BARRE, VT – Montpelier stock car driver Dave Pembroke was crowned the 2007 “King of the Road” at Barre’s Thunder Road on Fisher/Federated Auto Parts Night on Tuesday. Pembroke joins a list 48 years in the making as champion of the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model division at the historic quarter-mile high-banked oval.
“It means so much to my family to win this championship,” Pembroke said as he celebrated his triumph. “We all grew up here at Thunder Road, and to win the championship a year after Chad Wheeler, whose family has been close with mine forever, is really special. To have raced down to the last race with drivers like Cris Michaud and Jamie Fisher, it makes everything that much sweeter.”
Pembroke entered the Fisher/Federated Auto Parts event with a 34-point lead over Fisher and a 40-point
cushion over Michaud. While Pembroke and Fisher struggled in their qualifying heats, Michaud advanced to transfer into the bonus-points semi-feature, making up precious points before the main event.
Pembroke finished ninth in the 25-car Fisher/Federated Auto Parts field, and spent the entire 50-lap race
trying to reach Michaud, who rocketed toward the front from the 14th starting position. Michaud contended for the win with South Burlington driver Trampas Demers until the closing laps. Demers ended a month-long streak of bad luck with his victory.
“It’s hard to believe we even finished the race!” joked Demers. “A win is exactly what we needed. Now
we’re really looking forward to the Labor Day Classic this weekend.”
Braintree’s Kip Stockwell finished third on the track behind Demers and Michaud. Joey Becker of
Jeffersonville and Brian Hoar of Williston rounded out the Top 5. Jerry Lesage, rookie Chip Grenier, John
Donahue, Pembroke, and Eric Williams completed the unofficial Top 10.
Unofficially, Pembroke’s title-winning margin was just 14 points over Michaud, one of the closest finishes
in Late Model history at Thunder Road. Fisher, who struggled to finish 16th in the race, ended the night
third in points, 46 behind Pembroke.
NAPA Tiger Sportsman racer Craig Bushey of Jeffersonville won the Kinney Drugs feature, postponed by rain last Thursday. Bushey was followed across the finish line in his first win of the season by Chuck Beede and Justin Hart, both of Williamstown. Chris Chambers of Brookfield earned his first career Sportsman victory in the Fisher/Federated Auto Parts 35-lap event. Chambers held off a sensational battle for the podium positions that included eventual runner-up Tim Potter, a Plainfield rookie, and Montpelier’s Jeff Bousquet. The Sportsman title will be decided at the 44th Annual VT Milk Bowl on Sat./Sun., Sept. 29/30.
Hinesburg rookie Bobby Therrien took his fifth Allen Lumber Street Stock victory of the season, setting a
new single-season win record for freshman drivers in the division. Shawn Powell of Jericho posted a career-best runner-up finish, while unofficial point leader Lloyd Blakely finished third.
The Power Shift Online Junkyard Warriors also ran double feature events. Travis Hull won the Kinney Drugs makeup event for his first career win, while his teammate, Jeff Martin, Jr., won the Fisher/Federated Auto Parts nightcap.
The ACT Late Model Tour comes to Thunder Road this weekend for the ACTion Super Series 29th Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200. Practice for the ACT Late Model Tour, along with qualifying for Thunder Road’s weekly divisons, takes place beginning at 12:00 noon on Saturday, Sept. 1. ACT qualifying and Thunder Road’s regular divison feature events will begin at 1:00pm on Sunday, Sept. 2. Adult admission is $25 for a two-day ticket, and just $5 for children (6-12). Buy advance sale tickets at any of the 35 Bond Auto Parts locations in VT, NH, and MA and take $5 off the front gate admission price. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com or www.acttour.com.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Fisher/Federated Auto Parts Night
Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl – Barre, VT, Tuesday, August 28, 2007
ACT Late Models
1. Trampas Demers, South Burlington
2. Cris Michaud, Williamstown
3. Kip Stockwell, Braintree
4. Joey Becker, Jeffersonville
5. Brian Hoar, Williston
6. Jerry Lesage, Winooski
7. Chip Grenier, Northfield
8. John Donahue, Graniteville
9. Dave Pembroke, Montpelier
10. Eric Williams, Hyde Park
NAPA Tiger Sportsmen (Kinney Drugs feature rained out 8/23)
1. Craig Bushey, Jeffersonville
2. Chuck Beede, Williamstown
3. Justin Hart, Williamstown
4. Joe Steffen, Essex Junction
5. Doug Crowningshield, Barre
Sportsman Fisher/Federated Auto Parts Trophy Dash
1. Chris Chambers, Brookfield
2. Tim Potter, Plainfield
3. Jeff Bousquet, Montpelier
4. Tom Therrien, Hinesburg
5. Chuck Beede, Williamstown
Allen Lumber Street Stocks
1. Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg
2. Shawn Powell, Jericho
3. Lloyd Blakely, Barre
4. Tim Campbell, Topsham
5. Billy Hennequin, Morrisville
Power Shift Online Junkyard Warriors (Kinney Drugs feature rained out 8/23)
1. Travis Hull, Barre
2. David Whitcomb, Elmore
3. Bunker Hodgdon, Hardwick
Warrior Fisher/Federated Auto Parts Trophy Dash
1. Jeff Martin, Jr., Moretown
2. Bunker Hodgdon, Hardwick
3. Jamie Davis, Wolcott