by Jay | Sep 23, 2009 | New England, Thunder Road
Waterbury, VT –The 47th annual Chittenden Milk Bowl will have plenty of action on September 26th and 27th at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road. The ‘toughest short track race in America’ will be a non-point counting race for both the American Canadian Tour (ACT) and the Thunder Road regular Late Model competitors. A record purse has been posted of $70,000. The purse includes bonus money for recording ‘low points’ in each of the three segments. If one team can win all three segments, they will earn a bonus of $5,000. That has only been done three times in 46 years (Larry Demar in 1967, Dave Dion in 1975, and Robbie Crouch in 1986).
Long known as the ‘grand-daddy’ of the Northeast short track Late Model special races, this year there is no pressure to win titles or count points. “This is my kind of race. Just put my foot on the floor and go!” said the defending and three-time winner, Patrick Laperle from Montreal. “I just love the Milk Bowl race. It is not like the 200 and 300 lap races we run, it is every man for himself, every lap. There is no time to wait for breaks, you have to make your own breaks”, continued Laperle. When Laperle was told about the $5,000 bonus for winning all three segments and the fact that it has not been done for nearly 25 years, he said “I guess it is time to change that in 2009!”
The hottest driver in ACT racing down the stretch is point leader Brian Hoar. Hoar joined the Rick Paya, RPM racing team this season and the team started an impressive string of top 5 finishes with two wins thrown into the mix during the second half of the season on the ACT. Hoar is one of the last drivers to win more than one segment in the Milk Bowl when he did it a decade ago. “I think it speaks to the present day competition and how equal these cars are now. If you are not on top of your game as a team, and ‘on top of the wheel’ as a driver, you are going to get beaten”, said Hoar. He is a two-time winner of the Chittenden Milk Bowl.
The history of the famous race indicates that it takes a veteran’s patience and a young driver’s risky attitude in order to win the ‘toughest short track race in America’. It also takes a lot of luck. Three-time Thunder Road Champion, two time Milk Bowl winner, and the winningest Late Model driver of all time at Thunder Road with 22 wins, Phil Scott of Middlesex, VT, says it best: “I have lost some Milk Bowls because of bad luck, but the two I have won I will remember for that one time, in one segment of each, when I risked it all for a lane – a position – the win. It could have gone the other way, but I know that my two Chittenden Milk Bowl wins rank up there as highlights of my racing career because winning at Thunder Road in any event is tough…to win the Milk Bowl is a racer’s dream come true, just ask anyone who has won it”.
Over 50 of the best Late Model teams in the Northeast are expected to enter the 47th annual Chittenden Milk Bowl. They will time trial, then race in a 50-lap qualifying event on Saturday, September 26. If they fail to get into the first segment through time or the 50-lap dash, they will have a final opportunity in a ‘Last Chance Race’ on Milk Bowl Sunday. Gates open at 10:00 am each day. Adult tickets are $25 and are good for both days of racing, kids 6-12 are $5 for two days. Post time each day is 1:00pm.
by Jay | Sep 18, 2009 | ACT, New England, Thunder Road
Waterbury, VT – The 50th anniversary of Thunder Road has been a year to remember for both race teams and fans. The best is yet to come as the ‘Nation’s Site of Excitement’ readies for the toughest short track race in America, the 47th annual Chittenden Milk Bowl.
Known as the grand-daddy race of them all for Late Model cars, the unique format of time trials, triple 50-lap qualifying dashes, and then the Milk Bowl format of three segements with inversions, sets the stage for two days of intense drama for race fans and teams.
ACT veteran racer Brent Dragon said, “The last two ACT races have been about as strange as I have ever been a part of. We go to Thunder Road for the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 and run for 182 laps before we catch a yellow. There is only one leader, and that is not to take anything away from David Pembroke because he was super that day, he had a great car and lots of traffic to contend with, but come on, 182 laps of green! We finish with all 30 starters. I can’t ever remember a race like that. We are done 200 laps in under an hour. Then we go to my favorite track, Airborne, and we end up with 5 or 6 different leaders, nearly 20 lead changes, and a 300-lap race with few cautions and the 300-lap race was over in under 2 hours!”.
There will be no pressure on Dragon and over 40 of the other ACT Late Model teams when they arrive for the $70,000 in posted awards at Thunder Road. This year the Milk Bowl is a non-points race. The pressure to be conservative to protect point leads or gain points is off. This will be a “no holds barred” kind of shoot-out for the ACT Late Model teams.
