D.J. Shaw Becomes First Multi-Time Milton CAT Midsummer Classic 250 Winner

Thirty-nine American-Canadian Tour teams were welcomed by a hot and humid day in the White Mountains as they descended on New Hampshire’s Favorite Short Track for the longest event of the year. The much-anticipated Milton CAT Midsummer Classic 250, with a $10,000 prize for the winner, has been a highlighted event on many calendars since the ACT schedule was released last November. The teams proved their anticipation and readiness on Saturday.

After three qualifying rounds, the number of teams decreased from thirty-nine to twenty-nine. Jeremy Sorel and Kaiden Fisher, both rookies, shared the heat race victories with previous American-Canadian Tour champions D.J. Shaw and Patrick Laperle. Erick Sands and Bryan Wall, Jr. won the consolation round. Raphael Lessard, the prominent Serie ACT Quebec driver, won the Last Chance, B-Feature, securing his place in Saturday’s main event.

Defending champion D.J. Shaw, due to his +5 handicap in the ACT Plus/Minus qualifying system, took the lead in the field with Tom Carey III at his side. The early rounds transitioned into a nose-to-tail freight train as the competitors maintained a calm and cool demeanor with numerous laps still to come. As the race continued, Jamie Swallow, Jr. and Gabe Brown caught up with D.J. Shaw just as the lap traffic began affecting the leading racers.

Several single-vehicle spin warnings slowed down the field, but the competition warning on the 126th lap proved to be a game changer. During their 5-minute caution, most of the field refueled and changed tires before rejoining the race for the final 124 laps. Shaw, Brown, and Swallow maintained their dominance at the front. Shaw stayed high while Brown made a deep dive on the low side, competing with Swallow, Jimmy Hebert, and Tom Carey III.

The evening’s most exciting part began on the 200th lap, with Shaw, Carey, and Brown running in a tight formation on the high groove to kick off the last fifty laps. Fourteen laps later, having moved clear of lap traffic, Brown was gaining on Shaw for the lead when disaster struck on the 226th lap. A piece of wire got stuck in the sidewall of Gabe Brown’s right front tire, almost causing him to crash into the tire barrier on turn three.

The pandemonium carried on just four laps later when Jamie Swallow, Jr. and top-five racer Kasey Beattie had a fierce exchange, resulting in Swallow spinning out in turn three after bouncing through the top-10. This led to a thirty-lap showdown with Shaw and Beattie battling it out lap after lap. Beattie tried to unsettle Shaw from behind, shifting lanes before pulling up next to him under the ten-to-go signal. Despite his best efforts, Beattie couldn’t make his car stick alongside Shaw’s. When the twin checkered flags were raised, it was D.J. Shaw who claimed his second career Milton CAT Midsummer Classic 250 victory, with Tom Carey III edging out Kasey Beattie at the finish line to clinch second place from the 2023 King of the Mountain track champion.

The American-Canadian Stars and Cars are returning to the spotlight for the ‘Saturday Night Before the Oxford 250’. This event will take place at the Oxford Plains Speedway in Maine on Saturday, August 24. The Oxford Plains 125 will be featuring international stars once more during one of New England’s largest stock car racing weekends. It is scheduled to begin at 4:00 pm on Saturday, August 24.

For more information about the American-Canadian Tour, contact the ACT offices at (802) 244-6963, [email protected], or visit www.acttour.com. You can also get updates on Facebook and Twitter at @ACTTour.

-ACT Media Press Release
-Photo credit: Mark A. Cote

7th Annual Milton CAT Midsummer Classic 250
White Mountain Motorsports Park – N. Woodstock, NH
Saturday, August 3, 2024

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

1. 04VT DJ Shaw Center Conway, NH
2. 5MA Tom Carey III New Salem, MA
3. 45NH #Kasey Beattie St. Johnsbury, VT
4. 25NH Jesse Switser W. Burke, VT
5. 21QC Alexendre Tardif Notre Dame des Pins, QC
6. 47NH Gabe Brown Center Conway, NH
7. 18VT #Kaiden Fisher Shelburne, VT
8. 91QC Patrick Laperle St-Denis, QC
9. 77NH Bryan Wall Jr. E. Kingston, NH
10. 03MA Derek Gluchacki Dartmouth, MA
11. 97NH Joey Polewarczyk Hudson, NH
12. 36NH Erick Sands Derry, NH
13. 68VT Brooks Clark Fayston, VT
14. 7MA #Jeremy Sorel Westfield, MA
15. 53NH Jeremy Davis Tamworth, NH
16. 48QC Raphael Lessard St-Joseph, QC
17. 41QC Jonathan Bouvrette Blainville, QC
18. 33QC Remi Perreault St. Paul, QC
19. 27NH Cam Huntress Rochester, NH
20. 0VT Scott Dragon Milton, VT
21. 4NH Jamie Swallow Jr. Lancaster, VT
22. 10NH Bryan Mason Stark, NH
23. 58VT Jimmy Hebert Williamstown, VT
24. 11QC Claude Leclerc Lanoraie, QC
25. 68NH Tanner Woodard Waterbury Ctr., VT
26. 92VT Jaden Perry Hardwick, VT
27. 00VT Brandon Gray E. Thetford, VT
28. 01VT Stephen Martin Craftsbury Common, VT
29. 78NH Quinten Welch Groveton, NH
DNQ 73MA #Cole Littlewood Orange, MA
DNQ 29ME Cole Robie Windham, ME
DNQ 22VT Peyton Lanphear Waterbury, VT
DNQ 61NH Ryan Olsen N. Haverhill, NH
DNQ 32NH Jeff Marshall Littleton, NH
DNQ 2VT Stephen Donahue Graniteville, VT
DNQ 55VT Keegan Lamson Berlin, VT
DNQ 46x Brian Hoar S. Hero, VT
DNQ 04NH Shawn Swallow Groveton, NH
DNQ 21VT Reilly Lanphear Waterbury, VT