thing -- an actually, so did PASS, having also been rained out at Speedway 95 in Bangor, Me., on Sunday -- by working with the options they had.
***
THIS WEEK:
Saturday, April 24
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. -- 1:00pm (Open Practice)
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 1:00pm (Open Practice)
Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 11:00am (Open Practice)
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 11:00am (Open Practice)
Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H. -- 12:00pm (Open Practice)
Riverside Speedway, Groveton, N.H. -- Tire Sale & Track Clean-Up Day
Sunday, April 25
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 1:00pm (ACT Late Model Tour/Modified Tri-Track Series)
Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. -- 12:00pm (Car Show)
Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H. -- 12:00pm (Open Practice)
TOURING SERIES:
ACT Late Model Tour: Sun., April 25 -- Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. (1:00pm)
Modified Tri-Track Series: Sun., April 25 -- Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. (1:00pm)
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Sat., April 24 -- Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Ala. (2:30pm)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Sun., April 25 -- Talladega Superspeedway, Talladega, Ala. (1:00pm)
Pro All Stars Series: Sat., April 25 -- Orange County Speedway, Rougemont, N.C. (7:00pm)
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
BREAKING NEWS: Laperle Returning to ACT at Albany-Saratoga
Albany-Saratoga 100 coverage presented by RPM Racing Engines
MALTA, N.Y. -- Come Sunday, Patrick Laperle's self-imposed exile from the American-Canadian Tour will be over before it ever really started.
Laperle, the 2008 ACT Late Model Tour champion and 2007 Serie ACT-Castrol champion, defected from ACT last September after a falling out with series president Tom Curley, threatening to leave the series for "two years".
A controversial move by Laperle at Autodrome St-Eustache in his native Quebec at the 2009 Serie ACT-Castrol finale left him penalized by Curley and ACT, effectively costing him his second Castrol title by just a single point to Donald Theetge. Laperle skipped the Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl at Thunder Road the following week -- a race he had won three times in the previous four years -- and the ACT Late Model Tour season finale at Oxford Plains Speedway in October.
Tuesday night, though, he told Vermont Motorsports Magazine that he'll be at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., for the ACT Late Model Tour season opener on Sunday.
Laperle said he has little interest in racing with Curley, but feels competing this weekend is something he owes to his family team.
"I don't want to go," he said. "I haven't talked to Tom and I don't want to. My brothers Eric and Daniel want to test the car, and we're usually pretty good at new tracks, so we're going."
The Albany-Saratoga 100 is the first event for ACT at the newly-paved track. Laperle has previously won inaugural ACT events at Lee USA, Twin State, St-Eustache, and Kawartha.
"It's a track nobody has really been to, and we'll probably have a good chance to win," he said. "Beyond this weekend, I'm racing a dirt modified once at Granby this year, but other than that... when, where, we don't know.
"But we're going to Albany this weekend. We're not doing it for Tom Curley. We're doing it for us."
MALTA, N.Y. -- Come Sunday, Patrick Laperle's self-imposed exile from the American-Canadian Tour will be over before it ever really started.Laperle, the 2008 ACT Late Model Tour champion and 2007 Serie ACT-Castrol champion, defected from ACT last September after a falling out with series president Tom Curley, threatening to leave the series for "two years".
A controversial move by Laperle at Autodrome St-Eustache in his native Quebec at the 2009 Serie ACT-Castrol finale left him penalized by Curley and ACT, effectively costing him his second Castrol title by just a single point to Donald Theetge. Laperle skipped the Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl at Thunder Road the following week -- a race he had won three times in the previous four years -- and the ACT Late Model Tour season finale at Oxford Plains Speedway in October.
Tuesday night, though, he told Vermont Motorsports Magazine that he'll be at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., for the ACT Late Model Tour season opener on Sunday.
Laperle said he has little interest in racing with Curley, but feels competing this weekend is something he owes to his family team.
"I don't want to go," he said. "I haven't talked to Tom and I don't want to. My brothers Eric and Daniel want to test the car, and we're usually pretty good at new tracks, so we're going."
The Albany-Saratoga 100 is the first event for ACT at the newly-paved track. Laperle has previously won inaugural ACT events at Lee USA, Twin State, St-Eustache, and Kawartha.
"It's a track nobody has really been to, and we'll probably have a good chance to win," he said. "Beyond this weekend, I'm racing a dirt modified once at Granby this year, but other than that... when, where, we don't know.
"But we're going to Albany this weekend. We're not doing it for Tom Curley. We're doing it for us."
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Devil’s Bowl Speedway Begins a New Era in 2010
(From CVRA press release)
WEST HAVEN – Presenting a good show for the fans has always been a priority for the Richards family, and this year will be no different in that respect. The big difference will be in the racing surface itself, as “Vermont’s Fastest Half Mile” will make the conversion from a dirt racing facility to an asphalt speedway. Paving the track will make it more appealing to race fans, while creating more opportunities for different types of racing than in the past, as well as new marketing potential for sponsors and corporate partners.
WEST HAVEN – Presenting a good show for the fans has always been a priority for the Richards family, and this year will be no different in that respect. The big difference will be in the racing surface itself, as “Vermont’s Fastest Half Mile” will make the conversion from a dirt racing facility to an asphalt speedway. Paving the track will make it more appealing to race fans, while creating more opportunities for different types of racing than in the past, as well as new marketing potential for sponsors and corporate partners.Many factors have played a part in the decision, not the least of which is the inclement weather the northeast has been experiencing over the last five years. “Preparing and maintaining a dirt race track is extremely time consuming,” said promoter Jerry Richards. “We could easily spend 30 hours a week on track prep under ideal conditions. When it rains all week, that number doubles or triples. The fans are loyal to the sport and extremely patient during these times. We had a fairly miserable 2008 season, which was followed by the disaster of 2009 in terms of rain. We were always chasing the track, even during the show. This affects not just our fans, but our race teams endure the pain Mother Nature inflicts as well. If the racing surface has issues, then race cars get torn up. With pavement, the teams can focus on racing.”