The format of the Chittenden Milk Bowl fits the style of local race teams. Thunder Road runs all 50-lap feature events for its Late Model division throughout the season. Rich Lowery, Dave Whitcomb, Phil Scott, all veterans of the Thunder Road weekly battles will get a decided advantage with the short distance sprints that the three-segment Milk Bowl uses.
“This race is unlike any other in the country”, said newly crowned ‘King of the Road’, Milton, VT’s Jean-Paul Cyr. “This is just an old-fashioned hard-nosed battle to get in, and then the strategy takes over. First, you have to decide when you will need your tires to be good enough to win. Next, you have to put yourself into a position to win with a low score going into the final segment, then you have to know who you have to be beat, nearly lap by lap and position by position during that final segment. Finally, if you over-think all of this, you will forget to just drive the damn car and none of it will matter. It’s a tough race and I love it!”
The 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl will mark the end of the 50th anniversary season celebration of Thunder Road. Throughout the 2009 season special events have become the norm in celebration of the Nation’s Site of Excitement’s 50 years of short track racing. Post time each day for the Chittenden Milk Bowl is 1:00pm. Gates open at 10:00 am and tickets are $25 for both days of racing.
by Jay | Sep 6, 2009 | ACT, New England, Thunder Road
Barre, VT – Dave Pembroke of Montpelier led all 200 laps of the American Canadian Tour Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, VT. Pembroke started on the pole after earning a +8 handicap by moving from 11th to 3rd in his heat race. John Donahue and Patrick Laperle battled hard for the final 19 laps with Donahue getting the edge by a bumper at the line. Brian Hoar and Eric Williams were the final two cars on the lead lap and rounded out the top five.
The thirty car field made it through the first 181 laps caution free while Pembroke put all but the top five cars down a lap. Pembroke felt no competition as the closest car on the lead lap was nearly a half a track behind as they both worked their way through lap traffic. All thirty cars were still on the track when the checkered flag flew.
Pembroke has already qualified for the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 19 with his win earlier this year at the Memorial Day Classic at Thunder Road.
Scott Coburn of Barre took home his 6th career NAPA Tiger Sportsmen feature win. Coburn came from the fifth starting spot and held the lead through the majority of the race while surviving a late race restart. Ricky Roberts, Pete Ainsworth, Joey Laquerre and Tom Therrien all finished in the top five. Lance Allen, Bobby Therrien, Shawn Fleury, Brendan Moodie and Matt Potter finished in the sixth through tenth positions.
Hyde Park’s Tucker Williams captured the fourth feature win of his rookie season. Williams was chased to the line by Tommy Smith, David Whitcomb, Kevin Streeter, and Lloyd Blakely rounding out the top five. Martin Ingram, Greg Adams, point leader Gary Mullen, Mike Martin and Bunker Hodgdon all came home with top ten finishes.
Donnie Yates of Montpelier was the top finishing leader and remains on top of the point standings. Kevin Streeter finished second followed by Ken Christman, Keith Fortier, and Kevin Dodge.
The 50th Anniversary Season at Thunder Road International Speedbowl will come to a conclusion with the Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Day on Saturday, September 26 and the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl on Sunday, September 27th. The Milk Bowl will be the final point counting event for the NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors. The 47th Annual Milk Bowl will award a purse of over $70,000.
The American Canadian Tour will be back in action next weekend on Sunday, September 13 for the Mohawk Casino Fall Foliage 300 at Airborne Speedway. It will be the 12th race on the ACT Tour schedule and the final qualifying race for the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 19. Post time next Sunday is set for 1 pm.
ACT Tour Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 Results – 1. Dave Pembroke (44) Montpelier, VT, 2. John Donahue (26VT) Graniteville, VT, 3. Patrick Laperle (91) St-Denis-sur-Richelieu, QC, 4. Brian Hoar (37) Williston, VT, 5. Eric Williams (7VT) Hyde Park, VT, 6. Cris Michaud (6) Northfield, VT, 7. Brent Dragon (55vt) Milton, VT, 8. Chip Grenier (9vt) Graniteville, VT, 9. Craig Bushey (05) Cambridge, VT, 10. Nicholas Sweet (88) Barre, VT, 11. Scott Payea (89) Milton, VT, 12. Jean-Paul Cyr (11vt) Milton, VT, 13. Phil Scott (14) Montpelier, VT, 14. Pete Potvin, III (41) Graniteville, VT, 15. Jamie Fisher (18) Shelburne, VT, 16. Travis Stearns (5) Auburn, ME, 17. Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (97nh) Hudson, NH, 18. Brad Leighton (55nh) Center Harbor, NH, 19. Quinten Welch (78nh) Lancaster, NH, 20. Randy Potter (02nh) Groveton, NH, 21. Tony Andrews (1) Northfield, VT, 22. Trampas Demers (85) South Burlington, VT, 23. Tyler Cahoon (38vt) St.Johnsbury, VT, 24. Joe Becker (16) Jeffersonville, VT, 25. Eric Chase (40vt) Milton, VT, 26. Dave Paya (72vt) N. Clarendon, VT, 27. Gary Caron (22vt) Colchester, VT, 28. David Whitcomb (25) Essex Jct., VT, 29. Jerry Lesage (74) Winooski, VT, 30. Glen Luce (7me) Turner, ME.
