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		#97 Joey Pole cruises to his first victory of 2008
VLFRacing.com at Lee Speedway 4202008 Teenager Joey "Pole" Polewarczyk Jr. captured his 2nd career ACT Late Model victory Sunday afternoon with a convincing victory over the likes of #17 Eddie MacDonald and #6 Cris Michaud. Not only did he claim the victory but he left people wondering what would of happened, if the race was not marred by early cautions. Pole was the class of the field during the 100 lap event on New Hampshire's fast 3/8th mile. Veteran #37 Larry Gelinas started on the pole with ACT Rookie #88 Nick Sweet in the number two position. Pole started 3rd. After Sweet spun early, Pole got into a dogfight with Gelinas for about 5 laps and then Pole gained the lead and was never really challenged until he met the #70 Scott Dragon. Dragon looked like he might something for Pole but he could not hold on the lead and Joey Pole closed the deal. It appeared that Pole's car was very good in lap traffic. The ACT Late Models will be at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, ME Saturday April 26th. Please see www.acttour.com for additional highlights and the finishing order. Ride with Joey for about 70 laps of in-car action, with this exclusive www.victorylaneforum.com in-car video. Please click on the arrow to start the video.

	Joey-Pole-at-Leesemi-edited - Get Video Code


	Ride along with the 7-Time ACT Champion Jean-Paul Cyr for the 1st 50 laps of the 2008 New England Dodge Dealers ACT 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway on 4-26-2008. Sit back and crank up the volume!

Jean-Paul-Cyr-at-Oxford-2008 - Get Video Code

www.acttour.com

For Immediate release 04262008

Home track stock car favorite Ricky Rolfe of Albany Twp., ME
held off a fast- closing Jean-Paul Cyr to win the American-
Canadian Tour (ACT) New England Dodge Dealers 150 at
Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday. Cyr’s late charge was
enough to bring him alongside Rolfe’s Race Basics/Swasey
Excavation #51 Ford with less than ten laps remaining, but the
former track champion won by about two car lengths.

“We lapped a lot of cars early, but when the field started to catch
up, I had to try some new lines around the track,” said Rolfe.
“We found that the upper groove was the place to be, and it
worked.”

Cyr recovered from a lap 49 spin with John Donahue to earn his
podium finish. Both drivers spun in oil dropped on the track by
another car, and were given their running positions back by race
control during the caution period.

Rolfe earned a “+5” handicap to earn the pole starting position.
Seven-time and defending ACT Late Model Tour Champion Cyr,
of Milton, VT, started fifteenth in the field of 33 cars. Brent
Dragon, also of Milton, VT, drove from 24th place to finish third.
Rowley, MA driver Eddie MacDonald and Donahue, of
Graniteville, VT, rounded out the top five.

Unofficially, the top ten was completed in order by Turner, ME’s
Shawn Martin, Montreal driver Patrick Laperle, Quebec City’s
Donald Theetge, Cris Michaud of Northfield, VT, and Ben Rowe
of Turner, ME.

The ACT Late Model Tour victory was the second of Rolfe’s
career, his first since 2002. Only two caution periods slowed the
New England Dodge Dealers 150, which was completed in just
over 54 minutes. Fifty Late Model cars from four U.S. states and
two Canadian provinces attempted to qualify.

The ACT Late Model Tour travels to Barre, VT’s Thunder Road
Int’l Speedbowl for the 10th Annual Merchants Bank 150 on Sat.
/Sun., May 3/4. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or
visit www.acttour.com.

#51 Ricky Rolfe captures his 2nd career ACT Victory at Oxford

#89 Scott Payea wins the 10th Annual Merchants Bank 150!


