30 ACT Late Model Stock Cars lineup for the season-opening Merchants Bank 150 at Barre's Thunder Road.  The Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic on Sunday, May 26 will serve as the first Vermont State Championship Series race, and the kickoff to the King of the Road title chase.  (Photo Credit: Leif Tillotson)Vermont State Late Model Champion Series Begins

Barre, VT – The 51st Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic at Barre’s Thunder Road on Sunday, May 26 will be the kickoff event in the search for the next King of the Road in the premiere Late Model stock car division.

Barre’s own Nick Sweet will look to defend his Late Model title and win his third championship in five years in Thunder Road’s top-flight division.

“It’s a fresh start for us, and we know we’ve got to bring our A game to this race and every one after it” said Sweet, who earned four victories in last year’s title chase. “My team and I can’t wait to get started,” he finished.

The Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic will also serve as the first event of the Vermont State Championship Series, which will run two events at Thunder Road, and two events at West Haven, VT’s half-mile Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Last year’s championship was decided by one-point after a photo finish in the series finale.

“We were so close to that championship last year, it was sort of bittersweet. I was really happy with the way we ran, but I always want more,” said Milton’s Brent Dragon, who won the series finale but came up just shy of his first Vermont State Championship. “I just try to go out and win races. We’ll see where the points fall this time around.”

Also makinga special appearance on Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day weekend, joining Thunder Road’s own Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stocks for a full card of racing action, will be the Devil’s Bowl Dirt Modifieds. The Modifieds will have a 50-lap special event – the first ever for Dirt Modifieds at Thunder Road – that will be the opening race to their Northern Modified Challenge Series announced last week.

Post time for the 51st Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic is 1:30pm on Sunday, May 26.