VLFRacing.com. The pulse on Northeast Auto Racing.

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

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	1- #05 Craig Bushey Craig can wheel any car at any time and has been a threat to win a Tiger championship for the last few years he has been in a Tiger. Aggressive, yet talented Craig always seems to put the car where it needs to be for a good finish. A new car in the works for '08 and Craig has set himself up for a dream season. 2- #36 Joel Hodgdon Joel has a knack for being quietly consistent. Not necessarily flashy, but you'll be watching the race and all of a sudden the #36 has crawled his way to the front. The kid has talent and could very well win the championship but may have to wait one more year. 3- #15 Joey Laquerre The cagey vet returns again for one more year and will win no fewer than 2 races this year. Joey seems to like to have fun more than a desire to strive for the championship. He will definitely put up a strong fight in plenty of races this year and is a great car to watch for the fans with his wisdom and know-how to move to the front. 4- #48 Tom Therrien Tom has a new teammate joining him this year and they will definitely share information back and forth. Tom has had great runs throughout the year but always seems to have a bad luck race or two to keep him from the absolute top. The older Therrien can drive and with a change of luck, he may end up higher. 5- #94 Brendan Moodie Lil Brendan can drive a car on any given day. One race last year he came from almost the absolute back of the pack to the front, and held off Laquerre for the win. Never afraid to handle things on his own on the track, Brendan has the tools to make it work, although he may need a bit of luck. 6- #41 Rick Garand The former Tiger great made a comeback last year and had a well balanced season. Rick is a smart driver who loves to ride the rails and do whatever it takes to pass the next car. Rick should have a great season and should find himself in the winner's circle in '08 7- #00 Joe Steffen Double-O is fun to watch, as the No. Co. and O. team love to have fun and bring their contagious attitude on the track every night. Steffen stayed consistent all last season, and was the only driver to qualify for every single race. Joe and Smitty will have another great season and put the tiger painted Tiger in the winner's circle again. 8- #99 Cody Blake The son of former great Burger Blake will take a race to get used to Thunder Road but after that; watch out! Blake has been running on the same tires as the Tiger Sportsman run in the class he was competing in over at WMMP and with dad in the garage, Cody should be able to put some nice runs together. Look for this rookie to make some waves in the upcoming years. 9- #55 Brian Delphia Brian has progressed every year he has run a Tiger. He has some great runs during the year, but sometimes finds himself amidst some bad luck as well. Brian will get a couple of trophies this year and will continue to improve as a driver. 10- #26 Mike Ziter If it wasn't for a great season by another Street Stocker moving up, Ziter would have won rookie of the year in the SS. Ziter has purchased a top notch car and will just need to adjust to setting up a different type of car to continue his smooth runs. 11- #4 Bobby Therrien What else can be said about Therrien's remarkable '07 season? The kid had a historic year and will see success in the Tiger division as well. Purchasing the Championship winning car, having a brother in the division and Bobby's talent will help this kid put himself towards the front often but will just have to overcome not having a handicap in his first few races of the year. 12- #80 Pete Ainsworth Pete has always put The Lonesome Ford towards the top of the standings, but seemed to be off a bit last year. Pete's bad luck continued as he seems to have trouble keeping his wheels on the car. Hopefully Pete's luck will turn around in '08 13- #49 Kris Grout Always fun to be around, Kris takes another turn in '08. Another victim of the bad luck bug, Kris always seems to get himself into a big wreck every year, not necessarily of his doing. Take out the accidents and Grout slides up in the standings. 14- #20 Chris Chambers Last year's Most Improved Driver will have another good year this race season. Chambers started his career slowly but has matured well as a driver after what seems like every race. Short on sponsors, Chambers does well with his equipment and will improve again this year. 15- #0 Mark Barnier The Hammer is never a person who you want to see in your rear view mirror and he can put together some impressive performances. The vet is always ready to do business on the track and this year will be no different. Look for The Hammer to make a mark in "08 The Wildcards: #17 Greg Lyman Lyman doesn't seem to be able to run a full season with the pace of his own business but always runs well when at the track. If Lyman runs the entire schedule, he is a threat to finish in the top 5 easily. #54 Chuck Beede Another cagey veteran, Beede has sold his car and doesn't have another one in the works. Look for Beede to run a couple of select races but nothing full time. Chuck would rather run a small schedule and not have the pressures of being there for every race.

