The operators of the American-Canadian Tour and the Pro All-Stars Series announced in conjunction Wednesday that Modified driver Sam Rameau, his father Randy Rameau and their race team have been banned from participating in any events sanctioned by ACT or PASS or at any tracks sanctioned by ACT or Pass, including Thompson Speedway.
Members of the Rameau team attacked driver George Bessette Jr. during the Thompson Outlaw Modified event Sunday at Thompson Speedway.
The statement from ACT and PASS read:
October 11, 2023
To: Sam Rameau, Randy Rameau and Rameau Race Team
Due to the violent actions by you and your team on Sunday, October 8, 2023, you and your entire team have been permanently suspended from any events by ACT and all connected or sanctioned tracks, PASS Racing and all connected or sanctioned tracks, and Thompson Speedway. This type of behavior is not acceptable and will not be tolerated.
Cris Michaud, ACT
Tom Mayberry, PASS
Michaud is co-owner of the American-Canadian Tour, Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vt and White Mountain Motorsports Park in North Woodstock, N.H. Mayberry owns the Pro All-Stars Series and Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Me. Michaud and Mayberry partner in operating the Thompson Speedway oval and also oversee the Northeast Classic in April at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Management of the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series also announced an indefinite suspension of Sam Rameau, Randy Rameau and the Rameau owned racing team on Wednesday.
On lap 85 of the 100-lap Thompson Outlaw Modified feature Sunday, second place running Bessette was under race leader Sam Rameau going into turn three. The pair made contact, with Bessette’s car ultimately driving over the front end of Sam Rameau’s car and Sam Rameau’s car spinning and wrecking hard into the wall.
The race was restarted and moments after the restart commotion erupted behind the pit wall at the turns one and two end of pit road where Bessette was parked sitting in his car.
Videos posted online showed Bessette being confronted by Sam Rameau and crew members from the Rameau Family Motorports team while Bessette was still sitting in his car behind the pit wall. Witnesses said Bessette was forcefully pulled from his car by Sam Rameau and another member of Rameau’s team. Video also shows an individual wearing a Rameau team fire suit striking someone with a helmet who was on their knees.
Bessette left the track in an ambulance. According to a social media post from a family member, he sustained no significant injuries. A track official was also hospitalized for injuries after being struck by someone with the Rameau team.
Connecticut State Police at Troop D in Danielson said Tuesday afternoon that no arrests have been made in connection to what took place.
Sam Rameau was the 2019 NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour Rookie of the Year. He ran full-time with the Whelen Modified Tour in 2019 and 2020. He has run part-time with the series the last three seasons. He has run five Whelen Modified Tour events this year and finished 21st in Sunday’s Sunoco World Series 150 Whelen Modified Tour event which took place before the Thompson Outlaw Modified event.
A NASCAR spokesperson said Wednesday afternoon that the sanctioning body is gathering and reviewing information concerning what took place Sunday involving Rameau.
Sam Rameau is a two-time winner on the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series. He is currently 17th in the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series standings after starting all four events this year. Sam Rameau had been scheduled to run the final two events of the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series season for team owner Doug DiPisa.
Sam Rameau won his first SMART Modified Tour event at Pulaski County Motorsports Park (formerly Motor Mile Speedway) in Radford, Va. on Oct. 1.
Race of Champions Series owner/operator Joe Skotnicki said Wednesday that Sam Rameau, Randy Rameau and the Rameau race team have been suspended indefinitely from participation with that series in alignment with the ACT, PASS and the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series.
Also on Wednesday afternoon, Lee USA Speedway, Hudson Speedway and Claremont Speedway announced in conjunction that they have banned Sam Rameau, Randy Rameau and Rameau Family Motorsports indefinitely from competing at those facilities.
Wednesday evening JDV Productions announced that Sam Rameau, Randy Rameau and Rameau Family Motorsports have been indefinitely suspended from all JDV Productions events and all events at Monadnock Speedway.
Ba bye and good riddance.
I hate to see any modified team going away these days given how many teams have closed up and continue to leave the sport. But I’ll make an exception with this viewpoint with that Rameau team. Good riddance to that band of thugs !!
Now the question is, will independent entities “honor” it as well?
Stafford, Tri track and the tour are the big ones.
Waterford would be considered a connected track correct?
Wow! That was fast.
Much faster than NASCAR updates the standings.
After Tri Track, who makes an announcement next?
Stafford, Waterford, Seekonk, MRS, Smart Tour
Is there a history with this guy and team or something? What am I misising?
