33rd ACT Season Opener Approaching Fast at Lee USA

With the 2018 American-Canadian Tour (ACT) season less than four weeks away, anticipation is building quickly for the upcoming campaign. The Late Model stars of the Northeastern U.S. and Quebec will flock to Lee USA Speedway on Sunday, April 15 for the 28th New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150. It will mark the 33rd season of competition for the historic series since its founding in 1986 by the late Tom Curley.

The event has been the scheduled ACT Late Model Tour opener for more than a decade and regularly draws one of the largest fields on the schedule. This year’s 150-lap event at the 1/3-mile oval figures to once again be an ultra-competitive affair as teams fight to start the 2018 season on a high note.

Top U.S. drivers such as defending ACT Champion Scott Payea, multi-time ACT winner Jimmy Hebert, and Maine standout Rowland Robinson, Jr. have already officially entered the fray by filing full-season ACT entries. Many more event entries are expected in the coming weeks.

This year’s New Hampshire Governor’s Cup will also mark the first ACT event under the ownership of Cris Michaud and Pat Malone. The multi-time ACT winner and central Vermont–based commercial real estate developer took ownership of the organization last November, six months after the passing of ACT founder Tom Curley. The duo previously purchased Barre, VT’s Thunder Road Speedbowl in April 2017.

“We’re really looking forward to our first season with ACT,” Michaud said. “Tom Curley’s efforts and vision helped make ACT the premier Late Model touring series in the region. We aim to continue that proud tradition now and in the future. We have a lot of exciting things we’ve been working on for the teams and fans, and the Lee opener will be the first chance to see those things in action. We hope to see everyone there!”

The Governor’s Cup will be the launching pad for a 10-race 2018 schedule that sees the ACT Late Model Tour travel throughout New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, and Connecticut. Three of those events will pay $5,000-to-win as part of the ACT Summer Showdown Series.

Post time is 1:15pm for the 28th New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway on Sunday, April 15. The R&R Late Model Sportsmen and Northeast Classic Lites will also be on the card. An optional ACT practice day is scheduled for Saturday, April 14.