VLFRacing.com

*VLFRacing's*
		*2008*




*Late Model pre-season predictions*

	1- 44VT Dave Pembroke It’s hard to beat consistency. Dave quietly took the championship last year, and it seems hard to believe he doesn't have the tools to do so again. Pembroke's crew seems on top of their game right now. 2- 16 Joe Becker It’s great to see another star that came from the entry-level divisions at Thunder Road. Joey has matured as a driver and has become a force to be reckoned with. They are another consistent team that has themselves in the hunt at the end of the season. Has the best chance of dethroning Pembroke for “King of the Road”. 3- 18 Jamie Fisher The Hurricane had lost a step or two in the last few years, but stepped it back up a notch in '07. If he can return to form, the SD Ireland car will threaten to become King of the Road again, but may fall just short in '08. 4- 9VT Chip Grenier A great rookie season for this driver in '07 puts a lot of pressure to perform in '08. Chip has the tools and resources to contend for the title, but may be a year or two short from winning the overall crown. Chip will find himself in victory lane again in '08. 5- 6 Cris Michaud The former champ seems to have lost his dominance at Thunder Road, not necessarily his own doing. It seems as if the rest of the field has caught up to this great driver. Michaud got caught up in some wrecks early in '07, but fought his way back up the standings to a good finish. This team needs to eliminate a bit of bad luck to find themselves back up top. 6- 7VT Eric Williams If Eric runs a full year, he could be a contender for the championship, but family events have taken him out a race or two for the past couple of years. Always puts together some amazing runs at the road, but seems to find trouble every once in a while. A very exciting driver to watch, but without knowing if he will run the full schedule puts him down a couple of notches. 7- 14VT Phil Scott The Senator seems to have lost something as of late. Not as dominate as he used to be, Scott did seem to pick it up in the second half of '07. Scott needs to locate the problem and fix it to be back on top in '08. 8- 26 John Donahue Irish John has improved almost every year in Late Models. Picking up a nice win in September last year at the road put him on a different playing field, but needs a more consistent year all together. If he can put a couple of those runs together in '08, move him up your ladder. 9- 42VT# Matt White The Enduro-turned-Tiger-turned-Late Model driver impressed many with his Milk Bowl performance last year, and looks to take Rookie of the Year in '08. Matt is a promising driver who just may need a bit more experience in a Late Model, but should be at the top in '09. 10- 25 Dave Whitcomb The ol’ vet still has a little bit left in the tank. Dave seems to put an exciting run together at least once a year, and once he is out front, he is very hard to pass. Seems to fall a bit short in the championship standings, Dave is still a good racer to watch for the fans.


	*VLFRacing's*
			*2008*




		*Late Model Tour predictions*

1- 89 Scott Payea The kid's time is finally here. He will dethrone King Cyr in '08. Scott puts together strong, consistent runs at almost every track. His talent and patience will finally pay off with championship honors. 2- 32 Jean-Paul Cyr J.P. is one of the most exciting drivers to watch. Cyr's crew is always on top of their game, whether it is to clip a car at the track or making the car turn in the corners, Cyr and his crew are legends on the tour. It just doesn't seem fair to think he will ever be less than first, but with the talent and the competition on the tour, anything is possible. 3- 02NH Randy Potter Riverside and WMMP native Potter put on an impressive run in '07, and will do the same in '08. Plenty of talent and good equipment follow this driver around the tracks in the region, and with more exposure, will put on better runs at some of the tracks he may have been unfamiliar with in the past. 4- 97 Joey Polewarczyk Jr. A great run down at NSS Speedweeks this year has put this kid back on the map. Joey Pole has the tools to be something great but Pole just may need another year to gather everything together to be a consistent force on the tour. 5- 55VT Brent Dragon Here’s another great pool of talent with the Dragon team. The only thing that worries me for the Dragon Wagon in '08 is the learning of a new car. Dragon has gone with Kenyon chassis of Canada and it may take a race or two to dial the new car in. With his talent, he will get the car figured out shortly and win a race or two on the tour. 6- 10 Ben Rowe Hard to know if Rowe will compete on the tour full time, but puts down amazing finishes when he does run. Benji is a great talent to come on the tour, and if he does make all of the races, will definitely contend for the title. 7- 80 Donald Theetge The Canadian put some strong runs together south of the border in '07. Theetge has talent, but can he put it all together for a full year? Top notch team and driver needs to hit his marks at all of the tracks he can to raise in the standings. 8- 88# Nicholas Sweet Last year's Tiger Sportsman champion has got a top notch car and a great team. Put that with a kid with a ton of talent, and you will win some races. Father Shayne and team members know how to work on their cars, but the only thing that may hold back this Phenom is lack of experience on some of the other tracks. It will not take long for Nick to learn the ropes of the tour. 9- 18 Jamie Fisher The Hurricane is one of few drivers to run both the Tour and Thunder Road. Seems to miss the mark on the tour, but does put together a good run at some tracks. If Jamie is focused on the Tour or Thunder Road alone he may put bigger marks on the standings. 10- 9ON# Jonathan Urlin Jonathan could be the next great thing to come from the North. Son of former ACT champ Russ Urlin, Jonathan has the tools to make waves on the Tour. Not sure of his exact plans for '08, but if he does run the full schedule, will do well on more than one occasion. Look for Urlin to do well in '08.

