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Lessard Clinches First ACT Title, Returning Crown to Canada
Seekonk, MA — Derry, New Hampshire’s Erick Sands earned another season-ending treat in the Milton CAT Haunted Hundred at Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway on Saturday, October 25, winning the event for the second year in a row. Sands took the lead from Quebec City, Quebec’s William Larue on lap 61 and motored away down the stretch. Behind him, Larue’s teammate Raphael Lessard of Vallée-Jct., Quebec put a bow on the 2025 Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour (ACT) championship, bringing the title to Canada for the first time since 2008.
Sands started on the pole for the 100-lap feature after earning a plus-five in qualifying, but Larue powered past him at the drop of the green flag. Larue pulled away in the early going, but Sands and many-time Seekonk champion Dave Darling reeled the leader back in as he worked through lapped traffic. The trio chased each other around the slower cars, weaving high and low in a race that ultimately went flag to flag without a caution.
Several opportunities presented themselves to Sands in the middle stages, as he would draw to the inside of Larue only for the Canadian standout to fend him off. Sands stayed patient, though, and finally nosed ahead on the 61st circuit. The reigning ACT “Most Improved Driver” cleared Larue a few laps later by setting a pick on the lapped car of Jeremy Sorel.
As an even more fierce battle developed between Larue and Darling for second, Sands was able to drive off into the late October sun and score the victory. The only two Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour victories for Sands have now come in the last two Haunted Hundreds, cementing him as the tour’s new “King of Halloween.”
Darling dogged Larue tirelessly over the final third of the event, working the top and bottom groove, but could not find a way around him. Larue would end up second, his best career U.S. finish, while Darling completed the podium.
Meanwhile, the final chapter of the 2025 Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour championship chase played out behind them. Defending champion Gabe Brown won his qualifying heat to close to within 39 points of Raphael Lessard, who needed to get into the feature through the consolation round and thus rolled off 23rd to Brown’s 10th.
However, the speed from Brown’s heat race did not carry over to the main event. Brown remained stuck in the middle of the pack early, then started drifting back. As he did, Lessard remained patient, picking off cars when he could while not taking any risks that could jeopardize his title hopes.
At the same moment Sands was overtaking Larue for the lead, Lessard caught Brown for the 12th position. The two raced for several laps before Lessard successfully got by, marking a symbolic passing of the Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour champion’s baton. Lessard would end up 11th in the feature’s final rundown while Brown was 13th, marking a frustrating end to his belated bid at back-to-back crowns.
Lessard and his Larue Motorsports team were thus the victors celebrating the championship and earning the $20,000 top prize. He becomes only the fourth Canadian driver to stand atop the mountain, joining Russ Urlin (1989), Junior Hanley (1991-93), and Patrick Laperle (2008), the latter of whom was the only previous Quebec native champion.
Elsewhere in the Haunted Hundred, Jake Johnson motored from 13th at the start to finish fourth, and Kaiden Fisher overcame Jesse Switser in a late duel for the fifth position. Switser, Ryan Kuhn, Devin Deshaies, Stephen Martin, and Derek Gluchacki also ended their 2025 campaigns with top 10 finishes. Thirty-six cars officially entered the season finale, and of the 31 who started the main event, 30 were still running at the finish, with Brandon Lambert the only early retiree.
The Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour has officially wrapped up the 2025 season. Officials have already been hard at work sharpening the pencil to put down an exciting 2026 schedule of events. Updated rulebooks and the 2026 schedule are set to be released by the Thanksgiving holiday while the annual Banquet of Champions will be held Saturday, January 3 at the Capital Plaza in Montpelier, Vermont. The staff of the Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour would like to thank our many great teams, sponsors and supporters, fans, host tracks, and especially Milton CAT for an incredible 2025 season.
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.
For more information about Milton CAT, visit their website at www.miltoncat.com or get updates from their Instagram account at @milton_cat.
The Milton CAT Haunted Hundred
Seekonk Speedway – Seekonk, MA
Saturday, October 25, 2025
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
2025 Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour Champion – Raphael Lessard
Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour – Milton CAT Haunted Hundred (100 Laps)
Pos. Driver Car # Hometown Laps
1. Erick Sands ( 36NH ) , Derry, NH , 100 Laps
2. William Larue ( 45QC ) , Quebec City, QC , 100 Laps
3. David Darling ( 52MA ) , Seekonk, MA , 100 Laps
4. Jake Johnson ( 15MA ) , Rehoboth, MA , 100 Laps
5. Kaiden Fisher ( 18VT ) , Shelburne, VT , 100 Laps
6. Jesse Switser ( 25NH ) , W. Burke, VT , 100 Laps
7. Ryan Kuhn ( 72MA ) , E. Bridgewater, MA , 100 Laps
8. Devin Deshaies ( 64RI ) , Harrisville, RI , 100 Laps
9. Stephen Martin ( 45NH ) , Craftsbury Common, VT , 100 Laps
10. Derek Gluchacki ( 03MA ) , Dartmouth, MA , 100 Laps
11. Raphael Lessard ( 48QC ) , St-Joseph, QC , 100 Laps
12. DJ Shaw ( 60BH ) , Center Conway,NH , 100 Laps
13. Gabe Brown ( 47NH ) , Center Conway, NH , 100 Laps
14. Alexendre Tardif ( 31CT ) , Notre Dame des Pins, QC , 100 Laps
15. Joey Polewarczyk ( 97NH ) , Hudson, NH , 99 Laps
16. Joshua Hedges ( 29MA ) , New Bedford, MA , 99 Laps
17. Andrew Gomes ( 10MA ) , Rehoboth, MA , 99 Laps
18. Mark Jenison ( 22RI ) , Warwick, RI , 99 Laps
19. Luke LeBrun ( 27ME ) , Hudson, MA , 99 Laps
20. Justin Prescott ( 04VT ) , Fairfax, VT , 99 Laps
21. Cam Huntress ( 27NH ) , Rochester, NH , 99 Laps
22. Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) , Barre, VT , 99 Laps
23. Jeremy Sorel ( 7MA ) , Westfield, MA , 99 Laps
24. Richie Murray ( 08RI ) , Tiverton, RI , 99 Laps
25. Remi Perreault ( 33QC ) , St. Paul, QC , 99 Laps
26. Dylan Estrella ( 8MA ) , N. Attleboro, MA , 99 Laps
27. Taylor Hoar ( 2NH ) , South Hero, VT , 99 Laps
28. Chase Belcher ( 35MA ) , W. Wareham, MA , 99 Laps
29. Zackary Fauteux ( 41QC ) , Mascouche, QC , 99 Laps
30. Cole Littlewood ( 73MA ) , Orange, MA , 98 Laps
31. Brandon Lambert ( 77AZ ) , Alton Bay, NH , 86 Laps
Time of Race: 23:02 Margin of Victory: 3.712 seconds
Cautions: None
Heat Winners: Gabe Brown, Jesse Switser, Jason Corliss, Ryan Kuhn
Consi Winners: Joey Polewarczyk, D.J. Shaw