Really is a shame. He has had some good runs I mean he just beat Matt Hirschman at a recent SMART race. But..none of that matters when your anger shuts down the grey matter and you go full bonkers. Hard lessons to learn unfortunely. They’re recent past didn’t help them any and it was the right call by the track and promoters. Time for some refection and a bit of contrition if those haven’t gone out of style these day. Might start with a conversation with a certain racing family in Danbury. Black eyes don’t have to be permanent.
Ah yes contrition, almost an extinct behavior these days.
ACT/PASS was a slam dunk they embarrassed those guys that were at the tail end of a very successful day.
MMTTS is always on top of their game so no surprise there they did the right thing.
Still interested in the lumbering, slow, multi management level behemoth NASCAR. What………will…………they………….do………if…………anything…………and………..when.
Doug,
According to a NASCAR spokesperson reached on Wednesday afternoon, the sanctioning body is gathering and reviewing information concerning what took place Sunday at Thompson Speedway.
It’ll be tough to go to the races when they’re in jail anyway…
Really wonder if this would be getting the (justified) reaction it is if it wasn’t on tape.
As far as I know, nothing from the Fortin fight was ever shown, or even exists. NASCAR issued IMO a justified penalty, and to my knowledge, none of the other entities in modified racing backed it up. He didn’t end up racing anywhere anyway, but as far as I know he was able to go to a tri track race, Thompson or Stafford open show no problem.
I’m not trying to say the two situations are the same, as one is clearly worse than the other sounded. But that doesn’t mean the other shouldn’t have received a reaction comparable to its seriousness. But then again that would mean taking NASCAR’s side on something which isn’t something some people can do.
Also makes you think, if other tracks and series won’t back up NASCAR choices, why would NASCAR back up choices made by other tracks and series.
at the end of the day, NASCAR will probably suspend him for a while, as it’s not like he competes with them very often right now. But I doubt he gets the perma ban status some of these claim to be.
What a fall for the 2019 Rookie of the Year!
I watched George Bessette at Stafford and he does not race dirty! As far as Stafford goes they are not NASCAR sanctioned. I guess it’s wait and see.
Regardless of what happens. They will not have a friend in the pits.
He’s an idiot. His whole team are all idiots Adios An don’t show up at Stafford or Waterford
He can’t show up to Waterford. It’s an ACT race along with Tri Track.
I hope no car builders fix his cars. Can you say action speak loud and clear.
Sammy is a nice kid. Give the kid a break. He’s always good to everyone on the modified tour. As usual raceday ct is trying to make someone look bad with lies. Just like he does to the modified tour every day.
Yikes! Shots fired.
Has anyone reached out to this Rameau family with any help or support for there (IED) Intermittent explosive disorder. Let’s get off the racing bandwagon for a minute and get these people the help they need to make them better citizen’s in today’s society !
Cars, motors and parts are already for sale
Even if what Bessette did to Rameau was intentional (and I don’t believe it was), there is no excuse or justification for attacking someone in a defenseless position with a helmet or anything else for that matter. If you think it’s ok to attack someone because something did not go the way you think it should have, it’s time for you find a good anger management therapist. Thank-you to the organizations that have suspended Rameau and his team in order to protect other participants, officials, workers, and fans.
Shane, put the crack pipe down. Nice guys don’t physically pull a guy out of their car.
As far as Shawn goes, I’ve read every article on this subject and all the comments. Shawn is being nothing but unbiased in his reports.
Funny thing, your the first and only person to say Ramue is a nice guy…all that crack has rotted your brain kid.
Let him go through the process.
Not sure he deserves a break.I mean it was clearly assault and they out numbered and jumped someone who wasn’t combative.
His crew to where are the charges.
Talk about the sublime and the ridiculous.
Isn’t it fun race fans waking up, grabbing that first cup of coffee, opening up good old RaceDayCt and seeing what posts you missed in the over night? Especially when we have a controversy in full swing. Isn’t that poll response a reacord?
You can check me on this but wasn’t that entire fracas from the time of the car extraction to Rameau walking away just a little over a minute? Can you believe that’s how little time it takes to virtually destroy your reputation with the entire community you spend the majority of your leisure time enjoying
Half a cup into my morning Joe the first entries I’m reading are from Crazy in NY and the Zig. Tell you what those guys can write and did a great job showing how you disagree with the big guy. You don’t have to agree but they lay out their data points, turn a phrase very well, do a little needling but not insulting.
Then this gem:
“ Sammy is a nice kid. Give the kid a break. He’s always good to everyone on the modified tour. As usual raceday ct is trying to make someone look bad with lies. Just like he does to the modified tour every day.”
