LOUDON, N.H. — The American-Canadian Tour Late Models will make their ninth appearance during New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s September Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series weekend on Saturday as they take part in the 50-lap ACT Invitational.
Forty drivers that represent all six New England states and one Province of Canada will compete as the final event on Saturday’s tripleheader schedule to see who will add their name as a race winner at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
0NH ANDY SEUSS, Hampstead, N.H. — NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour — The veteran home state fan favorite will add Late Model to his 2017 resume when he takes the green flag in the ACT Invitational driving for Chad Sullivan. The two-time NASCAR Southern Modified Tour champion has driven a variety of cars this season, including a second place finish in April at Talladega Superspeedway in ARCA Racing Series competition. Seuss will also take part in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour race earlier in the day.
2VT STEPHEN DONAHUE, Graniteville, Vt. — White Mountain Motorsports Park — The freshman Late Model competitor has been impressive this season at the quarter-mile oval nestled into the White Mountains of New Hampshire. He posted his first career win in Late Model competition during the track’s biggest standalone Late Model event in July and backed it up with another week just a few weeks later. The ACT Invitational will be Donahue’s first start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
3MA BRIAN TAGG, Oxford, Mass. — Thompson Speedway — The former Thompson Speedway Late Model champion will make his third start in the ACT Invitational. Tagg finished 35th one year ago, but earned a personal best of 25th in 2014 when he was a rookie on the ACT Late Model Tour. The Massachusetts driver is one of five drivers that will represent Thompson at the “Magic Mile”.
3VT RICKY ROBERTS, Washington, Vt. — Thunder Road Speedbowl — Roberts will make his sixth start in the ACT Invitational on Saturday and will look to best a career best 29th place finish that came one year ago. The longtime racer finally ripped a monkey off his back when he broke through for a Late Model win at Thunder Road, his first in over 20 years.
4VT CHRIS RIENDEAU, Ascutney, Vt. — Monadnock Speedway — Riendeau made his first career start in the ACT Invitational one year and will look to use that experience to better his 31st place finish. The Connecticut Valley driver has competed in Monadnock Speedway’s Late Model races this season and drove to a ninth place finish during the ACT Late Model Tour event at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in May.
5CT DILLON MOLTZ, Waterford Conn. — ACT Late Model Tour — The second place point driver on the ACT Late Model Tour has completed twice in the ACT Invitational before and has posted two top-ten finishes. Moltz finished fourth one year ago from a 26th place starting position. He was the first driver to punch their guaranteed invitation when he won the ACT Late Model Tour season opener at Lee USA Speedway in April in dominating fashion.
5MA TOM CAREY III, New Salem, Mass. — Thompson Speedway — The name Tom Carey is familiar with New Hampshire Motor Speedway fans and Tom Carey III looked like a chip off the old block when he wheeled his Late Model to a sixth place finish one year ago in his first ACT Invitational. Carey will be one of five representatives from Thompson Speedway at the “Magic Mile”.
5QC PATRICK CLICHE, Levis, Que. — Serie ACT Quebec — The fourth place point driver in Serie ACT Quebec this year will make his second start in the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday. Cliche posted top-ten finishes in all six series races this year, including a pair of fourth place finishes to end the season. The Quebec driver will look to improve on a 22nd place finish from one year ago.
9NH KYLE WELCH, Newport, N.H. — ACT Late Model Tour — The polesitter from one year ago will make his fifth start in the ACT Invitational. Welch finished 19th last season, his best career finish at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He currently sits ninth in the ACT Late Model Tour standings
9QC MATHIEU KINGSBURY, Blainville, Que. — Serie ACT Quebec — One of the packed rookie contingent for Serie ACT Quebec this season will make his first start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Kingsbury competed at Autodrome St-Eustache for two seasons before moving up to full-time ACT Late Model racing in 2017.
11NY JOSH MASTERSON, Bristol, Vt. — ACT Late Model Tour — Masterson moved up to the ACT Late Model Tour full-time this season and currently sits sixth in the season standings with one race remaining. The two-time Devil’s Bowl Speedway Late Model champion has made four prior starts in the ACT Invitational and will look to better his 12th place finish from one year ago. He posted a career best third place finish in ACT Late Model competition in June at White Mountain Motorsports Park.
17MA EDDIE MACDONALD, Rowley, Mass. — ACT Late Model Tour — The five-time ACT Invitational race winner will seek his 11th career win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which will put him in a tie in first place with Kyle Busch on the track’s all-time wins list. MacDonald has won the two previous ACT Invitationals and came from the deepest starting spot of a race winner one year ago. He punched his ticket with an ACT Late Model Tour win at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in August and has already visited victory lane at the “Magic Mile” with a win in Granite State Pro Stock Series competition in July.
