NASCAR Cup Series Champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Labonte is ready to take on Barre’s Thunder Road Speedbowl on Thursday, July 9th with a new 100 lap event scheduled for the Maplefields/Irving Late Models alongside the previously scheduled Flying Tiger $2K.
Thunder Road Speedbowl officials are excited to announce that 2000 NASCAR Cup Series Champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Labonte will be making the trip to Barre, Vermont to compete on the famed highbanks of the Nation’s Site of Excitement on Thursday, July 9.
Bobby Labonte Night will now feature 100-lap events for both the Maplefields/Irving Oil Late Models and the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers!
Hailing from Corpus Christi, Texas, Bobby Labonte has been a fixture in the NASCAR scene since the 1990s, having earned the 1991 O’Reilly Series championship before signing with Joe Gibbs Racing. Labonte piloted the iconic Interstate Batteries #18 to the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Championship and even added the IROC Series Championship to his resume in 2001.
While keeping an eye on the weather all day Sunday, Thunder Road International Speedbowl put on one of the best short track races in recent memory. Twenty-four Maplefields/Irving Late Models joined the field for the 63rd Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 125 on Father’s Day Sunday with Kaiden Fisher earning the pole position in Plus/Minus qualifying.
Fisher showed the way early as last Thursday’s winner Chris Pelkey followed in second followed by Brandon Gray, Bobby Therrien and Justin Prescott running nose-to-tail in the early goings. While Fisher looked unstoppable, Gray began to close in late before the lap 100 caution for Stephen Donahue’s broken ride in turn one.
On the restart, Gray would round Fisher to take the lead, but the hood-pins of the S.D. Ireland Concrete machine were glued to the bumper of the C.W. Gray Auctioneers Chevy. The two swapped lanes as the battle ensued and with five laps remaining, the lapped-car of Mike Rubalcaba made things interesting. With the gap closed between the two front runners, they again swapped lanes with Gray leading all but the last lap as Fisher just edged him at the line by 0.036-seconds on in inside groove. Chris Pelkey maintained third place at the line followed by Therrien and Prescott to complete the top five.
Thunder Road Officials have made the difficult decision to postpone Five Star Roofing Night in the interest of precaution due to severe thunderstorms forecasted throughout the day Thursday to a new twilight special on Sunday, August 9.
With the move the first round in the Myers Container Service Triple Crown for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers has been added to the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic make-up event this Sunday, June 21.
“We held out hope but with the most severe weather coming through between two and four this afternoon, followed by scattered showers throughout the evening, we made a decision in the interest of everyone,” said Thunder Road managing partner Cris Michaud. “We look forward to seeing everyone on Father’s Day Sunday.”
Get ready for a look back at some exciting action from the Thunder Road International Speedbowl. This video captures the intensity of the racing that took place on June 11th, 2027.
This footage offers a unique perspective on the events at Thunder Road, showcasing the speed and excitement of the competition. It’s a great opportunity for fans to relive the thrill of the race.
Relive the excitement of the July 3, 1988 event at the Thunder Road Speedbowl as we bring you the highlights of the Pepsi Firecracker 100. This race featured intense competition and strategic adjustments from the drivers throughout the event.
The race involved notable maneuvering and strategy changes among the competitors. One driver adjusted his car setup mid-race, which significantly impacted how the vehicle handled as the race progressed. These tactical shifts played a crucial role in the final outcome for the participants.
The video showcases the drama of the competition, including discussions about tire management and the luck involved in navigating the track. Discover the action and the stories behind the results in the full video embedded below.
The New England Auto Racers (NEAR) brought their cars of the past to the Nation’s Site of Excitement on Thursday at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, VT. Opting to run all the old-time machines together for one fifteen-lap feature, former Flying Tiger pilot Mike Rollins took the Sportsman checkers with his #29 Dave Dion machine while Palmer, Massachusetts-native Dennis Desantels took the top Modified honors.
The rk Miles Street Stocks kicked off feature racing for the evening with Patrick Tibbetts and Donat Premont leading the show. A series of on-track mishaps for the Crunch Bunch slowed things down enough for Kyle MacAskill and Nate Brien to assume the front row by lap 11. Miraculously the remainder of the 30-lap event went green to the very end, even as top-five point chaser Hayden Bushey did two bouts of agricultural racing through the infield turns! Kyle MacAskill took down his first win of the season on Casella Waste Systems night followed across the line by Nate ‘Tater’ Brien and Patrick Tibbetts.