NAPA Tiger Sportsmen Unofficial Feature Results – 1. Scott Coburn (1) Barre, VT, 2. Ricky Roberts (9) Washington, VT, 3. Pete Ainsworth Jr. (80) Middlesex, VT, 4. Joey Laquerre (15) E. Montpelier, VT, 5. Tom Therrien (48) Hinesburg, VT, 6. Lance Allen (18) Barre, VT, 7. Bobby Therrien (4) Hinesburg, VT, 8. Shawn Fleury (31) Middlesex, VT, 9. Brendan Moodie (94) Wolcott, VT, 10. Matt Potter (23) Marshfield, VT, 11. Brian Delphia (55) Waterbury, VT, 12. Jason Bonnett (79) St. Albans, VT, 13. James Hebert (58) Williamstown, VT, 14. David Finck (37) Barre, VT, 15. Derrick O’Donnell (68) Bradford, VT, 16. Joel Hodgdon (36) Craftsbury, VT, 17. Christopher Lacey (35) Burlington, VT, 18. Jason Corliss (61) Danville, VT, 19. #Neal Foster (19) Waterbury, VT, 20. Tony Rossi (90) Barre, VT, 21. Eric Badore (04) Milton, VT, 22. John Drinkwine (98) Barre, VT, 23. Steven Quenneville (88) Barre, VT, 24. Mark Barnier (0) Essex Jct., VT, 25. Jeff Bousquet (60) Montpelier, VT, 26. Josh Demers (10) Middlesex, VT, 27. Ray Stearns (89) E. Corinth, VT, 28. Jason Allen (33) Northfield, VT.
Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors Unofficial Feature Results – 1. #Tucker Williams (99ss) Hyde Park, VT, 2. Tommy Smith (50ss) Williamstown, VT, 3. Dave Whitcomb (77ss) Elmore, VT, 4. Jason Corliss (61ss) Danville, VT, 5. Lloyd Blakely (30ss) Graniteville, VT, 6. Martin Ingram (7ss)Essex Jct., VT, 7. Greg Adams Jr. (38ss) Hardwick, VT, 8. Gary Mullen (29ss) Tunbridge, VT, 9. Mike Martin (01ss) Craftbury Comn,VT, 10. Bunker Hodgdon (83ss) Hardwick, VT, 11. David Allen (11ss) North Troy, VT, 12. Marvin Johnson (24ss) Essex Jct., VT, 13. #Jamie Davis (43ss) Wolcott, VT, 14. Ron Gabaree (9ss) Barre, VT, 15. Garry Bashaw (92ss) Lincoln, VT, 16. Michael MacAskill (3ss) Williamstown, VT, 17. David LaFleche (2ss) Graniteville, VT, 18. Bruce Melendy (68ss) Danville, VT, 19. #Danny Doyle (51ss) Hancock, VT, 20. Markus Farnham (13ss) Randolph Ctr, VT, 21. Donny Yates (05jyw) N. Montpelier, VT, 22. Kevin Streeter (61jyw) Waitsfield, VT, 23. Ken Christman (4jyw) Cabot, VT, 24. Keith Fortier (35jyw) Hinesburg, VT, 25. Buddy Chapman (8jyw) Barre, VT, 26. Lance Donald (52jyw) Williamstown, VT, 27. Joe Fecteau (75ss) Hardwick, VT, 28. Timmy Campbell (34ss) W. Topsham, VT, 29. Michael Moore (06ss) East Haven, VT, 30. William Hennequin (47ss) Morrisville, VT.
by Jay | Aug 28, 2009 | New England, Thunder Road
Barre, VT – Senator Phil Scott of Montpelier won his 22nd Thunder Road Late Model feature on during the final Thursday Night of the 50th Anniversary Season sponsored by VSECU. However, his win was not enough as seven-time American Canadian Tour Champion Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton was crowned the “King of the Road” after his third place finish. Trampas Demers took second place to score his best feature finish in 2009.
