-by Justin St. Louis
You didn't think I was going to stay shut up the whole off-season, did you?
As you're probably aware, there's been a lot going on behind the scenes here at VMM HQ. I've been away from the website for a while, but definitely not away from racing. I've collected some loose ends that were sort of flapping in the breeze, many of which you've, again, probably heard about already. But the itch to ramble on at length in a column here has been too big to not scratch. So let's get the snow brush out and dust off the car for a couple laps.
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First of all, a major (albeit a bit belated) congratulations goes out to Tom Placey, winner of the first-ever Vermont Motorsports Magazine Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway! The DOTY thing was a lot of fun for me to watch during November and early December, and we'll do something similar to it again in 2010, for sure.
Many congrats also to Tim LaDuc on his Devil's Bowl Speedway award, Tucker Williams on his Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl award, Eric Williams for his "On The Road" award, and to Placey for also winning the Bear Ridge Speedway award.
Thanks to all 6,350 of you that voted, and to Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield for supporting the Driver of the Year program.
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The Tigers are catching on like wildfire. In less than two months' time, news has broken about the division coming to four new tracks in 2010. New Hampshire's White Mountain Motorsports Park announced in early November that it will drop its Super Street division in favor of a new "Super Sportsman" class using the American-Canadian Tour/Thunder Road/Airborne Speedway Tiger Sportsman rulebook.
Soon after, news came that the ACT Tiger Sportsman Series would return to another New Hampshire track, Riverside Speedway, for an event in October. Last week, Champlain Valley Racing Association president Bruce Richards announced on his organization's website that in the wake of a switch from dirt to asphalt at its two tracks, Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven and Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., the former Limited division has been replaced by the Tiger Sportsmen. (Thunder Road's Junkyard Warrior rulebook has also been phased in at both CVRA tracks, in favor of the former Mini Stock class.)
This all brings me to formulation of several theories, although none of them have been confirmed by, denied by, or discussed with any track or series officials. Okay, ready?
1. ACT will almost certainly add a Tiger Sportsman Series event at either Devil's Bowl, Albany-Saratoga, or both, or will at least stage a stand-alone event for the division at one of the two tracks in 2010, a la the May 23 Late Model event at Devil's Bowl.
2. With promoter Dick Therrien now at Canaan Fair (N.H.) Speedway and the Leblanc family taking over operations at Riverside, expect ACT to have a growing presence at Riverside in the coming years. It's no secret that ACT boss Tom Curley has a soft spot for the tiny, high-banked Riverside track and its tendency to throw off a good race, and it's also no secret that Therrien and Curley don't exchange Christmas cards. With Therrien out, you'll probably see Curley there more often.
2a. I say here and now that Riverside will probably bring the Tigers into its weekly program by 2011, and that the ACT-type Late Model rulebook now in place at nine tracks in New England and Canada will be in place at Riverside no later than 2012. And, um, Riverside has decided to close its gates on the weekend of Thunder Road's -- read: Curley's -- Milk Bowl, so as not to have competing events. In this day and age, that's pretty unheard of.
2b. I have no idea how well the Leblanc regime will or won't perform at Riverside, but Canaan needs a bull-in-a-china-shop personality like Therrien to get the ship righted. He'll be good for the place.
3. If the CVRA is using the Junkyard Warrior rulebook -- and this is a total off-the-wall guess -- then the Thunder Road Warriors are not dead. As the car counts shrink, the speculation grows that the entry-level class will be cut from the program at Thunder Road, possibly as soon as next season. The CVRA move suggests maybe a sliver of hope for the division to turn itself around. It's worth noting that the Bomber division -- a class very similar to the Warriors that runs at Airborne in Plattsburgh, N.Y. -- is very successful.
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Speaking of promoters, I was a little bummed to hear that Arnie Malcolm is gone from Capital City Speedway in Ottawa. Arnie is a funny dude, and has an obvious passion for racing. He also has one hell of a temper if you mess up his show. Here's hoping that the powers that be at CCS can get the right person to replace him.