Says Richards, “If it’s speed you like, we should be able to provide it. Once paved, Devil’s Bowl will be without a doubt, the biggest and fastest speedway in the state of Vermont.” For those who know their racing history, they may remember when C.J. Richards paved the track in 1970, returning to dirt two years later. Those were still the early days of racing in the northeast, and the fans and racers were not yet ready for the novelty of pavement. The Richards family is betting that they are now.
Jerry Richards has consulted with promoter Tom Curley of Thunder Road in Barre, who is pleased to see the Bowl returning to asphalt and has inked a deal for his Thunder Road late models to open the new era with a 100-lap feature event, Thunder at the Bowl, on May 23rd. “We hope this will be just the beginning of a new relationship between Devil’s Bowl and Thunder Road,” commented Richards.
Management has also laid the foundation for a new Modified Tri-Track Series in conjunction with Albany-Saratoga Speedway and Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y. Albany-Saratoga is located in Malta, N.Y. and is also owned and operated by the Richards family. Airborne promoter Mike Perrotte has shared his knowledge to help with the transition of the modified-type cars from dirt to asphalt. His facility has seen great success in racing dirt-style open wheel cars on a paved surface. “We are excited to offer this Tri-Track Series which will see our modifieds from both Albany-Saratoga and Devil’s Bowl traveling to Plattsburgh and vice versa in a series of 50- and even 100-lap races at all three facilities, the first of which is scheduled for Memorial Day weekend at the Bowl. There will be six races in total with $6,000 in point money up for grabs. It should make for some great competition for the fans,” said Richards.
Devil’s Bowl will still race on Sundays, but will be able to start an hour earlier because the sun won’t dry the track out like it can when the surface is clay. The earlier start should appeal to race teams and fans by enabling them to get home at a more reasonable hour. Admission pricing for adults will remain at $10 for a regular show, and new this year all children 12 and under will be admitted free. This should make a night at the races affordable for any family.
Devil’s Bowl will continue its tradition of great entertainment for everyone, offering several free admission nights for seniors, students, and veterans, among others. The first practice on the new surface is scheduled for Saturday, May 15, followed by another practice session on Saturday May 22, with the Thunder at the Bowl event on Sunday May 23. For a complete schedule of events and up-to-date information visit the website at http://www.cvra.com/ or call the speedway at 802-265-3112.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Hickory Test a Success for Laquerre, Goodyear
(From ACT press release)
AKRON, Oh. -- Officials of the Goodyear Engineering and Racing Division and the American-Canadian Tour have announced that the final test of their new Limited Late Model tire was very successful.
AKRON, Oh. -- Officials of the Goodyear Engineering and Racing Division and the American-Canadian Tour have announced that the final test of their new Limited Late Model tire was very successful.East Montpelier's Joey Laquerre traveled to Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway last week to assist with the test of Goodyear's new 7-1/2” treaded tire (#D2637), designed for a +/- 3,000 lb Limited Late Model-type race car, using his ACT-legal Tiger Sportsman car. Laquerre originally tested the 7" first-generation #D2635 tire in 2008, and was instrumental in developing the tire, which is now used throughout the country. Laquerre also did extensive testing on the ACT Late Model tire in 2004, which led to use by a dozen tracks and both ACT Touring divisions in the US and Canada.
“The test went really well, and working with Joel (Reichert, a development engineer for Goodyear racing) is always interesting," said Laquerre. "He listens to what we as racers think might help the product. Goodyear really improved the tire with the added half-inch creating a better contact patch, and I was very pleased that after 150 laps of testing the tire was still performing within a tenth (of a second per lap) or two of where we had been 100 laps earlier."
ACT has been involved with development of short track tires in conjunction with Goodyear for over 20 years.
ACT has been involved with development of short track tires in conjunction with Goodyear for over 20 years.
“It is great to have the world’s highest profile racing tire company work with us for the betterment of short track racing,” said ACT president Tom Curley. “We started out working on a treaded tire back around 1990. A few years ago we saw a need for an upgrade on the 8” Late Model slick, and Goodyear allowed us to work with them to produce the state of the art 8” slick which has become very popular nationwide and is used by our affiliate tracks and both our US ACT and Canadian Castrol tours. Now with the development of the 7-1/2” #D2637 treaded tire, we have come full circle.”
ACT is also working with Goodyear on a cost-effective tire for four-cylinder divisions. Additionally, Goodyear will be providing ACT competitors with a special tire for their second ACT Invitational to be held at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 18.
“Working with the competitors at ACT is always a very positive and rewarding experience for Goodyear," said Goodyear Short Track Racing Sales Manager Scott Junod. "We have done a lot of testing with them over the past few years, and all of us in Engineering and Sales have really enjoyed the relationship. We are especially grateful to Joey and appreciate all the help and input he has given us in development of this new tire for the Limited Late Model-type car.”
The ACT Tiger Sportsman division has been popular since 1966 at the flagship track, Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl in Barre, as over 40 teams compete there weekly. Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y., has seen continued success with the division for twenty years, and in 2010, White Mountain Motorsport Park in North Woodstock, N.H., and Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Fair Haven will adopt the ACT Tiger Sportsman division rulebook.
The Bond Auto/Wix ACT Tiger Sportsman Series will be expanding in 2010 to include events at both Thunder Road and White Mountain, as well as Riverside Speedway in Groveton, N.H., and Canaan Fair (N.H.) Speedway. Tracks from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and Ontario have indicated they will run the new Goodyear #D2637 tire in 2010 following the testing results from Hickory.
