BARRE, VT – The Late Model stock car championship is on the line at Barre’s Thunder Road Tuesday night. After 13 race events this summer, three drivers will decide among themselves who will win the 48th annual “King of the Road” title at Tuesday’s 50-lap Fisher/Federated Auto Parts Trophy Dash. Montpelier veteran Dave Pembroke is aiming for his first career Late Model crown, and will have to hold off former champions Jamie “Hurricane” Fisher of Shelburne and Cris Michaud of Williamstown.
Pembroke currently leads Fisher by 34 points and Michaud by 40 entering Tuesday night’s race. The trio was involved in an accident in last Thursday’s Kinney Drugs event, with Fisher and Michaud receiving the most damage. While the latter two finished deep in the field, Pembroke continued for a fourth-place result.
“We definitely dodged a bullet,” said Pembroke. “We had problems with the carburetor, the transmission, and the setup early in the day, but my (pit crew) guys worked hard and the car went very well in the feature. Then we were in that pileup and I thought ‘Here we go, it’s all over.’ Fortunately, it all worked out well for me. We got really lucky.”
Pembroke’s 34-point lead could potentially be cut by two-thirds before the start of the Fisher/Federated Auto Parts 50 on Tuesday night. With as many as 22 bonus points available in the preliminary qualifying heat and semi-feature rounds, every position matters. In fact, Fisher made up a 31-point deficit in the final event of 2003 to capture the “King of the Road” crown.
“All we need now is to not have a bad night on Tuesday,” Pembroke said. “We may have the point lead, but I’m pretty sure Jamie and Cris haven’t thrown in the towel yet. They’re going to give it all they have, and they’re both great racers. Tuesday should be a lot of fun.”
Thunder Road’s regular NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Power Shift Online Junkyard Warriors will continue their championship seasons on Fisher/Federated Auto Parts Night, with their “King of the Road” title winners decided at the 44th Annual VT Milk Bowl on Sat./Sun., Sept. 29/30. The final 30 laps of the Kinney Drugs Sportsman feature will be completed on Tuesday in addition to regular events. Rain postponed the race after five laps last Thursday with Barre’s Josh Lovely as the leader.
Green flag racing action at Fisher/Federated Auto Parts Night begins at 6:30pm on Tuesday, August 28. General admission is only $9 for adults, $3 for kids (6-12), and just $18 for a family ticket for any two adults and two children. Gates open at 4:30pm. Thunder Road is located on Quarry Hill in Barre, VT. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.