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Hey, did you know VMM is on Facebook? It's true. And Twitter is a lot of fun, too. I'm constantly fooling around with my Blackberry while I'm at my real job, or when I'm driving, or at any other inappropriate time when I should be paying attention to something else, so that means there are usually a few updates a week away from the VMM main page. So go ahead and check 'em out.
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Don't ever buy a 1997 Toyota Corolla, unless you plan to buy something else to replace it soon after. Same goes for 1999 Plymouth Neons. ---Cue NBC's "The More You Know" theme---
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Ben Rowe is out of Richard Moody Racing's PASS #4 Super Late Model and Brad Leighton is in. Rowe and Moody teamed up to win three PASS championships and 11 main events, along with successful outings at races from the Canadian Maritimes to Florida and Alabama. The Rowe-Moody split breaks up one of the most potent and most marketable short track teams in the country.
Rowe told Speed51.com that if he is unable to find a full-time PASS ride, he believes he "could do the full [ACT] schedule" in David Avery's #10 car.
Leighton is expected to run the entire 2010 PASS North schedule with Moody, while still racing the Pete Duto-prepared #55 car in up to six events on the ACT Late Model Tour; he won events at Lee USA (N.H.) Speedway and Kawartha (Ont.) Speedway in 2009 in the Duto car.
Leighton has made a handful of PASS appearances over several seasons. His last full-time season in a Super Late Model/Pro Stock-type car was in 1995, when he won the final ACT-sanctioned championship for the division.
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Finally, one quick, but very heartfelt "Thank You!" to the racing world. The outpouring of support my family received -- and continues to receive -- following my father's passing has been just... wow, unbelievable.
Dad and I have made many good friends through motorsports, and have each supported a few of them during their own tough times. And while not everyone likes me, EVERYONE liked him. And it shows, big time. Thank you, thank you, thank you, to everyone that has left a comment, sent a card or an email or a text message, or called the house -- and that number is quite literally in the hundreds. Our family is so grateful for your compassion.
It's times like these that make me so proud to be part of the racing community. Happy holidays to you all.
Showing posts with label Driver of the Year. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Driver of the Year. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
Tom Placey Voted Vermont Motorsports Magazine 2009 Driver of the Year
Stock car racing champion Tom Placey of Bradford has won the Vermont Motorsports Magazine 2009 Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway, as voted by readers of Vermont Motorsports Magazine, an online news website. Placey was previously voted the Bear Ridge Speedway Driver of the Year last month; the 25 year-old won the Hornet division championship at his hometown track with 11 feature race wins during the summer months. 
Placey received more than 2,000 votes (51%) en route to winning the VMM/Subway 2009 Driver of the Year Award during a one-week open poll. Hyde Park teen Tucker Williams, the Street Stock Rookie of the Year at Barre's Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, finished second to Placey on the ballot with nearly 1,400 votes (34%); Williams was also voted the VMM/Subway Thunder Road Driver of the Year in November. Williams' father, Eric, a two-time American-Canadian Tour Late Model winner, was third in the voting, followed closely by Ascutney drivers Chris Riendeau and Joey Jarvis, who are top stars at Twin State and Canaan Fair speedways in New Hampshire. The Vermont Motorsports Magazine 2009 Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway was decided by fan vote from a 20-driver ballot. Top-ranking drivers from VMM Driver of the Year polls held in November were qualified to be placed on the final, overall ballot. Joining Placey and Tucker Williams as previous award winners were Devil's Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year Tim LaDuc of Orwell, and Eric Williams, who won the "On The Road" Driver of the Year Award for Vermont drivers competing on a touring series or at tracks out of state.
Other drivers on the VMM/Subway 2009 Driver of the Year ballot included Bear Ridge Speedway racer Gary Siemons, Chris Donnelly, and Dan Eastman, Devil's Bowl Speedway stars Kenny Tremont, Jr. and Todd Stone, Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl racers Jean-Paul Cyr, Dave Pembroke, and Donny Yates, ACT Late Model Tour stars Brian Hoar, Brent Dragon, and John Donahue, Granite State Mini Sprint series champion Lacey Hanson, Modified Racing Series star Dwight Jarvis, and White Mountain Motorsports Park (N.H.) champion Stacy Cahoon.
