Redemption for DJ Shaw at Seekonk with Win, Clinched Championship

Seekonk, MA — Redemption was the word coming into Seekonk Speedway this Saturday for multiple drivers, and redemption there was. The Haunted Hundred for the American-Canadian Tour had big shoes to fill following last year’s edition where Ben Rowe took a daring last-lap pass to earn the win and the 2021 championship. In 2022, a different story unfolded and a new champion emerged in eerily similar fashion.

Thirty-two American-Canadian Tour teams from across New England and Quebec made the trek to Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway for the Haunted Hundred. With the 2022 ACT Tour season nearing an end, Seekonk’s Wild Card status came at a crucial point for the touring stars while serving as the last big Late Model event for the hometown regulars. In two rounds of qualifying on Saturday young-guns Jimmy Renfrew Jr., Cody LeBlanc and Jacob ‘Rowdy’ Burns took heat race wins while Thompson World Series winner Tom Carey III took the Consolation round victory.

After taking an impressive +6 in heat one in his first American-Canadian Tour start of the year, former ACT Rookie of the Year Ryan Kuhn sat on the Haunted Hundred pole alongside Renfrew piloting the Sullivan Construction machine. Two cautions would strike the 31-car-field early, each setting up wild duels between Kuhn and Renfrew on the restarts. As the leaders began to settle in, ‘Rowdy’ Burns kept them in his sights back in third, stalked by multi-time Thunder Road track champion Jason Corliss and ACT point leader D.J. Shaw.

A lap 30 battle saw Corliss jump to the inside of Burns. Unable to hold onto the lane on the slick Seekonk surface, Shaw pounced in under Corliss virtually saving Burns and shuffling Corliss back to fifth. The caution on lap 34 for a broken wheel on the Jimmy Linardy/Kayem’s Hot Dogs machine driven by White Mountain Motorsports Park standout Kasey Beattie. The restart would prove to be the final battle between Kuhn and Renfrew with Renfrew chopping a hard-charging Derek Gluchacki on the frontstretch. Race Control would send Renfrew to the rear as a result leaving Kuhn to battle Burns on the restart.

As they returned to the line, Jacob ‘Rowdy’ Burns would lead his first American-Canadian Tour lap by a bumper cover over Kuhn. Broken steering for Peyton Lanphear would bring out the caution on lap 47 as the audience watched early leader Ryan Kuhn jump pit-side for adjustments leaving young Burns to contend with D.J. Shaw for the first time.

Under the restart Shaw would edge Burns on the outside to lead laps 43 and 44 before Burns powered back up on the bottom to lead 45. The longest green flag run of the event began as Shaw settled in, content to follow Burns for the moment as things began to heat up behind them. A daring battle for tenth between Shawn Swallow, Gluchacki, Renfrew and 2022 Seekonk Speedway track champion Mark Jenison showcased a fine example of hardnosed, side-by-side racing with Renfrew coming out on top by lap 70.

Setting a blistering pace to keep the title contender Shaw at bay, Burns was quickly coming up on the side-by-side tail-end traffic of Mike Benevides and Claude Leclerc. Desperate for position with the A.H. Fence Company Ford Mustang bearing down on him, Burns made a three wide move under the two lapped cars with Leclerc spinning into the frontstretch grass. The restart would see Shaw lead the youngster on the outside, leaving Burns to contend with Tom Carey III as the Sunoco World Series winner lobbied for the second position.

Burns would battle back for second to stalk Shaw until the final caution on lap 93 for a melee of cars in turn four including Gluchacki, White Mountain Motorsports Park Rookie of the Year Bryan Wall Jr. and Seekonk standout Vinnie Arrenegado. The final restart set up yet another duel of the year between Shaw and Burns through the end. Both would battle side-by-side through the final circuits as Burns continued to hold onto Shaw’s inside line. Burns would lead lap 99 before Shaw pulled the ultimate veteran move, crossing under Burns in turn two, powering down the backstretch with the lane change and taking the win by just 0.068-seconds over Burns at the line.

2022 American-Canadian Tour Rookie of the Year Alexendre Tardif would round out the podium in third followed by Jason Corliss and Tom Carey III in fourth and fifth. Jimmy Renfrew Jr. would battle back to a sixth-place finish followed by former ACT Rookie of the Year Erick Sands. Multi-time White Mountain track champion Quinny Welch took eighth in his first trip to Seekonk Speedway followed by Claude Leclerc 150 winner Jonathan Bouvrette and Thompson Speedway standout Nick Johnson to round out the top-ten.

