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NOTES: The Challenge ACT 100 marks the seventh trip to Circuit Ste-Croix for the ACT Late Model Tour since the series inception in 1992. Serie ACT Castrol Champion Donald Theetge earned his first ACT victory in this event last year, edging out former Circuit Ste-Croix winners Sylvain Lacombe and Brent Dragon.
ACT LATE MODEL TOUR CIRCUIT STE-CROIX EVENT WINNERS: Donald Theetge (2006), Brent Dragon (2003), Sylvain Lacombe (2002), Mike Bruno (1997), Jean-Paul Cyr (1996), Brian Hoar (1992)
Point Leader Cyr Looking to Ste-Croix for First ACT Victory of 2007
For Immediate Release ACT-053107-1
MILTON, VT American-Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car racing Champion and current point leader Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, VT is ready to win, and he wants to do it at the Challenge ACT 100 at Circuit Ste-Croix outside Quebec City on Saturday. Ive been thinking about Ste-Croix for a few weeks now, said the six-time and defending ACT Late Model Tour king. I cant wait for it. I really think this could be the race where we start to take off. The phrase take off may be hard for Cyrs competitors to swallow. His finishes in the three previous Tour events this season have been nothing short of remarkable 2nd place at Oxford, ME, 2nd at Thunder Road in Barre, VT, and 3rd place at the most recent event at Plattsburgh, NYs Airborne Speedway, a track with many similarities to Circuit Ste-Croix. I go to the races every week thinking the same thing that I can win, Cyr said with confidence. Ricky (car owner Rick Paya) and the guys have really stepped it up this season, and theyve given me a really nice car to drive. I love racing at Ste-Croix, and I really want that first win this weekend. Cyrs past performances at the fast 5/8-mile speedplant should also be a confidence booster. Cyr posted an ACT Late Model Tour victory at the track in 1996, followed by a win in the former Am/Can Challenge Series two months later. He parlayed those victories into championships on each series that year. He also recorded a 4th- place finish at Circuit Ste-Croix in 2003 and a 5th-place finish last season. Cyr feels that a good mix of American and Canadian race teams should produce exciting racing action in the Challenge ACT 100. I think this will be the most competitive event so far this season, he said. Donald Theetge and the Lacombe brothers (of Quebec) are very good at Ste-Croix. Brent Dragon (Milton, VT) runs well and has won there, Brian Hoar (Williston, VT) runs well there, and Roger Brown (Lancaster, NH) likes the track, too. After three events in 2007, Cyr leads Thunder Road race winner Scott Payea in ACT Late Model Tour point standings, 285-258. Oxford Plains Speedway winner Randy Potter ranks third at 254 points. Hoar (235) and Ron Henry (234) round out the top five drivers. The Challenge ACT 100 is the fourth of 14 events on the ACT Late Model Tour schedule. Green flag racing action is scheduled for 5:00 pm on Saturday. Circuit Ste-Croix is located along the St-Laurent River minutes from Quebec City. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.acttour.com. -30- Contact: Justin St. Louis Phone: (802) 244-6963 Email: media@acttour.com Fax: (802) 244-1616
Theetge, Quebecois Await Challenge of American Late Model Teams at Ste-Croix
For Immediate Release ACT-053107-2
STE-CROIX, QC A host of Quebecois Late Model stock car racing teams awaits a challenge from the state- side invaders at the American-Canadian Tours Challenge ACT 100 at Circuit Ste-Croix on Saturday. Leading the charge is Donald Theetge of Boischatel, the defending winner of the event.
We learned many new things about our race car at the last race at Autodrome Montmagny, said Theetge. Our goal is to beat the American teams and win the race at Ste-Croix again. Even if we dont win, we expect to finish on the podium at minimum. We are very confident.
Theetge, who won the Challenge ACT 100 last year, has committed to racing the entire 14-event ACT Late Model Tour schedule with events in the US and Canada. His best finish this season against the Americans was an 8th-place result at Plattsburgh, NYs Airborne Speedway, and he won the Paradis du Sport 100 at Autodrome Montmagny in May to open the Série ACT Castrol season.
We Canadians are looking forward to racing against the Americans at home, Theetge continued. I believe that Jean-François Déry, Patrick Laperle, and Karl Allard will be near the front of the pack with me. They have been very fast this season.
While he is confident in the efforts of his countrymen, Theetge is also expecting some tough challenges from a trio of Vermont drivers.
Jean-Paul Cyr, Brent Dragon, and Brian Hoar will all be very fast at Ste-Croix, they always are, he said. But we are ready for them.