For more information, visit the Vermont Motorsports Magazine website at http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com. The VMM Driver of the Year Awards are presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield. For more information on Subway, visit www.subway.com.
(PHOTO: VMM/Subway 2009 Driver of the Year Tom Placey. Photo by Alan Ward)
Monday, November 30, 2009
Williams Family Takes Second Driver of the Year Award
Vermont Motorsports Magazine Driver of the Year Awards presented by Subway
Late Model stock car driver Eric Williams has been named the winner of the Vermont Motorsports Magazine "On The Road" Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway, as decided by readers of Vermont Motorsports Magazine, an online news website. The veteran Hyde Park driver follows in the tracks of his son, Tucker, who won the VMM/Subway Driver of the Year Award in the Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl category one week earlier.
Eric Williams received exactly half of the more than 1,200 votes cast during a one-week open fan vote on the Vermont Motorsports Magazine website. Williams won the "On The Road" Driver of the Year honor in a category that included 30 Vermont racers competing on a touring series, or at tracks in New Hampshire and New York. Williams won 150-lap main events on the traveling American-Canadian Tour at Thunder Road in Barre in May and at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine in October.
Ascutney teenager Chris Riendeau finished second in the VMM/Subway "On The Road" Driver of the Year poll, earning 28% of the votes. Riendeau was a feature winner at both Twin State Speedway and Canaan Fair Speedway in New Hampshire, and was a regular competitor in three weekly divisions. He also made two appearances on the ACT Late Model Tour. Another Ascutney youngster, Joey Jarvis, finished third in the poll with over 100 votes; Jarvis finished second in Modified championship standings at Twin State and was the division's Rookie of the Year.
Other top vote-getters included White Mountain Motorsports Park (N.H.) Late Model Champion Stacy Cahoon of St. Johnsbury, Granite State Mini Sprint Series Champion Lacey Hanson of Orwell, and Thunder Road Milk Bowl winner John Donahue of Graniteville.
Eric Williams is the fourth VMM/Subway Driver of the Year honoree in the month of November, joining son Tucker, Bradford's Tom Placey of Bear Ridge Speedway, and Orwell racer Tim LaDuc of Devil's Bowl Speedway. Nearly 2,500 votes have been tallied in the month-long polling at Vermont Motorsports Magazine.
Voting for the final Vermont Motorsports Magazine 2009 Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway is now open through 11:59pm on Sunday, December 6. The 20-driver ballot for the 2009 Driver of the Year Award is comprised of the top-voted racers in the previous four categories. Nominees include Bear Ridge Speedway champions Gary Siemons, Dan Eastman, and Placey, Devil's Bowl Speedway Modified power trio LaDuc, Kenny Tremont, Jr., and Todd Stone, Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl stars Jean-Paul Cyr, Dave Pembroke, and Tucker Williams, and traveling racers Eric Williams, Riendeau, Joey Jarvis, Brian Hoar, and Dwight Jarvis.
To vote, visit Vermont Motorsports Magazine at http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com/. The VMM Driver of the Year Awards are presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield. For more information on Subway, visit http://www.subway.com/.
(PHOTOS: 1. VMM/Subway "On The Road" Driver of the Year Eric Williams; 2. "On The Road" runner-up Chris Riendeau. Photo 1 by Justin St. Louis/VMM; Photo 2 by Alan Ward)
Late Model stock car driver Eric Williams has been named the winner of the Vermont Motorsports Magazine "On The Road" Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway, as decided by readers of Vermont Motorsports Magazine, an online news website. The veteran Hyde Park driver follows in the tracks of his son, Tucker, who won the VMM/Subway Driver of the Year Award in the Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl category one week earlier.
Eric Williams received exactly half of the more than 1,200 votes cast during a one-week open fan vote on the Vermont Motorsports Magazine website. Williams won the "On The Road" Driver of the Year honor in a category that included 30 Vermont racers competing on a touring series, or at tracks in New Hampshire and New York. Williams won 150-lap main events on the traveling American-Canadian Tour at Thunder Road in Barre in May and at Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine in October.