After a truly dominant year including three wins and a worst finish of ninth on the season, the Haunted Hundred victory was enough for D.J. Shaw to clench the 2022 American-Canadian Tour Championship with car owner Arny Hill and the A.H. Fence team. Joined by father Dale Shaw, who first ran in the American-Canadian Tour back in 1985 and mother Stephanie, whose father Steve Blood was a dominating force in the often missed Charger division at Oxford Plains Speedway, D.J. has brought home yet another accolade for the family dynasty. Finally, the Shaw name has been added to the championship roster of the most historic late model touring series in North America.

The 2022 American-Canadian Tour season is not over! One more event remains on the schedule with the ACT Tour’s return to New London-Waterford Speedbowl next Saturday, October 29th for the Shoreline 150! Alongside the Pro All Stars Series Super Late Model and New England Supermodified Series championships, the 3rd annual New England Street Stock Championship for the Speedbowl’s open division are also on tap. Saturday’s Post Time is set for 1:00pm with full schedule and pricing to be released in the near future.

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 and Twitter at @ACTTour.

Seekonk Speedway – Seekonk, MA

The Haunted Hundred

Saturday, October 22, 2022

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

1. 04VT D.J. Shaw Center Conway, NH A.H. Fence Co. Ford Mustang

2. 30RI Jacob Rowdy Burns E. Greenwich, RI Burns Motorsports

3. 21QC Alexandre Tardif Notre Dame-des-Pins, QC SSR Brothers Ford Mustang

4. 66VT Jason Corliss Barre, VT Burnett Scrap Metals Ford Mustang

5. 5MA Tom Carey III New Salem, MA Brookside Equipment Chevy Camaro

6. 0NH Jimmy Renfrew Jr. Candia, NH Sullivan Construction Chevy SS

7. 36NH Erick Sands Derry, NH Seacoast Truck/Auto Chevy SS

8. 78NH Quinten Welch Groveton, NH M.A. Bean Associates Chevy Camaro

9. 41QC Jonathan Bouvrette Blainville, QC Duroking Ford Mustang

10. 6MA Nick Johnson Rehoboth, MA Propane Plus Ford Fusion

11. 22RI Mark Jenison Cranston, RI Support Our Veterans Ford Mustang

12. 08RI Richard Murray Tiverton, RI South Coast Power Equip. Chevy

13. 72MA Ryan Kuhn E. Bridgewater, MA Everett's Auto Parts Chevy SS

14. 86VT Marcel J. Gravel Wolcott, VT Pete's Equipment Toyota Camry

15. 9ME Shawn Swallow Groveton, NH North Conway Incinerators Chevy

16. 03MA Derek Gluchacki N. Dartmouth, MA Superior Rail & Iron Ford Mustang

17. 91RI Charlie Rose Tiverton, RI Simpson's Auto Car Chevy Camaro

18. 01VT #Stephen Martin Craftsbury Cmn, VT Martin Maple Products Chevy SS

19. 77NH #Bryan Wall Jr. E. Kingston, NH Wall's Ford Ford Mustang GT

20. 11QC Claude Leclerc Lanoraie, QC Prolon Chevy SS

21. 50RI Mike Benevides Westerly, RI Benevides Motorsports

22. 17RI Vinny Arrenegado Jr. Warren, RI J+E Welding Dodge Charger

23. 21VT Reilly Lanphear Waterbury, VT Reilly Lanphear Racing Chevy Impala

24. 33QC Remi Perreault Joliette, QC Perreault Motorsports Chevy SS

25. 22VT Peyton Lanphear Waterbury, VT Alchemist Chevy Impala

26. 27NH #Cam Huntress Rochester, NH Camaro Heaven Chevy SS

27. 7NH #Cody Leblanc Berlin, NH Naylen Farms Chevy SS

28. 4MA Ryan Souliere N. Smithfield, RI Santon Plumbing Chevy SS

29. 77MA Kasey Beattie St. Johnsbury, VT Kayem Hot Dogs Chevy SS

30. 66MA Brett LeBlanc Uxbridge, MA SNHU Chevy SS

31. 11RI Corey Fanning Maplewood, RI Fanning Motorsports

DNS 4CT Reece Bogue Groton, CT Newcomb’s Tree Service Ford Fusion

-ACT Tour Press Release
-Photo credit: Alan Ward