Championship Defenses Beginning in Earnest at Northeast Classic
American Canadian Tour
Waterbury, VT and Naples, ME — The inaugural Northeast Classic debuts this Saturday, April 17 at Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Although the prestige and big payday of winning at “The Magic Mile” is foremost in many racers’ minds, the card is also an early proving ground in five different major regional touring series.
The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model Tour and Northeast Mini Stock Tour (NEMST) have their first point-counting events of the season on Saturday. For the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models, it’s their second North Series and third National Series events of the year. The EXIT Realty Pro Truck Challenge has its second event of 2021 after they and PASS North debuted at the Thompson Speedway Icebreaker That means for defending champions Jimmy Hebert (ACT), D.J. Shaw (PASS North), Mike Hopkins (PASS National), Desmond Skillings (NEMTS), and Duane Noll (Pro Trucks), a strong run at the Northeast Classic would put them in great early position for a championship defense.
Carey, Barnett, and Bello Take Victories in Icebreaker Nightcap
Thompson, CT — Norwalk, CT’s Ron Silk took advantage of a late caution flag to snag the $10,000 top prize in the Icebreaker 125 at Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park on Saturday, April 10. Silk took the lead from Berlin, CT’s Keith Rocco with 12 laps remaining and was the inaugural winner of the new Outlaw Open Modified Series at the Icebreaker nightcap.
It was the first-ever Tour-type Modified victory for Haydt Yannone Racing and came at the end of a night where Silk went up and down the running order like a yo-yo. The former NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Champion kept fighting, though, and triumphed at the Icebreaker for the first time since 2012.
Gary Dwinal gearing up for sophomore campaign on PASS Mod tour Famed Geritol Gang returns to growing series in 2021
LISBON, Maine (March 26, 2021) — Veteran short track racer Gary Dwinal is gearing up for his second season of Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Modified competition in 2021, and will be striving to repeat the strong debut he made last year in the popular open-wheel touring division.
Dwinal, 60, put in an amazing effort in 2020 after having been out from behind the wheel for years. The easy-going driver earned one win (Oxford 250 weekend), six top-five and nine top-10 finishes. It was a impressive season for the elder statesman of PASS Mods, and he isn’t slowing down.
Many ACT Tour Regulars Starting Season Early at Hickory
American Canadian Tour
Waterbury, VT — The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) is closing in on its first-ever visit to North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway on Friday, April 2 and Saturday, April 3. Although the Hickory 125 and Easter Bunny 125 do not count for points, many drivers planning an ACT championship run in 2021 have decided to start their season early at the 0.363-mile oval.
After a cold, snowy New England winter, a trip to North Carolina is exactly what the racing doctor ordered. Racers such as Ben Rowe, Tom Carey III, Stephen Donahue, and Reilly Lanphear are jumping at the chance to compete at the “Birthplace of the NASCAR Stars”. They’ll then have two weeks to prepare for the Northeast Classic at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 17, which opens the 12-event ACT Late Model Tour schedule.
