(Press Release from Thompson Speedway)
Drivers going after the 2020 New England Late Model Challenge Cup (NELMCC) presented by American Racer now have another venue and state in which to chase the title.
American-Canadian Tour (ACT) and Thompson Speedway officials announced today that the Connecticut track has joined the NELMCC program for its inaugural season. Thompson Speedway becomes the fifth track affiliated with the weekly racing program.
The 5/8-mile speedway joins Vermont’s Thunder Road Speedbowl, New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park and Star Speedway, and Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway. Thompson’s addition also means tracks from four different states will be represented in the NELMCC presented by American Racer. All scheduled weekly Late Model events at these tracks are eligible for points towards the Challenge Cup. The 10 best results for each registered driver at participating tracks will count towards their total. A special point system is in place based on driver’s feature finishes and event car counts, with bonus points for wins and cars passed. An additional track also means a boost to the season-long point fund for the NELMCC presented by American Racer.
Total awards are now guaranteed to exceed $10,000 with $3,000 guaranteed to the champion. All driver registration fees will be added to the point fund, meaning the total payout will continue to increase as more drivers officially join the roster.
“Adding Thompson Speedway to the Challenge Cup is a good thing for everyone,” ACT managing partner Cris Michaud said. “Having another track provides more opportunities for all weekly drivers involved to chase the championship. This is especially true for southern New England drivers now that another track in their area has joined. It also means more potential rewards for weekly competitors who join, which is the reason this program was created.” “Most importantly, having five tracks now in the Challenge Cup shows the belief this region has for the weekly Late Model program,” Michaud continued. “Each track uses the ACT Late Model rules, and together, they’re making a commitment to the weekly racer who makes ACT what it is. We’re looking forward to a great season for everyone involved.”
Registration forms and other information for the NELMCC presented by American Racer are now available on the ACT website as well as participating track websites. Drivers have until Friday, April 24 to file their entry. Those who register by Monday, March 2 will be entered into a drawing where two drivers each receive two free American Racer Tires. For more information, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, [email protected], or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.
On the surface this appears to be a good thing. However, for points you need your best ten. Hopefully that doesn’t have to be just from the home track. It’s a little tough to get your best ten from a six race season.
The other tracks that added the bonus still pay a full purse. Still not much incentive to run Thompson.
I am assuming you can get points at different tracks. Otherwise, I am not sure why Thompson would join with only a 6 race schedule. That is what I like about the ACT late model division. The rules are standardized from track to track. A driver can run multiple tracks with minimal changes. You can run the same car at Seekonk, Thompson, or Waterford depending on which track opens up, pays a decent purse. They are not stuck with a car restricted to only one track. With this added bonus maybe some cars will venture out of their comfort zone and run a different track trying to improve their point standings.
I just noticed RaceDayCT didn’t run the original story from the ACT website so here’s a quick rundown. The New England Late Model Challenge Cup (NELMCC) presented by American Racer is an initiative to give the weekly racer something extra to race for in 2020. Weekly ACT-type Late Model drivers who compete at Seekonk Speedway, Star Speedway, Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl, White Mountain Motorsports Park (and now Thompson Speedway) will all compete for the $3,000 championship and the inaugural Cup! Using a unique points system (available on the ACT website) drivers will accumulate points in their respective weekly features based on finishing position, field size, positions gained during the race. End of the season points will be based on a driver’s best ten best performances and these drivers can gain points at any of these five tracks weekly shows, not including American-Canadian Tour or other ‘open’ shows.
The Star Late Models don’t run weekly. So one could run a combination of Star, Thompson and / or Seekonk.
So a driver who finishes 3rd in a feild of 5 at Thompson doesn’t get the same credit as a driver who finishes 3rd in a 20 car feild at Seekonk?
I’m so confused. How can you be part of a series that takes your best 10 finishes, when you only run 6 races. Even if you can share tracks, how many of the bullring drivers will actually participate at Thompson?