Ascutney teenager Chris Riendeau finished second in the VMM/Subway "On The Road" Driver of the Year poll, earning 28% of the votes. Riendeau was a feature winner at both Twin State Speedway and Canaan Fair Speedway in New Hampshire, and was a regular competitor in three weekly divisions. He also made two appearances on the ACT Late Model Tour. Another Ascutney youngster, Joey Jarvis, finished third in the poll with over 100 votes; Jarvis finished second in Modified championship standings at Twin State and was the division's Rookie of the Year.Other top vote-getters included White Mountain Motorsports Park (N.H.) Late Model Champion Stacy Cahoon of St. Johnsbury, Granite State Mini Sprint Series Champion Lacey Hanson of Orwell, and Thunder Road Milk Bowl winner John Donahue of Graniteville.
Eric Williams is the fourth VMM/Subway Driver of the Year honoree in the month of November, joining son Tucker, Bradford's Tom Placey of Bear Ridge Speedway, and Orwell racer Tim LaDuc of Devil's Bowl Speedway. Nearly 2,500 votes have been tallied in the month-long polling at Vermont Motorsports Magazine.
Voting for the final Vermont Motorsports Magazine 2009 Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway is now open through 11:59pm on Sunday, December 6. The 20-driver ballot for the 2009 Driver of the Year Award is comprised of the top-voted racers in the previous four categories. Nominees include Bear Ridge Speedway champions Gary Siemons, Dan Eastman, and Placey, Devil's Bowl Speedway Modified power trio LaDuc, Kenny Tremont, Jr., and Todd Stone, Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl stars Jean-Paul Cyr, Dave Pembroke, and Tucker Williams, and traveling racers Eric Williams, Riendeau, Joey Jarvis, Brian Hoar, and Dwight Jarvis.
To vote, visit Vermont Motorsports Magazine at http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com/. The VMM Driver of the Year Awards are presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield. For more information on Subway, visit http://www.subway.com/.
(PHOTOS: 1. VMM/Subway "On The Road" Driver of the Year Eric Williams; 2. "On The Road" runner-up Chris Riendeau. Photo 1 by Justin St. Louis/VMM; Photo 2 by Alan Ward)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Rookie Williams Wins Thunder Road Driver of the Year
Vermont Motorsports Magazine Driver of the Year Awards presented by Subway
Rookie stock car driver Tucker Williams was voted the winner of the Vermont Motorsports Magazine Thunder Road International Speedbowl Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway, as decided by readers of Vermont Motorsports Magazine, an online news website. The 18 year-old Hyde Park competitor finished third in 2009 championship standings in the four-cylinder Street Stock division at Thunder Road in Barre, winning four feature races, including his first-ever start at the track in May, and handily won the Rookie of the Year title. Junkyard Warrior champion Donny Yates of North Montpelier, a six-time winner in 2009, finished second in the balloting.
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Williams and Yates dominated the VMM/Subway Thunder Road Driver of the Year Award vote, earning a combined 71% of the tally registered at Vermont Motorsports Magazine during a one-week open poll. Dave Pembroke of Middlesex, winner of both prestigious Memorial Day Classic and Labor Day Classic events in 2009, was third in the poll. Other high-ranking drivers on the 15-person ballot included Late Model Track Champion Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, Tiger Sportsman division champion Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown, and Warrior driver Kevin Streeter of Waitsfield.
Williams is the third VMM/Subway Driver of the Year honoree, joining Bradford's Tom Placey (Bear Ridge Speedway) and Tim LaDuc of Orwell (Devil's Bowl Speedway). Over 1,000 votes have been tallied in the month-long polling at Vermont Motorsports Magazine.
