American Canadian Tour
The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) is an independent regional stock car racing series based in the northeastern United States, and Eastern Canada. The American-Canadian Tour was founded in 1979, conducts professional races across New England and Quebec. After starting with a pair of non-point events at Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina, the ACT Tour will open its 45th season in April 2023 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, New Hampshire.[1]
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Category | Stock car racing |
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Country | New England and New York, United States Quebec, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia Canada |
Inaugural season | 1979 |
Drivers' champion | American-Canadian Tour – D.J. Shaw (2022) Série ACT Quebec – Jonathan Bouvrette (2017) |
Official website | ACT Tour |
History
Both Squier and Curley have been inducted into the New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame and the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. In 2004, ACT founder Tom Curley was voted by more than 1,000 race promoters across the continent as the Auto Racing Promoter of the Year. In 2018 Ken Squier was ceremoniously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC for his contributions to the growth of the sport on a national, and international, level.
While Squier continues to visit Thunder Road, ACT lost its visionary leader in May 2017 when a decades-long battle with COPD claimed Tom Curley. In November that year the American-Canadian Tour changed ownership for the first time in its storied history. Former racer Cris Michaud and Vermont businessman Pat Malone took charge of the sanctioning body after partnering to purchase Vermont’s Thunder Road earlier that season. The partnership would go on to purchase New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park in 2019.
In recent years the American-Canadian Tour has competed at tracks across New England, Quebec, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. Partnering with the Maine-based Pro All Stars Series (PASS), the two sanctioning bodies have been co-promoting events at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park (CT) since 2020.
Competitors, officials, and fans alike are eagerly awaiting the 2023 season to begin. In its 45th consecutive year, the American-Canadian Tour schedule features thirteen point-counting events in New England and Quebec with highlights that include the return to Stafford Speedway, at least seven events worth $5,000-or-more to win and joining the region’s biggest weekends, including the 51st Spring Sizzler, the 50th Oxford 250 and the 61st Vermont Milk Bowl.
The American-Canadian Tour also returns as a permanent fixture in Quebec, Canada with the 10-race Serie ACT Quebec series in 2023. ACT-sanctioned weekly racing can also be found at Thunder Road International Speedbowl (VT), White Mountain Motorsports Park (NH) and Thompson Speedway (CT).
American-Canadian Tour Champions (1979-2022)
Year | Champion | Hometown | Tour Name | Starts | Wins | Top 5s | Top 10s |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1979 | Harmon 'Beaver' Dragon | Milton, VT | North Tour | 27 | 9 | 23 | 24 |
1980 | Harmon 'Beaver' Dragon | Milton, VT | North Tour | 25 | 3 | 18 | 21 |
1981 | Dick McCabe | Kennebunkport, ME | Molson Tour | 27 | 7 | 19 | 23 |
1982 | Dick McCabe | Kennebunkport, ME | Molson Tour | 33 | 8 | 25 | 31 |
1983 | Robbie Crouch | Tampa, FL | Stroh's Tour | 27 | 8 | 17 | 19 |
1984 | Robbie Crouch | Tampa, FL | Stroh's Tour | 29 | 5 | 13 | 21 |
1985 | Randy LaJoie | Norwalk, CT | Coors Tour | 30 | 5 | 21 | 25 |
1986 | Robbie Crouch | Tampa, FL | ACT Coors Tour | 27 | 10 | 20 | 22 |
1987 | Robbie Crouch | Tampa, FL | ACT Coors Tour | 20 | 5 | 13 | 14 |
1988 | Robbie Crouch | Tampa, FL | ACT Coors Tour | 21 | 11 | 14 | 15 |
1989 | Russ Urlin | London, ON | ACT Coors Tour | 21 | 7 | 19 | 21 |
1990 | Robbie Crouch | Tampa, FL | ACT Coors Tour | 22 | 4 | 14 | 17 |
1991 | Junior Hanley | Oakville, ON | American-Canadian Tour | 21 | 7 | 12 | 16 |
1992 | Junior Hanley | Oakville, ON | American-Canadian Tour | 23 | 10 | 16 | 19 |
