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ACT History

The History of the American Canadian Tour

In 1979, famed television and radio journalist Ken Squier and business partner Tom Curley formed the NASCAR North Tour for Late Model

Sportsman-type cars. Stars of the day included New England drivers Beaver and Bobby Dragon, Dave Dion, and Dick McCabe; Canada’s Jean-Paul Cabana and Claude Leclerc; and invaders Robbie Crouch of Tampa, FL and Chuck Bown of Portland, OR. With sponsorship from companies like Coors, Molson, Skoal, STP, Valvoline, and General Motors, the NASCAR North Tour visited the short track showplaces of the northeastern U.S. and Canada: Thunder Road in Vermont, Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine, Stafford Springs and Thompson, CT, Sanair Super Speedway near Montreal, Cayuga Speedway in Ontario, and Dover Downs Int’l Speedway in Dover, DE. Southern stars Butch Lindley, Bill Dennis, Harry Gant, Tommy Ellis, Gene Glover, L.D. Ottinger, and Bosco Lowe were frequent visitors to NASCAR North Tour events, along with national icons Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, and Dale Earnhardt.

As a means of transitioning toward a more modern type of race car, Curley formed the independent

American-Canadian Tour in 1986, making a total changeover from the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman to the Super Late Model and Pro Stock cars used throughout the country. In 1987, once the change was complete, Curley’s ACT aligned with Rex Robbins’ American Speed Association (ASA) of the Midwest and Bob Harmon’s All-Pro Series of the southeast, forming the Stock Car Connection. The SCC visited high-profile tracks in Cincinnati, OH; Milwaukee, WI; Nazareth, PA; and Nashville, TN; and saw visitors that included Darrell Waltrip, Mark Martin, Bobby and Davey Allison, and Rusty and Kenny Wallace, along with short track legends Dick Trickle, Butch Miller, Mike Eddy, Bob Senneker, Steve Grissom, and Bobby Gill.

With General Motors stepping up its commitment to ACT in 1989, the GM Motorsport National

Stock Car Series was formed in Canada, offering large purses, even larger point funds, and coast-to-coast television coverage. Budweiser created the Bud Triple Crown as part of the GM Series, and paid Junior Hanley over $50,000 in 1991 and again in '92 for sweeping the series. During Hanley's ACT Championship years from 1991-93, the Ontario driver earned more than $700,000 in winnings!

The current ACT Late Model Tour and its sister series, the Canadian Série Castrol Edge, utilize modern, cost-effective race cars that create thrilling side-by-side action, and are among the leading short track series in North America. Beginning in 1992 and taking center stage in ACT racing in 1996, the ACT Late Model Tour has introduced many innovative concepts used in several forms of short track racing. ACT developed one of the first “spec” engine programs in 1999 as a cost-saving option for local and regional racers. After successful testing in the early 2000s, most Late Model teams and promoters in New England have made the switch. To date, more than 400 of these power plants have been sold. The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. of Akron, OH used an ACT Late Model in 2005 as a development tool in creating its revolutionary 8” slick tire. As with the spec engine, nearly a dozen tracks in the U.S. and Canada have mandated the tire. ACT also played a significant role in the research and development of a limitied tire and a four-cylinder tire for Goodyear over the past several years. A similar cost-saving “spec” program exists with Koni shock absorbers.

The American-Canadian Tour receives high praise from race teams, promoters, and the media. National Speed Sport News, Late Model Digest, and many other national publications feature ACT, its drivers, rule packages, and events on a frequent basis. In 2004, ACT President Tom Curley was voted by more than 1,000 race promoters across the continent as the Auto Racing Promoter of the Year. The People’s United Bank Milk Bowl, a three-segment, cumulatively scored ACT Late Model Tour race at Thunder Road, is known as

the “toughest short track race in North America,” and the race’s past winners have been featured in newsprint in Los Angeles, Detroit, and Toronto. The race was named the “Outstanding Annual Short Track Event” by NSSN in 2006. One of the country’s richest Late Model events, the TD Bank 250 at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway, made the switch to ACT-type rules in 2007. With support from race teams and tracks throughout the region, a whopping 340 drivers competed under the ACT umbrella in 2007. For their efforts in the growth of stock car racing, both Squier and Curley were recently inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame.

In 2008 the ACT Late Model Tour completed 12 events while traveling to Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, New York, Connecticut, Quebec and Ontario. ACT also runs the Canadian-based Série Castrol Edge, which was formed in 2005. The first ever “Showdown at Chaudiere” was run in 2008. The “Showdown” lined-up the best ten ACT Late Model Tour and the best ten Série ACT Castrol wheelmen in a 200 lap All-Star race.

The American Canadian Tour made their first ever appearance in the historic ACT Invitational at the New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the

fall NASCAR Sprint Cup weekend in 2009. Over 300 Late Model teams from throughout the Northeastern US and the provinces of Quebec and Ontario battled throughout the 2009 season on the American Canadian Tour, Série Castrol Edge and nine ACT affiliated tracks, to claim one of the thirty-six starting spots for the historic event. The 50 lap race lived up to the hype and left New England buzzing as Rowley, Massachusetts resident Eddie MacDonald took the win after battling fiercely with Barre, Vermont’s Nick Sweet and Stayner, Ontario’s Brandon Watson throughout the event. With just two cautions and non-stop side-by-side racing, the American Canadian Tour Late Models put on one of the best shows of the weekend.

The success earned ACT the chance to return to the “Magic Mile” for another Invitational in 2010. The event was expanded to a field of 43 cars and 60 laps. Invites were extended to the winners of the ACT Tour and Série Castrol Edge events, as well as the point leaders of the two Tours. Other invites were given to the champions or point leaders of nine ACT affiliated tracks. These tracks include Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, VT, Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, ME, Twin State Speedway in Claremont, NH, Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, Ontario, Seekonk Speedway in Seekonk, MA, Capital City Speedway in Ottawa, Ontario, Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH, Waterford Speedbowl in Waterford, CT, and White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, NH. Young star Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson, New Hampshire came from his 27th starting position to claim the impressive win and earn the Ford Blue Oval Cup Challenge bonus.

ACT began its 2011 season early with its first ever trip to New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida as part of the World Series of

Asphalt Stock Car Racing. The two 100 lap events of the Goodyear Speedweeks Cup were non-point counting races that brought 28 Late Model teams from the Northeastern United States and Eastern Canada. ACT showcased its competitive side-by-side action to the southern fans and completed both 100 lap events in under an hour each. The aggressive yet respectful racing was some of the best run during Speedweeks.

The remainder of the 2011 season will bring another first for ACT as, in addition to the annual ACT Invitational a second date at New Hampshire Motor Speedway has been scheduled. Over 100 Late Model drivers are expected to attend the first ever “Short Track All-Star” event to be held at NHMS during the IZOD Indy Car weekend. In true short track style, the event will include heat race qualifiers and two feature events.

ACT continues to set the standard for cost contained competition for fans and competitors of short track racing throughout the region and country.

Last Updated Monday, March 21 2011 @ 03:35 PM EDT; 5,256 Hits

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