This Track in ACT History: Autodrome Chaudière

This Track in ACT History: Autodrome Chaudière

Location: Vallée-Jct., QC

Track: ¼-mile high-banked oval

Opened: 1992 (clay), 2005 (asphalt)

# of ACT Races Held: 24

ACT Late Model Tour – 1

Série ACT – 18 (includes 1 combo event with ACT U.S.)

ACT Special Events – 6

Most Wins:

ACT Late Model Tour – Wayne Helliwell Jr., 1

Série ACT – Patrick Laperle and Donald Theetge, 5

ACT Special Events – Patrick Laperle, 2

A Brief History of Autodrome Chaudière

Autodrome Chaudière first opened its doors in 1992 and has packed a lot into a relatively short time. This tight bullring – the official length of ¼-mile may be a tad generous – was originally a dirt track run in partnership between the Vallée-Jonction Lions Club and Michel Lessard (whose property the track was built on). Taking its name from the Chaudière River that crosses the municipality of Vallée-Jct., the track had a few relatively uneventful years of operation before Lessard took full control in 1996. Lessard increased the track to 1/3-mile in length, holding an Amateur Truck race to kick off the new configuration. (The winner was Francois Lessard, the father of current rising Super Late Model star Raphael Lessard.)

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This Track in ACT History: Beech Ridge Motor Speedway

This Track in ACT History: Beech Ridge Motor Speedway

Location: Scarborough, ME

Track: 1/3-mile semi-banked oval

Opened: 1949

# of ACT Races Held: 39

ACT Pro Stock Tour – 25

ACT Late Model Tour – 12

ACT Sunoco Regional Series, Region 1 – 2

Most Wins:

ACT Pro Stock Tour – Dave Dion, 5

ACT Late Model Tour – Eddie MacDonald/Brad Babb/Nick Sweet, 2 each

ACT Sunoco Regional Series – Ralph Nason and Mike Rowe, 1 each

A Brief History of Beech Ridge

Beech Ridge Motor Speedway opened its gates for the first time on May 20, 1949. Scarborough’s James B. McConnell owned a timber cutting and sawmill business – one that was surely very profitable, given the amount of trees in Maine – but his real dream was to bring auto racing to the state of Maine. In 1948, he began work on realizing that dream, carving a 1/3-mile clay track into the woods outside Portland with the help of about 15 other men. (Incidentally, real horsepower came along the following year when the Scarborough Downs horse racing track was constructed nearby.)

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Bullring Bash Date Change Creates Huge Labor Day Weekend at Thunder Road

Bullring Bash Date Change Creates Huge Labor Day Weekend at Thunder Road

A recent rescheduling has set up the 41st Coca-Cola Labor Day Classic at Thunder Road to be one of the biggest weekends in the history of the event.

Officials from the Bullring Bash Quarter Mile Challenge Series recently announced that the “Rumble in the Quarry” Modified and Legend Car events at Thunder Road will now be held Sunday, September 1. The events were originally scheduled for Saturday, September 14, but have been moved due to a conflict with the Tri-Track Modified Series.

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This Track in ACT History: Plattsburgh Airborne Speedway

This Track in ACT History: Plattsburgh Airborne Speedway

Location: Plattsburgh

Track: ½-mile semi-banked oval

Opened: 1954

Also Known As: Airborne Park Speedway, Airborne International Raceway, Airborne Speedway, Adirondack Park, Plattsburgh International Raceway

# of ACT Races Held: 73

ACT Pro Stock Tour/NASCAR North – 25

Sunoco Regional Series Region 3 - 1

ACT Late Model Tour – 47

Série ACT – 3 (combo events with ACT Late Model Tour)

Most Wins:

ACT Pro Stock Tour/NASCAR North – Brad Leighton, 5

Regional Series – Donald Forte, 1

ACT Late Model Tour – Brian Hoar, 9

Série ACT – Joey Polewarczyk Jr., - 2

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This Track in ACT History: Sanair Super Speedway/Sanair International Raceway

This Track in ACT History: Sanair Super Speedway/Sanair International Raceway

Location: St-Pie, QC

Track:

Sanair International Raceway: 1/3-mile oval

Sanair Super Speedway: 0.826-mile (1.3 km) triangle

Opened: 1971 (oval), 1983 (triangle)

# of ACT Races Held: 40

ACT Pro Stock Tour/NASCAR North – 32 (8 oval, 24 triangle)

ACT Late Model Tour – 8 (triangle)

Most Wins:

ACT Pro Stock Tour/NASCAR North – Junior Hanley, 7

ACT Late Model Tour – Brian Hoar, 2

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This Track in ACT History: New Hampshire Motor Speedway

This Track in ACT History: New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Location: Loudon, NH

Track: 1.058-mile oval

Opened: 1990

Also Known As: New Hampshire International Speedway

# of ACT Races Held: 1 point-counting event for ACT Late Model Tour/Serié ACT; 9 invitational events

Most Wins: Eddie MacDonald, 5

 

A Brief History of New Hampshire Motor Speedway

The story of New Hampshire Motor Speedway begins where the story of Bryar Motorsports Park ends. The latter had been a prominent facility on both the national stock car and motorcycle circuits in the 1960s and 1970s with its 1.63-mile road course and 5/8-mile oval. But by the late 1980s, it had fallen into disrepair and largely been reduced to motorcycle racing. Enter Bob Bahre. With NASCAR looking to expand into the Northeast market, the already-legendary Maine businessman and track promoter saw the potential for the property, which was located just an hour north of Boston. So he bought the facility in 1989 and bulldozed the old tracks, paving the way for a new modern racing facility.

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