Best of Quebec Set to Defend Their Turf in ACT Doubleheader
/The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) arrives in Quebec on Saturday, June 1 for the first round of a Canadian twin bill. But while plenty of U.S. stars are making the trip, the best ACT racers in Quebec will be trying to keep the big trophies and big checks at home.
A huge field of Quebec-based Late Model drivers have already committed to the Claude Leclerc 150 at VallΓ©e-Jct., QCβs Autodrome Chaudiere on Saturday, June 1 and the Jean-Paul Cabana 125 at Ste-Croix, QCβs Circuit Riverside Speedway on Sunday, June 2. Champions such as Patrick Laperle, Jonathan Bouvrette, and Samuel Charland join a mix of popular veterans and rising stars who are eager to claim the $5,000 USD winnerβs check at Chaudiere and/or the $5,000 CAD top prize at Circuit Ste-Croix.
What might be most notable is that the man the Saturday night event is named for is also on the entry list. Lanoraie, QCβs Claude Leclerc continues to put the pedal down at age 77 as a full-time competitor on the ACT Late Model Tour. While the Claude Leclerc 150 is a tribute to the racing legacy of βThe Ironmanβ, he has a chance to add to that legacy with a strong run in his namesake event.
St-Denis, QCβs Laperle remains a threat to win almost anywhere he goes, and he will be on the short list of contenders this weekend. The former SΓ©rie ACT and ACT U.S. Champion currently is tied with Brian Hoar for the most victories in ACT-sanctioned Late Model touring events. Having two events on his home turf could be Laperleβs best chance to break that tie.
Several Canadians who have been traveling with the ACT Late Model Tour this season get to race much closer to home for this round. Blainville, QCβs Bouvrette is another prime contender to watch, as the 2017 SΓ©rie ACT Champion captured the $10,000 CAD-to-win Bacon Bowl 200 at Chaudiere last August. However, his teammate Mathieu Kingsbury is the highest Canadian in the ACT point standings right now as he sits sixth overall. Saturdayβs event is an opportunity to make a big statement in his first year with the Tour. Another former SΓ©rie ACT Champion, Quebec Cityβs Jean-Francois Dery, has committed to the Jean-Paul Cabana 125 at a track where he has always run strong.
Autodrome Chaudiere also has a strong weekly NASCAR Late Model class that uses ACT rules. Many of those weekly runners have already filed their entries for the big shows. Victoriaville, QCβs Samuel Charland, the 2018 Autodrome Chaudiere Champion and Triple Crown Champion, looks to start his title defense with a win. Other top-10 runners from 2018 such as Beauceville, QCβs Jeff Cote; St-Raymond, QCβs Christophe Paquet; and Sainte-Georges, QCβs Jonathan Bergeron will come to compete.
Those who follow ACT action around the region may see some other familiar names. VallΓ©e-Jct., QCβs Marc-Andre ClichΓ©; Saint-Joseph du Beauce, QCβs Pier-Luc Labbe; St-Paul de Juliette, QCβs Remi Perreault; and Notre Dame des Pins, QCβs Alexendre Tardif now all have experience with the ACT Late Model Tour or SΓ©rie ACT. They will surely be in their element as they attempt to qualify for what are expected to be two of the biggest ACT fields of the year.
Theyβll have to contend with a strong contingent of U.S.-based Late Model racers who are determined to show why theyβre at the top of the ACT Late Model Tour heap. Current point leader Rich Dubeau of Plainfield, NH; two-time defending champion Scott Payea of Colchester, VT; multi-time winner Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown, VT; and top rookie Stephen Donahue of Graniteville, VT will all be rolling into the pits on Saturday. Theyβll be joined by Dylan Payea, Christopher Pelkey, Ryan Kuhn, Brandon Atkins, Reilly and Peyton Lanphear, and many others crossing the border.
A huge weeked Quebec racing begins on Saturday, June 1 with the Claude Leclerc 150 at VallΓ©e-Jct.βs Autodrome Chaudiere on Saturday, June 1. Post time is 5:45pm for a card that also includes a 75-lap SΓ©rie Sportsman Quebec event plus the NASCAR Sport Compact Amateur division. The pits open at 12:00pm and the front gates open at 3:00pm. Admission is $38 CAD ($30 USD) for adults and free for ages 17 and under.
ACT wraps up the weekend at Ste-Croixβs Circuit Riverside Speedway on Sunday, June 2 at 1:00pm. The Jean-Paul Cabana 125 is joined by a 50-lap feature for the NASCAR SΓ©rie Procam Super Trucks and a 30-lap βcombo eventβ for Sport Compact Amateur and Sport Compact Elite. The pits open at 8:30am with the front gates at 10:00am. Admission is $40 CAD ($35 USD) for adults and free for ages 17 and under.