Weekly Racers Looking for Long-Distance Glory at Midsummer 250
Waterbury, VT – The $10,000-to-win Midsummer 250 is just days away from taking the green flag at N. Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motorsports Park (WMMP). While the August 3 event is part of the ACT Late Model Tour schedule, it has drawn entries and interest from weekly Late Model racers around the region aiming for the giant check awaiting the winner.
Local competitors have long been the lifeblood of ACT, with drivers who compete for weekly championships and bragging rights going up against the traveling stars at most events on the schedule. The Midsummer 250 will be no exception, with top runners from WMMP, Thunder Road, and Thompson Speedway among those who have filed entries. For them, victory in the big-money marathon would still be an exclamation point on both their season and career.
Some who have entered already have substantial touring experience on their résumés. Current Thunder Road point leader Scott Dragon of Milton, VT was a regular on the ACT Late Model Tour early in his career. He owns three Tour wins and still considers distance racing to be his strength. WMMP point leader Quinny Welch of Groveton, NH has earned 20 top-10 finishes at tracks ranging from Lee USA to Oxford. Warwick, RI’s Mark Jenison, the number-two driver at Thompson Speedway, has spent time on the Tour as well. For them, that knowledge could come in handy in the longest race of the year.
Others whose career has primarily been contested on the weekly level will have an opportunity to show they can run with the region’s best. That includes drivers like Lyndonville, VT’s Scott Corey, who sits sixth in points at WMMP. While Corey’s status for the weekend remains slightly uncertain after a hard crash earlier this year, he sees the potential that comes with a strong performance in such a big event.
“You get to race against some of the top Late Model drivers in the area, and it’s always special to be able to race against those guys and see how you can perform against them,” Corey said. “The team is doing a very good job this year. We’ve taken a big step from where we were – we’ve learned a lot about the car and what adjustments we can make to get better. I think sometimes the car is probably better than me! But we’ve made good strides to make the car good each week.”
Barre’s Cody Blake, meanwhile, has already showed he’s no slouch at any distance. Thunder road’s number-five point man Cody Blake of Barre, VT has a win in the 2013 Vermont Governor’s Cup and finished fourth in last year’s ACT event at WMMP, both of with were 150-lap affairs. He will step into the #7VT normally piloted by Mike Foster this Saturday.
Graniteville, VT’s Christopher Pelkey is in the top-10 in both Thunder Road and ACT points, meaning he will represent the weekly and the touring brethren this weekend. Groveton, NH’s Corey Mason is a former Speedway 51 champion and the track’s current point leader. Last season, he finished fifth in ACT points, showing his prowess at a variety of speedway. N. Haverhill’s Ryan Olsen got his start racing weekly at WMMP, posting multiple wins there, and returns home for the big show.
They’ll join the best of the ACT Late Model Tour, including current point leader Rich Dubeau of Plainfield, NH; two-time defending champion Scott Payea of Colchester, VT; multi-time winner Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown, VT; and top rookie Ryan Kuhn of East Bridgewater, MA. Regional all-stars such as Hudson, NH’s Joey Polewarczyk and St-Denis, QC’s Patrick Laperle are also planning to go after the $10,000 top prize.
The Midsummer 250 is coming this Saturday, August 3 at N. Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motorsports Park. The $10,000-to-win ACT Late Model Tour event is part of a card that also includes the track’s Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini’s, and 7-Eleven Dwarf Cars.
Qualifying for the local divisions begins at 5:30pm with the first ACT heat scheduled for 6:00pm. The pits open at 11:00am and the front gates open at 2:00pm. Admission is $25 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and $50 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).
For more information, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com or www.whitemountainmotorsports.com.
Sources: Michael R. Stridsberg/American-Canadian Tour PR
(wmmp07051919.jpg): Some of the top weekly Late Model racers in the region will take on the ACT stars in the Midsummer 250. (Alan Ward photo)