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36-542: In 1979, famed television and radio journalist Ken Squier and business partner Tom Curley formed the North Tour sanctioned by NASCAR for Late Model Sportsman-type cars. Stars of the day included New England drivers Beaver and Bobby Dragon, Dave Dion, and Dick McCabe; Canada’s Jean-Paul Cabana and Claude Leclerc; and invaders Robbie Crouch of Tampa, FL, and Chuck Bown of Portland, OR. With sponsorship from companies like Coors, Molson, Skoal, STP, Valvoline, and General Motors,

72-636: A 12-race schedule before it was increased to the full season. However, funding troubles forced him out of the truck after seven races. Lessard was scheduled to drive the No. 87 for SQR Development on a part-time basis in the NASCAR Xfinity Series throughout the 2022 . Team owner J. C. Stout was unable to field the team due to "personal reasons", leaving Lessard without a ride. Stout had been arrested in January 2022 for criminal contempt after

108-842: A decades-long battle with COPD claimed Tom Curley. Ken Squier passed away in November 2023 after battling multiple health problems for several years. In November 2017, the American-Canadian Tour changed ownership for the first time in its storied history as former racer Cris Michaud and Vermont businessman Pat Malone took charge of the sanctioning body after partnering to purchase Vermont’s Thunder Road earlier that season. The partnership also purchased New Hampshire’s White Mountain Motorsports Park in 2019. In recent years ACT has competed at tracks across New England, Quebec, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida. Partnering with

144-576: A modern, cost-effective program that creates thrilling side-by-side action and has built one of the leading short track series in North America. Beginning in 1992 and taking center stage in 1996, the Late Models have introduced many innovative concepts used in several disciplines of short track racing. ACT developed one of the first “spec” engine programs in 1999 as a cost-saving option for local and regional racers. After successful testing in

180-466: A pit reporter for the first live "flag-to-flag" coverage of the Greenville 200 on ABC in 1971 and he joined CBS Sports a year later. Squier believed that people would watch the entire Daytona 500. "It was a tough sell," he said. "There was a general feeling that this was more of a novelty thing and that it wouldn't work on a national level." On February 18, 1979, CBS aired the 1979 running of

216-720: A wide range of sports outside of auto racing, including ice skating , golf , and tennis . He announced outside of the United States, including Australia, Japan, and Europe. He was a play-by-play announcer for CBS' United States coverage of the 1992 and 1994 Winter Olympics . In 2013, he was an announcer on the television show R U Faster Than a Redneck? . Squier contracted COVID-19 in November 2020. After long-term rehabilitation, Squier recovered from his illness by April 2021. Squier died from complications of an intestinal blockage in Stowe, Vermont , on November 15, 2023. He

252-408: The 1997 Daytona 500 with: "A true American hero, stymied another time at Daytona." His many catchphrases included describing wrecks as "side over side, end over end" and calling wrecked racecars "all torn up". A battle for position involving a large pack of cars drew comparisons to " an Oklahoma land rush ." Drivers battling side by side would be "door handle to door handle" or "knuckle to knuckle". He

288-786: The ARCA Racing Series , and GMS Racing , Kyle Busch Motorsports and DGR-Crosley in the Truck Series. Lessard started racing in an old Honda Civic , winning his first race on the day of his twelfth birthday. He then ran Quebec sportsmans and super late models in Canada before moving to America. His first American racing experience came in the CARS Super Late Model Tour , driving the 2015 season for Toyota Racing Development and David Gilliland Racing . In 2016, at age 15, and in grade 10, he became

324-537: The Winchester 400 , Snowball Derby and various PASS Late Model, CRA Racing Series and ARCA Racing Series events. To start off 2017 he was disqualified from an April PASS race for intentionally wrecking other drivers, illegally passing under yellow, and inappropriate actions by his crew. He debuted in the ARCA Racing Series in 2017 driving for Venturini Motorsports . He made the top ten in his second start at Winchester Speedway . On February 15, 2019, it

360-533: The Winston Million races—the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 . Squier stepped down as a lap-by-lap announcer on CBS in 1997 and was replaced in the booth by Mike Joy . Squier had announced every Daytona 500 from 1979 to 1997. He remained as TBS' lead commentator until retiring in 1999, with Allen Bestwick replacing him. Squier became the studio host for both networks, where he remained until 2000. Squier

396-568: The "Great American Race" flag-to-flag. Television ratings were high, in part because a major snowstorm on the East Coast kept millions of viewers indoors. Richard Petty won the race, but a fight between Donnie Allison and Cale Yarborough made headlines throughout the United States. For the next 20 years, beginning in 1981, various TV stations would get NASCAR coverage on various tracks: CBS, TBS , TNN , ESPN , ABC, and NBC . Squier would work for CBS and TBS over this time, covering half of

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432-685: The 2024 season. In its 46th consecutive year, the ACT Tour features thirteen point-counting events in New England and Quebec with highlights that include at least eight events worth $ 5,000-or-more to win and joining the region’s biggest weekends, including the 51st Oxford 250, the 62nd Vermont Milk Bowl and the Sunoco World Series! ACT-sanctioned racing can also be found at Thunder Road International Speedbowl (VT), White Mountain Motorsports Park (NH) and Thompson Speedway (CT) along with

