Barre, VT — American-Canadian Tour officials are pleased to announce the 2023 Schedule of Events for the Vermont-based touring series. Highlighted by a continued commitment to partner tracks in Quebec, renewed energy into longstanding iconic events across the Northeast and the return to Connecticut’s Stafford Speedway after a 38-year hiatus, the 2023 American-Canadian Tour schedule promises to be one of the most varied and exciting in recent memory.
For the first time since 2021, the American-Canadian Tour will once again head south to start the year with a pair of non-point exhibition events at the famed Hickory Motor Speedway in North Carolina on Friday, March 17th and Saturday, March 18th. The first of at least six doubleheaders with the Maine-based Pro All Stars Series (PASS), the twin 125s for the ACT Tour will start the season off in style for those Northeast teams itching to start 2023 early at one of America’s most iconic short track venues.
Kickstarting the points-counting 45th season for the American-Canadian Tour will be the $5,000-to-win Northeast Classic at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 15th. The season opener for New England stock car racing will once again feature the ACT and PASS partnership on the Magic Mile along with several other divisions. More details, including a full division line-up, will be announced in the coming months.
As released two weeks ago, the Stars and Cars of the American-Canadian Tour will return to Stafford Speedway after a 38-year absence on Saturday, April 29th as part of the 51st NAPA Spring Sizzler weekend. Social media has been buzzing about the event with competition expected to be packed to the brim with teams from across the Northeast looking to get their first taste of the iconic Connecticut half-mile during one of their marquee weekends.
The month of May brings the annual lid-lifter for the famed Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vermont. The home of the ACT Tour is once again featured prominently on the 2023 calendar with a pair of iconic Sunday events beginning with the 25th Community Bank 150 on May 7th and followed by the $5,000-to-win 45th Labor Day Classic presented by New England Federal Credit Union on September 4th. The 61st Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank on the weekend of September 30th and October 1st is a non-points affair for the touring series but none-the-less circled on many team's calendars after a stellar 60th anniversary event in 2022.
In an exciting addition, the famed Lee USA Speedway returns to the American-Canadian Tour schedule for the first time in two seasons. The 3/8-mile Southern New Hampshire oval regains its once annual spot on the schedule with the early season New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 on Sunday, May 21st. A favorite of many teams, officials expect the return to Lee USA Speedway to be one of the most hotly contested events in the early part of the 2023 season.
The first weekend in June brings an exciting change for the 48th running of the famed Spring Green as it moves from White Mountain Motorsports Park to Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway. The Cement Palace will serve as the sixth different facility to host the annual American-Canadian Tour special with a host of Southern New England’s finest expected to make a run at one of Northern New England’s marquee events on Saturday, June 3rd.
After a two-week break, the American-Canadian Tour heads to Vallee-Jonction, Quebec’s Autodrome Chaudiere for the Claude Leclerc 150 on Saturday, June 24th. The $5,000-to-win event became a staple prior to the COVID 19 pandemic closures and has since regained its spot as one of the most thrilling races on the summer schedule at the unique Canadian bullring.
Another two-week break brings the ACT faithful back to their Maine home at Oxford Plains Speedway for a special doubleheader with the Pro All Stars Series on Sunday, July 9th. The American-Canadian Tour will also return to headline the annual Saturday ‘Night Before the 250’ festivities on August 26th as part of the big 50th annual Oxford 250 weekend!
ACT jumps north of the border once again on Saturday, July 22nd for the CAN-AM 200 at Autodrome Montmagny. The return to Montmagny in 2022 was one of the biggest events of the season with former NASCAR Truck Series standout Raphael Lessard earning his first ever ACT Tour victory. The $10,000-to-win affair is certain to match, and perhaps even out-do, it’s 2022 version as more American teams are expected to make the trek to the Canadian speed-plant for a true international battle.
August brings the American-Canadian Tour teams their longest race of the season in the 6th annual Milton CAT Midsummer Classic 250 at White Mountain Motorsports Park on Saturday, August 5th. The $10,000-to-win event has become an ACT crown jewel with over 40 teams attempting to qualify in 2022 and exciting finishes becoming the norm for the extra-distance event. As the Granite State home of ACT Tour racing, White Mountain will also host the $5,000-to-win 45th edition of the Fall Foliage 200 on Saturday, September 16th alongside the PASS Super Late Models, PASS Modifieds and the Wells River Chevrolet Flying Tigers.
After a successful return in 2022, the American-Canadian Tour will once again wrap up the year at Connecticut’s New London-Waterford Speedbowl on Saturday, October 21st. One of the best match-ups of the season between the ACT Touring stars and the local Speedbowl heroes, officials expect the season finale to be quite an exclamation point on the year.
“We’re very happy and excited about our 2023 plans,” said ACT managing partner Cris Michaud. “We feel we’ve laid the groundwork for one of the most exciting seasons to date and I’m excited to see what year forty-five brings.”
With the announcement of the 2023 schedule, team paperwork and forms have also been released and are available online at the ACT website. The Full Season Entry Form will soon be available from the Barre, Vermont offices as will individual track schedules for Vermont’s Thunder Road International Speedbowl, New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park and Connecticut’s Thompson Speedway, the three New England speedways sanctioned by the American-Canadian Tour.
For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at @ACTTour.
2023 American-Canadian Tour Schedule of Events
# DAY DATE EVENT TRACK LOCATION
** Fri Mar 17 St. Patrick's Day 125 Hickory Motor Speedway, - Hickory, NC
** Sat Mar 18 Easter Bunny 125 Hickory Motor Speedway, - Hickory, NC
-- Fri Apr 14 Northeast Classic Practice Day, New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Loudon, NH
1 Sat Apr 15 Northeast Classic - $5,000 to Win, New Hampshire Motor Speedway - Loudon, NH
(Rain Date Sun. April 16)
2 Sat Apr 29 Spring Sizzler ACT 75 Stafford Motor Speedway - Stafford Springs, CT
-- Sat May 6 Thunder Road Car Show/Practice Day, Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl - Barre, VT
3 Sun May 7 25th Community Bank N.A. 150, Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl - Barre, VT
4 Sun May 21 New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150, Lee USA Speedway, - Lee, NH
5 Sat Jun 3 48th Spring Green 123, Seekonk Speedway - Seekonk, MA
6 Sat Jun 24 Claude Leclerc 150 - $5,000-to-Win, Autodrome Chaudiere - Vallée-Jct., QC
7 Sun July 9 Oxford 125, Oxford Plains Speedway - Oxford, ME
8 Sat. July 22 CAN-AM 200 - $10,000-to-Win, Autodrome Montmagny - Montmagny, QC
9 Sat Aug 5 Milton CAT Midsummer Classic 250, White Mtn. Motorsports Park - N. Woodstock, NH
$10,000-to-Win!
10 Sat Aug 26 Oxford Plains 125, Oxford Plains Speedway - Oxford, ME
11 Sun Sep 3 45th Labor Day Classic - $5,000 to Win, Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl - Barre, VT
presented by New England Federal Credit Union
12 Sat Sep 16 45th Fall Foliage 200 - $5,000 to Win, White Mtn. Motorsports Park - N. Woodstock, NH
** Sat/Sun Sep 30/Oct 1 61st Vermont Milk Bowl, Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl - Barre, VT
presented by Northfield Savings Bank
13 Sat Oct 21 Waterford 150, New London-Waterford Speedbowl - Waterford, CT
-ACT Tour Press Release