by | May 24, 2013 | Thunder Road, Vermont
Barre, VT — An all division practice at Barre’s Thunder Road scheduled for Wednesday evening (May 22) has been canceled due to impending weather.
The practice was schedule for Wednesday in preparation for the 51st Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic, which is slated to run this Sunday, May 26. The annual event will begin the title chase for the Late Model King of the Road, as well as continue the point battle for the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stocks. It is also the first race of the four-race Vermont State Championship Series, and will include a special first appearance from the Devil’s Bowl Dirt Modified division.
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by | May 17, 2013 | Thunder Road, Vermont
Barre, VT – Barre’s own Lenny’s Shoe and Apparel has teamed up with Thunder Road to renew the Lenny’s Hot Shoe Challenge Award, which awards extra money to racers for feature victories at the “Nation’s Site of Excitement.”
The Hot Shoe Challenge Award will give a cash bonus of $150 to a Late Model driver who wins their first race of the season, as well as $100 for Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and $50 for the Allen Lumber Street Stocks. For the driver’s second win, they will receive half the amount of their first. Checks and an embroidered Lenny’s hat are given during the pre-race ceremonies of the next event.
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by | May 15, 2013 | ACT, Thunder Road, Vermont
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.
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by | May 3, 2013 | ACT, Thunder Road, Touring Series News, Vermont
BARRE, Vt. – Emily Packard of East Montpelier, Vt., turned in a career day at Thunder Road International Speedbowl by finishing 18th in the ACT Late Model Tour Merchants Bank 150 on Sunday, April 28. The finish marked the 16-year-old driver’s best career ACT finish in two career starts, and it came just hours after she won the second of four first-round qualifying races to earn a career-high 21st starting position in the 31-car field. Packard tried desperately to gain track position on the tight, quarter-mile bullring at Thunder Road and after a mid-race pit stop for chassis adjustments was able to finish in the Top-20.
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by Jay | Apr 29, 2013 | ACT, Thunder Road, Touring Series News, Vermont
Vermont Driver Earns Record 38th Career ACT Late Model Tour Win
BARRE, Vt. – Brian Hoar of Williston, Vt., played the waiting game on Sunday afternoon and turned it into his record 38th career ACT Late Model Tour victory, leading the final 24 laps en route to winning the Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vt.
The win was Hoar’s second straight victory in the event in the RPM Motorsports No. 37 GossCars.com Dodge Charger for owner and crew chief Rick Paya.
“We just had to save the rear tires, and with 40 laps to go, we just turned it on,” Hoar said. “This is just awesome.”
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by Jay | Apr 28, 2013 | ACT, New England, Thunder Road, Touring Series News, Vermont
Barre, VT – The sun shone on eight-time American Canadian Tour Champion Brian Hoar, as his trademark patience brought him his second Merchants Bank 150 in as many years on a beautiful afternoon on Sunday, April 28. Middlesex, VT’s Dave Pembroke came home a stout second, and 7-time ACT Champion Jean-Paul Cyr brought home a third place finish.
The race began with pole sitter Jay Laquerre running to a large lead in the early going, but it wasn’t long before Pembroke and Hoar muscled their way to the front in the outside lane, with Pembroke snatching the lead on lap 36. From there Pembroke surged, making short work of lap traffic and building his lead during a long 82-lap green flag run. ACT Rookie of the Year competitor Bobby Therrien impressed early, working his way towards the front of the pack as high as third in his third career ACT event before the caution.
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