ACT is also working with Goodyear on a cost-effective tire for four-cylinder divisions. Additionally, Goodyear will be providing ACT competitors with a special tire for their second ACT Invitational to be held at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 18.
“Working with the competitors at ACT is always a very positive and rewarding experience for Goodyear," said Goodyear Short Track Racing Sales Manager Scott Junod. "We have done a lot of testing with them over the past few years, and all of us in Engineering and Sales have really enjoyed the relationship. We are especially grateful to Joey and appreciate all the help and input he has given us in development of this new tire for the Limited Late Model-type car.”
The ACT Tiger Sportsman division has been popular since 1966 at the flagship track, Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl in Barre, as over 40 teams compete there weekly. Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y., has seen continued success with the division for twenty years, and in 2010, White Mountain Motorsport Park in North Woodstock, N.H., and Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Fair Haven will adopt the ACT Tiger Sportsman division rulebook.
The Bond Auto/Wix ACT Tiger Sportsman Series will be expanding in 2010 to include events at both Thunder Road and White Mountain, as well as Riverside Speedway in Groveton, N.H., and Canaan Fair (N.H.) Speedway. Tracks from Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York and Ontario have indicated they will run the new Goodyear #D2637 tire in 2010 following the testing results from Hickory.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
CHANGE
An adjustment of the panhard bar can win or lose a race. Improving a race track can help revitalize a community. Bringing two groups together can, in turn, tear racers apart.
Change is everywhere.
***
"When the tribes start to get whittled down, they merge, so here we are." --Thunder Road promoter Tom Curley on the off-season Street Stock/Junkyard Warrior divisional merge, drawing comparisons to the TV show "Survivor"
"It will change the racing completely." --Airborne Speedway promoter Mike Perrotte on his track's new layout for 2009
"I never would have thought this would have happened." --Phil Scott on conducting the first Goodyear Late Model tire test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in April, alongside four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams
"I love it. This is the way racing should be. This is the way it should have been a long time ago." --Bucko Branham on the new Airborne Speedway surface
"Those kids are good. Don't underestimate them. That 28 and the 23 car (Tim and Matt Potter), you remember what they were like last year? They were toilets. This year they're really good." --Joey Laquerre
"We're supposed to be entertaining. I think that's something Jack Bateman really needs to think about if he really wants us to bring people onto this tour and put some fans in the grandstands. He's got to take some of these rules he's got and throw them away." --Modified Racing Series driver David Pinkham
"I don't think I want to race asphalt again on a regular basis." --Devil's Bowl Speedway champion Todd Stone, upon learning that his two home tracks, Devil's Bowl and Albany-Saratoga Speedway, would likely be paved in 2010
"I guess I have run out of energy to carry on the constant fight with those that just don't get it." --Curley on the mid-season controversy that temporarily split the Street Stock and Warrior divisions apart again
"It's time we put the racing back in the racing." --David Pinkham
"I feel like a backwards rookie, maybe that's why we've got a yellow stripe on the front of the car. I'm still learning how to drive these Late Models again. Everything is different than when we ran years ago with big motors and tire softener. All those races and titles I won, that was almost ten years ago, it's been so long. It's totally different now, I'm just starting over." --Brian Hoar, who would go on to win his first ACT Late Model Tour championship since 2000
"Twelve years ago, I wouldn't have thought I'd be here." --ACT driver Tyler Cahoon, who began racing Street Stocks at Thunder Road in 1998, on the reality of practicing his own Late Model at New Hampshire Motor Speedway
"I'm getting soft." --Airborne Speedway Sportsman champion Bucko Branham on keeping better control of his temper as he grows older
"We're looking into the future, far down the road, for the betterment of our company." --Devil's Bowl Speedway promoter Jerry Richards on the Champlain Valley Racing Association's decision to pave both of its facilities, including sister track Albany-Saratoga Speedway
"Our attendance was up over the previous three or four years by having ACT there, and I give them all the credit for increasing the crowd." --New Hampshire Motor Speedway vice president Jerry Gappens, on hosting the first-ever ACT Invitational on Sylvania 300 weekend in September
"Running races at Loudon singlehandedly changed the Busch North Series, and everyone thought they had to go out and get superspeedway bodies and
superspeedway cars and spend lots of money. And it's already started in ACT -- Patrick Laperle had a car built specifically for Loudon before he was even invited. Ricky Rolfe tested well there in August, and put his car up on jackstands and pulled out a back-up car for the rest of the races until the Invitational. Guys are figuring out that aerodynamics have never been as important on a Late Model as they are at Loudon. It's up to ACT to clamp down on it." --ACT champion Brian Hoar on the series running future events at NHMS
Change is everywhere.
