Stout Contenders Hope to Continue ACT First-Timer Streak at Midsummer 250

Alan Ward photo

Swallow Brothers, Kuhn, Donahue Among Stars Aiming for First ACT Win on Biggest Stage

Waterbury, VT — The 3rd Annual Midsummer Classic 250 goes green at North Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motorsports Park this Saturday, July 31. The eagerly-anticipated $10,000-to-win event is a chance for established stars to cement their status as an American-Canadian Tour (ACT) legend — or for up-and-comers to kick their careers into the stratosphere.

Much of the focus leading up to the Midsummer Classic 250 has been on champions such as Jimmy Hebert, Nick Sweet, Wayne Heliwell Jr., Dillon Moltz, Jason Corliss, Ben Rowe, and Quinny Welch. However, there are plenty of drivers on the entry list who have proven successful either at White Mountain, with the ACT Late Model Tour, or at tracks around the region. For them, Saturday would be the perfect time to pick up their first ACT victory.

The Tour is on a streak of five straight first-time winners in point-counting events. That stretch has seen Brooks Clark, D.J. Shaw, Tom Carey III, Jimmy Renfrew Jr., and Mike Hopkins all join the illustrious winner’s role. Jimmy Hebert and Wayne Helliwell Jr., the winners of the season-opening Northeast Classic and the non-point events at Hickory Motor Speedway, are the only prior ACT winners who have carried a checkered flag this year.

A review of the Midsummer Classic 250 entry list reveals at least two handfuls of racers with a legitimate chance to run that streak to six. The Swallow brothers — Jamie Swallow Jr. of Lancaster, NH and Shawn Swallow of Groveton, NH — figure to be two of the biggest first-time threats at White Mountain.

Jamie Jr. is already a winner at White Mountain, coming from 16th to score a weekly 50-lap feature on June 26. The veteran also has victories at Riverside Speedway and Star Speedway this year. Shawn, meanwhile, is the top ACT rookie after winning the Riverside Speedway championship last year. He finished sixth in the Caron Fabrication Spring Green at White Mountain on June 12, showing he has the speed to be a factor.

Daniel Holben photo

East Bridgewater, MA’s Ryan Kuhn, Graniteville, VT’s Stephen Donahue, and North Dartmouth, MA’s Derek Gluchacki are three other serious contenders. Kuhn finished third in ACT points for both 2019 and 2020. At White Mountain, he has five top-10s with ACT as well as a top-5 for the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models. The Kulwicki Driver Development Program finalist is racing Pro Stocks weekly at Seekonk Speedway this year but will take advantage of an off weekend to tackle the $10,000-to-win showdown.

Donahue is having the best ACT season of his career, sitting fifth in points. He has multiple wins in 100-lap White Mountain Late Model features and finished runner-up in the 2019 Midsummer Classic 250. Gluchacki, the reigning ACT Rookie of the Year, has stepped things up in his sophomore season. He finished second in the most recent ACT event at Oxford and was also second in last week’s New Hampshire Governor’s Cup at White Mountain. Now Gluchacki tries to gain one more spot and a lot more dollars.

Daniel Holben photo

Other potential first-time victors on Saturday include former White Mountain winner Ryan Olsen of Bath, NH; up-and-comer Trent Goodrow of Carver, MA, solid rookie performer Erick Sands of Derry, NH; and Thompson Speedway winner Mark Jenison of Warwick, RI. Duxbury, VT’s Peyton Lanphear finished third in a 100-lap event at White Mountain on Memorial Day weekend, making her a dark horse candidate for victory.

Reilly Lanphear, Matt Anderson, Robby Gordon Douglas, and Jimmy Linardy are other entered racers trying to erase the goose egg from the win column their ACT résumé. Although Gilman, VT’s Jeff Marshall is not officially confirmed for Saturday, he is widely expected to race — and he won the track’s Midseason Championships just three weeks ago. Several surprises will surely roll through the pit gate on Saturday, making the race a true mix of racers who know the importance of winning such a prestigious race.

The ACT Late Model Tour heads to North Woodstock, NH’s White Mountain Motorsports Park for the Midsummer Classic 250 this Saturday, July 31 at 5:30pm. The region’s top Late Model racers are going after a $10,000 winner’s prize and more than $47,000 in posted awards. They’re joined by the local Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers, Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini’s, and Dads 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Trucks. The nigh concludes with a dazzling  Northstar Fireworks show. 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. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.