Voting for the Vermont Motorsports Magazine "On The Road" Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway is now open through 11:59pm on Sunday, November 29. The "On The Road" award will honor the top Vermont driver racing primarily on a touring series or at a track out of state. Nominees on the 30-driver ballot include American-Canadian Tour champion Brian Hoar of Williston, Granite State Mini Sprint series champion Lacey Hanson of Orwell, multi-division star Chris Riendeau of Ascutney, White Mountain Motorsports Park (N.H.) champion Stacy Cahoon of St. Johnsbury, Airborne (N.Y.) Speedway driver Aaron Bartemy of Sheldon, and undefeated Riverside (N.H.) Speedway champion Derek Ming of Island Pond.
A final, overall "2009 Driver of the Year" poll will be held at the Vermont Motorsports Magazine website on the first week of December; nominees will include the top vote-getters from the Bear Ridge Speedway, Devil's Bowl Speedway, Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, and "On The Road" polls. To vote, visit http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com/. The VMM Driver of the Year Awards are presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield. For more information on Subway, visit http://www.subway.com/.
(PHOTO: VMM/Subway Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl Driver of the Year Tucker Williams. Photo by Leif Tillotson.)
Rookie stock car driver Tucker Williams was voted the winner of the Vermont Motorsports Magazine Thunder Road International Speedbowl Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway, as decided by readers of Vermont Motorsports Magazine, an online news website. The 18 year-old Hyde Park competitor finished third in 2009 championship standings in the four-cylinder Street Stock division at Thunder Road in Barre, winning four feature races, including his first-ever start at the track in May, and handily won the Rookie of the Year title. Junkyard Warrior champion Donny Yates of North Montpelier, a six-time winner in 2009, finished second in the balloting.a.JPG)
Williams and Yates dominated the VMM/Subway Thunder Road Driver of the Year Award vote, earning a combined 71% of the tally registered at Vermont Motorsports Magazine during a one-week open poll. Dave Pembroke of Middlesex, winner of both prestigious Memorial Day Classic and Labor Day Classic events in 2009, was third in the poll. Other high-ranking drivers on the 15-person ballot included Late Model Track Champion Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, Tiger Sportsman division champion Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown, and Warrior driver Kevin Streeter of Waitsfield.Williams is the third VMM/Subway Driver of the Year honoree, joining Bradford's Tom Placey (Bear Ridge Speedway) and Tim LaDuc of Orwell (Devil's Bowl Speedway). Over 1,000 votes have been tallied in the month-long polling at Vermont Motorsports Magazine.
Voting for the Vermont Motorsports Magazine "On The Road" Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway is now open through 11:59pm on Sunday, November 29. The "On The Road" award will honor the top Vermont driver racing primarily on a touring series or at a track out of state. Nominees on the 30-driver ballot include American-Canadian Tour champion Brian Hoar of Williston, Granite State Mini Sprint series champion Lacey Hanson of Orwell, multi-division star Chris Riendeau of Ascutney, White Mountain Motorsports Park (N.H.) champion Stacy Cahoon of St. Johnsbury, Airborne (N.Y.) Speedway driver Aaron Bartemy of Sheldon, and undefeated Riverside (N.H.) Speedway champion Derek Ming of Island Pond.
A final, overall "2009 Driver of the Year" poll will be held at the Vermont Motorsports Magazine website on the first week of December; nominees will include the top vote-getters from the Bear Ridge Speedway, Devil's Bowl Speedway, Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, and "On The Road" polls. To vote, visit http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com/. The VMM Driver of the Year Awards are presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield. For more information on Subway, visit http://www.subway.com/.
(PHOTO: VMM/Subway Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl Driver of the Year Tucker Williams. Photo by Leif Tillotson.)
Monday, November 16, 2009
LaDuc Named Devil's Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year
Vermont Motorsports Magazine Driver of the Year Awards presented by Subway
Veteran stock car driver Tim LaDuc has won the Vermont Motorsports Magazine Devil's Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway, as voted by readers of Vermont Motorsports Magazine, an online news website. The popular Orwell driver finished third in 2009 championship standings in the headline 358-Modified division at Devil's Bowl Speedway in Fair Haven; LaDuc won the opening day event in May and was in the thick of the title hunt the entire year, finishing just 13 points behind Track Champion Kenny Tremont, Jr. of West Sand Lake, N.Y., a dozen points behind runner-up Todd Stone of Middlebury.
