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.
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Barre, VT – Eddie MacDonald, a two-time New Hampshire Motor Speedway winner with the American Canadian Tour (ACT), has entered the Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road this Sunday, April 28, adding to a star-studded entry list for Thunder Road’s season opening event.
MacDonald, who finished third at the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup ACT season opener, has a long racing resume in New England. He currently races on the K&N East Tour as well as ACT.
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Barre, VT – The Late Model practice scheduled for Wednesday, April 10 at Thunder Road has been cancelled due to inclement weather. Late Model practice tires will still be available from 5-6pm by appointment at (802) 244-6963. An all division practice at Thunder Road is scheduled for Wednesday, April 17.
The American Canadian Tour will kickoff their season this weekend April 13/14 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH while Thunder Road divisions will see their season opener at the Nation’s Site of Excitement at the Merchants Bank 150 on April 27/28. A practice for Late Models, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen, and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will be held at Thunder Road next Wednesday, April 17 from 4-7pm. Gates will open at 3pm. Teams can also pick up practice tires at the Thunder Road tire barn on Tuesday, April 16th from 5-7pm.
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Car Show Returns to Barre
Barre, VT – The snow is finally melting as race teams and fans prepare for the first real sign of springtime: The 15th Annual Merchants Bank 150 at Barre’s Thunder Road on the weekend of April 27/28.
The race serves as the opening point-counting event for the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stocks, but will also bring in the stars of the American Canadian Tour to challenge the local Late Model division. Last season fans saw 8-time ACT Champion Brian Hoar pick up his second win of the season at the Nation’s Site of Excitement, with eventual ACT champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr. on his tail. Helliwell will be looking to score the victory at his home track, but he joins a long list of favorites to steal the opening event.
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Four-Race Schedule Set for Thunder Road and Devil’s Bowl
Barre, VT – After its resurgence in 2012 following a 25-year hiatus, the Vermont State Late Model Championship Series will be back in 2013 for a four-race schedule split evenly between Barre, VT’s Thunder Road and West Haven, VT’s Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
The first event will be held at Thunder Road during the 51st Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic on Sunday, May 26. Last year the event saw eventual King of the Road Nick Sweet take the victory in dominating fashion, picking up his first of two wins in the series. After that, the VSLCS will turn to the fast Devil’s Bowl half-mile on Friday, June 7 for the second jewel of the Vermont State Late Model Championship Series crown.
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CHR: Stearns Caps Season With Thunder Road Win
BARRE, Vt. – Travis Stearns put the finishing touches on a breakout 2012 season last weekend at Thunder Road International Speedbowl, steering the latest Crazy Horse Racing chassis into Victory Lane on the notoriously tricky quarter-mile.
Stearns, of Auburn, Maine, finished second in both 50-lap segments of the Reserve Milk Bowl on Sunday to earn $3,000 by taking the checkered flag in the inaugural event.
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Drivers Look Ahead to $50,000 Bonus
Barre, VT – When 51 ACT Late Model stock cars arrive at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road on Sunday, October 14th for the 50th People’s United Bank Milk Bowl, an extra incentive will be on their minds: Curley’s $50,000 Challenge. The challenge, put out by long-time Promoter Tom Curley, is a $50,000 bonus to any driver that can win all three segments of the year-end Milk Bowl.
The task is daunting, but three drivers have already accomplished the feat: Larry Demar in 1967, Dave Dion in 1975, and Robbie Crouch in 1986. Brian Hoar was one position away in 1998 when he won the first two segments and finished second to his father in the third. Several others have won two segments but failed to complete the crown.
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AT Racing: 50th Annual Milk Bowl
Austin Theriault Thunder Road Race Preview
Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, will try and etch his name in the history books when he heads to Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vt., for the 50 annual People’s United Milk Bowl on Sunday, September 30. The 18-year-old Brad Keselowski Racing development driver has qualified twice for the Milk Bowl in as many attempts, and he’s hoping that the AT Racing No. 57 Pelletier Ford Ford Fusion will be in contention for the overall win in the unique, three-segment event. Theriault has finished inside the Top-10 on both ACT Late Model Tour events at Thunder Road this season, including a fifth-place finish in the Labor Day Classic 200 on Sunday, September 2.
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Barre, VT – Thunder Road Officials have announced a fifty thousand ($50,000) dollar bonus to be awarded to any competitor that can win all three segments of the 50th People’s United Bank Milk Bowl on the weekend of September 29th and 30th.
The $50,000 award is an added bonus to posted awards already exceeding $120,000, making the race one of the biggest sporting events in Vermont’s history. In the Milk Bowl’s long history, three drivers have completed the feat of winning all three segments: Larry Demar (1967), Dave Dion (1975), and Robbie Crouch (1986). Others have come dangerously close, and no one more than Williston’s Brian Hoar.
