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Barre, VT — Unable to attend the 2021 Banquet of Champions during Community Bank 150 weekend, ACT Late Model Tour and Thunder Road car owner Arnie Hill was able to receive the highest award in the ACT Sanctioned sphere. Aside from owning D.J. Shaw’s runner-up in 2021 ACT points Late Model, as well as Matthew Smith’s ninth in 2021 Thunder Road points mount, a decades-long member of the Vermont racing community and sponsor of multiple machines over the years, Hill was the unanimous choice to receive the prestigious Don MacTavish Memorial Award.
Named in honor of the late Don MacTavish, this annual award is given to a person or organization who, through their efforts and attitude, has best exemplified his spirit, determination, and dedication to the sport.
MacTavish rose to fame running NASCAR Late Model Sportsman and Modified events up and down the East Coast. Not only did he win races against men like Ralph Earnhardt, Rene Charland, Tiny Lund and Pete Hamilton, MacTavish earned the 1966 NASCAR Late Model Sportsman National Title and backed it up with a runner-up position in 1967 in the NASCAR Modified National title.
Don MacTavish always reached for the brass ring, ultimately costing him his life. He grabbed at the opportunity to drive full-fledged NASCAR Grand National Series, now the Xfinity Series, at Daytona International Speedway where a freak accident on the front stretch killed him instantly. Following his loss, the Memorial Award given in his name was established with NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr. receiving the inaugural award in 1969.
Not only has Arnie Hill’s multi-decade dedication to the sport of stock car racing put him as a front runner for this award, but his successes and personability have set him apart from the rest. From the fabled Catamount Stadium in his hometown of Milton to the high banks of Thunder Road and wherever the ACT Late Model Tour has taken him, Hill has always been a respectful, stoic figure whether in victory or defeat.
“Arnold Hill is a shoo-in for the Don MacTavish Award,” said ACT and Thunder Road managing partner Cris Michaud. “Arnie has been a member of the Thunder Road and ACT community for a long time, always available for advice or a new section of fence. He’s one of the good ones and his dedication to our sport is second-to-none.”
Hill joins an equally prestigious list of car owners who have received the MacTavish Award including C.A. Crouch, June & Gardiner Leavitt, Pete Duto, Smitty McKay, Richard Green and Quebec’s Larue Brothers. Hill is the 52nd recipient of the Award.
Barre, Vermont’s Thunder Road start’s the 2022 summer season on Friday, June 10th with the first leg of the Myers Container Service Flying Tiger Triple Crown Series plus the debut of the New England Supermodified Series (NESS). Along with the Twin 75s for the the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and Supermodifieds, the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models, rk Miles Street Stocks and Burnetts Scrap Metals Road Warriors continue their 2022 seasons.
For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, media@thunderroadvt.com, or visit www.thunderroadvt.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @ThunderRoadVT.