LaDuc won the VMM/Subway Devil's Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year Award by earning 39% of the votes registered at Vermont Motorsports Magazine during a one-week open poll. Tremont finished second in the balloting with 19% of the vote, while Stone was third with 15%. Two-time Budget Sportsman winner C.V. Elms, III of North Haverhill, N.H. ranked high among the 14 drivers on the ballot, as Six-Cylinder Mini Stock champion Kayla Bryant of Rutland and Pro Street Stock champion Cale Kneer of Troy, N.Y.
Voting for the Vermont Motorsports Magazine Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway is now open through 11:59pm on Sunday, November 22. Nominees on the 15-driver Thunder Road ballot include Late Model Track Champion Jean-Paul Cyr, Tiger Sportsman Champion Jimmy Hebert, and Street Stock Rookie of the Year Tucker Williams.
Driver of the Year polls will be held at the Vermont Motorsports Magazine website throughout the month of November; to vote, visit http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com/. The VMM Driver of the Year Awards are presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield. For more information on Subway, visit http://www.subway.com/.
(PHOTO: VMM/Subway Devil's Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year Tim LaDuc. Photo by Dave D'Alessandro/CVRA)
Veteran stock car driver Tim LaDuc has won the Vermont Motorsports Magazine Devil's Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway, as voted by readers of Vermont Motorsports Magazine, an online news website. The popular Orwell driver finished third in 2009 championship standings in the headline 358-Modified division at Devil's Bowl Speedway in Fair Haven; LaDuc won the opening day event in May and was in the thick of the title hunt the entire year, finishing just 13 points behind Track Champion Kenny Tremont, Jr. of West Sand Lake, N.Y., a dozen points behind runner-up Todd Stone of Middlebury.
LaDuc won the VMM/Subway Devil's Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year Award by earning 39% of the votes registered at Vermont Motorsports Magazine during a one-week open poll. Tremont finished second in the balloting with 19% of the vote, while Stone was third with 15%. Two-time Budget Sportsman winner C.V. Elms, III of North Haverhill, N.H. ranked high among the 14 drivers on the ballot, as Six-Cylinder Mini Stock champion Kayla Bryant of Rutland and Pro Street Stock champion Cale Kneer of Troy, N.Y.Voting for the Vermont Motorsports Magazine Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway is now open through 11:59pm on Sunday, November 22. Nominees on the 15-driver Thunder Road ballot include Late Model Track Champion Jean-Paul Cyr, Tiger Sportsman Champion Jimmy Hebert, and Street Stock Rookie of the Year Tucker Williams.
Driver of the Year polls will be held at the Vermont Motorsports Magazine website throughout the month of November; to vote, visit http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com/. The VMM Driver of the Year Awards are presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield. For more information on Subway, visit http://www.subway.com/.
(PHOTO: VMM/Subway Devil's Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year Tim LaDuc. Photo by Dave D'Alessandro/CVRA)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Placey Voted Bear Ridge Speedway Driver of the Year
Vermont Motorsports Magazine Driver of the Year Awards presented by Subway
Stock car racer Tom Placey has won the Vermont Motorsports Magazine Bear Ridge Speedway Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway, as voted by readers of Vermont Motorsports Magazine, an online news website. The 25 year-old won the 2009 Hornet division championship at the 1/4-mile Bear Ridge Speedway dirt track in his hometown of Bradford on the strength of a whopping 11 feature event victories in 17 starts.
Placey won the VMM/Subway Bear Ridge Speedway Driver of the Year Award by earning an impressive 51% of the votes registered at Vermont Motorsports Magazine during a one-week open poll. Limited Late Model champion Dan Eastman of Thetford Center finished second in the balloting with 17% of the vote, while Piermont, N.H. driver Chris Donnelly, a six-time winner in the headline Sportsman Modified class, was third with 8% of the vote. Other high-ranking drivers among the 15 nominees on the poll included Sportsman Modified champion Gary Siemons, Sportsman Coupe champion Josh Harrington, and Hornet Queen champion Misty Bell.