		Official Race results: 1. Scott Payea, Milton, VT 2. Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, QC 3. Dave Pembroke, Montpelier, VT 4. Phil Scott, Montpelier, VT 5. Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT 6. Randy Potter, Groveton, NH 7. Eric Williams, Hyde Park, VT 8. Scott Dragon, Milton, VT 9. John Donahue, Graniteville, VT 10.Pete Potvin, III, Graniteville, VT 11.#Tyler Cahoon, St. Johnsbury, VT 12.Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, VT 13.Brent Dragon, Milton, VT 14.Joe Becker, Jeffersonville, VT 15.Glen Luce, Turner, ME 16.Dave Whitcomb, Essex Jct., VT 17.Ryan Nolin, Georgia, VT 18.Robbie Crouch, Tampa, FL 19.Claude Leclerc, Lanoraie, QC 20.Joey Laquerre, East Montpelier, VT 21.Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, NH 22.Chip Grenier, Graniteville, VT 23.#Jonathan Urlin, London, ON 24.Ron Henry, New Gloucester, ME 25.Cris Michaud, Northfield, VT 26.Trampas Demers, South Burlington, VT 27.Bobby Dragon, Milton, VT 28.Kip Stockwell, Braintree, VT 29.Dennis Demers, Shelburne, VT 30.#Nick Sweet, Barre, VT


	#89 Scott Payea captured his second consecutive Merchants Bank 150 held at the "Nations site of Excitement" Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, Vermont on Sunday May 4th, 2008 In front of a crowd estimated to be around 4,000; Payea held off Thunder Road "King of the Road" Dave Pembroke and 2007 Milk Bowl winner Patrick Laperle to bring home the victory. It was the 3rd race in a season scheduled for 12, what makes this win more important than in recent years is the new Championship determining point structure. For 2008 teams will be able to choose 2 races to "drop" This makes every win that much more important. 26 year old Scott Payea who finished as the runner-up for the 2007 ACT Late Model Championship to 7-time Champ Jean-Paul Cyr found himself in control for much of the race. There were some great exchanges for quite a few laps with #44 Dave Pembroke then it seemed later on in the race Pembroke's tires went away and then Payea had to contend with Patrick Laperle, Laperle was charging hard, however Payea drove a smoother line and Laperle could not catch him. As a result of this victory Scott is currently the 2008 ACT Late Model point leader after 3 of 12 events.


					*"The Team"*



			*Cyr Wins!*


	Airborne Speedway Plattsburgh, NY May 17th 2008 Jean-Paul Cyr captures the 34th Annual Furniture World of Vermont 100 The rains came and went and came again. The 1/2 mile Airborne Speedway was the site for the 4th race on the 2008 ACT Late Model schedule. After a slow start to the day because of the weather, the action started to heat up as the rains went away. Nightfall was approaching when they finally had a long enough clearing to start the 100 lapper. #80 Donald Theetge was on the pole with #22 Gary Caron starting outside pole. At the drop of the green flag; Theetge jumped out to an early lead, the action was hot and heavy with close racing throughout the first half of the race. Cyr was charging toward the front relentlessly, he started in the 8th position and right behind him was the #9 Rookie Jonathan Urlin. After a series of cautions, Cyr found his way to the front and proved to be the car in charge as Urlin had suspension problems which caused a brake failure and he was done for the night. The #02 Randy Potter took advantage and moved into the number 2 spot. After a caution and with 3 laps to go; Cyr proved too much for Potter. Laperle was in a dog fight with Maine's #7 Glen Luce, who really was impressive and held on for a career high 4th place finish. The 2008 Point leader thus far, #89 Scott Payea managed a great 5th place finish after starting 25th. Other notables finishing in the top 10 were #71 Bobby Dragon and the #88 Nick Sweet, for Sweet this is a major step forward in what has been a rocky start for the 2007 NAPA Tiger Sportsman Champion. Action resumes May 24th and 25th at the "Nations site of excitement" Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, VT

Cyr Wins!



			"Irish" John Donahue wins at Thunder Road...again!

#43 Kirk Alexander wins the first
Modified race at Thunder Road in 43
years!


ACT Late Model #26 John Donahue even surprised himself with 2 consecitive victories at Thunder Road Speedbowl. This time the victory is slightly more important than the May 11th Mother's Day win as the May 25th victory was an ACT event. Donahue said to win anytime at his home track is sweet and he thanked his sponsors and his crew for making this possible.