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Gonyaw, Pilotte Pick up Feature Wins
Barre, VT – Eight-time Champion Brian Hoar made it clear his championship defense was far from over on Sunday afternoon at Thunder Road, claiming the clutch victory in the 34th Annual Bond Auto Labor Day Classic. Current point leader Wayne Helliwell, Jr. made him earn it, finishing a close second, and three-time Thunder Road track champion Cris Michaud rounded out the podium finishers.
Rookie Jimmy Hebert led the way early until a lap 33 caution when Helliwell spun in turn three. Hebert retained the lead following the restart, but was overpowered by Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. on lap 54 of the event. His lead, however, was short-lived when a hard charging Brent Dragon charged from the tenth starting position to take the lead on lap 68.
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Barre, VT – Three-time Thunder Road Champion and Vermont Lt. Governor Phil Scott will engage in more than political battles at Barre’s Thunder Road for the last Thursday night race of the summer. The Thursday finale will feature the 100-lap Aubuchon Hardware Late Model Championship event to close out the chase for the 2012 Late Model crown.
The all-time wins leader Scott, who has amassed a stunning 27 victories at Thunder Road, has been held winless in 2012. Scott remains third in the 2012 overall standings, and sits only five points off defending Champion Dave Pembroke. The situation is reminiscent to 2011, when Scott had been held winless until a convincing victory in the 100-lap finale, finishing second in overall points. Scott will attempt the feat again in 2012, working off a third place finish in last Sunday’s event, just as he was working off of a third place finish when he won the finale a year ago.
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Roberts, Smith Pick Up Feature Wins
Barre, VT – After a tough season, Winooski’s Jerry Lesage vindicated himself in style with a convincing victory in the 50-lap Late Model main event at Barre’s Thunder Road on Sunday, August 19. Lesage had to fend off rising star Cody Blake, as well as three-time “King of the Road” Phil Scott to take his first checkered flag in over seven years.
Pole-sitter Ricky Roberts ran with the lead early, but by lap 23 the familiar #74 of Lesage had pulled to his rear bumper. Lesage flew high to the outside and snatched the lead from Roberts by the halfway mark, and ran from the pack. Roberts was then swarmed by Blake, who took over the second position, as well as Scott, and point-leader Nick Sweet who stacked up two wide behind him. Blake distanced himself from the battle, while Scott methodically worked by Roberts with Sweet taking away fourth in the closing laps. Scott Payea, defending Champion Dave Pembroke, Jamie Aube, last week’s winner Cris Michaud, and Brett Wheeler completed the top ten finishers.
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Steffen, Christman Fly to Feature Wins
Barre, VT – On a night where tough seasons were avenged, East Montpelier’s Cris Michaud took his second victory of the 2012 season, fending second-place point man David Pembroke, and current point leader Nick Sweet off for the feel-good win. Three-time Thunder Road Champion Phil Scott took the fourth position, and Winooski’s Jerry Lesage rounded out the top five.
Lesage, who drove to the early lead, was quickly eaten up by hungry defending Champion Dave Pembroke, who stretched out to a massive lead just before the halfway point. High point drivers Nick Sweet and Phil Scott worked their way through the field, but a lap 33 caution for the spinning car of Trampas Demers bunched the field back together. Pembroke stole the restart, but multi-time Champion Cris Michaud clung to his bumper before swinging high and wide with 10 laps to go. Michaud stole the lead from dominant Pembroke, and survived a late race restart to claim his second win of 2012. Pembroke fought off Sweet for second, while Scott slipped past Lesage in the closing laps for fourth. 2011 Tiger Champion Derrick O’Donnell, Scott Payea, Brooks Clark, Ricky Roberts, and first-time driver Emily Packard rounded out the top ten.
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Late Model Championship Coming to a Close
Barre, VT – As drivers prepare for weekly championship action this Thursday night (August 16), division titles are nearing the homestretch at the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” Barre’s Thunder Road. Only a handful of events remain for the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen, who are currently locked in one of the closest point battles in recent memory, as well as the Allen Lumber Street Stocks. For Late Models, the championship is just around the corner.
Thursday will mark the beginning of the end for championship hopes in the Late Model division, as in a stretch of seven days they will run their final three point counting events. A rainout event last Thursday has moved the Make-A-Wish/Bond night to Sunday, August 19th, creating a weeklong dash to crown the Late Model “King of the Road.”
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Barre, VT – Thunder Road International Speedbowl officials have announced the make-up date of the postponed Make-A-Wish/Bond event as Sunday, August 19. The event, which was postponed due to rain on Thursday, August 9, will now be a Sunday twilight show with a 4:30pm post time. The grandstands will open at 3:00pm with the pits opening at 2:00pm.
It will now be the second to last Late Model point counting event in the 2012 “King of the Road” battle as the champion will be decided on Thursday, August 23. The Make-A-Wish/Bond event will feature all three Thunder Road divisions plus the annual Run-What-U-Brung and for the first time ever the Tough Truck Tug-O-War on the August 19 make-up date.
Thunder Road point battles continue next Thursday, August 16 with the VP Racing Fuel night. Post time will be 6:30pm.
