@ACTTour • @ThompsonSpdwy • Waterbury, VT (October 14, 2015) – The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) makes its long-awaited return to Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway this Saturday, October 17 for the World Series 100.
Dover, NH’s Wayne Helliwell Jr. will look to secure his third ACT Tour Championship in the season finale as part of the Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing presented by XtraMart.
AD: The Sunoco World Series of Speedway Racing takes place October 16-18 at Thompson Speedway. The event will feature 15 different racing divisions including the championship race for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The American-Canadian Tour will also return to TSMP for the first time in 23 years! Click on the banner below for ticket, camping and event info!
Helliwell and his Bruce Bernhardt–owned team hold a 42-point lead over rival Joey Polewarczyk Jr. Their title bid will be broadcast live on FansChoice.TV worldwide.
“I think we’re going to treat this race like we normally do,” Helliwell said. “When you try to overthink things or change the way you do things, that’s when things go wrong. As long as we do our homework and cross our T’s and dot our I’s at the shop, hopefully things will go alright.
“The broadcast is a really good thing,” he added. “We’ve got family all across the U.S., and they really enjoyed the TV time we had down in Florida (at New Smyrna Speedway). I’ve already got the phone calls out, and they’re all excited. They feel like they’ll be a part of it.”
Plenty is left to be decided in the ACT Tour standings in the season finale. Windham, ME’s Brad Babb looks to secure third place in points, while fellow Mainer Jeff White leads a tight battle for fourth with Vermont’s Emily Packard and New York’s Brandon Atkins. Kyle Welch, Rowland Robinson Jr., Jimmy Hebert, and top rookie Rich Dubeau all hope to finish the year strong.
The World Series 100 is the ACT Late Model Tour’s inaugural trip to the fast 5/8-mile speedway. ACT last visited the track in 1992 with the former Pro Stock Tour. It will also be ACT’s first event in Connecticut since the 2010 season finale at Waterford Speedbowl.
“I think it’s great ACT is coming back,” Helliwell said. “Bruce and I have been saying for years that it would benefit the Tour and everybody if we could get back down to the Waterfords, and the Thompsons, and even Stafford. That area’s fan base is really, really big. I know it’s Modified country, but I think if we can put on some shows like we do at Loudon and other tracks, we’d win over a lot of fans.”
The Tour regulars will also be joined by longtime ACT standouts such as Williston, VT’s Brian Hoar and Rowley, MA’s Eddie MacDonald. Hoar earned his record 41st ACT Tour win in the Fall Foliage 200 at Airborne Park Speedway earlier this month, while MacDonald scored his fourth Bond Auto ACT Invitational win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in September.
A number of Thompson Speedway Late Model regulars will also take on the ACT standouts. Thompson point leader Brian Tagg of Oxford, MA was a regular on the ACT Tour in 2014 and will try to defend his home track. Wallingford, CT’s Jeff Rocco earned a guaranteed starting spot by winning the Late Model 20/20 Sprint in July. 2014 Most Improved Driver Jared Materas has also entered the event.
The World Series 100 for the ACT Tour is Saturday, October 17. ACT qualifying begins at 2:15pm with features for all divisions starting at approximately 5:00pm. ACT will also hold open practice on Friday, October 16.
For more information contact the ACT offices at 802.244.6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com or www.thompsonspeedway.com.
From: ACT
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