The True Value Modifieds stormed the high-banks of Thunder Road on May 24th and 25th. This marks the first time in a lot of our lifetimes that Modified's have raced competitively at Thunder Road, in fact it was 43 years ago when they had last raced. The True Value Modified's are lightweight, high powered open wheel machines with well over 100 more Horsepower and hundreds of pounds less than the ACT Late Models coupled with the fact of the Mod's running a much wider tire equaled high speeds and lot's of action. With the addition of a "Jersey Barrier" wall throughout turn 1 and 2, Thunder Road was ready for anything. Surprisingly the Modified's raced a fairly clean race with only a small handful of cautions. #43 Kirk Alexander added prestigious Thunder Road to his all ready impressive track resume.

#89 Scott Payea continues his 2008 dream season at Waterford

Official Race results:
Waterford Speedbowl

1. Scott Payea
2. Bruce Thomas, Jr.
3. Brad Leighton
4. Ron Yuhas, Jr.
5. #Nick Sweet
6. Randy Potter
7. Ron Henry
8. #Jonathan Urlin
9. Jean-Paul Cyr
10. Brent Dragon
11. Scott Dragon
12. Patrick Laperle
13. Jamie Fisher
14. Glen Luce
15. Pete Potvin, III
16. Eric Chase
17. John Donahue
18. Rick Thompson, Jr.
19. Leon Heckbert
20. Joe Becker
21. Donald Theetge
22. Steve Fisher
23. Trampas Demers
24. Joe Curioso
25. #Tyler Cahoon
26. Richard Staskowski
27. #Ricky Wolf, Jr.
28. Allen Coates
29. Tim Jordan
30. Ed Reed, Jr.

Late Model stock car driver Scott Payea continued a dream season by winning the Nutmeg State 100 at Connecticut’s Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday night. The 26 year-old from Milton, VT held off defending Waterford Speedbowl Track Champion Bruce Thomas, Jr. of Groton, CT for his second American-Canadian Tour victory in six starts this year. Thomas jumped from his outside pole starting position to lead the opening 48 laps, at time stretching his lead out to nearly a full straightaway. Payea, who started seventh in the 30-car field, drove forward in the early laps and was brought even with Thomas for the race’s final three restarts just before the halfway point. Following a lap 48 restart, Payea nudged ahead to take the lead from Thomas. The final caution flag on lap 50 drew the pair together again, beginning an intense, multi-groove, lead-swapping duel that lasted until Payea regained control for good on lap 55. Each driver led three times in the race, each for a total of 50 laps. As the race went caution-free to the end, Payea’s Ouellette Plumbing & Heating/Leahy Press #89 Ford Fusion held a comfortable five-car length lead over Thomas as the checkered flag flew. Read the full story here

Pole turns up the heat with an Oxford win!

150

VLFRacing.com at Oxford Plains Speedway
Eric LaFleche 06212008 2310

Joey Pole went up to Oxford riding a bad luck streak. So, what's the best way to get back on track? How about a Heat
win? Some would say "okay, that's a start" Joey did that one better Saturday night, he pulled off the Double.......his heat
AND the 2008 Dunkin Donuts 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway.

They were scrambling around in the pits during the early part of the day. Team Owner and Father Joe said "Well, we are just
trying a few different things" I guess saying they found the right set-up is an understatement. After starting 7th in the
Feature event, Pole was in a dogfight with Maine's #7 Glen Luce for around 20-25 laps. Pole eventually moved past Luce and
had his eyes set on the leader 2008 ACT point leader #89 Scott Payea; who himself was in an epic battle for the lead with
reigning ACT Champion #32 Jean-Paul Cyr. Pole caught both of them and seemed to really hit his marks, as Cyr and Payea
both faded; Pole had to contend with the very fast #51 Ricky Rolfe. After the second caution of the race, Pole walked away
from Rolfe, Joey stretched his lead out to around 10-12 car lengths before caution #3 came out on the restart Pole jumped
out to the lead but hard charging Rolfe and now NASCAR CWE and ACT part-time driver #17 Eddie MacDonald were closing in
and vying for the top spot. In the end Pole led almost 100 of the 150 laps en route to his 3rd Career ACT Victory and 2nd
this season.

