BARRE, VT – Stock car racer Dave Pembroke on Montpelier held off long-time nemesis Cris Michaud of Williamstown and American-Canadian Tour (ACT) invader Brian Hoar of Williston for a thrilling victory in the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic at Barre’s Thunder Road on Monday afternoon.
Pembroke, who started on the pole position for the 45th running of the 100-lap holiday race,
led the first 67 laps before Michaud made a successful outside lane bid for the lead.
The race’s final restart on lap 69 left the pair lined up in a reverse situation, and Pembroke found the outside lane to his liking for the first time in the event. Michaud led for 21 laps with Pembroke only inches behind at times, before Pembroke grabbed the lead back for good on lap 90. Just after Pembroke took over, Hoar made an outside lane pass of Michaud to take over second place. A five-time ACT Late Model Tour champion, Hoar drew even with Pembroke while the pair negotiated lapped traffic in the final circuits. After momentarily losing the top spot on the backstretch, Pembroke used a lapped car to complete a “pick” move with two laps remaining, and held Hoar off by a car length for the victory. “I thought it was going to be easy starting on the pole,” said an excited Pembroke in victory lane, “but it was anything but that. I have to thank Cris and Brian for running me so cleanly, it was a lot of fun out there. I was worried about Brian during the last couple of laps, but I knew that if I kept my car under control I could use traffic the way I needed to in order to get the win.”
Michaud held on for third place behind winner Pembroke and runner-up Hoar. Graniteville’s John Donahue and Jay Laquerre of East Montpelier turned in solid performances to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. Trampas Demers, Joey Becker, Pete Fecteau, Shawn Fleury, and rookie Chip Grenier rounded out the unofficial top ten in order. Tom Therrien of Hinesburg won a wild NAPA Tiger Sportsman event that saw no less than three multi-car pileups during its 40-lap distance. Once the smoke cleared, the Hinesburg driver cruised to an easy victory over Mark Barnier of Essex Jct. and Kevin Campbell of Fairfax. Kyle Tatro and former Track Champion Joe Steffen rounded out the top five finishers, while Joey Laquerre, Matt White, rookie Lance Allen, Nick Sweet, and Pete Ainsworth completed the unofficial top ten. Mike Martin of Craftsbury Common made a sensational move from fourth place to first in the final corner of the Allen Lumber Street Stock feature to earn his second career win. Logan Blacklock led the 25-lap event from the outset, but was spun by Billy Hennequin on the final lap. Martin dodged the altercation and passed Josh Demers to take over the top spot. Hennequin crossed the finish line in second place, but was penalized for his involvement in the Blacklock incident and relegated to 14th place, one position behind Blacklock. Demers, of Montpelier, inherited second place just ahead of Lloyd Blakely of Barre. Bruce Melendy and Joe Fecteau rounded out the top-five finishers, unofficially. Jared Henry of East Barre was the winner in the hard-fought Power Shift Junkyard Warrior main event. Henry traded the top spot several times with Leonard Sanborn of Graniteville and Scott Weston of Barre. Henry nipped Weston at the finish line by a half-car length. Unofficially, Sanborn finished third ahead of Bunker Hodgdon and Ryan Kennedy.
Thunder Road’s 48th season of exciting stock car racing continues on Thursday, June 14 with Ferguson Waterworks Night. Post time is scheduled for 7:00pm. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
UNOFFICIAL FINISHES
Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic – Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl – Barre, VT
Monday, May 28, 2007
Late Model 100
1. Dave Pembroke
2. Brian Hoar
3. Cris Michaud
4. John Donahue
5. Jay Laquerre
6. Trampas Demers
7. Joey Becker
8. Pete Fecteau
9. Shawn Fleury
10. Chip Grenier
NAPA Tiger Sportsmen
1. Tom Therrien
2. Mark Barnier
3. Kevin Campbell
4. Kyle Tatro
5. Joe Steffen
Allen Lumber Street Stocks
1. Mike Martin
2. Josh Demers
3. Lloyd Blakely
4. Bruce Melendy
5. Joe Fecteau
Power Shift Junkyard Warriors
1. Jared Henry
2. Scott Weston
3. Leonard Sanborn
4. Bunker Hodgdon
5. Ryan Kennedy