Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl: Emily Packard
Casella Waste Management Night Race Preview
THE STORY
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt. – Emily Packard of East Montpelier, Vt., joins the stout weekly Late Model field at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vt., for the Casella Waste Management 50 on Thursday, June 20. Packard sits 15th in the Thunder Road standings after two races in her first full season of competition at the tight, quarter-mile bullring. Thursday night’s program marks the first Thursday night event of the season at Thunder Road, and Packard hopes her recent work with two-time track champion Nick Sweet of Barre, Vt., will pay dividends when she hits the track this week.
THE FACTS
WHO: Emily Packard, East Montpelier, Vt.
CREW CHIEF: Neal Woodward, Georgia, Vt.
TEAM: No. 9x Northstar Fireworks/Berlin Optical Expressions Chevrolet
SPONSORS: Northstar Fireworks, Fecteau Homes, Berlin Optical Expressions, Yipes! of Barre, VT Shifter Karts, GossCars.com, Be The Match, Rutland Regional Medical Center, R.G. Paving
BEST CAREER THUNDER ROAD FINISH: 10th (August 2012)
LAST RACE AT THUNDER ROAD: 16th (June 2012)
WHAT: Casella Waste Management Late Model 50
WHERE: Thunder Road International Speedbowl, Barre, Vt. (.25-mile banked oval)
WHEN: Thursday, June 20, 6:30 p.m.
Thunder Road International Speedbowl
LAST RACE: June 16, Late Model 50 (PPD-rain)
NEXT RACE: June 27, Fairpoint Communications 50 (.25-mile oval)
CURRENT POINTS POSITION: 15th
DID YOU KNOW?
Emily Packard became the first woman to win a NASCAR-sanctioned Late Model event at Canaan Fair Speedway in Canaan, N.H., when she won the Twin 25s event at the track on June 1 of this season.
Emily Packard became the first woman in a decade to win a feature event at Thunder Road International Speedbowl when she won a Street Stock feature at the track last summer.
Emily Packard was voted the 2012 Vermont Motorsports Magazine Rookie of the Year, and she was also named the Vermont Sportswriters & Sportscasters Association Athlete of the Month for August 2012.
Emily Packard posted her first career Top-10 finish in ACT Late Model Tour competition when she finished 10th in the Spring Green 113 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vt., on Sunday, May 5.
Emily Packard Motorsports crew chief Neal Woodward is a five-time ACT Late Model Tour champion crew chief whose cars set track qualifying records at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Beech Ridge Motor Speedway.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
EMILY PACKARD, Driver of the No. 9x Northstar Fireworks/Berlin Optical Expressions Ford, On getting back to Thunder Road this week: “I’m excited to go and keep working on two-lane traffic, getting better and the whole weekly racing thing. It’s definitely the part where I struggle the most. Thunder Road is definitely the toughest track out there, so every time I go there it’s about learning as much as I can.”
On how much focus the team has had on making changes to the car each week: “We’re making changes to make it more comfortable for me, but ultimately, we’re trying to make me more comfortable with the track itself. We haven’t really made huge changes at all. It’s more about me – its not as much the car, it’s more about me making changes as a driver.
“I knew it was going to be tough there this year, actually, I think I’m doing a little bit better each time. I got some advice from Nick (Sweet) last week, and I’m excited to get there an apply it.”
On whether the learning curve has been steeper than she expected at Thunder Road this season: “No, not at all. The competition level is just so high, they always are on top of their game. You see a lot of close, competitive, fun racing.
“Yeah, it’s too early to start looking for us to win. I think success for me right now there would be a Top-10 finish. If I made a Top-5, that would be almost as great – in this part of my season – almost as great as having a win.”
UP NEXT
A doubleheader of Late Model racing greets teams next week, with the Fairpoint Communications Late Model 50 at Thunder Road in Barre, Vt., on Thursday, June 27, followed by the second round of the Vermont State Championship Late Model Series at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vt., on Friday, June 28… Emily Packard plans on competing in both races.