BARRE, VT – The annual Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel “Hottest Shoe” Awards are on the line for stock car drivers at Barre’s Thunder Road. The drivers who tally the most feature event wins in the American-Canadian Tour Late Model, NAPA Tiger Sportsman, and Allen Lumber Street Stock divisions during the course of the 2007 season will each receive a year-end bonus at the annual ACT/Thunder Road Awards Banquet in January 2008. Should two or more drivers tie for the top spot in any division, the prize money will be split evenly among them.
Braintree’s Kip Stockwell has picked up three ACT Late Model victories at Thunder Road in 2007, receiving a $150 Lenny’s “Hot Shoe Challenge” bonus for his first win of the season on Pepsi Fireworks Night on July 3. Stockwell was awarded half money ($75) for the Lenny’s “Double Dip” bonus at his second win on Calkins/Pelletier Quick Lube Night August 2, and earned a division-leading third win on NAPA/Make-A-Wish Night one week later. Northfield rookie Chip Grenier and Wolcott’s Marcel Gravel have each posted a pair of wins this season. Should either of the two win the season-ending VT Milk Bowl on Sat./Sun., Sept. 29/30 and raise their season total to three victories, they will share a $500 bonus with Stockwell for the most wins in the division. Otherwise, Stockwell will be the sole “Hottest Shoe” for 2007.
The race to be the Lenny’s “Hottest Shoe” in the NAPA Tiger Sportsman division is wide open. East
Montpelier’s Joey Laquerre, Northfield’s Matt White, and Barre drivers Scott Coburn and point leader Nick Sweet each have a pair of victories on the season. Eight additional drivers have a single victory to their credit entering the Milk Bowl, and are looking to tie the foursome for the top prize. The eventual season wins leader (or leaders) will split a $250 Lenny’s “Hottest Shoe” bonus. Sweet took the division’s first $100 Lenny’s “Hot Shoe Challenge” bonus at the Merchants Bank opener on May 6.
Allen Lumber Street Stock rookie Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg has already clinched the $100 “Hottest Shoe” bonus for the 2007 season. The 20 year-old sensation has taken a rookie record five feature wins this year, capturing his first $50 Lenny’s “Hot Shoe Challenge” bonus of the year at the Casella Mother’s Day Extravaganza on May 13. Therrien’s closest pursuers are Mike Martin of Craftsbury Common and Tommy “Thunder” Smith of Williamstown with two wins apiece.
The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel “Hottest Shoe” Award winners will be decided at the 44th Annual Vermont Milk Bowl, Sat./Sun., Sept. 29/30. Visit Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel in four convenient locations: Barre, Williston, St. Albans, or online at www.lennyshoe.com. For more information on Thunder Road, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.