Harvick takes $37,300 to the bank, takes 35th annual TD Banknorth 250

OXFORD, Maine - The ringer arrived with bells on Thursday, waited out a weekend awash with rain and basked in a deluge of adulation in TD
Banknorth 250 Presented By New England Dodge Dealers victory lane.

Kevin Harvick won the 35th annual summer classic Monday night, dominating the second half of the event and becoming the first to carry the
checkered flag as an active NASCAR Sprint Cup driver.

The 32-year-old California native, a champion of both the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400, denied runner-up Glen Luce and third-place Joey
Polewarczyk Jr. the victory of a lifetime.
Just don't assume with his thick resume that Harvick puts this grass roots short track win in small print.

For the complete story and a great picture gallery click HERE

Laperle is poised for 3rd Chittenden Milk Bowl Victory and Payea is ready to capture
the ACT Championship and it's all in the same weekend!

(Barre, Vermont) - Thunder Road Speedbowl is the scene for what is known throughout the Country as the "Toughest
Short Track Race" it is none other than the 45th Annual Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl and this year should prove to be
one of the best.

There are a few reasons as to why this is a "must see" race for any racing enthusiast. First; the setting is Thunder
Road which is legendary for competitive racing for almost 50 years. Another reason is the amount of talented drivers
that compete for qualifying spots, usually there are well over 50 Late Model teams that show up for 30 starting spots.
Lastly, the chance to be photographed while kissing one of Vermont's finest is priceless. The overall winner of the
uniquely scored Milk Bowl (3-50 lap segments, lowest overall cumulative score wins) will have the chance to kiss a
Vermont Dairy Cow right on the lips! No really.

The favorites for this years race includes 2-time Champion and defending winner #91 Patrick Laperle, 19 Year old
Standout Joey "Pole" Polewarczyk and a host of others, such as #89 Scott Payea; who is looking to lock up the ACT
Championship as well. Payea currently leads Laperle by 19 points going into this weekend's events. Laperle is
coming off a victory at Oxford on September 13th in which he gained some valuable points on Payea.

Joey Pole is having a month to remember, well at least a couple of weeks he'll never forget. First he raced at NHMS in
the NASCAR CWE Race on September 13th. Joey finished 6th, while driving a car that has some serious damage.
Immediately after that race the team then drove to Oxford to race in the ACT Dodge Dealers Fall 150. Pole started
29th and after losing his Power Steering midway through the race, he ended upfront in the 4th position. Pole is on a
hot streak and as the fastest qualifier for the last 2 years, he is always a threat to have a very good starting spot in
segment 1.

Current ACT Point leader #89 Scott Payea has been the model of consistency this year. In the Labor Day Classic he
got high in corner Four and hit the wall and suffered considerable damage to his primary ACT car, Scott and his crew
traveled all the way to Canada and finished a remarkable 4th in the 1st Annual Coors Light 200 Showdown in his back-
up car. The Primary car is back and as good as ever. Scott finished a respectable 6th with the primary car at Oxford
to maintain his slim lead heading into the ACT Season finale. The Payea Team has it's sites on being crowned the
2008 Champion. Scott indicated that he will be driving smart and not necessarily just for the win.

The other drivers to watch out for include a slew of former Milk Bowl Winners, such as: #14 Phil Scott, 2008 "King of
the Road" #7 Eric Williams, #55 Brent Dragon, #44 Dave Pembroke and #6 Cris Michaud. All the drivers mentioned
have had the honor of kissing a cow and drinking some Milk. Will they do it again?

