(Stafford Springs, CT)—The American Canadian Tour will make its first visit to Stafford Speedway since 1985 as part of the 51st Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® Weekend on April 29-30. Over 30 cars have already registered for the 75-lap feature event that will take place on Saturday, April 29 with a mix of drivers who have ACT experience, Stafford experience, or both. 8 of the top-10 cars from the 2022 ACT standings, including defending series champion DJ Shaw, are among the early entrants and the mix of drivers promises for some exciting racing action.
51st Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® ACT Entry List
NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler Event Information
DJ Shaw – Defending ACT Champion
“I think the ACT cars will suit the track well and it’s going to be a good race,” said Shaw. “I haven’t had a ton of success in the past at Stafford but at least I’ve raced there a few times and have a little bit of experience over some of the other guys. I’m excited to get to Stafford and a new track for the ACT Tour to go to is always good for everyone involved. I finished second behind Teddy [Christopher] in 2012, but other than that, I haven’t had much luck at Stafford. I’m sure there will be some SK regulars getting rides so I’m sure they’ll have the experience advantage but we’ll have the car experience, so hopefully in the end it will all even out and we’ll have a great race.”
Derek Gluchacki – Most Recent ACT Winner
“I love Stafford and I was big into it when they were doing their iRacing stuff,” said Gluchacki. “Stafford is a great racetrack and it’s promoted really well and the track is run really well. I always enjoyed coming there with the PASS car and I’ve had this race circled on my calendar since it was announced. This is a race that I’d really like to be able to run up front in and have a good day. I’ve only raced there twice before but Stafford is one of my favorite tracks and I’m really looking forward to it. Stafford is a tricky track to hit it right every lap and having more laps at a track than the next guy is always a good thing. I think it will be a really good race and a grueling one. It’s not easy to pass at Stafford so I think you’ll see a lot of side by side racing, a lot of lead changes, and all around a great race. Stafford is a track that not a lot of Late Model guys get to go to and the track has been around so long and has so much history, it’s one of the best tracks in the northeast. If I can put my name on anything at Stafford, that would be a huge win for us.”
Joey Polewarczyk
“I’m definitely looking forward to the race,” said Polewarczyk, who won the 2021 Granite State ProStock race at Stafford. “I’ve only raced there twice before but I really like the track and it’s a beautiful facility. It’ll be a different challenge with the ACT style cars and it will help that I’ve been there a couple times before where most guys will be going there for the first time. Any time you can get laps at a track in any type of car, it gives you a one step up in practice. If you’ve never been somewhere before, you get used to the track with the first practice so it helps knowing the track but these are totally different cars. For whatever reason the track seems to fit my driving style with long straightaways and good grip and two grooves that you can use. You can search all around the track if your car isn’t working and that makes it a fun track for me. It’s going to be tough, especially with the qualifying. You have to draw for your heat starting position so you never know where you’re going to start. It’s going to be tough for sure but it should be a lot of fun to watch.”
Dillon Moltz – Former Stafford Late Model Driver
“I don’t think I’ve been as excited for a race as much as I’m excited for this one,” said Moltz. “I know I’m from Waterford but Stafford to me is home. That’s where I put the most time in and that’s where we raced weekly for four years and had a lot of success. When you have that many laps, that much success, and that much time at a track, it’s all muscle memory once you get on the track for the first practice. I think it’ll be an advantage for me but it won’t be that much of an advantage because drivers in touring series are used to going to different tracks. I had a ton of success in the extra distance 100-lap Late Model races and I’m super excited about racing at Stafford again. With my experience at Stafford I think we should be among the favorites to win the race. You’ll need to have a good heat race to get a starting spot towards the front and then play the race out from there.”
The ACT Tour kicked off its 2023 season with a pair of non-points events at Hickory Motor Speedway back on March 18 where both Gluchacki and Shaw found themselves in victory lane, giving them some positive momentum for the beginning of the 2023 season.
“It was good to get down to Hickory and knock some of the rust off and get a win,” said Shaw. “Hopefully we can keep things rolling from where we were last year to this year and carry the same consistency throughout this season. We were close to sweeping at Hickory so it was a good day all in all and I’m excited for this season.”
“Whenever you can get the ball rolling early it definitely boosts the morale of everyone on the team and gets us ready to go after the championship this year,” said Gluchacki. “I hope it can be an advantage for me.”
The 51st Annual NAPA Spring Sizzler® kicks off on Saturday, April 29, and will consist of two 40-lap NAPA Duel qualifying races for the Open Modified division. The 40-lap races will each pay $3,500 to win and will set the field for Sunday’s NAPA Spring Sizzler®. The American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models will make their return to Stafford Speedway on April 29th with a 75-lap feature with over 40 cars expected for the race. Limited Late Model, Street Stock, and Vintage All-Star divisions will complete Saturday’s racing program.
Order 51st NAPA Spring Sizzler® Tickets
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Sunday, April 30th will play host to the $20,000 to win 51st NAPA Auto Parts Spring Sizzler®. Filling out Sunday’s racing card will be qualifying and feature racing for the SK Modified®, SK Light Modified, and Late Model divisions along with last chance qualifiers for the Spring Sizzler®.
For more information, visit staffordspeedway.com, follow Stafford Speedway on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or contact the track office at 860-684-2783.
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