Nothing wrong with the first two sentences. It’s an opinion, not one shared by many at this point but it’s fine. What the heck is up with what comes after? OK you want to disagree with the stories that’s fair game we all do it but doesn’t a critique have to at the very least have a kernel of validity to it? Two sanctioning groups just suspect Rameau. If you’re in the Rameau camp you could make a case for suspension being premature if you were really motivated. But how on earth does simply reporting it warrant a sucker punch to a representative of the journalistic trade.
I’m throwing down the red flag. Come on man it’s pretty clear you want to bend over backward to avoid dropping comments but enough already. Enough with the comments that characterize the valid reporting of events that occur in the local racing scene, the simple reason we tune into RaceDayCt as “lies”. It’s blatantly incorrect so you can start there. More to the point you can only advocate killing the messenger so many times before it becomes mind numbingly boring. That crap is what social media was designed for. Thoughtless, vacuous, reactionary and nobody will care.
Lord of the Fleas
Can’t believe NASCAR hasn’t done anything yet. They are more worried about getting cars to martinsville than keeping thugs out of their races.
Chris,
I’ve been told that NASCAR is gathering information on what happened and reviewing the situation.
NASCAR isn’t rushing to penalize someone because everybody else did. It wasn’t a modified tour race so its not something for them to decide. Nobody got arrested so guess the cops didn’t think it was that bad.
Nobody got arrested yet..Remember that it’s an investigation and I wouldn’t assume from what I’ve heard that the State Police are dropping this. They have videos and photos and are investigating so that’s incredibly ignorant to say “guess the cops didn’t think it was that bad”, you have no idea how they’re investigating it. I heard the Rameau family ran out of there too, interesting for a bunch of tough guys to want to run of course after they get their sucker punches in
This isn’t a murder investigation, it was an assault. If they haven’t arrested anyone yet they probably aren’t gonna.
It’s pretty rare to see anyone arrested for something at a race track.
Jonnie, this was a bit more than simple assault. Ramue’s actions qualify as malicious intent assault with bodily harm. The dude swinging the helmet, that’s A&B with a dangerous or deadly weapon (blunt object) and if indeed there was a victim over 55, it qualifies for assault of elderly, which carries some serious mandatory minimum prison time.
There may even have been arrests in the days after that weren’t reported to the media. I don’t think this is gonna get brushed under the rug.
As for Nascar, you don’t have to be at a Nascar race to earn a suspension. Plenty of Nascar members have been suspended for matters that didn’t even happen at the race track. This whole incident was wrong in so many ways, luckily nobody was seriously injured, or, god forbid, killed.
Awful what happened and no place for violence like that at a track. Rameau should be gone from racing. Didn’t Bessett get suspended from stafford a few years ago because someone on his crew got arrested at the track for threatening a driver?
No suspension by nascar? Terrible. Guess they need every car they can get for that last race.
I can’t imagine there is much interest in returning to the tracks, much of the fun is being there with your peers and friends , might have to start thinking about a new hobby maybe stamp collecting will fill the void, hope they qualify for a group discount at anger management classes
A few years ago the Fuller family had to get a restraining order against George’s sister for violent threats made to Meg Fuller. When it happened George said it was “just track drama”. Pretty bad when your sister’s threats were scary enough to get a judge to issue a criminal restraining order and you call it “just track drama.” Karma is a wild thing.
https://racedayct.com/2019/07/reigning-street-stock-champion-george-bessette-jr-suspended-for-one-event-at-stafford/
Never knew about that deal with Meg Fuller and George’s sister. That’s awful. It’s not easy to get a restraining order. You either gotta get beat up or legit have someone truly threatening your life a bunch of times. That’s pretty sick that he called it just track drama if his sister obviously did something really terrible to Meg. Wonder if he thinks Sunday was just some track drama.
Well, “just track drama” sounds like “locker room talk”.
And you wonder why racing gets such a bad perception?
Shawn get an interview with Sam Rameau
George Bessette’s sister got arrested for threatening to kill Meg Fuller???? What???? Never knew this. Only in big time auto racing. You really couldn’t write a crazier script.
Take what Mudd said a step further… Get Rameau and Bessette together on Unmuffled… same episode, by telephone of course, not in the same room.
😝
Again, is there a history here with Rameau and family? What is it? I’m not condoning the actions from this weekend but this isn’t the first fight/brawl/assault at a track, won’t be the last, but these comments have this whole family & team on the chopping block. I’m confused… Funny how there is a history with the spooky sister and she’s allowed back at the track, yet no one has an issue with that.
That restraining order between Fuller and that spooky sister must be long gone. I’ve seen them sitting at a same picnic table at the speedbowl not long ago.