Theetge will attempt to become the first repeat ACT Late Model Tour winner at Circuit Ste-Croix on Saturday. Cyr, Dragon, and Hoar are also past winners at the 5/8-mile speedway. Green flag qualifying action for the Challenge ACT 100 is slated to begin at 5:00pm. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.acttour.com. -30- Contact: Justin St. Louis Phone: (802) 244-6963 Email: media@acttour.com Fax: (802) 244-1616
Theetge Sticks to Plan, Defeats American Challengers at Home in Ste-Croix
For Immediate Release ACT-060207-1
STE-CROIX, QC Donald Theetge of Boischatel, QC made good on a prediction that he would win the Challenge ACT 100 at Circuit Ste-Croix (Ste-Croix, QC) on Saturday night, the fourth round of the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car series. Theetge, who lives just minutes from the fast 5/8-mile oval located on the banks of the St. Lawrence River, scored a popular victory after passing leader and perennial ACT Late Model Tour Champion Jean- Paul Cyr of Milton, VT with just 14 laps remaining. Our plan was to win the race, said an elated Theetge. I have a very good car and a great team. Karl Allard gave me a strong challenge, but once I pulled away from him I focused on Jean-Paul. When my crew chief told me there were 20 laps left, it was time to move. I could tell (Cyr) was loose coming out of the corners, but he did a good job protecting the bottom lane. Hes a very good driver, and hes very tough to beat. My next goal is to beat him on the other side of the border. Theetge started fifth in the 28-car field, and held off a determined challenge by Allard for over 60 laps before setting to work on Cyr and the race lead. Theetge dogged Cyrs every move as the laps wound down, making several attempts to pass in both the high and low grooves. Theetge caught a break as Cyr negotiated lapped traffic on lap 85, and pulled even with him in the outside lane for the top spot. He assumed control one lap later, then held off last-effort charges by Cyr and Brent Dragon to take the victory, the second of his ACT Late Model Tour career. He also won at Circuit Ste-Croix last year. Dragon, of Milton, VT, ran in fourth position for most of the Challenge ACT 100, but was able to poke ahead of Allard for third place as Theetge took the lead from Cyr. With brake rotors glowing red-hot from heavy use in the corners, Dragon was able to drive past Cyr on the outside with 10 laps remaining and take over the runner-up position. Dragon made two attempts to pass Theetge during the final laps, but had to settle for his second-consecutive runner-up finish in ACT Late Model Tour competition. He was the runner-up at ACTs last event at Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY three weeks ago. Cyr also battled overheated brakes, but was able to finish third for his fourth-straight podium finish to start the 2007 racing season. Brian Hoar of Willison, VT ran quietly among the leaders during the entire event before finishing in fourth place. Ryan Nolin of Georgia, VT backed up his Airborne Speedway victory with a fifth- place finish after passing Allard with four laps left. Allard came home in sixth place, with Scott Payea, Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Randy Potter, and Patrick Laperle completing the unofficial top-ten finishers in order. Allard, Payea, and Cyr were qualifying heat race winners. The Challenge ACT 100 was slowed by just a single caution flag on lap 6, and was completed at a brisk pace of just under 47 minutes. For more information, including event schedules, race results, and point standings, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.acttour.com.
UNOFFICIAL FINISH Challenge ACT 100, Circuit Ste-Croix, St-Croix, QC, Sat., June 2, 2007 ACT Late Model Tour Event #4
Fin.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown 1. (5) Donald Theetge, Boischatel, QC 2. (6) Brent Dragon, Milton, VT 3. (1) Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT 4. (3) Brian Hoar, Williston, VT 5. (7) Ryan Nolin, Georgia, VT 6. (4) Karl Allard, St-Felicien, QC 7. (9) Scott Payea, Milton, VT 8. (8) Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, NH 9. (18) Randy Potter, Groveton, NH 10. (17) Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, QC 11. (16) Robbie Thompson, South Hampton, ON 12. (13) Marc Curtis, Jr., Worcester, MA 13. (14) Claude Leclerc, Montreal, QC 14. (20) Ryan Vanasse, Warwick, RI 15. (27) Jacques Poulin, East Broughton, QC 16. (22) Yvon Bedard, St-Nicolas, QC 17. (2) Roger Brown, Lancaster, NH 18. (23) Jamie Aube, Bow, NH 19. (12) Ron Henry, New Gloucester, ME 20. (10) Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, VT 21. (21) Joey Becker, Jeffersonville, VT 22. (25) Eric Lehoux, Ste-Marie, QC 23. (28) Jonathan Desbiens, Levis, QC 24. (15) Normand Lavigueur, Laval, QC 25. (24) Eric Chase, Milton, VT 26. (19) David Avery, Lincoln, NH 27. (26) Eric St-Gelais, St-Nicholas, QC 28. (11) John Donahue, Graniteville, VT -30- Contact: Justin St. Louis Phone: (802) 244-6963 Email: media@acttour.com Fax: (802) 244-1616
ACTion News Wednesday, June 6, 2007 -by Justin St. Louis
Donald Theetge proved on Saturday night that he is a man of his word. Theetge predicted on Thursday that he would bring his car to victory lane following the Challenge ACT 100 at Circuit Ste-Croix in Quebec, and thats exactly what he did. The home-track driver ran a brilliant race from the fifth starting spot first by holding off a challenge from fellow Frenchman Karl Allard that lasted 50 laps while running in second place, then by dispatching of race leader Jean-Paul Cyr with a pick move in lapped traffic to take command with 14 laps remaining.
