BARRE, VT – Eric Williams has a lot on the line at Thursday’s Kinney Drugs stock car event at Thunder Road in Barre. Williams has a narrow lead in the Late Model division’s “King of the Road” championship chase, and is chasing an elusive first title after more than a decade in the headline division; he finished second in points in 1999 and 2002, and third in 1996 and 2003.
Only two more championship race dates remain on the regular season schedule, but with a twist – the Kinney Drugs event will see the Late Model division race two 50-lap features, as the Calkins Portables/WDEV Radio feature, rained out on July 31, is made up in addition to the regular card.
“I don’t lay awake at night thinking about the championship, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want to win it,” said Williams. “I just like to run good, and the fans pay good money to watch me and (second-place driver) Cris Michaud and everyone else race hard. If we’re putting on a show, that’s all that matters.”
The former winner of the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 and Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl leads Northfield driver Michaud by a mere 15 points (728-713) entering the double feature program on Thursday. Michaud is seeking a record fourth Late Model “King of the Road” crown. Dave Pembroke of Middlesex sits third, 42 points behind Williams, with Montpelier’s Phil Scott fourth only 50 points back. Pembroke is the defending Thunder Road champion, while Scott, like Michaud, is a three-time title winner.
“Whoever wins this championship isn’t going to do it by riding around,” said Williams, “they’ll have to go out and get it. I thought I might take it easy in the first feature this Thursday and then hammer down in the second, but that’s no way to race. Besides, those other guys aren’t going to wait around, either.”
Craig Bushey of Cambridge leads East Montpelier’s Joey Laquerre by 11 points (710-699) in the NAPA Tiger Sportsman division. Shawn Sicard of Barre (678) sits third after his Casella Waste Management 100 win on Sunday. Graniteville’s Lloyd Blakely leads Jason Corliss of Plainfield, 851-819, in the Allen Lumber Street Stock class, while Travis Hull of Graniteville is in front of Wolcott driver Jamie Davis by just 15 points in the Power Shift Online Junkyard Warrior division.
Thunder Road’s Kinney Drugs event begins at 6:30pm on Thursday, August 21. In addition to the racing, Thunder Road’s annual Kids Poster Contest returns with three age groups – 6 and under, 7-9, and 10-12. Posters must be hand-drawn with each participant’s favorite driver(s) or racecar(s) depicted. General admission is $9.50 for adults, $3 for children (6-12), and just $20 for a family of any two adults and two kids. Gates open at 5:00pm. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.