(Press Release from American-Canadian Tour)
Barre, VT — With a well-deserved week off to reflect and prepare, the Stars and Cars of the American-Canadian Tour are set to point their haulers Northward this week for the first of two journeys across the border to Quebec, Canada. For the fourth time, teams will enter Autodrome Chaudiere for a chance to win the coveted Claude Leclerc 150, a celebration of the Iron Man of American-Canadian Tour competition who holds over 600 ACT-sanctioned starts under his open-faced helmet!
In the last several seasons, Autodrome Chaudiere and the Claude Leclerc 150 have become a must-race, destination event for American-Canadian Tour teams. The intensely exciting track is banked all the way around and has the incredible ability to start fast on the bottom groove while ending lap 150 with the fast cars flying high, wide and handsome on the outside lane, usually slapping the frontstretch wall up until the checkered flags wave!
The American invaders are led by ACT point leader Derek Gluchacki, who would love nothing more than to build on his cross-border streak after winning the CAN-AM 200 at Montmagny last July. Gabe Brown, Jesse Switser and D.J. Shaw all look to continue their momentum at Chaudiere in their chase of Gluchacki while Canadian title chasers Alexendre Tardif and Jonathan Bouvrette are looking to use their home-grown experience to jump into the top-5 standings.
Surprise entry Stephen Martin of Craftsbury Common, Vermont joins fellow New Englanders Bryan Wall, Erick Sands and Cam Huntress, along with ACT rookie title chasers Kasey Beattie, Kaiden Fisher and Jeremy Sorel among the seventeen 100%er teams expected to make the trip North.
A strong crew of Canadian defenders are led by longtime American-Canadian Tour ace, Le Grand Patrick Laperle of St-Denis and St-Joseph’s Raphael Lessard, the 2023 Serie ACT Quebec champion. Mathieu Kingsbury will join with the Duroking entry, William Larue is set to pilot a twin to Lessard’s car, with Chaudiere speed-demon Jeff Cote also joining the frenzy along with Christopher Bedard, Michael Lavoie, Louis-Philippe Lauzier and a host of others!
Of course it wouldn’t be the Claude Leclerc 150 without the man himself. Leclerc and teammate Remi Perreault will also look to continue their season on the American-Canadian Tour. Claude Leclerc has been a staple of the American-Canadian Tour since 1979 and remains the only active driver on the current ACT roster from the inaugural season, an amazing feat nearing five decades of support for the international tour!
The American-Canadian Tour takes a week off before all eyes turn north for the Claude Leclerc 150 at Autodrome Chaudiere in Vallee-Jonction, Quebec on Saturday, May 18. The knights of the United States will head across the border for the first of two events staged in Canada this summer to battle with the Quebec home front on their own turf. The trip to Chaudiere on May 18 will honor the Iron Man of American-Canadian Tour competition Claude Leclerc who has over 600 ACT-sanctioned starts in his decades-long career!
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, [email protected], or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @ACTTour.
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