The "Underdogs" .....You know the drivers you don't think of right away. This years list includes someone who is a
past winner but is having an unusually quiet year. These drivers should be on everyone's mind, they include: #88
ACT Rookie Nick Sweet because he is one of the hottest drivers coming into this weekend. Sweet finished a career
high 2nd last week at Oxford Plains Speedway, so he will have some good momentum. Another driver that may
surprise you is past winner Jean-Paul Cyr. Okay before I get the "How can a 7-time Champion be an underdog".....
Well for somebody that is sitting in 3rd place in the points this year, it has been a very quiet year for the #32. The
Victory at Airborne Speedway being the highlight of Jean's year, it seems his venture back into the Modified ranks and
his occasional Race Directing at Thunder Road has been what people are talking about. A good pick this weekend is
the #32.

The #45 Brian Hoar announced he has found Sponsorship and will race in the 2008 Milk Bowl. Hoar, a back to back
winner in 1998 and 99 will garner some interest as well, although not having raced much this year; it may take a while
to shake the rust off.

Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day begins the weekend on Saturday, Sept. 27 at 1:30pm with time trials and “Triple
50” qualifying races, as well as qualifying events for Thunder Road’s weekly NAPA Tiger Sportsman and Allen Lumber
Street Stock divisions, and the championship finale for the Power Shift Online Junkyard Warrior class. Last-chance
qualifying action and pre-race ceremonies will kick off 45th Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl Sunday at 1:30pm on Sept. 28.
General admission is $25 for adults and $5 for children age 6-12.

Eric LaFleche, VLFRacing Staff


	Point leaders after 11 of 12 events, using the "drop 2" scoring system Driver name Pts. Scott Payea 833 Patrick Laperle 814 Jean-Paul Cyr 748 Brent Dragon 712 John Donahue 708 Randy Potter 703 J. Polewarczyk Jr 691 Glen Luce 662 # Nick Sweet 647 Pete Potvin, III 570 Scott Dragon 545 -- Ryan Nolin 545 D. Theetge 540 Ron Henry 518 Jamie Fisher 515

      2009 American-Canadian Tour Predictions

With the Post-season awards over that means it’s time for our 2nd Annual VLFRacing.com Driver predictions. Obviously, there are a lot of things
that can come into play when you do something like this, such as drivers moving to different teams or teams shutting down. So with that being said,
this is purely for fun and to be honest we came in fairly close in 2008. So without further adieu, here are our 2009 predictions:

1.        #89 Scott Payea - This racer is one of the best in New England and has been one of the most consistent drivers on the tour for the last 3
seasons. Scott had what a lot of us thought the 2008 Title was locked up, only to see the lead evaporate over the course of the last few races.
Scott recorded nine top 10’s and 6 top 5’s in 2008.   Payea is so smooth and level headed, he certainly reminds more than a few people of 7-Time
Champion Jean-Paul Cyr.

2.        #97 Joey Polewarczyk Jr. - Well, what more can you say that hasn’t been said already? If Pole could ever find some luck at Thunder
Road he may have already contended for the Championship. The 19-year-old is already a 3-time winner on the Tour with 2 victories coming in
2008. With a bright future possibly in the NASCAR ranks; Pole would love to add an ACT Championship to his resume.

3.        #91 Patrick LaPerle – This pick here is certainly the hardest for me to justify not being at the top spot. Patrick had a sensational season in
2008 and will return to race the full ACT Schedule in 2009. It’s not that we think Patrick is not going to have another great season but we think the
Payea and Pole have taking the necessary steps to perform at LaPerle’s level. Remember; Payea lost by the smallest of margins in 2008 and
Pole, who was tied for the lead in wins experienced some tough luck at Thunder Road. The top 3 picks in these predictions could really end up in
any order.

4.        #55VT Brent Dragon – The 2008 Don MacTavish award winner would love to put the ACT Trophy in his trophy room as well. Brent was
using a Kenyon Chassis for the first year and it proved to be worthwhile. With eight top 10’s last year, however he was kept out of the winner’s
circle in 2008. Look for Brent to grab a win or 2 in 2009. With 2 Airborne Speedway dates this year, and with the way Brent runs there, anything is
possible.

