Now we’re cookin’! The 3rd Annual ACT Car Show at the University Mall was a great success, thanks to the more than 20 teams that participated, and the overwhelming number of race fans that came to check it all out. If this show was any indication for the “official” car show later this month, just be glad you’re not a judge – not a single car was undeserving of a trophy for “best appearing”.

There were more new paint scheme changes this year than we can remember in any other years, and a special nod goes to the teams who decided to mix it up a little bit. While veterans Jean-Paul Cyr, Rich Lowrey, David Chagnon, and Mark Lamberton turned the wick up on their Late Models, rookies Scott Payea, Ryan Nolin, and Bill Sawyer, each showed the veterans they know a thing or two about how to do it right in the paint booth. The NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and PowerShift Junkyard Warriors were also well-represented, with many current and former champions showing their stuff. Sportsman Marcel Gravel shocked the crowd with his new zebra-on-uppers motif (right), drastically varying from his traditional red and yellow colors. “The last year we changed colors, we won two races,” Gravel said, “It’s been a while since we got a win, so I’m hoping the color change works again this year.” With a color change like that, Marcel, you better build a new trophy room… Wow!

The U-Mall show really got the ball rolling for the 2005 season, and we’re very much looking forward to the Berlin Mall car show on Sat./Sun., April 16/17. With a “test and tune” practice at Lee USA Speedway that weekend, we realize that some teams may elect to head to the track. This opens up the possibility for some spots at the Berlin Mall. If you’d like to take part with your ACT race car, give us a call at (802) 244-6963!

Did you know…?
• Neither Jamie “The Hurricane” Fisher nor Cooper MacRitchie has ever finished outside the Top 10 in standings in their Thunder Road Late Model careers. Fisher’s streak began during his Rookie of the Year season in 1999 and includes the 2003 Track Championship. MacRitchie kicked things off with the Rookie of the Year award in 2001.

• Center Conway, NH’s Dale Shaw is the only ACT Late Model Tour winner to have also taken a victory on the former ACT Pro Stock Tour. Shaw has one win in each series, and both were at Oxford Plains Speedway… 18 years apart! The Pro Stock win came in 1986, the ACT Late Model Tour win was a dominant run, in the New England Dodge Dealers 100 last August.

• Three sets of fathers and sons have won Late Model features at Thunder Road – Dennis and Trampas Demers, Norm and Tony Andrews, and Joey and Jay Laquerre. The Andrews boys also each won at Airborne Speedway under ACT sanction, as did Doug and Brian Hoar. In fact, all four drivers won at Airborne in 1992!

Speaking of Brian Hoar, the five-time ACT Champion organized a fundraiser for the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging last weekend at Grand Prix Karting Interieur in Brossard, Quebec, to benefit the Meals On Wheels program. The event was a 3-hour go-kart endurance race including 16 teams of three or more drivers. Current and former ACT racers competing in the event included Hoar, defending Tour Champion Jean-Paul Cyr, Dave Pembroke, Jeremy Dewyea, Jason Bonnett, John Hayes, Jay Webb, Keith Williams, Aaron and Adam Maynard, Ander Cary, David Warren, Eddy Companion, Mike Rivers, and James Ehlers. The ACT team (“Team Aero Package”) included announcer “Dynamite” Dave Moody, ACT Director of Competition Dean “The Machine” Gallison, ACT Handicapper Jeff “Heffy” Fay, and yours truly, Justin “The Juice” St. Louis. To put it nicely, we didn’t win. We did have a lot of fun, though, and over $15,000 was raised for Meals On Wheels! A big “Thanks!” goes out to Brian Hoar and the officials of CVAA; we had a great time, and we’re glad we could help you folks out in the process!