Wayne Helliwell, Jr. and Jean-François Déry Take Top ACT Honors
Quebec’s Larue Brothers Accept Prestigious MacTavish Award
Burlington, VT – The American Canadian Tour (ACT) held its annual Banquet of Champions at the Doubletree Inn in Burlington, VT on Saturday, January 11. ACT honored its 2013 champions and top ten competitors from the Northeastern U.S.-based ACT Late Model Tour and the Quebec-based Série ACT. ACT Late Model competitors from across the region battled in point counting and special events for their share of over $900,000 in purses and point funds during 2013.
Wayne Helliwell, Jr. of Dover, NH and car owner Bruce Bernhardt earned their second straight ACT Late Model Tour title in 2013. Helliwell defended his 2012 title with two feature wins and another ACT Championship. He and his team narrowly avoided disaster in the final event of the season and hung on to their slim lead to earn the title. Helliwell and Bernhardt also claimed the Ford Blue Oval Cup title for the fourth straight season.
Jean-François Déry from Quebec City, QC claimed his first career Série ACT Championship in one of the closest battles in Série history. The veteran Série ACT competitor and perennial frontrunner picked up two feature wins during his title bid. He claimed the championship by just eight points in the highly competitive series that visits several tracks across the province of Quebec.
Brothers Denis and Louis Larue were awarded the prestigious Don MacTavish Award for their support and dedication to ACT and the sport of stock car racing. The Larue brothers have owned and managed a top-tier team on the Série ACT since its inception in 2007. They continue to be an integral part of the success of the Quebec-based series.
The annual Crew Chief of the Year Awards were also presented for both the ACT U.S. and the Série ACT at the banquet. Joe Polewarczyk of Hudson, NH earned the U.S. award after turning wrenches and spotting for his son Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. The Polewarczyk team finished second in the standings after claiming four feature wins in 2013. Andre Beaudoin received the honors for the Série ACT Crew Chief of the Year Award. As a former driver-turned-crew chief, Beaudoin helped guide driver Alex Labbe and the Larue team to a runner-up finish in the 2013 standings.
Rookie of the Year Awards went to Bobby Therrien (ACT U.S.) and Martin Goulet, Jr. (Série ACT). Therrien joined a short list of drivers to earn a feature win during their rookie season on his way to the rookie title. Goulet steadily improved during his first season on the Série ACT and claimed a top ten in the final standings.
American Canadian Tour Late Model teams will return to action in just a few short months with the season opening NH Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH on Sunday, April 13. The 2014 Série ACT season will kick off with a 100-lap event at Autodrome St-Eustache in St-Eustache, QC on Saturday, May 24.
Sources: ACT PR