They first-ever American-Canadian Tour (ACT) event at Virginia’s Richmond Raceway is inching closer on the calendar, but it has already produced at least one pleasant surprise. Southern New England will send one of the largest brigades of racers to the Commonwealth Classic 65 on Saturday, March 30. The region’s Late Model competitors are coming out in force to go racing at the historic track.

Location: N. Woodstock, NH

Track: ¼-mile high-banked oval

Opened: 1993

# of ACT Races Held: 28

Most Wins: Jean-Paul Cyr, 4

A Brief History of White Mountain Motorsports Park

While WMMP celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018, it was, in fact, the 26th year that racing had been held at the speedway. The track first opened its doors on September 5, 1993 – and in a remarkable get for a track’s first event, the NASCAR Busch North Series helped celebrate the new facility with a 150-lap event. (The race was won by Bobby Dragon in dominating fashion.)  WMMP was the brainchild of Donnie Avery, who decided to turn their passion for racing into an actual track. The tight high-banked ¼-mile oval that resulted sits right outside Lincoln, NH, nestled in the foothills of the popular Kancamagus Highway scenic area.

The inaugural American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Commonwealth Classic 65 at Virginia’s Richmond Raceway will have a distinct Thunder Road flavor when it rolls to the grid on Saturday, March 30. A big part of the current entry list is made up of current or former Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models regular at the Barre, VT track who are taking advantage of a rare opportunity to race on one of the biggest stages in motorsports.

Location: Vallée-Jct., QC

Track: ¼-mile high-banked oval

Opened: 1992 (clay), 2005 (asphalt)

# of ACT Races Held: 24

ACT Late Model Tour – 1

Série ACT – 18 (includes 1 combo event with ACT U.S.)

ACT Special Events – 6

Most Wins:

ACT Late Model Tour – Wayne Helliwell Jr., 1

Série ACT – Patrick Laperle and Donald Theetge, 5

ACT Special Events – Patrick Laperle, 2

A Brief History of Autodrome Chaudière

Autodrome Chaudière first opened its doors in 1992 and has packed a lot into a relatively short time. This tight bullring – the official length of ¼-mile may be a tad generous – was originally a dirt track run in partnership between the Vallée-Jonction Lions Club and Michel Lessard (whose property the track was built on). Taking its name from the Chaudière River that crosses the municipality of Vallée-Jct., the track had a few relatively uneventful years of operation before Lessard took full control in 1996. Lessard increased the track to 1/3-mile in length, holding an Amateur Truck race to kick off the new configuration. (The winner was Francois Lessard, the father of current rising Super Late Model star Raphael Lessard.)

The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) has announced the full early-entry list for the Commonwealth Classic 65 at Virginia’s Richmond Raceway. A total of 27 entries have been received as of Monday, February 4 from teams that will be in action when ACT takes to the historic track on Saturday, March 30.

Location: Scarborough, ME

Track: 1/3-mile semi-banked oval

Opened: 1949

# of ACT Races Held: 39

ACT Pro Stock Tour – 25

ACT Late Model Tour – 12

ACT Sunoco Regional Series, Region 1 – 2

Most Wins:

ACT Pro Stock Tour – Dave Dion, 5

ACT Late Model Tour – Eddie MacDonald/Brad Babb/Nick Sweet, 2 each

ACT Sunoco Regional Series – Ralph Nason and Mike Rowe, 1 each

A Brief History of Beech Ridge

Beech Ridge Motor Speedway opened its gates for the first time on May 20, 1949. Scarborough’s James B. McConnell owned a timber cutting and sawmill business – one that was surely very profitable, given the amount of trees in Maine – but his real dream was to bring auto racing to the state of Maine. In 1948, he began work on realizing that dream, carving a 1/3-mile clay track into the woods outside Portland with the help of about 15 other men. (Incidentally, real horsepower came along the following year when the Scarborough Downs horse racing track was constructed nearby.)

The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) has announced that it will sanction the Jean-Paul Cabana 125 at Quebec’s Circuit Riverside Speedway Ste-Croix on Sunday, June 2. The non-point, $5,000 (CAD)-to-win event will be the first time ACT has visited the 5/8-mile oval since 2015.

A recent rescheduling has set up the 41st Coca-Cola Labor Day Classic at Thunder Road to be one of the biggest weekends in the history of the event.

Officials from the Bullring Bash Quarter Mile Challenge Series recently announced that the “Rumble in the Quarry” Modified and Legend Car events at Thunder Road will now be held Sunday, September 1. The events were originally scheduled for Saturday, September 14, but have been moved due to a conflict with the Tri-Track Modified Series.

Location: Thompson, CT

Track: 5/8-mile high-banked oval

Opened: 1940

Previously Known As: Thompson Speedway; Thompson International Speedway

# of ACT Races Held: 11

ACT Pro Stock Tour/NASCAR North – 7

ACT Late Model Tour – 4

Most Wins:

ACT Pro Stock Tour/NASCAR North – Randy Lajoie, 2

ACT Late Model Tour – Four drivers with 1 each

Both excitement levels and the entry list are growing for the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Commonwealth Classic 65 at Virginia’s Richmond Raceway on Saturday, March 30. ACT’s first-ever visit to Richmond is attracting a variety of touring and weekly racing stars eager to be the inaugural winner at the ¾-mile D-shaped oval.