Catherine: Respectfully, you don’t know the law. It’s quite easy to get a restraining order. Really no proof of anything is needed to get a temporary restraining order, then you will need to go before a judge and state your case for a permanent restraining order. Even that is fairly easy to state your case and be granted an order of protection. Judges are very fearful of not granting them, and then something happens later. George wanna really screw Rameau, get a restraining order against him. Anywhere George races, Rameau will not be allowed. That one there will be no loopholes.
Catherine/radiohead, it was so “sick” and “scary” that Meg Fuller is in the championship victory lane photo with them from last Friday. Let’s see 2019, that would make them all about 15 years old. I think that would qualify them as being kids according to the definitions around here. Not sure how that story has any relevance to what happened at Thompson.
Man people on here just come up with all kinds of BS. I guess thats what you get when you watch on TV and dont go to the track like Doug with his 1000 word essays of drivel. Why was Meg Fuller in Victory lane with George last Friday night after Stafford with his sister celebrating a championship? Who saw Geroge get pulled from his race car? This place has become the National Inquirer.
What the guys with the rameau team did was terrible and theres no place in racing for behavior like that. But nobody should be making bessette out to be an angel just cause he got beat up. He’s been driving through people all season at stafford. Sunday at thompson he was warned a few times by the tower during his heat that he was to aggressive. He almost wrecked the field in the heat race with a dumb 3 wide. He was told after the heat by officials that he was driving dangerousley and he was going to get someone hurt. And then he did it all again in the main and got warned multiple times by officials in the that race. At some point someone was going go at george for the way he’s been racing people. It went to far when it happened, but nobody in the pits was surprised it happened.
Knuckles Mahoney wrote, “Catherine: Respectfully, you don’t know the law. It’s quite easy to get a restraining order. ”
So now he’s a lawyer. Hmmmm… Knuckles, you have restraining orders pulled on you?
I tend to believe Catherine… if it is too easy to get a restraining order, they can be abused too easily and be harmful. Essentially used as harassment.
Didn’t Knuckles also claim to be a surgeon???? 😆
Yeah, the internet is just wonderful.
The internet is the modern genesis of the CB radio.
There are some crazy people here. So because George and Meg get along now 4 years later it makes it alright that his sister was stalking and threatening Meg to the point that a restraining order was needed and the sister ended up getting arrested for it? Weather they get along now or not it still shows what kind of people your dealing with. And to the person saying they were kids the sister was an adult when she did it and she was stalking and threatening a 17 year old minor. Yes that’s sick. I guess someone with the name knuckles would be an expert on people getting restraining orders.
You can’t just walk into a courthouse and ask to get a protective order against someone without showing proof why you’re asking for it. If you could get a protective order against someone without showing why you need it everybody would be getting them just to get people they don’t like arrested. You must provide a judge with examples of proof that there is ongoing harassment and that you have been directly physically threatened. And the Fuller family has been around racing for many years and probably have had plenty of feuds with people from other teams. The fact that a family was concerned enough by what was taking place that they got a protective order says it must have been really bad.
Besette team on Facebook doing damage control since there past history of being bullies in the pits has been brought up. Sister saying her and meg were fighting about boys when she got arrested. Sorry, judges don’t hand out criminal protective orders for two girls fighting over boys. Karma happens.
back to the present… well said Eyes. No one who isn’t part of either crazy camp involved is surprised by what happened. The Rameau team or anyone else won’t be missed acting like that. And none of the many that have been run over or into by george are surprised that he got roughed up. karma indeed
SMS shoulda parked george this year for driving thru someone while he was on probation for repeatedly doing that same thing … but no, instead just a DQ and an ok to race again that same night. Doesn’t being on probation mean you’re already past the point of “try to do better next time” especially when you go out and commit the same crime? smh Did folks miss his penalty for dumping Woody a few weeks ago? How many chances/penalties does he get before being told to stay home? 15? 20?
Only way karma coulda been better here is for this to happen at SMS for them to deal with.
Talk about Bessette putting people in danger during the race Sunday at Thompson, can we talk about him 2 days before that at Stafford blowing donuts after the Lights race on the track within 15 feet of crew guys walking onto the track? Stafford should have dq’ed him on the spot. Kid just doesn’t get that people can get hurt by his stupidity.
Dareal, you really are dumb. I am not an attorney, but do surgery. Two of my daughters are attorneys so I asked them. So stop thonking you know it all. Doesnt take a genius when you have RLQ abdominal pain to think you have appendicitis. Why dont you go find a rock and crawl under it with your constant drivel, stir the pot BS.
“I guess thats what you get when you watch on TV and dont go to the track like Doug with his 1000 word essays of drivel.”
It may be drivel but it was 418 words of drivel I’ll have you know.