***
"When the tribes start to get whittled down, they merge, so here we are." --Thunder Road promoter Tom Curley on the off-season Street Stock/Junkyard Warrior divisional merge, drawing comparisons to the TV show "Survivor" "It will change the racing completely." --Airborne Speedway promoter Mike Perrotte on his track's new layout for 2009
"I never would have thought this would have happened." --Phil Scott on conducting the first Goodyear Late Model tire test at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in April, alongside four NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams
"I love it. This is the way racing should be. This is the way it should have been a long time ago." --Bucko Branham on the new Airborne Speedway surface
"Those kids are good. Don't underestimate them. That 28 and the 23 car (Tim and Matt Potter), you remember what they were like last year? They were toilets. This year they're really good." --Joey Laquerre "We're supposed to be entertaining. I think that's something Jack Bateman really needs to think about if he really wants us to bring people onto this tour and put some fans in the grandstands. He's got to take some of these rules he's got and throw them away." --Modified Racing Series driver David Pinkham
"I don't think I want to race asphalt again on a regular basis." --Devil's Bowl Speedway champion Todd Stone, upon learning that his two home tracks, Devil's Bowl and Albany-Saratoga Speedway, would likely be paved in 2010 "I guess I have run out of energy to carry on the constant fight with those that just don't get it." --Curley on the mid-season controversy that temporarily split the Street Stock and Warrior divisions apart again
"It's time we put the racing back in the racing." --David Pinkham
"I feel like a backwards rookie, maybe that's why we've got a yellow stripe on the front of the car. I'm still learning how to drive these Late Models again. Everything is different than when we ran years ago with big motors and tire softener. All those races and titles I won, that was almost ten years ago, it's been so long. It's totally different now, I'm just starting over." --Brian Hoar, who would go on to win his first ACT Late Model Tour championship since 2000
"Twelve years ago, I wouldn't have thought I'd be here." --ACT driver Tyler Cahoon, who began racing Street Stocks at Thunder Road in 1998, on the reality of practicing his own Late Model at New Hampshire Motor Speedway "I'm getting soft." --Airborne Speedway Sportsman champion Bucko Branham on keeping better control of his temper as he grows older
"We're looking into the future, far down the road, for the betterment of our company." --Devil's Bowl Speedway promoter Jerry Richards on the Champlain Valley Racing Association's decision to pave both of its facilities, including sister track Albany-Saratoga Speedway
"Our attendance was up over the previous three or four years by having ACT there, and I give them all the credit for increasing the crowd." --New Hampshire Motor Speedway vice president Jerry Gappens, on hosting the first-ever ACT Invitational on Sylvania 300 weekend in September
"Running races at Loudon singlehandedly changed the Busch North Series, and everyone thought they had to go out and get superspeedway bodies and
superspeedway cars and spend lots of money. And it's already started in ACT -- Patrick Laperle had a car built specifically for Loudon before he was even invited. Ricky Rolfe tested well there in August, and put his car up on jackstands and pulled out a back-up car for the rest of the races until the Invitational. Guys are figuring out that aerodynamics have never been as important on a Late Model as they are at Loudon. It's up to ACT to clamp down on it." --ACT champion Brian Hoar on the series running future events at NHMSMonday, January 18, 2010
Gappens says ACT-NHMS Partnership is "Win-Win"
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SOUTH BURLINGTON -- Jerry Gappens is a believer, in the American-Canadian Tour and in its fiery figurehead, Tom Curley.The New Hampshire Motor Speedway Executive Vice President was presented with ACT's prestigious Don MacTavish Award on Saturday night at the annual Banquet of Champions, but his affinity for the series has roots much deeper than just being given a trophy.
Gappens took a chance on Curley's series at a meeting in 2008, agreeing to host the first-ever ACT Invitational on Sylvania 300 weekend in Septmeber 2009 -- the kickoff event of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Chase for the Cup -- and seems happy to have done so; grandstand attendance for the Saturday program at NHMS was around 40,000, up significantly from prior years, thanks in part to the Invitational. But his affinity for ACT is even deeper than just increased ticket sales.
In fact, Gappens is a short tracker. Growing up in Indiana, he raced dirt track Sprint Cars in high school and attended local races with his father as a boy. Gappens may be in charge of a high-profile superspeedway in the national spotlight, but he still takes time to appreciate where he came from. He's been to Thunder Road to watch the Milk Bowl, he's been to Lee USA Speedway, a weekly Friday-night track not far from NHMS, and he keeps tabs on who's doing what in the local circuits. In the middle of the interview for this story on Saturday night, he went out of his way to introduce himself to one of ACT's young stars, and called him by name.
Gappens knows how vital ACT and its band of grassroots racers have become to the success of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, and he knows that's a two-way street.
"I think it's very important. We saw in September that our attendance was up over the previous three or four years by having ACT there, and I give them all the credit for increasing the crowd," he said. "The economy has been down, ticket sales have been down, but that [Invitational] gave us the shot in the arm to help us have a great crowd on Saturday."
A strategic promotional move by Curley and Gappens was to make each ACT race in the U.S. and Canada in 2009 an ACT Invitational qualifying event, thereby making the September weekend at New Hampshire the focal point of every race from April to mid-September.
"One of the reasons we wanted to do the partnership with ACT was that they're out there racing every weekend throughout New England, up into Canada, and that Invitational format gave us a chance to promote New Hampshire Motor Speedway and our September weekend at all the ACT events," said Gappens. "It was really beneficial for both of us. It gave the participants of ACT a venue for really a Super Bowl-type atmosphere, a chance to run in front of NASCAR car owners and drivers, and it helped us promote our event. It was a win-win situation for both parties."
New Hampshire Motor Speedway has invited Curley and ACT back for another go in September 2010. "It's still going to be an invitational, [but] I think there will be a day you'll see it be an actual points race on the calendar," Gappens said. "Right now Tom says let's do another year as an invitational, and I think that's good, I trust his guidance on what's best for the tour."
The 50-lap, 36-car ACT Invitational race, which featured several lead changes and competitive side-by-side racing, immediately followed a decidely lackluster 200-lap NASCAR Camping World Truck Series event as the sun began to set on September 19. Gappens says that he jokingly thanked NASCAR President Mike Helton in the pressbox that day for putting on the "lead-up event" to the ACT race, which proved to be the best show of the day. As it turned out, Helton and NASCAR were paying attention.
"[ACT is] definitely coming back," Gappens is quick to say. "We're working with NASCAR, and one of the things I'm talking about is shortening the truck race from 200 laps to 150 laps, just to make sure that we have more time for the ACT race on Saturday afternoon. They're actually pretty receptive to it, so I think we'll get that accomplished."
