ACT Rolls into Oxford This Sunday for Next Bout of 2020
Waterbury, VT — The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) heads to the great state of Maine this Sunday, June 28 for the Oxford 150. The event at Oxford Plains Speedway is part of a Twin 150’s doubleheader with the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) as both get into the rhythm of their 2020 seasons with worldwide coverage on Northeast Sports Network.
While the ACT Late Model Tour’s first visit to Oxford this year comes more than two months after the originally scheduled date, teams are happy to be making the trip. With 33 prior events at the legendary 3/8-mile speedway, the track is an important part of series history, and three scheduled treks in 2020 will only add to the track’s rich history for ACT standouts such as Jimmy Hebert, Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Rich Dubeau, and Bryan Kruczek.
The biggest difference between this event at Oxford and those in the past is that no fans will be allowed in attendance due to state health and safety restrictions. Instead, fans can watch all the action on Northeast Sports Network (NSN) pay-per-view. NSN is broadcasting the entire weekend of action at Oxford for fans of both the touring and weekly divisions on hand.
Still, drivers are looking forward to the day fans can join them at all events. While the ACT season opener at White Mountain Motorsports Park was able to admit fans at the last minute, such a reversal is not expected for this weekend.
“The biggest thing is most of our tour races, we do out-of-car introductions and a wave-off lap to the crowd, things like that,” Polewarczyk recently told the Union Leader. “That’s all gone. You just strap in and get ready to take the green flag. There’s no one to get introduced to at the track. The weirdest part is you pull out and expect to see people looking down at you and you give them the wave-off flag. That aspect is gone. It’s been missing and I hope to see it back real soon.”
But once the green flag drops, the focus for drivers shifts to taking home the hardware and earning points towards the season-long championship. Williamstown, VT’s Jimmy Hebert was the best at both in the season opener, taking the White Mountain win and a huge first step towards an elusive championship.
Behind him, the standings read like a who’s-who of Northeast stock car racing. Former ACT champions Polewarczyk and Wayne Helliwell, Jr. completed the White Mountain podium, getting their seasons started on the right foot. Four-time PASS champion D.J. Shaw sits second in points after leading much of the event, and his team as expressed their intent to run as much of the ACT season as possible. Southern New England rookies Tom Carey III and Derek Gluchacki had solid top-10 runs to begin the year and could be in for a great Rookie of the Year battle.
However, a few big names are a step behind after one event. Defending champion Rich Dubeau of Plainfield, NH needed the B-Feature to get into the opener before salvaging a respectable finish. Newmarket, NH’s Bryan Kruczek, and Hinesburg, VT’s Bobby Therrien also struggled at White Mountain — but as former Oxford winners, they’re set up for a rebound on Sunday. They’ll be joined by multi-time ACT winner Dillon Moltz of New Sharon, ME, who is preparing for his first ACT start in more than two years.
The American-Canadian Tour rolls into Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway this Sunday, June 28. Racing begins at 1:00pm with Twin 150’s for the ACT Late Model Tour and PASS Super Late Models. The PASS Modifieds also have a 50-lap feature.
Northeast Sports Network is offering a $25 live pay-per-view of the event online and on most mobile and smart TV platforms. Fans can purchase the broadcast at www.NSNsports.net. Front grandstand attendance is not permitted due to state health and safety restrictions.
For more information, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com or www.oxfordplains.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
Sources: ACT PR
Former Oxford 250 winner Joey Polewarczyk Jr. (#97NH) will look to continue his strong start to the 2020 ACT season this Sunday. (Daniel Holben photo)