19QC DANY TREPANIER, St-Edouard, Que. — Serie ACT Quebec — The former Serie ACT Quebec champion finished third in the series standings this season and posted a seventh place finish earlier this season at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on the American side after her dominated the early part of the event. Trepanier has made six previous starts in the ACT Invitational and is in search of his first top-ten finish at the Magic Mile.
21QC JEAN-FRANCOIS DERY, Quebec, Que. — ACT Late Model Tour — Dery will make his eighth start in the ACT Invitational when the green flag flies on Saturday and will look to better his previous best sixth place finish. The 2013 Serie ACT Quebec champion, however, has been extremely consistent at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with a 11.7 average finish and his worst finish of a 19th place effort.
22RI MARK JENISON, Warwick, R.I. — Thompson Speedway — The Rhode Island driver will be one of two from the Ocean State competing in the ACT Invitational on Saturday. Jenison will compete in his second race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He currently sits inside the top-ten in the Late Model standings at Thompson Speedway with one race remaining.
26NH BUCKY DEMERS, Cornish, N.H. — Claremont Speedway — Demers has sat sidelined for much of the 2017 season, but will turn it back up at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the ACT Invitational for the third time. The longtime race veteran has posted a pair of top-25 place finishes in his first two Invitational appearances and will look to improve on that experience.
26VT SETH BRIDGE, Mendon, Vt. — Devil’s Bowl Speedway — The 2017 Devil’s Bowl Speedway Late Model champion will make his first ever start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the ACT Invitational. Bridge used uber consistency en route to being the track’s final Late Model champion on the back of six top-five place finishes in seven starts.
28ME ROWLAND ROBINSON JR., Steuben, Maine — ACT Late Model Tour — In his fifth attempt at the Invitation one year ago, Robinson broke through a string of finishes outside the top-20 to lead a lap midway through and finished seventh. Robinson nearly broke through this season to visit the winners circle for the first time at Thunder Road, but was still rewarded with a runner-up finish, which tied a career best.
28NH SCOTT MACMICHAEL, Newbury, N.H. — Granite State Pro Stock Series — MacMichael sits second in the Granite State Pro Stock Series standings and was near the front of the series’ event at New Hampshire in July when he was involved in an incident that ended his day. He will team up with fellow competitor Ricky Bly and make his second start in the ACT Invitational, looking to better his 38th place finish from two years ago.
29ME ALLEN FELLOWS, Croydon, N.H. — Devil’s Bowl Speedway — The elder Fellows will make his first career Late Model start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the ACT Invitational. He will be one of three father’s in the field that will compete against their sons in the 50-lap event. Fellows has been sidelined for much of the 2017 season, but made a Late Model start at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in July.
29NH AARON FELLOWS, Croydon, N.H. — Devil’s Bowl Speedway — Fellows will make his seventh start in the ACT Invitational and posted a career best finish of fourth in 2013. The Croydon, N.H. driver has sat idle for much of the 2017 season and had made just a handful of starts at Claremont Speedway and Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Fellows will look to rebound from a 34th place finish one year ago after he was involved in a late race incident.
30NH RICH DUBEAU, Lebanon, N.H. — ACT Late Model Tour — Dubeau’s junior season on the ACT Late Model Tour has turned in some results with a pair of third place finishes and a fourth place showing in the series standings with one race remaining. The home state driver missed out on the Invitational one year ago, but will make his second start after he posted a 32nd place finish two years ago.
31ME JOHN DONAHUE, Graniteville, Vt. — At-Large — The veteran driver has been silent for much of the 2017 racing season while he has supported his son’s Late Model race efforts at White Mountain Motorsports Park. Donahue will run his family-owned ride again for a third straight season in his sixth career ACT Invitational start. He is a former top-five finisher at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after he finished fifth in the first ever event.
32NH JEFF MARSHALL, Lunenburg, Vt. — White Mountain Motorsports Park — Marshall will make his second ACT Invitational appearance, this time representing White Mountain Motorsports Park in the fall classic. The Vermont driver put forth an impressive first half at the quarter-mile oval. Marshall finished 20th one year ago.
38QC GAETAN GAUDREAULT, Quebec, Que. — Serie ACT Quebec — Gaudreault will make his first career start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after he was slated to two years ago but an incident at the Serie ACT finale that year ended his effort. The Quebec driver finished eighth in the Serie ACT Quebec standings this season.
41QC JONATHAN BOUVRETTE, Blainville, Que. — Serie ACT Quebec — The recently crowned Serie ACT Quebec champion will compete in his fifth ACT Invitational and look to post his second top-ten finish in the fall event. Bouvrette finished ninth two years ago and was caught up in a late race incident last year. Bouvrette powered his way to three wins this season in Quebec, including back-to-back wins that closed out the season and propelled him to his first career championship.