5.        #02 Randy Potter – Well being Randy Potter means that he will qualify and be a threat to contend for every race. Potter certainly made
another great showing in 2008 with six top 10’s. Randy will have to get a win or 2 in 2009 to contend for a Championship. Randy is very consistent
and capable.

6.        #88 Nick Sweet – “Well, Late Models are a lot different than Tigers” was what I was saying after a horrible start to his 2008 season., then
Nick started to turn around his season. In April he failed to Qualify at Oxford and found himself at the outside, looking in. Sweet started to turn his
season around with a top 5 finish at Waterford Speedbowl in CT. Nick followed that by a 2nd place finish at Oxford, where he had failed to even
qualify a few months prior. Look for Nick to grab 4 trophies this year.

7.        #26 John Donahue – The pick is dependent on whether John and crew run the entire ACT schedule or not. John grabbed a great victory
in the Memorial Day Classic at Thunder Road in 2008. With 5 top 10’s he certainly surprised more than a few people. Donahue looks to stay
consistent in 2009 and may even grab another victory.

8.        #7ME Glen Luce – The Cinderella story of 2008, Glen put on arguably the best racing show in 2008 by battling NASCAR Sprint Cup Star
#29 Kevin Harvick and #97 ACT Standout Joey Pole for the top spot in the prestigious T.D. Banknorth 250. Glen had to settle for 2nd place but he
started in 38th spot and by lap 125 Glen was 11th and gaining. Many spectators feel like Luce would have overtaken Harvick if there were 10 more
laps. Luce built on that for the rest of his 2008. Look for Luce to grab at least 1 victory in 2008 and his position may be higher, depending on
other racers schedules.

9.        #37 Brian Hoar – Brian returns full time in 2009 driving for Car owner Rick Paya. Brian will have great equipment and could contend for
more than a few wins. I think it will take Hoar a few races to figure out everything with the new ride. Look for Brian to possibly win on the Tour in
2009.

10.      #41 Pete Potvin III – This Graniteville, VT racer lacks the “big” shop and new truck/trailers of some of the others but he gets the most out
of his equipment, with his Father Pete Potvin II always by his side, this is certainly a grassroots effort which is starting to pay off and Pete is getting
noticed for being a competitive and clean driver. Look for Potvin to secure a place in the top 10 and grab a couple top 5’s this season.

Prediction Notes:

#7VT Eric Williams would have easily been in the top 10 if he could run the full schedule. Eric had 4 top 10’s in 5 starts in 2008

2009 Thunder Road Tiger Sportsman predictions

1-   #36 Joel Hodgdon- This kid can drive, and has purchased a
brand new chassis for the upcoming season. If he continues
his consistent, smooth driving he will win the championship
this year.

2-   #15 Joey Laquerre- The old man still has it in him, but is it
enough for a championship? Joey likes to have fun and let the
points fall wherever they do, and that may be the only thing
that will keep him from the top spot.

3- #92 Shawn Sicard- Shawn is now a veteran of the Tigers
and has got better with age. A big win in the 100 lapper last
year really gave him momentum. Look for Sicard to grab 2
wins this year and could possibly be fighting for the title when
all is said and done.

4-   #31 Shawn Fleury- The former champion comes back full
time to the Tiger ranks, but has a much deeper field to deal
with. Will still shine brightly but will be mixed in with the rest of
the talent in the Tigers.

5-   #48 Tom Therrien- This kid started strong last year, but a
combination of bad luck and other factors cooled his chance
for the championship. Therrien needs to get the luck going his
way again to have a shot at the championship.

6-   #80 Pete Ainsworth- A wedding may slow this driver’s
chance at the elusive title, but make no mistake he is still a
contender in this division. Look for him to continue to be a
factor in a lot of races.

7-   #58 Jimmy Hebert- A combination of equipment, talent,
and expertise make this team a threat every week. Was only
one of two drivers last year to make every feature event.

8-   #94 Brendan Moodie- Could have had the championship
last year had he not been disqualified for rough riding early in
the year. Brendan needs to keep his head on straight and just
let his driving do the talking.