468-460: The ACT sanctioning body. Raphael Lessard took the 2023 championship for the renowned Larue Raceteam #48QC with several new stars earning their first ACT-sanctioned victories on the reborn Canadian circuit! Ken Squier Kenley Dean Squier (April 10, 1935 – November 15, 2023) was an American sportscaster and motorsports editor from Waterbury, Vermont . From 1979 to 1997, he served as

504-703: The GM Motorsport National Stock Car Series was formed in Canada, offering large purses, even larger point funds, and coast-to-coast television coverage. Budweiser created the Bud Triple Crown as part of the GM Series, and paid Junior Hanley over $ 50,000 in 1991 and again in ’92 for sweeping the series. During Hanley’s ACT Championship years from 1991-93, the legendary Ontario driver earned more than $ 700,000 in winnings! The current American-Canadian Tour Late Models utilize

540-712: The Maine-based Pro All Stars Series (PASS), the two sanctioning bodies have co-promoted events at Thompson Speedway (CT) since 2020. During the 2023 season, ACT fans saw some of the greatest competition in the Northeast. The American-Canadian Tour averaged 33.3 cars per event in 2023 with a season-high 49 teams attempting to qualify for the season-ending event at the New London-Waterford Speedbowl (CT) in October. There

576-657: The NASCAR sanction dissolved at the end of 1985, Curley incorporated his roster of teams into the independent American-Canadian Tour in 1986 and made a total changeover from the NASCAR Late Model Sportsman to the Pro Stock cars used throughout the country. In 1987, Curley’s ACT aligned with Rex Robbins’ American Speed Association (ASA) of the Midwest and Bob Harmon’s All-Pro Series of the southeast, forming

612-891: The New England Auto Racing Hall of Fame and the Vermont Sports Hall of Fame. In 2004, ACT founder Tom Curley was voted by more than 1,000 race promoters across the continent as the Auto Racing Promoter of the Year. In 2018 Ken Squier was ceremoniously inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC for his contributions to the growth of the sport on a national, and international, level. ACT lost its visionary leader in May of 2017 when

648-399: The No. 4 Tundra. Despite missing the playoffs, he won his first career Truck race at Talladega Superspeedway when he was leading as the caution came out on the final lap, becoming the first French Canadian to win in a NASCAR national series. Lessard lost his KBM ride to John Hunter Nemechek in 2021 and subsequently moved to GMS Racing to drive the No. 24. The plans initially outlined

684-599: The North Tour visited the short track showplaces of the northeastern U.S. and Canada: Vermont’s Thunder Road, Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway, Stafford Springs and Thompson, CT, Sanair Super Speedway near Montreal, Cayuga Speedway in Ontario, and Dover Downs Int’l Speedway in Dover, DE. Southern stars Butch Lindley, Bill Dennis, Harry Gant, and Tommy Ellis were frequent visitors to NASCAR North Tour events, along with national icons Bobby Allison, Buddy Baker, and Dale Earnhardt. After

720-565: The Road’ Jason Corliss battled up from a 17th-place starting position to take the home-cooking win. The 6th annual Milton CAT Midsummer Classic 250 again wowed as 42 cars were whittled down to a 31-car starting field at White Mountain Motorsports Park that saw Last Chance winner Jesse Switser do the impossible and take down the victory! Switser joined Gabe Brown and Brandon Barker as first-time American-Canadian Tour winners in 2023. Competitors, officials, and fans alike are eagerly awaiting

756-554: The Stock Car Connection. The SCC visited high-profile tracks in Cincinnati, OH; Milwaukee, WI; Nazareth, PA; and Nashville, TN; and saw visitors that included Darrell Waltrip, Mark Martin, Bobby and Davey Allison, and Rusty and Kenny Wallace, along with short track legends Dick Trickle, Butch Miller, Mike Eddy, Bob Senneker, Steve Grissom, and Bobby Gill. With General Motors stepping up its commitment to ACT in 1989,

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792-527: The early 2000s, most teams, tracks and promoters both regionally and nationally have made the switch. The “spec” engine program expanded to include a Ford option in 2010 and added the popular GM ‘602’ in 2018. A similar cost-saving “spec” program exists with Koni and QA1 shock absorbers as well as a uniform Hoosier Racing Tire utilized by the Tour and its partner tracks. For their efforts in the growth of stock car racing, both Squier and Curley have been inducted into

828-440: The engines have fired at New Hampshire, I remind you that this is the final NASCAR broadcast for Turner Sports . I was the play-by-play announcer for TBS for 18 years. Beginning in the very first year of NASCAR coverage, 1983. It's been a real honor to be a part of today's broadcast, and I wish my colleagues the very best today on TNT. As this amazing, 32-year run comes to a close, I hope you enjoy today's race. In September 2015, it