Curley had a dream to bring his series of local short track racers to the biggest stage in the northeast, and Gappens took a chance on it. And so far, it seems, everybody is a winner.
(PHOTO: Tom Curley (left) and Jerry Gappens are working together to benefit both ACT and NHMS. Leif Tillotson photo)
Monday, December 7, 2009
Modified Racing Series to Hold Memorial Day Doubleheader at Airborne, Thunder Road
KEENE, N.H. -- The Modified Racing Series will have a busy Memorial Day weekend in 2010 in the Champlain Valley. Series president and competitor Jack Bateman announced on Sunday at a meeting with competitors and officials that his tour, formerly known as the True Value Modified Racing Series, will make its first stop at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y. on Saturday, May 29 next season.The Airborne date creates a two-day doubleheader Memorial Day weekend for the open-wheel series, coupling it with long-time sister track Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl in Barre on Sunday, May 30.
The Airborne race brings the MRS schedule to 19 races. One final event, scheduled for September 10 at a track to be named, is expected to be announced in two weeks, according to an MRS press release.
Bateman said that Thunder Road promoter and former Airborne manager Tom Curley was a key to finalizing the Airborne event, which has been run by promoter Mike Perrotte since 2005.
"We’ve been working on Airborne for three years now, it’s nice that we were able to put it together," said Bateman. "We could not have done it without the cooperation of Thunder Road and Tom Curley. I am pleased with the support they have given us for this special two-day event."
The Airborne Speedway event will be just the second visit for the series to New York; the first will be at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta in April in a combination event with the New York-based Race of Champions Tour. Bateman tested his car on the newly-paved Albany-Saratoga track last month.
MODIFIED RACING SERIES 2010 SCHEDULE (as of December 7, 2009)
#-Day-Date-Track-Location
1. Sat./Sun., March 27/28 -- Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, Conn.
2. Sat./Sun., April 17/18 -- Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. (MRS/RoC combo)
3. Sat., May 1 -- Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H.
4. Sat., May 29 -- Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
5. Sun., May 30 -- Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, Barre
6. Fri., June 4 -- Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H.
7. Sat., June 12 -- Seekonk Speedway, Seekonk, Mass.
8. Thu., June 17 -- Thompson Int'l Speedway, Thompson, Conn.
9. Sat., July 3 -- Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H.
10. Fri., July 9 -- Lee USA Speedway, Lee, N.H.
11. Sat., July 17 -- Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, Me.
12. Sat., July 24 -- Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, N.H.
13. Sat., Aug. 7 -- Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, Me.
14. Sat., Aug. 14 -- Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, Conn.
15. Sat., Aug. 21 -- Seekonk Speedway, Seekonk, Mass.
16. Thu., Aug. 26 -- Thompson Int'l Speedway, Thompson, Conn.
17. Sat., Sept. 4 -- Waterford Speedbowl, Waterford, Conn.
18. Sun., Sept. 10 -- TBA
19. Sat./Sun., Oct. 9/10 -- Seekonk Speedway, Seekonk, Mass.
20. Sat./Sun., Oct. 23/24 -- Lee USA Speedway, Lee, N.H.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thunder Road Late Models to Open New Era at Devil's Bowl
From Thunder Road press release
WEST HAVEN -- The American-Canadian Tour Late Models from Thunder Road will open the newly paved Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven on Sunday, May 23, 2010. Track promoter Jerry Richards said, “This is going to be a great way to bring the new asphalt to life at Devil’s Bowl. It has been over 30 years since the track was asphalt, but we think having Thunder Road’s Late Models on the ½-mile will certainly give our fans at 'The Bowl' a great opening event.”
Thunder Road Late Models will be joined by some of the regular ACT Late Model Tour teams for this grand opening of the original Champlain Valley Racing Association track, which was founded by legendary promoter C.J. Richards.
“When we learned that 'The Bowl' was being returned to asphalt we really wanted our teams to be a part of it," said Tom Curley, the President of ACT and managing partner of Thunder Road. "Most of the Thunder Road Late Models have raced various tracks on the ACT, and this just seemed like a great fit. We have no races scheduled at Thunder Road from May 2 until Memorial Day weekend, so I am sure there will be great support from the Late Model teams.
“I am sure there will be a number of teams from Chittenden County and central Vermont who will want to give Devil’s Bowl a try, and this change the CVRA is going through is something ACT wants to support.” The sister track of Devil’s Bowl, Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., will host an ACT Late Model Tour event on April 25th at the newly paved 4/10-mile speedplant.
Some of the expected entrants to the Devil's Bowl event include reigning Thunder Road champion Jean-Paul Cyr, a former champion at Devil’s Bowl, three-time Thunder Road champion Cris Michaud, and ACT star Brent Dragon.
“I think this is really great,” Dragon said. “My father and uncle were both a part of the five-track Northern NASCAR circuit back in the mid-‘70s, and I am really excited that we have a 'long track' back in Vermont."
WEST HAVEN -- The American-Canadian Tour Late Models from Thunder Road will open the newly paved Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven on Sunday, May 23, 2010. Track promoter Jerry Richards said, “This is going to be a great way to bring the new asphalt to life at Devil’s Bowl. It has been over 30 years since the track was asphalt, but we think having Thunder Road’s Late Models on the ½-mile will certainly give our fans at 'The Bowl' a great opening event.”
Thunder Road Late Models will be joined by some of the regular ACT Late Model Tour teams for this grand opening of the original Champlain Valley Racing Association track, which was founded by legendary promoter C.J. Richards.