9-   #4 Bobby Therrien- The younger brother looks to come
back strong this year. Will definitely be a contender the more
he matures and gains seat time.

10-   #68 Derrick O’Donnell- Purchased last year’s
championship car and is a good driver in his own right. Needs
to get the bad wreck monkey off his back, as he’s taken a good
hit in both of his first two seasons in the Tigers.

Other Notables: Mike Ziter, Tony Rossi, Cody Blake, Eric
Badore

2009 Thunder Road Street Stock predictions

1-   #30 Lloyd Blakely- Will finally get his championship
this year. Has just missed it the past two years, and will
be there at the end again this year.

2-   #61 Jason Corliss- Last year’s champ will look to
make it two in a row. Drove the race of his life to capture
the championship in ’08. Should be no reason he won’t
be a contender again this year.

3-   #01 Mike Martin- Another driver who always seems
to be there at the end. Mike is a great guy who just
needs a little bit more to jump the hump for a
championship.

4-   #83 Bunker Hodgdon- Really turned it on at the end
of last year. Once he got it figured out, he took off, and
turned a lot of heads in the process. Look for this driver
to have another good year.

5-   #3 Mike MacAskill- Last year’s Rookie of the Year
will again put his white knuckle driving to the test this
year. He is building a new car for ’09, and if he can keep
his head on, will be tough to beat.

6-   #11 Dave Allen- The vet just didn’t seem like himself
last year. Always has some great runs throughout the
year, but seems to die off towards the end of the year.
Dave is poised for another title run.

7-   #38 Greg Adams- Had a great run last year, and if he
continues to run like he did from mid-season on, will be
higher in the points. A bad start last year hurt his
chances of a title early, but made a great comeback to
finish where he did.

8-   #34 Tim Campbell- Timmy is always fast, but seems
to find a wreck if he can. If he can take the magnet that
seems to get him collected in wrecks off the car, then he
will have another great season.

9-   #50 Tommy Smith- Thunder will win a race or two
again this year, but always seems to have troubles at
some point in the year. If he can ever put everything
together, he will win the title.

10-   #20 Dave Greenslit- Another driver that just can’t
seem to get the bad luck to stop following him. Needs to
have the strong runs all year and get everything put
together to really show what the car can do.

Other notables: Dave LaFleche, Gary Mullen, Dave
Whitcomb, Josh LaCourse, Jason Allen, Gary Bashaw

Alex Whitcomb's News and Views
In my mind, there are only 5 legitimate contenders for the 2009 King Of The Road title. Granted, surprises
always happen and that is what we love so much about racing, but here are the 5 drivers who I think have
the best shot at winning the title this year. (photos courtesy of VLFPhotos, Leif Tillotson)

1. #32 Jean Paul Cyr - Its undeniable that he is one of the best - if not the best - ACT driver that there has
ever been. The 7 time ACT Champ (5 in a row before last year) will be taking a crack at the Thunder Road
weekly this year, and with a record like he has had, he is impossible to bet against. Look for Jean Paul to
add a King of the Road title to his already stacked resume.

2. #14 Phil Scott - Another Thunder Road and ACT great, Phil Scott was inches away from the championship
last year after an incredible second half of the season. Scott is a multi-time champion, and the leader of the
all time win list at Thunder Road. The numbers speak for themselves, you'll be watching Phil Scott tear up
the Barre highbanks once again this year.

3. #6 Cris Michaud - I'll say it once, and I'll say it again that Cris Michaud is the best driver of the last 5 years.
Not only is he one of the few multi time champions in the division, he has the most championships in the last
5 years (2 back to back) and finished 3rd in his worst points finish in that time frame. Look for Michaud to
continue to show the way with brutal consistency, and be in the thick of the competition for the title as always.