In order to get a restraining order things have to happen in a certain way.
If you seek an order first you must contact the police. They then hear both sides out and if warrented issue a Temporary order. On the next business day you need to go to court to seek a permanent order which must be renewed every year. Once a permanent order is issued you can’t cancel it until the renewal hearing. At least that’s the way it is in Massachusetts, and I’ve got personal experience.
Keep in mind the order must be warrented. Just because someone pummeled you does automatically qualify you for an order. Get evidence, take pictures, bring witnesses. Judges can smell b.s.
Hey Knuckles, see what Rob P. wrote… judges can smell BS.
That you claim to be a surgeon is really funny. Butcher?
I smell BS. 💩
Is this the same sister that’s been using all the attention from her brother getting beat up to promote her onlyfans page? This whole episode is just the gift that keeps on giving.
Knuckles is a surgeon? The only thing he’s using a knife to cut into is a bagel when he’s serving customers at the Dunks drive up. Gimme a hot lawwwj regulahh and a glazed krullah.
Dareal, Rob P is wrong. That ever cross your mind? Someone “pummels” you and you don’t think a judge would grant a retraining order, you are an idiot. 100% in that scenario you’re getting a restraining order. Countless instances per my daughter of a judge granting a restraining order just to get a leg up in custody battles, rental properties etc, just say he/she threatened me. That’s all it takes sometimes.
You can get pummeled and not be able to get a restraining order, it all depends on the circumstances. I beat the crap out of my neighbor for kicking my cat. When the cop showed up he asked for a T R I. Not only did he not get the order, he was cited for animal cruelty. I ended up getting a T R I against him, but did not pursue it further and let it lapse.
Can you have complete faith in anonymous people posting specific information about a legal process in a comment section? Can you trust anyone’s reference to supposed experts they may know that happen to support their position that also remain anonymous? Most would say it probably never rises above the grain of salt level.
The good news is you can get extensive explanations by a simple web search. Better yet specific to Connecticut.
Interestingly I can find no reference to anyone in the Bessette clan referencing any kind of restraining order. Although mention was made of being contacted by state police and a vague reference to wanting to make sure this sort of thing never happens again whatever that would entail.
Doug, can anyone have any faith in what you post since you do not go to the track?
I walk around a car in the shop, and stepping over and around the nerf bars is a hazard. Pity the poor fools who attack a hot modified car.
Knuckles, perhaps the saddest part in all your drivel, if it is true, is that you are reproducing.
Rob P., that’s a funny story. Truth is indeed stranger than fiction.
That’s a great point Darealgoodfella so I’ll reiterate a rule I try to stick to in this forum. I’m nobody simply a screen ID. One that does not expect anyone to except any point of fact based on what I say alone. That includes the contests I score. Everything is clearly laid out so anyone can score it themselves and catch my errors.
If you ever see me making a statement of fact assuming it be accepted simply based on the fact it’s some old guy named Doug by all means single me out for derision. Give me both barrels I know you’re good at that.
While we’re chatting here I want to thank you and extend an invitation. Thanks for not calling me a idiot or moron on a daily basis. We’re in a better place now aren’t we without the daily tug of war nobody wants to see that stuff. I’m especially happy to not have to do that Welding Wonders persona. The forum now is so much better without it isn’t it? Great, informative posts by quite a few different people on a regular basis.
An invitation extended to participate in the racing Pick 6. I know you probably steer away from it because I score it but I’m sure all the players would love seeing you participate. You’re the senor posting contributor to RaceDayCt and it would be great to see you make picks.
Give it some thought.
Rob P. wrote:
“You can get pummeled and not be able to get a restraining order, it all depends on the circumstances. I beat the crap out of my neighbor for kicking my cat. When the cop showed up he asked for a T R I. Not only did he not get the order, he was cited for animal cruelty. I ended up getting a T R I against him, but did not pursue it further and let it lapse.”
This can be some of the funniest stuff ever on this site. That it responds to Knuckles “The Surgeon” Mahoney makes it priceless.
We have to determine for ourselves what is truth and what is not. So much of what is put out there is not even plausible, and is often preposterous.
Doug, that’s so nice and touching.
You should be proud of yourself. You have not deserved to be called a stupididiotmoron lately. Indeed, things are nicer around these parts without all your alternate screen names.
You should be pleased that Crazy in NY, Knuckles “The Surgeon” Mahoney, et al. have the limelight now instead of yourself.
Although there is no cure for stupidity, idiotic and moronic deserves whack-a-mole response. That should make you think.
You have served yourself well and shown that an old dog can learn.
BRAVO! 👏 🎉 🎊 🙌 🤩
“I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou