ACT Sunoco Regional Series

Northeast Racing Stats Central

ACT Sunoco Regional Series

ACT Sunoco Regional Series feature event winners and champions, 1994.

In 1994, ACT created the Sunoco Regional Series, a Late Model Sportsman/Pro Stock series divided into three regions, each with a six-race schedule. Point systems were kept for all three regions, and each driver's "home" region points were entered into the overall standings.

Region 1 (East) was more or less a continuation of the Maine Late Model State Championship Series (MLMSCS) held in 1993, just under a different name. The cars were a mix of Pro Stocks and LMS cars (mostly Oxford and Beech Ridge Pro Stocks).

Region 2 (Central) was the LMS International Series, which is known today as the ACT Late Model Tour.

Region 3 (West) was mostly Ontario Late Models (Pro Stocks) and ACT Pro Stock Tour cars, run in Ontario, Quebec, and once at Airborne. Region 3 may have been borne out of the Goodyear Challenge Cup, we'll look into that.

A few drivers ran several races in two or three regions, including Dennis Demers, Junior Hanley, Beaver Dragon, and Champion Derek Lynch. The Sunoco Regional Series, while a fantastic idea, lasted only that one season.

NOTES:

Jeff Taylor won the Region 1/MLMSCS title without winning a race.
Mike Rowe, the Region 1 runner-up, won three races at three tracks. Taylor finished second each time.
Dennis Demers declared Region 3 as his "home" region, but won his only race in Region 2.
Beaver Dragon finished 10th in Region 2 with 337 points, but declared his home as Region 3. Dragon in fact finished 8th in Region 3, but earned only 221 points. Even though his Region 2 points were much higher, he was ranked well out of the Top 30 overall because his home region points were so low.
There is a decidedly low number of Region 3 drivers in the Top 30. This is due to consistently low car counts and a wide range of competitors in the region. Derek Lynch won four of the six events and his point tally (540) was justifiably high, but 10th-place Dave Taylor's tally was only 192, a far cry from Lynch's total. In fact, only only the Top 5 drivers (Lynch, Leclerc, Whitlock, Demers, and Roy) made every event. Taylor competed in only the first three events, with a best finish of 9th, that coming in the 12-car event at Capital City Speedway. This is not to take away from Lynch's accomplishments, as he had to beat the best of the best, including Junior Hanley, Beaver Dragon, Region 1 champ Jeff Taylor, and many others... he just didn't have to beat them all the time. Lynch did, however, make the long haul from Ontario to Maine to race the entire Region 1 schedule as well, earning five Top 5s in six events. While the highest car count on the Region 3 schedule was 21, the lowest count in Region 1 was 23. Lynch earned his championship, no matter how you look at it.

SUNOCO REGIONAL SERIES CHAMPION

DEREK LYNCH - NORWOOD, ONTARIO

REGIONAL CHAMPIONS

REGION 1 - EAST - JEFF TAYLOR - FARMINGTON, ME

REGION 2 - CENTRAL - JEAN-PAUL CYR - MILTON, VT

REGION 3 - WEST - DEREK LYNCH - NORWOOD, ON

ALL-TIME SUNOCO REGIONAL SERIES FEATURE WINNERS, 1994

Derek Lynch - 4

Mike Rowe - 3

Brian Hoar - 2

Ralph Nason - 2

Pat Corbett - 1

Jean-Paul Cyr - 1

Dennis Demers - 1

Brent Dragon - 1

Donald Forte - 1

Junior Hanley - 1
Stan Meserve - 1

SUNOCO REGIONAL SERIES OVERALL STANDINGS

Pos. Car# Driver Hometown Points Region

1. 15 Derek Lynch Norwood, ON 540 3

2. 88T Jeff Taylor Farmington, ME 476 1

3. 24 Mike Rowe Turner, ME 466 1

4. 17 Tracy Gordon Strong, ME 455 1

5. 32 Jean-Paul Cyr Milton, VT 450 2

6. 10 Ralph Nason Unity, ME 444 1

7. 11 Claude Leclerc Repentigny, QC 441 3

8. 92 Dave Whitlock Petrolia, ON 439 3

9. 28 Stan Meserve Unity, ME 435 1

10. 68 Jim Cilley Groton, VT 427 2

11. 86 Dennis Demers Shelburne, VT 410 3

12. 2 Glenn Cusack Scarborough, ME 396 1

13. 54 Chuck Beede Graniteville, VT 388 2

14. 25 Dave Whitcomb Essex Jct., VT 387 2

15. 22 Bruce Haley Minot, ME 383 1

16. 0 Brent Dragon Milton, VT 380 2

17. 45 Brian Hoar Williston, VT 372 2

18. 83 Stacy Cahoon St. Johnsbury, VT 353 2

19. 90 Martin Roy Ste-Julie, QC 352 3

20. 31 Lance Ferno Williamstown, VT 345 2

21. 37 Larry Gelinas Scarborough, ME 341 1

22. 35 Ron Weston Essex Jct., VT 338 2

23. 60 Tim Brackett Buckfield, ME 334 1

24. 79 Scott Mulkern Falmouth, ME 328 1

12 Chet DeVarney, Jr. Georgia, VT 328 2

26. 1 Red Mead Hyde Park, VT 323 2

27. 5 Pat Corbett Williamstown, VT 321 2

28. 75 Gary Smith Bangor, ME 320 1

29. 43 Dennis Caron Colchester, VT 315 2

30. 42 Donald Forte Laval, QC 312 3

Region 1 - East

Date Winner Runner-Up Track

4/24 Ralph Nason Tracy Gordon Beech Ridge

5/30 Mike Rowe Jeff Taylor Oxford Plains

6/22 Stan Meserve Dave St. Clair Unity Raceway

7/27 Mike Rowe Jeff Taylor Beech Ridge

8/10 Ralph Nason Pete Rondeau Oxford Plains

8/27 Mike Rowe Jeff Taylor Unity Raceway

Regional Standings

Pos. Car# Driver Hometown Points

1. 88T Jeff Taylor Farmington, ME 476

2. 24 Mike Rowe Turner, ME 466

3. 17 Tracy Gordon Strong, ME 455

4. 10 Ralph Nason Unity, ME 444

5. 15 Derek Lynch Norwood, ON 436

6. 28 Stan Meserve Unity, ME 435

7. 2 Glenn Cusack Scarborough, ME 396

8. 22 Bruce Haley Minot, ME 383

9. 37 Larry Gelinas Scarborough, ME 341

10. 60 Tim Brackett Buckfield, ME 334

Region 2 - Central

Date Winner Runner-Up Track

5/14 Dennis Demers Bucko Branham Airborne Speedway

5/30 Brent Dragon Chuck Beede Riverside Speedway

6/12 Jean-Paul Cyr Dave Whitcomb Thunder Road

6/26 Pat Corbett Brent Dragon Airborne Speedway

7/31 Brian Hoar Lance Ferno Thunder Road

9/17 Brian Hoar Dave Whitcomb Riverside Speedway

Regional Standings

Pos. Car# Driver Hometown Points

1. 32 Jean-Paul Cyr Milton, VT 450

2. 68 Jim Cilley Groton, VT 427

3. 54 Chuck Beede Graniteville, VT 388

4. 25 Dave Whitcomb Essex Jct., VT 387

5. 0 Brent Dragon Milton, VT 380

6. 45 Brian Hoar Williston, VT 372

7. 83 Stacy Cahoon St. Johnsbury, VT 353

8. 31 Lance Ferno Williamstown, VT 345

9. 35 Ron Weston Essex Jct., VT 338

10. 6 Beaver Dragon Milton, VT 337

Region 3 - West

Date             Winner                 Runner-Up                   Track

5/21        Derek Lynch          Junior Hanley          Mosport Int'l Spdwy

6/11        Derek Lynch         Beaver Dragon         Capital City Spdwy

7/10       Junior Hanley         Dennis Demers      Mosport Int'l Spdwy

8/21        Derek Lynch         Donald Theetge            Circuit Ste-Croix

9/11        Derek Lynch           Donald Forte              Aut. St-Eustache

10/01       Donald Forte           Dave Whitlock          Airborne Speedway

Regional Standings

Pos. Car# Driver                  Hometown                   Points

1.     15   Derek Lynch         Norwood, ON               540

2.     11   Claude Leclerc    Repentigny, QC           441

3.     92   Dave Whitlock      Petrolia, ON                439

4.     86   Dennis Demers     Shelburne, VT            410

5.     90   Martin Roy           Ste-Julie, QC              352

6.     42   Donald Forte       Laval, QC                   312

7.     66   Lucien Rocheleau Montreal, QC            293

8.     75   Beaver Dragon     Milton, VT                  221

9.     93   Joe Goncalves     Concord, ON               194

10.     51   Dave Taylor         Caesaria, ON              192

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