Barre, VT – Thunder Road International Speedbowl honored its 2015 Champions with the annual Banquet of Champions at the Barre Elks Club on Saturday, November 14. Derrick O’Donnell received the top honors for the third consecutive season in the Thunder Road Late Model division, while Brendan Moodie and Jamie Davis earned their first Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stock championships, respectively.
North Haverhill, NH’s O’Donnell became the second driver in Thunder Road history to win three straight “King of the Road” crowns, joining Chuck Beede’s run from 1992-1994. O’Donnell’s championships came in his first three years in the division. He earned a career-high four wins in 2015, giving him a total of seven for his career. Among the victories was his second Memorial Day Classic triumph as well as a win in the Times Argus Mid-Season Championships. O’Donnell also finished second in the Milk Bowl and third in the Vermont Governor’s Cup.
Westford’s Darrell Morin received Rookie of the Year honors for the Late Models. Morin won a season-long battle with Scott Coburn for the award.
Thunder Road officials also handed out several special awards during the evening’s festivities. Alan Ward of Big Al’s Photos received the Pete Hartt Memorial Media Award. Ward is the official photographer for Thunder Road and his photos frequently grace the pages of newspapers throughout the region. Ward is also a broadcaster for Victory Lane Radio and can be heard covering auto racing events around New England as well as on the network’s flagship weekly talk show.
Clem Despault received the annual Ken Squier Award for his dedication to Thunder Road. The 1969 and 1983 “King of the Road” was honored for his lifelong commitment to the speedway, having competed on a regular basis for almost the entire 56-year history of the track.
Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie celebrated his first Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen championship in his thirteenth year in the division. Moodie overcame a slow start to win four races and secure the crown by just 10 points over defending Champion Jason Woodard. Graniteville’s Stephen Donahue received the Tiger Sportsman Rookie of the Year Award along with the Doc Nielsen Award for most outstanding rookie across all Thunder Road and American-Canadian Tour divisions.
Veteran Jamie Davis of Wolcott claimed his first career Allen Lumber Street Stock title. Davis won two races and closed the year with 10 straight top-10 finishes. Chris LaForest of Barre received the Street Stock Rookie of the Year Award. Tunbridge’s Gary Mullen was awarded the annual Ed Carroll Sportsmanship Award for his positive attitude in the Street Stock pit area. Mullen is the third multi-time winner of the award after first receiving it in 2004.
The Banquet of Champions officially concludes the 2015 Thunder Road season. To order your 2016 Season Pass contact the Thunder Road offices at 802.244.6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.