Voting for the Vermont Motorsports Magazine Devil's Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway is now open through 11:59pm on Sunday, November 15. Drivers on the Devil's Bowl nomination roster include Modified track champion Kenny Tremont, Jr., Budget Sportsman star Frank Hoard, III, and Pro Street Stock champion Cale Kneer.
Driver of the Year polls will be held at the Vermont Motorsports Magazine website throughout the month of November; to vote, visit http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com/. The VMM Driver of the Year Awards are presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield. For more information on Subway, visit http://www.subway.com/.
(PHOTO: VMM/Subway Bear Ridge Speedway Driver of the Year Tom Placey. Photo by Justin St. Louis/VMM)
Stock car racer Tom Placey has won the Vermont Motorsports Magazine Bear Ridge Speedway Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway, as voted by readers of Vermont Motorsports Magazine, an online news website. The 25 year-old won the 2009 Hornet division championship at the 1/4-mile Bear Ridge Speedway dirt track in his hometown of Bradford on the strength of a whopping 11 feature event victories in 17 starts.
Placey won the VMM/Subway Bear Ridge Speedway Driver of the Year Award by earning an impressive 51% of the votes registered at Vermont Motorsports Magazine during a one-week open poll. Limited Late Model champion Dan Eastman of Thetford Center finished second in the balloting with 17% of the vote, while Piermont, N.H. driver Chris Donnelly, a six-time winner in the headline Sportsman Modified class, was third with 8% of the vote. Other high-ranking drivers among the 15 nominees on the poll included Sportsman Modified champion Gary Siemons, Sportsman Coupe champion Josh Harrington, and Hornet Queen champion Misty Bell.Voting for the Vermont Motorsports Magazine Devil's Bowl Speedway Driver of the Year Award presented by Subway is now open through 11:59pm on Sunday, November 15. Drivers on the Devil's Bowl nomination roster include Modified track champion Kenny Tremont, Jr., Budget Sportsman star Frank Hoard, III, and Pro Street Stock champion Cale Kneer.
Driver of the Year polls will be held at the Vermont Motorsports Magazine website throughout the month of November; to vote, visit http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com/. The VMM Driver of the Year Awards are presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield. For more information on Subway, visit http://www.subway.com/.
(PHOTO: VMM/Subway Bear Ridge Speedway Driver of the Year Tom Placey. Photo by Justin St. Louis/VMM)
Friday, October 30, 2009
Vermont Motorsports Magazine "Driver of the Year" Voting to Begin Monday
VMM Driver of the Year Awards presented by Subway
Voting for the first-ever Vermont Motorsports Magazine "Driver of the Year" awards opens on Monday, November 2. The awards have been created to recognize the efforts of stock car drivers in and around the Green Mountain State, and selections will be made by fan votes from a list of nominees in five categories. The Driver of the Year awards will be presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield.
The awards will be given in the following categories: one each for the fan-voted Driver of the Year at Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven, and Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre; one "On The Road" award for a Vermont driver that competes on a touring series or at an out-of-state track; and one final award for the Vermont Motorsports Magazine 2009 Driver of the Year presented by Subway.
Among the 15 nominees for Bear Ridge Speedway Driver of the Year are Sportsman Modified champion Gary Siemons of Orford, N.H., Sportsman Coupe champion Josh Harrington of Topsham, and Limited Late Model champion Dan Eastman of Thetford Center. Devil's Bowl Speedway's 14 nominees include Modified champion Kenny Tremont, Jr. of West Sand Lake, N.Y., five-time Budget Sportsman winner Frank Hoard, III of Manchester, and Pro Street Stock champion Cale Kneer of Troy, N.Y. Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl's 14 nominees include Late Model champion Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, Tiger Sportsman champion Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown, and Street Stock Rookie of the Year Tucker Williams of Hyde Park.