“When we learned that 'The Bowl' was being returned to asphalt we really wanted our teams to be a part of it," said Tom Curley, the President of ACT and managing partner of Thunder Road. "Most of the Thunder Road Late Models have raced various tracks on the ACT, and this just seemed like a great fit. We have no races scheduled at Thunder Road from May 2 until Memorial Day weekend, so I am sure there will be great support from the Late Model teams.
“I am sure there will be a number of teams from Chittenden County and central Vermont who will want to give Devil’s Bowl a try, and this change the CVRA is going through is something ACT wants to support.” The sister track of Devil’s Bowl, Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., will host an ACT Late Model Tour event on April 25th at the newly paved 4/10-mile speedplant.
Some of the expected entrants to the Devil's Bowl event include reigning Thunder Road champion Jean-Paul Cyr, a former champion at Devil’s Bowl, three-time Thunder Road champion Cris Michaud, and ACT star Brent Dragon.
“I think this is really great,” Dragon said. “My father and uncle were both a part of the five-track Northern NASCAR circuit back in the mid-‘70s, and I am really excited that we have a 'long track' back in Vermont."
Monday, October 26, 2009
ACT Not Likely to Visit Devil's Bowl in 2010
WEST HAVEN -- The American-Canadian Tour announced in August that it would hold its first event on the born-again Albany-Saratoga Speedway asphalt in 2010, and ACT President Tom Curley has been overheard saying his series will visit "one or two" new tracks next year.But don't expect Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven to be one of them.
Devil's Bowl, the sister track to Albany-Saratoga under the CVRA umbrella, has begun the transtition from dirt to a new asphalt surface, but, according to Curley, won't host the ACT Late Model Tour. At least not this year.
"The [Devil's Bowl] announcement was a big surprise to me," Curley said on Monday. "We have not talked about an ACT race there [with promoter Jerry Richards] and our schedule for 2010 is very full on both sides of the border already. In fact [we] plan to announce it within a couple of weeks, along with the rules."
Curley was at Albany-Saratoga on Sunday to watch an asphalt race and take notes in preparation for his series' first visit at the track. While the Devil's Bowl bombshell was unexpected, he did leave the door open for the future.
"It certainly is interesting news and obviously ACT would consider being part of their future plans," Curley said.
"It certainly is interesting news and obviously ACT would consider being part of their future plans," Curley said.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Laperle Furious Over ACT Ruling
ST-DENIS, Qué. -- File this one under "No Big Surprise". Patrick Laperle is mad.Following a highly controversial Série ACT-Castrol season finale at Autodrome St-Eustache on Sunday, Laperle says he is likely done racing with the American-Canadian Tour for a while. Laperle entered the St-Eustache 300 finale trailing rival Donald Theetge by 33 points for the championship, but found himself in the catbird seat when Theetge was involved in a wreck near the race's halfway point.
Laperle led 189 laps before suffering a flat tire, at the same time that his cousin, Jacques Laperle, running in sixth place at the time, stopped on the track on lap 273 to bring out a caution flag.
The Laperle teams claim that Jacques Laperle's car also had a flat tire, while ACT officials disagree. According to ACT officials, a member of Patrick Laperle's team violated the ACT rulebook by leaving his pit during the race to have a conversation with Jacques Laperle's team at the other end of the infield pit road, just one lap prior to the yellow flag. ACT President Tom Curley viewed the move as "abhorrent", "detrimental", and "dishonest", disqualified the Jacques Laperle car from the race, and penalized the Patrick Laperle car one lap for the pit road violation.
The pit road also remained closed, ACT says, because the caution period was very quick, opening only after the field was realigned, the call came from the race control booth to cross cars over double-file, and the green flag was displayed at the restart. Patrick Laperle pitted to change his flat tire when the pit area opened, losing another lap in the process.
"I knew if I came to pit road to change my tire while it was closed I would lose a lap, so I stayed on the track," said Patrick Laperle, who disagrees. "They were supposed to be double-file, but they were single-file on the restart, and Tom Curley says he doesn't want to look at the video." (In a video of the restart posted on JournalSport.ca, some cars are running double-file at the restart, including front-row starters Jonathan Urlin (#4) and Sylvain Lacombe (#3), as well as some cars in the middle of the pack. Click here to view the video.)
Laperle thinks Curley is playing favorites. "I don't know what it is, but I think he likes Theetge and not me," Laperle said. "There was a press conference in Québec City before the season started and they had Theetge, but I won the U.S. championship and they didn't invite me, no one talked about that. And [Curley] brought Theetge to Loudon for the test early this year and not me. He never talked to me in the pits all year from the first race at Vallée-Jonction (in June) until two weeks ago (at Thunder Road). All of a sudden on Labor Day, surprise, Tom is in our trailer telling a story. I don't get it."
As of now, Laperle says his primary ACT car is for sale, his sponsor, Normand Girard of JPN Racing, has pulled the plug on funding any future efforts with ACT racing, and the car will likely be purchased before the week is out. He said he wanted to race at the Milk Bowl at Thunder Road this weekend to try to become the first driver in history to win the event three consecutive years, but is "afraid I might do something stupid if I go race there."
Laperle's brother and crew chief, Eric, said Curley told him in the heat of the moment at St-Eustache that "ACT would rather lose one team (Laperle's) than a group of drivers that would leave if we won."
The Laperles feel targeted by Curley, drawing comparisons between past controversial incidents with drivers Junior Hanley, Randy LaJoie, and Ralph Nason. "It's been that way all year long, it's been that way for many, many years," said Eric Laperle.
"If that's the way [Curley] wants to treat people, I'll leave," said Patrick Laperle. "We're not a bunch of idiots, we're not just a piece of meat to throw around. I'm done, I've had enough for now. I don't think I'll be racing ACT for a while, maybe like two years I'll come back. I lost Julio (Miglioli, a former sponsor) because of something like this (in 2006), now I've lost Normand except for the Pro Stock when we race that.
