WATERBURY, Vt. – Weekly late model racers around the Northeast will have the opportunity to race for even more during the upcoming season.

The American-Canadian Tour has announced the inaugural New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer to reward the top participating drivers around the region.

Throughout the year, registered late model drivers will earn points towards the New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer based on their performance at participating tracks. A separate point fund has been posted with $3,000 guaranteed to the Challenge Cup champion and additional payouts for other top finishers.

Four tracks are slated to participate in the inaugural Challenge Cup: Vermont’s Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl; New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park; New Hampshire’s Star Speedway; and Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway. Each of the four tracks use ACT late model rules for their weekly racing programs.

All weekly late model features at these tracks will be eligible for New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer points. ACT events at these tracks will not be eligible, even if the event is also awarding weekly championship points.

“Seekonk Speedway is excited to participate in this program and give our Late Model teams a chance to compete in something bigger without having to travel,” Seekonk Speedway Director of Business Development Ed St. Germain said. “The Seekonk Late Model field has produced some exciting young drivers in the last decade and we look forward to seeing them take part in the Challenge Cup. Seekonk is committed to the success of the ACT program and the exciting racing it produces.”

A special Challenge Cup points system will award points based on finishing position and field size. Bonus points will also be awarded for wins and positions gained. Tracks will be responsible for reporting the results of each event to the ACT office, which will oversee the program.

The 10 best weekly performances for each registered driver across all participating tracks will count towards their New England Late Model Challenge Cup total. This means weekly Thunder Road late model competitors can earn New England Late Model Challenge Cup points at White Mountain Motorsports Park events, Seekonk Speedway late model racers can earn points at Star Speedway events, and so on.

To be eligible for the New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer, drivers must register with the ACT office and pay a $100 entry fee. One hundred percent of all registration fees will be added to the New England Late Model Challenge Cup point fund. The fund also includes contributions from American Racer and participating tracks with the final total expected to be well over $10,000.

In addition to the $3,000 guarantee for the New England Late Model Challenge Cup champion, the remainder of the top-10 in the final standings will receive payouts. The champion driver will be honored at their home track’s season-ending banquet.

“We developed the Challenge Cup program as a way to reward weekly racers,” ACT managing partner Cris Michaud said. “Touring racers often get the glitz and glamour, but the weekly racer is what makes local racing work. Without Late Model drivers showing up week after week at their home track all summer, and supporting the ACT Late Model Tour whenever they come to town, there wouldn’t be a Tour. We’re looking forward to the first year of this program and to seeing it grow in the years to come.”

“We’re also excited to have American Racer onboard for the Challenge Cup,” Michaud said. “They understand the value of the weekly racer, too, and they jumped at the chance to support them with this program. We hope to have them as a Challenge Cup partner for a long time.”

The deadline to register for the New England Late Model Challenge Cup presented by American Racer is Friday, April 24. Final point fund payouts will be announced following the close of registration. The entry form will be available soon at www.acttour.com.