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#97 Joey Pole cruises to his first victory of 2008


		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


		*JYWarrior's pre-season predictions*
*VLFRacing's*	*2008*

1.        #19 Neal Foster, Neal had a huge turnaround in 2007, expect him to be all business this year going for the title. He is a great driver with a beat up
car. You can expect good things from him this year

2.        #43 Jamie Davis, always a title contender should be another close one this year.

3.        #1 Chad Brown, proved at practice that he will be a force to be reckoned with as long as he can keep his mind in it.

4.        #59 Dale Bickford, while he was running in 2007 he was always in front, look for that to continue into 2008 with his new car

5.        #04 Scott Weston, had a good end to 2007 if he can continue that into 2008 expect him to win a couple races and to be in the top 10 most of the
season

6.        #30 Mike Gay, I don’t know where he keeps finding these Mazda’s but he has yet another and he knows how to set them up, very fast and learned a
few things         in 2007 look for ‘biffer’ in the front a lot in 2008.

7.        #54 Dan Garrett, had a stint in the streets last season, but when he was in the JYW he was always toward the front look for that again in ‘08

8.        #05 Donny Yates, posted a win toward the end of last season with very few starts under his belt, if that’s any sign of what’s to come then Donny
should have a great season.

9.        #22 Mike Ducey, Missed 5 races last season and finished outside of the top 10, however if his car holds up and he makes all the races he should be
right up there this season.

10.        #57 Mark LaFleche, again another driver that missed 5 races in 2007, rumor has it he wont be running a full schedule but if he does he is always
a contender.

11.        #52 Lance Donald, rookie season, has some Enduro experience, he worked on the 52 last season and knows Ford Escorts.   I expect him to be a
threat mid to late season.

12.        #88 Jeff Pemberton, his 07 season had a lot of ups and downs but if he can stay out of trouble he will be a contender.

13.        #90 Mark Rossi, another rookie but I don’t care who you are, with that car you are always a contender.

14.        #24 Justin Gay, Justin learned a lot last year rumor has it there might be a new car.   I expect a good year from Justin not a title year but a good
year.

15.        #32 Jared Henry, he kind of disappeared at the end of 2007 but at the start he was always at the front expect that again in ‘08

#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"*

	*Teamwork* *( ) n. Cooperative effort by the members of a group or team to achieve a common goal.* *A VLFRacing.com exclusive article by: Eric LaFleche* This noun has never been more evident than what is happening this week. Here is the scenario: May 4, 2008; #00 Mike "Beetle" Bailey is racing in the 10th annual Merchant's Bank 150 at Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, VT. The "big one" happens on the front stretch, multiple cars are involved in an accident which leaves many cars finished for the day. One such car is the #00, which seems to have suffered the most severe damage, with an obvious damaged front clip and other body and suspension damage; luckily Mike Bailey is unharmed in the accident. Now this is where the title of the article comes into play. Fellow competitor #16 Joey Becker leads the way in helping Mike get the car in shape for the upcoming week and Joey is not alone. A front clip is "donated" by yet another competitor (#78 Ryan Nolin) Other parts and pieces are gathered and the work begins! First to come off is the damaged front clip. Brian LaTouche lends his skill and Richard Green (#16 Car Owner) lends his shop to the cause. Now think about this: doesn't this seem odd to help a person who you will be competing against in a few days? Well to these drivers, the love of racing overcomes all and when a popular "hometown" racer like a Mike Bailey needs a hand, these boys really step up. It makes for a good feeling to see actions like this. While so much in today's society is all about helping yourself, kudos to all the people who are helping "Beetle" continue to compete. Below you will see what great people and great friends are all about. Here is the impressive list of people who have stepped up in one way or another. The whole #00 Mike “Beetle” Bailey crew deeply appreciates all of your hard work. Thank you Joey Becker Richard Green Mike Thompson John Donahue Kendal Roberts Tony Andrews Doug Murphy Brian Latouche Ryan Nolin Dan Nolin Action Towing Co. Rick Gonyeau Mark Barnier Kyle Plasterich Dave Nelson Kathy Bailey Jerry Nelson Roger Hutchension Brian Mattott Mike Burno *Pictures provided by* *www.leiftillotsonphotography.com* Words from Mike "Beetle" Bailey Also thank you to anyone else that may have offered something that has slipped my mind. These Past few days have been a little crazy. Last of all I would like to thank my wife Jenn, for dealing with the craziness this week. Our Sponsors: Vermont Roof check (our brand new hood sponsor who is going to stand by us 100%), The Great Energy Store, Bob's Camera and Video, Art's Mechanical, Jet Service Envelope and Mascitti Bros. Custom Vinyl. Thank you all for your support! Thank you. -Beetle