48QC MICHAEL LAVOIE, Chicoutimi, Que. — Serie ACT Quebec — Lavoie will take over the driving duties from primary driver Alex Labbe, who will look to clinch his first career NASCAR Pitny Series championship on Saturday. Lavoie, however, has been a worthy substitute with a pair of top-five finish for Larue Motorsports, including a third in the season finale at Autodrome Montmagny. The Quebec driver will make his first start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
49NH MATT ANDERSON, Franklin, N.H. — White Mountain Motorsports Park — Anderson will make his fifth start in the ACT Invitational and look to better his career best finish of 20th from one year ago. The New Hampshire driver is one of 12 drivers who will compete in five or more straight ACT Invitationals.
54VT MIKE ZITER, Barre, Vt. — ACT Late Model Tour — The ACT Late Model Tour regular finished 15th one year ago in his second ACT Invitational. Ziter will look to turn around a disappointing season that has seen the fourth-year American-Canadian Tour driver have just a single top-ten finish. He will be one of nine Vermont drivers that will compete in the ninth ACT Invitational.
55MA TOM CAREY JR., New Salem, Mass. — At-Large — Carey is no stranger to New Hampshire Motor Speedway as he has posted numerous top-five finishes in NASCAR K&N Pro Series competition at the track. The Massachusetts driver will make his sixth start in the ACT Invitational after having posted top-ten finishes all all five previous starts. Carey will also compete against his son, Tom Carey III, for the first time at the Magic Mile.
58VT JIMMY HEBERT, Williamstown, Vt. — ACT Late Model Tour — Hebert dominated the ACT Invitational one year ago and led a race high 44 laps before late race caution assisted in MacDonald’s race win. He will compete in his sixth Invitational and will look to better himself by one position this season after a runner-up effort last year. Hebert has also posted two other top-five place finishes and is surely on the shortlist as race favorites.
64NH JAMES CAPPS, Penacook, N.H. — White Mountain Motorsports Park — The driver with the shortest drive to the track as he lives in nearby Penacook will compete in his first ACT Invitational. Capps competed this season at White Mountain Motorsports Park and finished 12th in the Late Model standings despite missing a few events this season.
77MA JIMMY LINARDY, Somerville, Mass. — ACT Late Model Tour — The longtime ACT Late Model Tour driver will run in his sixth ACT Invitational on Saturday. Linardy posted his best Invitational finish one year ago with a 28th place finish. The Massachusetts driver is a pit favorite of many teams.
82MA MARK HUDSON, Norton, Mass. — ACT Late Model Tour — Hudson will make his first start in the ACT Invitational after competing full-time on the ACT Late Model Tour for the past two seasons. He will be one of nine drivers who will take their first ACT Invitational green flag on Saturday.
91QC PATRICK LAPERLE, St-Denis, Que. — Serie ACT Quebec — The longtime favorite from the province of Quebec will make his eighth start in the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Laperle has been remarkable in the event with two runner-up finishes, but will look to better a disappointing 41st place finish one year ago that sidelined him early with mechanical issues. The multi-time Serie ACT champion and 2008 ACT Late Model Tour champion finished second this season in the Serie ACT Quebec championship standings.
93CT RAY CHRISTIAN III, Norwich, Conn. — ACT Late Model Tour — Christian made the turn to compete full-time on the ACT Late Model Tour this season. The Connecticut driver will make his second start in the ACT Invitational after he posted an impressive 13th place finish in his first appearance at the one-mile oval.
97MA ADAM GRAY, Granby, Mass. — Monadnock Speedway — Gray will make his second start in the ACT Invitational after he posted an 18th place finish one year ago. He has posted multiple Late Model wins this season at Monadnock Speedway in their part-time Late Model series.
98RI RAY PARENT, Tiverton, R.I. — Thompson Speedway — The 2012 ACT Invitational race winner will make his seventh start in the fall classic and will look to better his tenth place finish from one year ago. The Rhode Island driver holds a commanding lead in the Late Model standings at Thompson Speedway and will look to claim his first championship in October. Parent will run a special Make-A-Wish of Massachusetts paint scheme in the Invitational and run in his first race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with Don Parsons Racing.
03MA JOEL MONAHAN, Whatley, Mass. — Monadnock Speedway — Monahan will make his second start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the ACT Invitational after he finished 17th one year ago. The western Massachusetts driver currently sits at the top of the Super Stock standings at Monadnock Speedway.
07MA WOODY PITKAT, Stafford, Conn. — Thompson Speedway — The longtime NASCAR Modified standout will run his third ACT Invitational after a pair of top-ten finishes in his two previous races. Pitkat will pull double duty on Saturday as he will compete in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event earlier in the day and drive the car that was to be piloted by the late Ted Christopher. Pitkat sits third in the Late Model standings at Thompson Speedway.
(Photos courtesy Alan Ward, LinMat, Clarus Studios, Eric LaFleche, and VtMotorMag)