4. #88 Nick Sweet - This year a hometown hero returns to Thunder Road weekly racing in Nick Sweet. After
a year spent on the tour (taking home 9th in points in his rookie year) Sweet is returning home to claim a
King of the Road title for himself. His dominance in the Tiger Sportsman Class at Thunder Road (Champion
2 years ago) as well as his top 10 points finish in ACT in his first year speak to his ability to adapt and be a
front runner, no matter where he goes. Look for Sweet's return to Thunder Road to be widely welcomed,
and a great success.

5. #26 John Donahue - Since he turned to a new car and crew chief, he has made a fast start. "Irish John"
has been a perennial front runner in the Thunder Road late models, and is always a threat to nab a few
victories. John has struggled to stay consistent, but after a few years of racing under his belt, This year may
be the year that he start transforming victories, into championships. Look for Donahue to win at least once
this season, and be in contention for the win at the end.

Read more of Alex's thoughts and follow his Rookie year endeavors at Thunder Road by visiting www.alexwhitcomb.com






		*NHMS Race Weekend Recap*

Sunday, June 28, 2009

When I heard the news that Bob Bahre was selling New Hampshire International Speedway to Burton Smith I was worried.
Was Bruton after NHIS’s Cup dates? Would the track, like North Wilkesboro, be shuttered and left to die.
I am happy to say that my initial worries were proven wrong. After three NASCAR weekends since the sale, NHMS is alive and
very, very well. Despite a struggle to sell tickets this year in a very difficult economy, there were very few empty seats in the
grandstands for the June Sprint Cup race. Even threatening weather (typical Loudon forecast, you know) was not enough to
keep the race from being sold out.

The changes to the track grounds are more each time I visit. Past the obvious signage that is consistent with other SMI
tracks, race teams were greeted in 2009 with a totally-redesigned infield. A new Victory Lane, fenced-in motorcoach area and
separate areas for Whelen Modified and Camping World East teams were all welcome additions. A wider and newly-paved space
behind pit road gave more room for pit wagons, fans and a travelling lane. New fencing between the track and the main
grandstands increased the safety commitment to both fans and drivers.

During the weekend I got the chance to speak with Bob Bahre about the changes to the track. For a man who turned a
swamp into a showplace for racing, I was interested in his take on the changes. He overwhelmingly approved of the work.
Rather than being like a new home owner completely gutting the structure, the changes at NHMS have been consistent with
Bob’s vision of what the track should be. Both racers and fans will still recognize the track as the one they have been
attending for nearly the last two decades.

The changes are both modern and in-line with other Speedway Motorsports tracks. There is definitely a touch of Bruton Smith’
s signature style all over the track grounds now, but certainly not in a tacky way. For that Bruton seems to have Jerry
Gappens to thank.

Although not a native New Englander, Gappens has proven that he is a New Englander at heart. His sensibilities seem very
much similar to other New England race promoters and his role as the “face” of the speedway is both reassuring and exciting.
Where Bob Bahre shunned the spotlight Jerry Gappens is equal parts showman and quiet leader.
Of course, the only thing out of the track’s control is the rain which hit the speedway twice during the most-recent NASCAR
weekend. Seems like if we’re at Loudon for a race then there’s going to be some rain as well.

Obviously the next big thing to hit the track (after the ACT late models and their September race) will be lights and the
possibility of more banking on the track. Lights have long been a controversial issue with the towns surrounding the track but
like with the creation of the track in the first place, a liberal dose of charm, threats, money and more money are likely to give
Bruton the lights that he wants for the speedway. When is not yet known but there is little doubt that at some point there will
be night racing at Loudon.

Jerry Gappens has also made it known that he very much wants to host an IRL event at his track. Unfortunately, the IRL now
seems to have lost their way in terms of choosing a healthy schedule. Hopefully Gappens will get his way and bring the
lightning-fast open wheel racers back to New England after a much too long absence.

So after sweltering heat and torrential rain, another NHMS race weekend is in the history books. The changes to the track
grounds are welcomed and I look forward to seeing what other changes Bruton Smith, Jerry Gappens and their staff have in
common the next time I visit the track!

Amy Tillotson
Staff Writer
VLFRacing.com

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