Scott closed the 52 gap in the point standings to 50 by picking up 2 extra points in his heat race. Going into the main event Scott had to win while Cyr would have to finish 24th or worse for Scott to steal the crown. Scott did his part but Cyr dodged several pileups to finish in the top three.
Coming home fourth was Cris Michaud, followed by Brooks Clark, Rich Lowery, Eric Williams, Dave Pembroke, Jamie Fisher and Nextel Cup star David Ragan to complete the top ten. Ragan battled all the way from his 20th starting position. After the event he claimed over the last 40 laps his “neck was heavy and my arms were soft. It felt like a race at Bristol.” Ragan got to the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” early to get in some extra practice laps and it paid off as he looked fast in both lanes throughout the night.
Joey Laquerre of East Montpelier took home the NAPA Tiger Sportsmen feature win. It was his nineteenth career win in the division. He was chased to the line by Jeff Bousquet, Jimmy Hebert, David Finck and Matt Potter rounding out the top five.
Graniteville’s Lloyd Blakely won both his heat race and the feature event for the Allen Lumber Street Stocks. Blakely had to fend off David Allen, William Hennequin, Bruce Melendy and Gary Mullen for the win.
Kevin Dodge of Barre was the top finishing Power Shift Junkyard Warrior. Kevin Streeter, Bryan Nykiel, Donnie Yates and Buddy Chapman completed the top five.
The final Thursday Night of the 50th Anniversary Season was capped off with the greatest display of fireworks in the history of the “Nation’s Site of Excitement.” The NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors will continue their championship battles on Sunday, September 4 when the American Canadian Tour comes to town for the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200.
Late Model Unofficial Feature Results – 1. Phil Scott (14) Montpelier, VT, 2. Trampas Demers (85) South Burlington, VT, 3. Jean-Paul Cyr (11vt) Milton, VT, 4. Cris Michaud (6vt) Northfield, VT, 5. Brooks Clark (68) Fayston, VT, 6. Rich Lowrey (8vt) Charlotte, VT, 7. Eric Williams (7vt) Hyde Park, VT, 8. Dave Pembroke (44) Montpelier, VT, 9. Jamie Fisher (18) Shelburne, VT, 10. David Ragan (6ga) Unaddilla, GA, 11. Mike Bailey (00) Barre, VT, 12. Joe Becker (16) Jeffersonville, VT, 13. Doug Murphy (4) Tunbridge, VT, 14. Dennis Demers (86) Shelburne, VT, 15. Grant Folsom (81) Waitsfield, VT, 16. Eric Chase (40vt) Milton, VT, 17. Pete Fecteau (75) Morrisville, VT, 18. Dylan Smith (34) Randolph, VT, 19. Mike Olsen (76) North Haverhill, NH, 20. Cal Poulin (87) Braintree, VT, 21. Steve Fisher (24) Shelburne, VT, 22. Dave Paya (72vt) N. Clarendon, VT, 23. Tony Andrews (1) Northfield, VT, 24. Craig Bushey (05) Cambridge, VT, 25. Matt White (42vt) Northfield, VT, 26. Reno Gervais (12vt) Island Pond, VT, 27. David Whitcomb (25) Essex Jct., VT, 28. Nicholas Sweet (88) Barre, VT.
Tiger Sportsmen Unofficial Feature Results – 1. Joey Laquerre (15) E. Montpelier, VT, 2. Jeff Bousquet (60) Montpelier, VT, 3. James Hebert (58) Williamstown, VT, 4. David Finck (37) Barre, VT, 5. Matt Potter (23) Marshfield, VT, 6. Brendan Moodie (94) Wolcott, VT, 7. Tom Therrien (48) Hinesburg, VT, 8. #Neal Foster (19) Waterbury, VT, 9. Joel Hodgdon (36) Craftsbury, VT, 10. Mike Ziter (26) Williamstown, VT, 11. Eric Badore (04) Milton, VT, 12. Ricky Roberts (9) Washington, VT, 13. Lance Allen (18) Barre, VT, 14. Pete Ainsworth Jr. (80) Middlesex, VT, 15. Mark Barnier (0) Essex Jct., VT.
Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors Unofficial Feature Results – 1. Lloyd Blakely (30ss) Graniteville, VT, 2. David Allen (11ss) North Troy, VT, 3. William Hennequin (47ss) Morrisville, VT, 4. Bruce Melendy (68ss) Danville, VT, 5. Gary Mullen (29ss) Tunbridge, VT, 6. Joe Fecteau (75ss) Hardwick, VT, 7. Bunker Hodgdon (83ss) Hardwick, VT, 8. Dave Whitcomb (77ss) Elmore, VT, 9. Mike Martin (01ss) Craftbury Comn,VT, 10. Greg Adams Jr. (38ss) Hardwick, VT.
by Jay | Aug 25, 2009 | ACT, NASCAR, New England, Thunder Road
Unadilla, Georgia’s David Ragan will pull into Thunder Road for Thursday night’s final race of the 50th season on a high after a morale boosting victory in Bristol, Tennessee this past weekend over Carl Edwards. The 23 year old prospect for NASCAR stardom won his second Nationwide series of the season after his victory at Talladega, Alabama earlier this summer. The 100 lap main event will put the “scourge” of Georgia short tracking up against Thunder Road’s top talent. Along with his Nationwide series success, he’s been a top ten finisher in the past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 11 times, driving for John Henry (Red Sox Owner) and Jack Roush. He has already been signed for another year in their UPS car for Sprint Cup Racing.
“I am truly excited about the prospect of running at Thunder Road. Tony Stewart told me that seldom in his experience has he raced against guys that drive harder and are more respectful of each other than the guys at Thunder Road”, he said. But he cautioned that you need track time to get in the rhythm of the famed Barre high banks. “I intend to be there early and really work on what everyone tells me is as challenging a short track as one can find in the US”, he said.
Ragan will be carrying his familiar number 6 but the car bears the livery of the Shriner’s Hospitals for Children. “It’s a personal thing with me but I know a bit about their burn center and have made Shriner’s my choice of cause in which I want to be involved.”
Ragan hopes with some precautions to challenge Thunder Road’s best including Cris Michaud, Jean-Paul Cyr, Hurricane Fisher, David Pembroke and Phil Scott. This week’s finale is 100 laps for 26 late model cars.
The largest fireworks show ever presented at Thunder Road will conclude the 50th annual Thursday night season leaving only the Bond Auto 250 for the Labor Day Weekend and the famed 47th Chittenden Milk Bowl Saturday, September 26th and Sunday, September 27th.
Post time for this Thursday night’s race is 6:00 p.m.
by Jay | Aug 21, 2009 | NASCAR, New England, Thunder Road
Waterbury, VT – NASCAR Sprint Cup rising star David Ragan, driver of the UPS car for Rousch-Fenway, will race at Barre, Vermont’s Thunder Road in the Vermont State Employees Credit Union (VSECU) 100-lap final Thursday summer event on August 27th.
Ragan, who represents the new generation of racers, joins NASCAR veterans Bobby Allison, Richard Petty and current point leader Tony Stewart who have made appearances during the 2009 season to help celebrate Thunder Road’s 50th Anniversary. Ragan will drive a Pete Duto-prepared, Phil Scott Ford ACT race car, and will compete in the VSECU 100-lap event. Ragan plans to arrive early to get some seat time on the tricky high banks of Thunder Road.
Unadilla, Georgia’s Ragan is an accomplished short track racer. “I have heard so much about Thunder Road that I really jumped at the opportunity to race there this summer. I love the short tracks, and from what I hear, the atmosphere at Thunder Road is fantastic. I hope I get it figured out by the end of the 100 laps,”said Ragan.
Ragan is a supporter of the Shriners organization. He donates all the proceeds from the sale of his die cast Shriner’s cars to the Shriner’s Hospital. They will be on sale at the Thunder Road event.
The ‘’King of the Road” title will also be settled at the VSECU 100 . Jean-Paul Cyr from Milton, VT, who is chasing his first Thunder Road title and sits in a comfortable first place going into the final event of 2009, has battled former track champions David Pembroke, Phil Scott, and Cris Michaud all season. Cyr, a seven-time American Canadian Tour Champion said, “ Our goal was to try and win the Thunder Road title. I sure didn’t get off to a great start, but Jeff (Laquerre) and the guys have really gotten the car to work well lately. It is some different trying to win races at Thunder Road in 50 laps from what I have been used to on the ACT Tour over the years, but it has been fun and unbelievably competitive.”
The final Thursday night of the season will also be celebrated with the largest fireworks in Thunder Road history. In addition, over 100 ‘old timers’ will help bring the curtain down on the 50th year of Thursday night racing.
Post time for the VESECU 100 is 6:00 and front gates open at 3:00 for the VESECU 100. Adult tickets are only $12.00 and a family ticket for two adults and two children between 6-12 is only $25.00. Kids under 6 are free.
The American Canadian Tour (ACT) $40,000 Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 will take place over the Labor Day weekend, on Sunday, September 6, 2009.
