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Alan Ward Photo
Barre, VT — For the first time in nearly two decades, the ACT Late Model Tour will return to the tight turning highbanks of Winchester, New Hampshire’s Monadnock Speedway. The Monadnock 150 serves as the third race on the 2022 ACT schedule and provides a new challenge to the top runners in pursuit of the Northeast’s biggest prize; the American-Canadian Tour championship.
Without a reliable notebook, even New England and Quebec’s best touring Late Model racers are going in blind, but ready to put their skills to the test. Point leader Derek Gluchacki made the trip over last Saturday to get acclimated to a new track while second-in-points D.J. Shaw will no doubt tap into his Pro Stock success at the Winchester oval for Sunday’s double-duty.
One of the most excited drivers to hit the pits on Sunday morning is the New Salem, Massachusetts native Tom Carey III. “[Monadnock] was the first place I ever raced,” said Carey. “I ran almost a full season my first year [in 2013], and won the championship in ’14.”
When asked if he has a leg up on the competition, Carey said “I think we’ll be strong, even though it’s been a while. Really, I’m most excited for all my friends and family to be able to come and see me race, being just a 15-minute ride.”
In order to wave the checkered flag for his hometown crowd, Carey will stand toe-to-toe with some stiff competition. While Gluchacki and Shaw look to keep their current point cushions, Quebec’s Jonathan Bouvrette is desperate for a big turnaround from his early catastrophes and Stephen Donahue looks to continue his momentum from Thunder Road. Former champion Rich Dubeau also looks to keep his top-ten-in-points position as does Shawn Swallow, Erick Sands and Jimmy Renfrew Jr.
With top Rookie of the Year contender Jaime Swallow Jr. jumping into a back-up car following a devastating crash in practice up at Groveton’s Riverside Speedway last Saturday, Cody Leblanc, Robby Gordon Douglas and Quebec’s Alexendre Tardif look to break out of their three-way-tie for second in the Rookie standings.
Invaders looking to take on Monadnock alongside the ACT regulars include former Thompson Speedway Late Model champion and Tour-type Modified fan-favorite Woody Pitkat in the 91CT Hartwell Motorsports entry. Evan Hallstrom, coming off his first top-ten in the Robbie Crouch and A.J. Squier owned machine, is also entered as is three-time Thunder Road ‘King of the Road’ Jason Corliss with the Burnett Scrap Metals team.
The Monadnock 150 for the ACT Late Model Tour alongside the Pro All Stars Series Super Late Models and Modified series is set for Sunday, May 22 with a 3:00pm Post Time. The inaugural PASS Super Late Model event is also set for a 150-lap distance while the Modifieds go for a hard charging 40-lapper. This will serve as the second ACT and PASS doubleheader event of 2022.
Grandstands open at 12:30pm with General Admission set at $25 for adults, $10 for children ages 6-12 years old and free for ages 5 and under. Pit Passes are $45 per person and pit gates will open at 10:00am. The ACT & PASS Combination event at Monadnock Speedway will be broadcast live and around the world on Racing America to monthly and yearly subscribers.
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
