Teenager Polewarczyk “All Business,” Dominates ACT Race at Lee USA Speedway
Eighteen year-old stock car racing sensation Joey “Pole” Polewarczyk, Jr. blistered the American-Canadian Tour field at Lee USA Speedway on Sunday, taking his second career victory at the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 100. The Hudson, NH ace took the lead from polesitter Larry Gelinas after starting third, and dominated the balance of the event to take the win in just over 46 minutes. Polewarczyk said that for 2008, his team is “all business.”
“We’re focused on winning the ACT Late Model Tour title,” he said. “We had a checkered flag design on the car last year, and we decided to leave it off this year, just black, nothing else. We’re all business.”
Polewarczyk’s no-frills car was the class of the field, at times leading by more than a full straightaway. Rowley, MA driver Eddie MacDonald won a late-race battle with Scott Payea, Randy Potter, and Cris Michaud to take second-place honors. MacDonald finished fifth in a 150-lap event at Greenville, South Carolina on Saturday night, and flew into New England on Sunday morning. Michaud, of Northfield, VT, finished third from 19th starting position over Milton, VT driver Payea and Groveton, NH’s Potter.
Unofficially, rookie Ricky Wolf, Jr. of Northwood, NH finished sixth. Eric Chase, Patrick Laperle, Ron Henry, and Brent Dragon finished in positions six through ten. Seven-time and defending ACT Late Model Tour Champion Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, VT crashed out on lap 4 after contact with Bobby Baillargeon in Turn 3. Neither driver was injured.
The ACT Late Model Tour travels to Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway on Saturday, April 26 for the New England Dodge Dealers 150. For more information, call (802) 244-6963.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 100
Lee USA Speedway – ACT Late Model Tour
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Finish-(Start)-Car No.-Driver-Hometown (# denotes rookie driver)
1. (3) 97 Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, NH
2. (5) 17 Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, MA
3. (19) 6 Cris Michaud, Northfield, VT
4. (12) 89 Scott Payea, Milton, VT
5. (8) 02NH Randy Potter, Groveton, NH
6. (9) 38NH #Ricky Wolf, Jr., Northwood, NH
7. (13) 40 Eric Chase, Milton, VT
8. (22) 91 Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, QC
9. (30) 05 Ron Henry, New Gloucester, ME
10. (21) 55VT Brent Dragon, Milton, VT
11. (4) 26 John Donahue, Graniteville, VT
12. (11) 81 Mark Hayward, Unity, NH
13. (1) 37 Larry Gelinas, Gorham, ME
14. (6) 18 Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, VT
15. (24) 27NH Chris Bergeron, Claremont, NH
16. (10) 70 Scott Dragon, Milton, VT
17. (26) 78 Ryan Nolin, Georgia, VT
18. (20) 41VT Pete Potvin, III, Graniteville, VT
19. (29) 2 J.R. Baril, Haverhill, MA
20. (16) 8NH Rick Thompson, Jr., Derby, VT
21. (28) 71 Bobby Dragon, Milton, VT
22. (27) 19 B.J. Piekarski, Nashua, NH
23. (18) 80 Donald Theetge, Boischatel, QC
24. (17) 0 Miles Chipman, Epping, NH
25. (14) 01 Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Pelham, NH
26. (25) 11 Claude Leclerc, Lanoraie, QC
27. (23) 84 Jeff Labrecque, Jr., Rochester, NH
28. (7) 32 Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT
29. (15) 82 Bobby Baillargeon, Nottingham, NH
30. (2) 88 #Nick Sweet, Barre, VT
Sources: Justin St. Louis/ACT LM Tour PR