"I say that I'm done, but I might have regret and come back next year. But then I'll probably want to smash my head off a wall if I do."
Curley: Laperle Strategy "Abhorrent"
WATERBURY -- Vermont Motorsports Magazine spoke with American-Canadian Tour President and Série ACT-Castrol race director Tom Curley about the controversy at Autodrome St-Eustache on Sunday, which ultimately led to Donald Theetge clinching the Castrol championship by one point over Patrick Laperle.Curley explains the situation on lap 273, when Jacques Laperle drew a yellow flag, allegedly to aid his cousin, Patrick Laperle, who had a flat tire while leading the race and was certain to overtake Theetge for the championship at the time: "The press release explains it all. Jacques Laperle intentionally stopped his car in the power lane in the middle of the backstretch. As soon as the yellow was up, he peeled out and joined the end of the field. There was no crash, and there was no clean-up, it was very quick. We crossed the cars over for the restart and when the field came down, when the last car went by and took the green flag, the pits were opened up. Laperle and Laperle came down, and Patrick changed his tire, which is when he went a lap down. It's not our responsibility to change the tire, that's the team's responsibility, and that's why he lost a lap."
Curley on Laperle's post-race one-lap penalty: "It's clearly obvious to anybody but Laperle fans what the situation was. Patrick Laperle was riding around with a flat tire, about on the rim, and he was penalized for a crew member's infraction of the ACT rulebook. Patrick Laperle's team was in pit stall number one on the frontstretch, and one of the crew members was clearly sent to the backstretch, 30 pits away, to have a conversation with Jacques Laperle's team one lap prior to the yellow. According to ACT rules, the crew is not allowed to leave its pit stall during a race."
Curley on Laperle's apparent decision to have cousin Jacques Laperle intentionally draw a yellow flag: "The irony is that there are many strategies Patrick Laperle could have used, and I've explained this to them, that would have avoided this, and had he used one of them, he would have lost maybe one lap, if that. He would have been shown the same courtesies as everyone else in that situation. Frankly, I think the actions of his team were abhorrent.
"We're not idiots in this business, and I know a lot of you think we are, but we're not. We've been around a long time and seen a lot of races, and it was clear what was going on with the Laperle cars. If the fans can't determine what's fair play and what's not, I guess that leaves it up to us as officials. I think [Laperle's] actions were detrimental to the sport, they were dishonest, and there were other options they could have used."
Curley on allegations of favoring Donald Theetge for the championship: "At the time I obviously had no idea Donald Theetge could recover from that wreck and finish the race. His car was completely demolished, even the shock tower was sheared off the car. But his crew totally rebuilt the left-front of that car in 50 laps, they did a tremendous job. And then we ended up having that horrow-show scenario with everything that happened after Theetge's crash, and it came down to one point in favor of either driver, depending on the scoring recheck.
"As things played out, if Patrick Laperle had raced with honesty and respectfulness, he would have been the champion. Would he have won the race? I don't think so, the guys up front were very strong, and even with the new tire I don't think he could have passed them. But he certainly could have finished fourth or fifth and won the championship over Theetge by a wide margin.
"Laperle had a lot of options. If option number one works and option number two works, but option number three doesn't, why do it? They chose option number three. I can't explain that."
Monday, September 21, 2009
While Thinking of the Past, Curley Can Look to the Future
New Hampshire Motor Speedway coverage presented by RPM Racing Engines
LOUDON, N.H. -- American-Canadian Tour President Tom Curley looked over a crowd of about 65 people on Saturday. It was just past noon on September 19, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. ACT and the entire decade-long business model of northeastern Late Model racing was about to debut at the 1-mile track, in front of the most important personalities in stock car racing, and in front of certainly the largest spectator crowd to attend an ACT event. For most of the people in that crowd of 65, everything happening around them that day was happening for the first time.
But Curley was having a bit of déjà vu.
"I remember it like it was yesterday," Curley told the drivers, officials, team members, and media assembled before him. "We had [21 cars]. We had some big names like Beaver and Bobby Dragon, Dave Dion, and Robbie Crouch, but not much else. There were twenty-five thousand seats, and about twenty-five hundred people."
It was September 18, 1982, and Curley had just pulled into Dover Int'l Speedway with what was then known as the NASCAR North Tour. It was his series' first appearance on a superspeedway, running as the support show to the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series. The track's promoter, Dennis McGlynn, had taken what Curley called "a wild gamble" by bringing in a group of New England and Canadian-based racers that had mostly never left the tiny, quarter- and half-mile bullrings of the northeast.
In addition to a thin field of cars and a short head count in the grandstand, the race itself was lackluster. Only ten cars were running at the finish, with just two of them completing the entire 200-lap distance. Randy LaJoie finished fourth, six laps off the pace. Gardiner Leavitt was eighth, 20 laps down. Bobby Dragon posted a ninth-place finish after crashing out 46 laps from the end. After Dion collected the trophy for his victory, McGlynn asked Curley what he wanted to do. Curley suggested McGlynn pay only half of the $43,000-plus purse and let him return home with his tail tucked between his legs. McGlynn wouldn't hear of it.
"It was not a promotional success," Curley says, "but it was a start. [McGlynn] told me after that first race that almost nothing works the first time, and to give it three years and then analyze things."
Sure enough, the NASCAR North Tour returned to Dover in 1983 with, as Curley recalled, 25 cars and 5,000 fans. In 1984, there were 37 cars and 17,000 ticket holders.
Fast forward 27 years and one day to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Curley was telling his ACT drivers the story. Like Dover so many years ago, it was the first time for Curley's present group of racers to be racing on a superspeedway. Like Dover, there were important people watching. And like Dover, the promoter, Bruton Smith, had taken a gamble.
