Barre, VT – The Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and the Allen Lumber Street Stocks will begin their 2014 championship campaigns at Thunder Road this weekend during Merchants Bank 150 weekend. The two perennial Thunder Road support divisions will hit the track for their first point-counting events of the year when they join the American Canadian Tour Late Models on Sunday, April 27.
The Tiger Sportsman division will see a changing of the guard during the 2014 season, as four of the top five in the final point standings from last year have made the jump to the Late Model division. Three-time Tiger Champion Shawn Fleury along with Jason Allen, Mike Ziter and Eric Badore will all compete in the Late Models this season. That opens the door for several veterans looking for their first title.
Joe Steffen becomes the only returning Tiger competitor from the 2013 top ten with a division championship (2002) under his belt. He is joined by veterans Brendan Moodie, Jason Woodard, Mike Martin and Scott Coburn as returning top ten competitors. All four are hoping to make 2014 their first championship season.
A veteran contingent threatens to continue its stranglehold on the Allen Lumber Street Stock division in 2014. Defending Champion Bunker Hodgdon and former division Champion Gary Mullen (2009) lead the veteran clan. Alongside longtime Street Stockers Tommy Smith, Jamie Davis, Donnie Yates, Jennifer Getty and Kevin Dodge, the group secured eight wins last season and seven of the top ten spots in the final standings. All have signed up for this season.
The veterans will have some young competition, however. Tyler Austin is fresh off his 2013 Street Stock Rookie of the Year season and will be joined by the Perry brothers (Jaden and Jamon). All three are hungry to capture their first career wins after gaining valuable experience last year.
The long and grueling championship battles begin this weekend with the Merchants Bank 150 weekend. The annual car show will be held in downtown Barre on Saturday, April 26 from 9am to noon with the parade up to the track at noon. The first event of the season will kick off on Sunday, April 27. Admission is $25 for adults, while kids (12 and under) are free. Post time on Sunday is 1:00pm.
For more information contact the Thunder Road office at 802.244.6963 or media@acttour.com or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com. Follow Thunder Road at www.facebook.com/TRoadSpeedbowl and www.twitter.com/TRoadSpeedbowl.