Exactly as planned, Theetge drove into victory lane and was welcomed by a throng of screaming hometown fans. He left the winners circle in seventh place in the ACT Late Model Tour point standings, and with a huge wave of momentum on his side.
Theetge has made more of a steady progression from the season opener than anyone else on the Tour so far. He failed to qualify at Oxford Plains (ME) Speedway in April, then finished an off-the-radar 19th at Thunder Road in May. A week after Thunder Road, however, Theetge earned the plus/minus pole at Airborne Speedway and finished eighth. Now, he has his first victory of the year, and is beginning to look the part of a potential championship spoiler as the schedule progresses.
Jean-Paul Cyr is a great driver and he has a great team. Hes going to be very tough to beat this year, said Theetge. Now we have to give him a challenge on the other side of the border. We have to keep thinking that to be fast in the United States. Weve got a good car right now. When we go to White Mountain in a few weeks, thats a track weve never been to before, and well have to qualify. But we have good car, and this a great team. We came here to win the race, and thats what we did. If we can get into the top five in points well be very happy.
***
Counting the drivers that made their first ACT Late Model Tour starts of the season, 13 drivers either set or matched their best finish of the year at Circuit Ste-Croix on Saturday. Winner Donald Theetge and runner-up Brent Dragon led the charge. Dragon actually matched his second-place run at Airborne Speedway a few weeks ago, but Theetge improved seven positions from eighth place at Airborne. Brian Hoar, in fourth place, is in the same boat as Dragon, having also finished fourth at Airborne, and its the same story for 14th-place finisher Ryan Vanasse. Karl Allard finished in sixth place, improving 10 spots from Airborne, and veteran Claude Leclerc finished 15th at Ste-Croix for his best result of the season. Making their first starts of the year were Yvon Bedard (16th), Serie ACT Castrol winner Normand Lavigueur (24th), Eric Lehoux (22nd), Jacques Poulin (15th), Ontario veteran Robbie Thompson (11th), and rookies Jonathan Desbiens (23rd) and Eric St-Gelais (27th).
***
Did you know?
-Jean-Paul Cyr has finished on the podium in all four ACT Late Model Tour events this season. No other driver has been able to accomplish that feat since the series inception in 1992. In fact, only two other drivers have even finished in the top five in the first four races. In 1994, Jim Cilley finished 4th, 5th, 3rd, and 3rd to open the year, while Scott Dragon posted finishes of 1st, 5th, 4th, and 5th in 2003. Cyrs results in 2007 have been 2nd at Oxford Plains, and 3rd at Thunder Road, Airborne, and Ste-Croix.
-Counting all divisions since 1992, only six times (out of a possible 49) has a feature winner from the first Thursday night event of the Thunder Road season gone on to win the track championship. The most recent driver to do so was Seamus Curley, who won the opening Thursday night race of 2003 and became the Power Shift Junkyard Warrior King of the Road at the end of the year. Before Curley were Phil Scott (Late Models, 2002), Brian Hoar (Late Models, 1999), Jimmy Young (NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, 1997), Tim Martin (Allen Lumber Street Stocks, 1995), and Jason Gibbs (Street Stocks, 1994). Were guessing that a bunch of drivers want to change that statistic on Ferguson Waterworks Night, Thursday June 14.
-In terms of geography, the ACT Late Model Tour saw its most diverse field of cars this season at Circuit Ste- Croix. Race teams traveled from seven locales: Canadian provinces Quebec (10) and Ontario (1), and US states Vermont (9), New Hampshire (5), Maine (1), Massachusetts (1), and Rhode Island (1). With the exception of Maines lone driver in the race, Ron Henry, who finished 19th, all were represented in the top half of the finishing order.
Questions, comments, suggestions, and all other forms of e-fun can be sent to media@acttour.com. For more information, visit our websites at www.acttour.com and www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com, or call (802) 244-6963.