Unlike Dover, though, there were 36 cars, most of the region's most recognizable full-fendered short track drivers, and, including those that attended the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Whelen Modified Tour races earlier in the day, about 40,000 fans in the grandstands.
The ACT drivers ripped off a competitive 50-lap exhibition race, one that was promoted heavily on both sides of the border from last November until post time, with just two cautions in 38 minutes. ACT's traditional pre-race pomp played well into Curley's hands at NHMS; an energetic introduction, followed by the series' traditional wave-off lap with battle flags displayed on the track's edge, pushed the already excited crowd into a football stadium-style cheer. There were multiple passes for the lead, a solid mix of veterans and youngsters -- as in 66 year-old Joey Laquerre taking on 16 year-old Brandon Watson for third place with two laps to go -- an even representation of every part of the region's racers among the top finishers, and a host of track officials that were impressed by the event.
The official New Hampshire Motor Speedway press release following the finish appears to be a good omen for ACT; one of the two short quotes printed from winner Eddie MacDonald was "I'm sure there will be many more ACT Invitationals here," indicating that the series has a place at NHMS in the future. Another report from Green-White-Checker quoted NHMS General Manager Jerry Gappens saying that he was "very impressed" and that he wants to have ACT back at the track.
Tom Curley's mind may have been stuck in 1982 at Dover on Saturday. But it appears he might be better served now spending his time thinking about 2010 at New Hampshire.
(PHOTO: Tom Curley's rocky debut at Dover in 1982 was no match for his successful first event at New Hampshire on Saturday. Photo by Justin St. Louis/VMM)
LOUDON, N.H. -- American-Canadian Tour President Tom Curley looked over a crowd of about 65 people on Saturday. It was just past noon on September 19, 2009 in Loudon, New Hampshire. ACT and the entire decade-long business model of northeastern Late Model racing was about to debut at the 1-mile track, in front of the most important personalities in stock car racing, and in front of certainly the largest spectator crowd to attend an ACT event. For most of the people in that crowd of 65, everything happening around them that day was happening for the first time.But Curley was having a bit of déjà vu.
"I remember it like it was yesterday," Curley told the drivers, officials, team members, and media assembled before him. "We had [21 cars]. We had some big names like Beaver and Bobby Dragon, Dave Dion, and Robbie Crouch, but not much else. There were twenty-five thousand seats, and about twenty-five hundred people."It was September 18, 1982, and Curley had just pulled into Dover Int'l Speedway with what was then known as the NASCAR North Tour. It was his series' first appearance on a superspeedway, running as the support show to the NASCAR Winston Cup Grand National Series. The track's promoter, Dennis McGlynn, had taken what Curley called "a wild gamble" by bringing in a group of New England and Canadian-based racers that had mostly never left the tiny, quarter- and half-mile bullrings of the northeast.
In addition to a thin field of cars and a short head count in the grandstand, the race itself was lackluster. Only ten cars were running at the finish, with just two of them completing the entire 200-lap distance. Randy LaJoie finished fourth, six laps off the pace. Gardiner Leavitt was eighth, 20 laps down. Bobby Dragon posted a ninth-place finish after crashing out 46 laps from the end. After Dion collected the trophy for his victory, McGlynn asked Curley what he wanted to do. Curley suggested McGlynn pay only half of the $43,000-plus purse and let him return home with his tail tucked between his legs. McGlynn wouldn't hear of it.
"It was not a promotional success," Curley says, "but it was a start. [McGlynn] told me after that first race that almost nothing works the first time, and to give it three years and then analyze things."
Sure enough, the NASCAR North Tour returned to Dover in 1983 with, as Curley recalled, 25 cars and 5,000 fans. In 1984, there were 37 cars and 17,000 ticket holders.
Fast forward 27 years and one day to New Hampshire Motor Speedway, where Curley was telling his ACT drivers the story. Like Dover so many years ago, it was the first time for Curley's present group of racers to be racing on a superspeedway. Like Dover, there were important people watching. And like Dover, the promoter, Bruton Smith, had taken a gamble.
Unlike Dover, though, there were 36 cars, most of the region's most recognizable full-fendered short track drivers, and, including those that attended the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and Whelen Modified Tour races earlier in the day, about 40,000 fans in the grandstands.
The ACT drivers ripped off a competitive 50-lap exhibition race, one that was promoted heavily on both sides of the border from last November until post time, with just two cautions in 38 minutes. ACT's traditional pre-race pomp played well into Curley's hands at NHMS; an energetic introduction, followed by the series' traditional wave-off lap with battle flags displayed on the track's edge, pushed the already excited crowd into a football stadium-style cheer. There were multiple passes for the lead, a solid mix of veterans and youngsters -- as in 66 year-old Joey Laquerre taking on 16 year-old Brandon Watson for third place with two laps to go -- an even representation of every part of the region's racers among the top finishers, and a host of track officials that were impressed by the event.
The official New Hampshire Motor Speedway press release following the finish appears to be a good omen for ACT; one of the two short quotes printed from winner Eddie MacDonald was "I'm sure there will be many more ACT Invitationals here," indicating that the series has a place at NHMS in the future. Another report from Green-White-Checker quoted NHMS General Manager Jerry Gappens saying that he was "very impressed" and that he wants to have ACT back at the track.
Tom Curley's mind may have been stuck in 1982 at Dover on Saturday. But it appears he might be better served now spending his time thinking about 2010 at New Hampshire.
(PHOTO: Tom Curley's rocky debut at Dover in 1982 was no match for his successful first event at New Hampshire on Saturday. Photo by Justin St. Louis/VMM)
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