The American-Canadian Tour teams showed up in numbers this past weekend at Oxford Plains Speedway, with 36 different drivers slated to take to the track with hopes of capturing the checkered flag in the 150-lap feature.
Due to the large amount of drivers participating in the day’s activities, there were four different preliminary qualifying heats, followed by two “second chance” heats later on in the day. Ryan Kuhn, Bryan Kruczek, Scott Payea and Joey Pole took home victories in their respected heats, while Dylan Payea and Wayne Helliwell, Jr. reigned victorious in the second chance heats.
After the field was set, the drivers took to the track for their 150-lap feature. The #9 of Chip Grenier took the early lead, but Kruczek was on the move after proving fast all day in his #19 machine. Kruczek pulled to Chip Grenier’s inside on lap 6, taking over the top spot the following lap.
The Lanphear sisters, Reilly and Peyton, tangled on lap 12 in turn 1, leading to a handful of early-race cautions. Scott Coburn took a spin on lap 13 in turn 2, collecting Corey Mason and Jimmy Renfrew, Jr. in the aftermath. Drivers in the rear of the field tangled on the restart, but the field remained green. Renfrew’s troubles continued on lap 15 as he brought his car down to the pits and Stephen Donahue took a spin on lap 18 in turn 4, starting a domino effect which sent other drivers spinning in his wake.
By lap 30, the field had calmed down a little bit with two packs splitting the field in half. This was just the calm before the storm, as more trouble was brewing on the horizon.
There was a single-car spin involving Mike Foster on lap 34, leading to another caution. This was followed by a 5-car pileup on lap 39 in turn 4 involving Mike Foster and Joel Hodgdon, among others. Corey Mason also took a spin on lap 45 in turn 1, leading to another caution.
Joey Pole was on the move on the restart, breaking the top 5 before quickly moving up to fourth place. Bobby Therrien was also climbing to the top of the leader board, stealing away the top spot from Bryan Kruczek.
Chris Pelkey and Trent Goodrow tangled on lap 50 in turn 4, leading to yet another caution. This was followed by another caution on lap 55 for Bryan Mason as he took a spin, backing into the turn 1 wall.
Joey Pole continued his pursuit to the front on the restart, advancing into the third spot over Rich Dubeau. Kruczek was hungry for the lead once again, hopping on Therrien’s back bumper with Joey Pole in tow.
Corey Mason and Josh Hedges both went around on lap 65 in turn 1, leading to another quick caution. This was followed by spins by both Chris Pelkey and Mike Foster on laps 73 and 80, but the field remained green. Foster went around again a handful of laps later on lap 85, causing the yellow to come out once more. Foster parked his car for the day following the incident.
The two leaders, Therrien and Kruczek, were using each other up on the restart as they battled it out for the top spot, swapping the lead back and forth. Joey Pole waited in the wings for his perfect time to strike as the laps counted down.
Scott Coburn went around on lap 91 in turn 2, but the field remained green. After a caution for yet another spin on lap 96, there was a pile-up at the rear of the field on the restart involving Scott Coburn, Chris Pelkey and Marc Begin, among others. Around the time of these cautions, it was announced that the race was going to be shortened to 125 laps due to the excessive amount of cautions.
The leaders were 3-wide on the restart, battling it out for the top spot. Joey Pole cruised by his competitors, taking the lead for the first time in the feature. Kruczek was all over him by lap 104, taking over the lead once again as he and Pole began beatin’ and bangin’ for the top spot.
The leaders began to barrel through lap traffic once again on lap 115 and Kruczek used this to advantage, taking home his first career American-Canadian Tour victory after 125 laps of complete and utter madness. Joey Pole, Bobby Therrien, Jimmy Hebert and Chip Grenier rounded out the top five.
Although the 125-lap feature was completely caution-plagued, the leaders still managed to put on one Heck of a show and race each other up until the very last lap. The race was entertaining at the end and the fans were up on their feet watching Therrien and Pole go for it with every little ounce of energy and power they had.
It’ll be exciting to see how the rest of the American-Canadian Tour season plays out. You can catch the tour this coming Sunday, May 5th, at Thunder Road. Will you be there?
Thank you to ACT competitor, Joey Pole, for showing his support for Chasing the Checkered this season! Plus, thank you to my website sponsors, Texas Roadhouse Scarborough, Four Season Synthetic and Drown Excavation. I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without all of you!
