Cyr Looking to Break ACT Championship Records at Oxford Plains Speedway
Stock car driver Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, VT is on the verge of breaking two all-time American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Championship records on Saturday at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway. Should Cyr finish 23rd or better in the season-ending New England Dodge Dealers 150 at the 3/8-mile oval track, he will clinch his fifth-straight ACT Late Model Tour title and seventh overall. Both marks would be new records across all ACT divisions dating back to 1979.
“Records are meant to be broken, and some day my records may be surpassed,” said the driver of the #32 Ehler’s RV/Sticks & Stuff Chevrolet, “but it means a lot to be here right now.”
Cyr’s current streak of four consecutive ACT Late Model Tour championships ties a record set by Williston, VT driver Brian Hoar in 1997-2000. The all-time record of six total ACT championship titles belongs to Tampa, FL native Robbie Crouch, who ruled the former ACT Pro Stock Tour in the 1980s and early 1990s. Cyr’s ACT crowns have come in 1994, 1996, and each year since 2003. He leads cross-town Milton, VT rival Scott Payea by 75 points entering Saturday’s finale.
“There is a certain responsibility the record-holders have; they’re the drivers everyone looks up to,” Cyr explained. “It’s an honor for me to be in the position I’m in. Five-straight championships will mean a lot to me if we can pull it off, but there’s one record I really want to build on, and that’s winning more races.”
Despite finishing in the top five in nine of his 12 starts in 2007, Cyr remains winless. His 18 career ACT Late Model Tour victories place him second behind Hoar’s 23. Cyr’s last season without a victory was 2001.
Payea could mathematically unseat Cyr should certain circumstances take place. The only plausible scenario includes Payea earning ten bonus points for leading the most laps in the New England Dodge Dealers 150 with Cyr leading none, Payea winning his qualifying heat and the main event, and Cyr finishing sixth or worse in his heat race and 24th or worse in the main event. The final championship margin in that case would be just a single point.
“Jean has been the man to beat for years, and I don’t think that’s going to stop at the final race,” said Payea. “Finishing second to Jean is like winning, there’s no shame in it. He’s a great racer, and I’m proud to even be this close to him in points. We’re going to Oxford to try and win the race, and that’s our only goal.”
Cyr and Payea will face tough competition at the New England Dodge Dealers 150 from Oxford Plains Speedway Champion Travis Adams, as well as ACT top dogs Brent Dragon, Randy Potter, Hoar, and 2007 TD Banknorth Oxford 250 winner “Rocket” Roger Brown. Oxford Plains Speedway is located on Route 26 in Oxford, ME. Racing begins at 2:00pm on Saturday, October 6. For information, call ACT at (802) 244-6963 or visit www.acttour.com or www.oxfordplains.com.
Sources: ACT LM Tour PR