Thunder Road Season Hits Homestretch with Enpro/Safelite Night
Barre, VT – Thunder Road’s 56th season of racing hits the homestretch this Thursday, August 6 with Enpro Services/Safelite Auto Glass Night. With four Thursday nights remaining for the Thunder Road Late Models, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen, and Allen Lumber Stocks, every move on the ¼-mile oval counts as teams position themselves in the championship chase.
This Thursday has post time moved back half an hour to 7:00pm, which is in effect for all remaining Thursday night events.
“We’ve had countless comments this summer from folks who live outside the greater Barre/Montpelier area asking if there’s any possibility of moving the start time back, because travel time from outside the immediate Washington/Orange County area limits their ability to get to the track and see a complete program,” Thunder Road President Ken Squier said. “Because of the manner in which promotor Tom Curley has assembled his program and the organization that he and race director Cris Michaud have put together, the effects of moving the race meet along have never been better. Hence we are making this trial run through the final four Thursday nights of the 2015 season.”
The Thunder Road Late Model “King of the Road” battle tightened up considerably last Thursday. Two-time defending Champion Derrick O’Donnell of N. Haverhill, NH remains atop the standings, but his margin over Barre’s Nick Sweet has shrunk to 19 points. Fellow Barre driver Cody Blake used a semi-feature berth to close to within 35 points of O’Donnell and make it a three-man dance for the title. Scott Dragon and John Donahue are fourth and remain mathematically alive.
The Late Models will also once again chase the “Triple Crown” presented by Maplewood Convenience Stores, which pays a cash bonus to a Late Model driver winning their heat, semi-feature, and the main event. Josh Demers’ bid last Thursday came up short with his third-place main event finish.
“We were thrilled with the reaction to the semi-feature’s return,” Squier said. “It has added new energy to Late Model championship stock car racing.”
Defending Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman Champion Jason Woodard of Waterbury Ctr. picked up his first career Tiger win last Thursday and extended his points lead over Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie to 24 points. Barre’s Christopher Pelkey remains third, followed by Dylan Payea and Mike Martin.
Hardwick’s Jaden Perry continues to pace the Allen Lumber Street Stocks, but Wolcott’s Jamie Davis cut the gap to 15 points with his win in Sunday’s 50-Lap Special. Marcel J. Gravel and Tyler Austin rank third and fourth, with Jamon Perry moving up to fifth on Sunday.
Enpro Services/Safelite Auto Glass Night at Barre’s Thunder Road is this Thursday, August 6. Post time is 7:00pm, with the pit gates opening at 4:00pm and the front gates