864-767: The lap-by-lap commentator for NASCAR on CBS , and was also a lap-by-lap commentator for TBS from 1983–1999. Squier was the first announcer to give lap-by-lap commentary for the Daytona 500 in 1979. He coined the term "The Great American Race" for the Daytona 500 and helped introduce the Australian-developed in-car camera for the 1982 running of the event . He lived in Stowe, Vermont until his death. Squier's father, Lloyd, owned and operated WDEV in Waterbury, Vermont , and Ken began his on-air work at age 12. When Lloyd Squier died in 1979, Ken Squier inherited

900-573: The line!" Squier announced CBS Sports' occasional CART IndyCar broadcasts in the 1990s as well as hosted the 1982 Individual Speedway World Championship from the Los Angeles Coliseum alongside four-time Speedway World Champion Barry Briggs of New Zealand and pit reporter Dave Despain . Squier hosted CBS' "live flag-to-flag" coverage of American Formula One races in the 1980s (e.g. Detroit, Dallas) along with David Hobbs and pit reporter Chris Economaki . Squier also announced

936-453: The same capacity for 2017. Squier got some media reaction after nicknaming Erik Jones "That Jones Boy" for his top 5 streak. Squier's unique broadcasting style featured grandiose words and colorful metaphors. He often described NASCAR drivers in his era as "common men doing uncommon things". He called a last-lap battle at the 1979 Daytona 500 as "two of the greatest, fiddling, fidgeting with first place" and summed up Dale Earnhardt's wreck at

972-512: The second non-American to win the CARS Super Late Model series championship, the other being Mario Gosselin , also a Canadian from Quebec, who accomplished the feat in 1997. It was Lessard's first championship. He won four of ten races during the season, including the season finale at Southern National Motorsports Park . Lessard continued with Toyota and David Gilliland Racing to run late model racing in large events like

1008-675: The station and was its longtime principal owner and CEO. Squier's racing-announcing career began when he announced a stock car race from the back of an old logging truck at a tiny dirt track in Vermont at age 14. He was the announcer at Malletts Bay, the Northeastern Speedway, and the Monadnock Speedway in the 1950s. In 1960 he opened Thunder Road International SpeedBowl , the Barre, Vermont , quarter-mile oval, which

1044-643: The touring Serie ACT Quebec in Canada and the US-Based ACT Tri-State Flying Tiger Series. After a five year hiatus, partially due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent international border closure, the Serie ACT Quebec series returned in 2024 for a 10-race schedule. Split evenly between Quebec bullrings Autodrome Chaudiere and Autodrome Montmagny, Serie ACT Quebec brought a permanent presence back to Canada for

1080-633: Was 88. Squier acted in several movies, primarily as an announcer. Raphael Lessard Raphaël Lessard (pronounced "less-ard"; born July 5, 2001) is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes part-time in the NASCAR Pinty's Series for Ed Hakonson Racing. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driving the No. 24 Chevrolet Silverado for GMS Racing . He has also driven for Venturini Motorsports in

1116-451: Was also known for the ability to switch between the "radio" style of broadcasting and "TV" styles. One of the best-known examples was the 1981 Talladega 500 , when with a handful of laps to go the video went out and only the audio remained. Squier called the final laps and described Ron Bouchard 's upset victory in typical style: "Three cars came out of the tri-oval, lined up like a squadron of P-51s out of World War Two and down they came to

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1152-572: Was also present in the Fox Sports studio during pre-race and post-race coverage of Daytona Speedweeks and the 2001 Daytona 500 , as well as the first-ever regular season Winston Cup Series event televised by Fox. On July 13, 2014, NASCAR on TNT broadcast its final race at the Camping World RV Sales 301. After the pre-race show, Squier said goodbye to NASCAR on TNT in this speech: Hello everyone, I'm Ken Squier. And as

1188-462: Was announced Squier would call part of the Bojangles' Southern 500 race as part of a throwback weekend for NASCAR to celebrate the years 1970–1974. Squier was joined by Ned Jarrett and his son Dale Jarrett . As part of the deal with Darlington with its throwback theme for the next several years, the trio called part of the race again in 2016 as the years 1975–1984 were celebrated. They returned in

1224-565: Was announced that Lessard will drive three races in the No. 46 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series . Lessard started 7th and finished 14th in his Truck Series debut at Martinsville. In June, he joined DGR-Crosley 's No. 17 truck for the Iowa Speedway and Canadian Tire Motorsport Park races. In 2020, Lessard joined KBM for the full Truck season in

1260-418: Was plenty of action leading up to the end… After winning in a March exhibition run at North Carolina’s Hickory Motor Speedway, Derek Gluchacki successfully defended his Northeast Classic victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway by just 0.060-seconds ahead of fellow Bay Stater Tom Carey III. The 25th annual Community Bank 150 at Thunder Road featured the most lead changes of the season at 13 as three-time ‘King of

1296-660: Was subsequently sold in April 2017. Squier was among a group of six men who founded Catamount Stadium in Milton, Vermont , which operated from 1965–1987. He was a frequent announcer at this track, dubbed "The Home of the Brave". Squier co-founded the Motor Racing Network with Bill France, Sr. in 1970. He announced races on the network for several years before moving to television in the later 1970s. Squier served as

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