Dave Whitcomb | Essex Junction, VT | ACT LMS Series | 8 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |
1993 | Junior Hanley | Oakville, ON | ACT GM Goodwrench Tour | 21 | 12 | 16 | 17 |
Brian Hoar | Willison, VT | ACT LMS Series | 6 | 3 | 4 | 6 | |
1994 | Mike Rowe | Turner, ME | American-Canadian Tour | 16 | 4 | 10 | 13 |
Jean-Paul Cyr | Milton, VT | ACT LMS Series | 6 | 1 | 3 | 5 | |
1995 | Brad Leighton | Center Harbor, NH | American-Canadian Tour | 17 | 7 | 8 | 14 |
Lance Ferno | Williamstown, VT | ACT LMS Series | 7 | 1 | 4 | 7 | |
1996 | Jean-Paul Cyr | Milton, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 8 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
1997 | Brian Hoar | Williston, VT | ACT Texaco-Havoline Series | 8 | 2 | 6 | 6 |
1998 | Brian Hoar | Williston, VT | ACT Texaco-Havoline Series | 9 | 4 | 6 | 7 |
1999 | Brian Hoar | Williston, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 13 | 5 | 8 | 10 |
2000 | Brian Hoar | Williston, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 12 | 3 | 8 | 11 |
2001 | Pete Fecteau | Morrisville, VT | ACT Dodge Tour | 13 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
2002 | Phil Scott | Montpelier, VT | ACT Dodge Tour | 16 | 0 | 9 | 14 |
2003 | Jean-Paul Cyr | Milton, VT | ACT Dodge Tour | 16 | 4 | 11 | 12 |
2004 | Jean-Paul Cyr | Milton, VT | ACT Dodge Tour | 14 | 2 | 8 | 10 |
2005 | Jean-Paul Cyr | Milton, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 10 | 4 | 6 | 9 |
2006 | Jean-Paul Cyr | Milton, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 11 | 2 | 6 | 8 |
2007 | Jean-Paul Cyr | Milton, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 13 | 0 | 9 | 11 |
2008 | Patrick Laperle | St-Denis, QC | American-Canadian Tour | 12 | 3 | 8 | 10 |
2009 | Brian Hoar | Williston, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 13 | 2 | 8 | 11 |
2010 | Brian Hoar | Williston, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 13 | 3 | 10 | 13 |
2011 | Brian Hoar | Williston, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 12 | 5 | 9 | 11 |
2012 | Wayne Helliwell, Jr | Dover, NH | American-Canadian Tour | 10 | 4 | 7 | 9 |
2013 | Wayne Helliwell, Jr | Dover, NH | American-Canadian Tour | 14 | 2 | 10 | 13 |
2014 | Joey Polewarczyk | Hudson, NH | American-Canadian Tour | 9 | 2 | 9 | 9 |
2015 | Wayne Helliwell, Jr | Dover, NH | American-Canadian Tour | 13 | 4 | 10 | 13 |
2016 | Nick Sweet | Barre, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 13 | 3 | 9 | 11 |
2017 | Scott Payea | Milton, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 9 | 5 | 8 | 9 |
2018 | Scott Payea | Milton, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 10 | 2 | 8 | 10 |
2019 | Rich Dubeau | Plainfield, NH | American-Canadian Tour | 10 | 2 | 8 | 9 |
2020 | Jimmy Hebert | Williamstown, VT | American-Canadian Tour | 9 | 2 | 7 | 9 |
2021 | Ben Rowe | Turner, ME | American-Canadian Tour | 12 | 1 | 6 | 11 |
2022 | D.J. Shaw | Center Conway, NH | American-Canadian Tour | 13 | 3 | 11 | 13 |
Série ACT Quebec
After a five year hiatus, partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent international border closure, the Serie ACT Quebec series returns in 2023 for a 10-race schedule. Split evenly between Quebec bullrings Autodrome Chaudiere and Autodrome Montmagny, Serie ACT Quebec brings a permanent presence back to Canada for the ACT sanctioning body.
Year | Champion | Hometown | Races |
---|---|---|---|
2007 | Patrick Laperle | St-Denis, QC | 12 |
2008 | Alexandre Gingras | Val-Belair, QC | 8 |
2009 | Donald Theetge | Boischatel, QC | 9 |
2010 | Karl Allard | Levis, QC | 11 |
2011 | Patrick Laperle | St-Denis, QC | 12 |
2012 | Patrick Laperle | St-Denis, QC | 12 |
2013 | Jean-François Déry | Quebec City, QC | 11 |
2014 | Alex Labbé | St-Albert, QC | 8 |
2015 | Dany Trepanier | St-Edouard, QC | 12 |
2016 | Patrick Laperle | St-Denis, QC | 8 |
2017 | Jonathan Bouvrette | Blainville, QC | 6 |
See also
- Pro All Star Series
- NASCAR
- K&N Pro Series East
- CASCAR Super Series
- NASCAR Canadian Tire Series
- List of NASCAR series
References
- "The History of the American Canadian Tour". American Canadian Tour. Archived from the original on August 11, 2013. Retrieved August 11, 2013.