"On The Road" nominees include American-Canadian Tour champion Brian Hoar of Williston, St. Johnsbury's Stacy Cahoon, the Late Model champion at New Hampshire's White Mountain Motorsports Park, and multi-track stars Chris Riendeau of Ascutney, Josh Sunn of White River Junction, and Chris Wilk of Mendon. The nominees for the final 2009 Driver of the Year award will be the top vote-getters from each of the four individual categories, vying for the title as Vermont's top stock car racer.
"There are hundreds of talented drivers racing in and around our state that give race fans so much satisfaction every summer. Now the fans have a chance to give back to the drivers," said VMM Editor Justin St. Louis. "Every one of the racers nominated deserves recognition, but it should be very interesting to see who the fans select as the final nominees for the overall Driver of the Year award."
Voting for the Driver of the Year awards begins on Monday, November 2. Voting will be open for one week in each category, with the final Vermont Motorsports Magazine 2009 Driver of the Year presented by Subway award vote open from Monday, November 30 to Sunday, December 6. Winners will be announced following the final tallying of fan votes.
Founded in February, Vermont Motorsports Magazine is the unofficial home for online news in asphalt and dirt stock car racing in and around the Green Mountain State, covering events at all three Vermont tracks as well as facilities throughout New England and upstate New York. VMM can be found at http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com/, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/vtmotormag. For more information on Subway, visit http://www.subway.com/.
Voting for the first-ever Vermont Motorsports Magazine "Driver of the Year" awards opens on Monday, November 2. The awards have been created to recognize the efforts of stock car drivers in and around the Green Mountain State, and selections will be made by fan votes from a list of nominees in five categories. The Driver of the Year awards will be presented by Subway of Barre, Montpelier, Waterbury, and Northfield.The awards will be given in the following categories: one each for the fan-voted Driver of the Year at Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven, and Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre; one "On The Road" award for a Vermont driver that competes on a touring series or at an out-of-state track; and one final award for the Vermont Motorsports Magazine 2009 Driver of the Year presented by Subway.
Among the 15 nominees for Bear Ridge Speedway Driver of the Year are Sportsman Modified champion Gary Siemons of Orford, N.H., Sportsman Coupe champion Josh Harrington of Topsham, and Limited Late Model champion Dan Eastman of Thetford Center. Devil's Bowl Speedway's 14 nominees include Modified champion Kenny Tremont, Jr. of West Sand Lake, N.Y., five-time Budget Sportsman winner Frank Hoard, III of Manchester, and Pro Street Stock champion Cale Kneer of Troy, N.Y. Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl's 14 nominees include Late Model champion Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, Tiger Sportsman champion Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown, and Street Stock Rookie of the Year Tucker Williams of Hyde Park.
"On The Road" nominees include American-Canadian Tour champion Brian Hoar of Williston, St. Johnsbury's Stacy Cahoon, the Late Model champion at New Hampshire's White Mountain Motorsports Park, and multi-track stars Chris Riendeau of Ascutney, Josh Sunn of White River Junction, and Chris Wilk of Mendon. The nominees for the final 2009 Driver of the Year award will be the top vote-getters from each of the four individual categories, vying for the title as Vermont's top stock car racer.
"There are hundreds of talented drivers racing in and around our state that give race fans so much satisfaction every summer. Now the fans have a chance to give back to the drivers," said VMM Editor Justin St. Louis. "Every one of the racers nominated deserves recognition, but it should be very interesting to see who the fans select as the final nominees for the overall Driver of the Year award."
Voting for the Driver of the Year awards begins on Monday, November 2. Voting will be open for one week in each category, with the final Vermont Motorsports Magazine 2009 Driver of the Year presented by Subway award vote open from Monday, November 30 to Sunday, December 6. Winners will be announced following the final tallying of fan votes.
Founded in February, Vermont Motorsports Magazine is the unofficial home for online news in asphalt and dirt stock car racing in and around the Green Mountain State, covering events at all three Vermont tracks as well as facilities throughout New England and upstate New York. VMM can be found at http://vtmotormag.blogspot.com/, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/vtmotormag. For more information on Subway, visit http://www.subway.com/.
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