Aug 28, 2015 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Alan Ward/Big Al’s Photos
Barre, VT – N. Haverhill, NH’s Derrick O’Donnell put an exclamation point on his bid for a third consecutive Thunder Road championship by making a late charge for his fourth win of the season Thursday, August 27 on Cody Chevrolet Cadillac Night.
O’Donnell broke out of traffic late in the 50-lap main event and sliced through the front of the pack, passing cars low and high before reaching leader Mike “Beetle” Bailey. The two-time defending champion then swung to the outside of Bailey and grabbed the top spot with just three laps remaining.
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Aug 21, 2015 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Alan Ward photo
Barre, VT – Milton’s Eric Badore held off point leader Derrick O’Donnell to score his first career Thunder Road Late Model win and the “Triple Crown” in the Jet Service Envelope/Accura Printing Trophy Dash on Thursday, August 20 in front of a full house at the Barre high banks.
The second-year driver started on the pole and led the whole way in the caution-free 50-lap feature, but Island Pond’s Brett Gervais followed him like a shadow for most of the event. N. Haverhill, NH’s O’Donnell entered the fray in the final 10 circuits and began working Badore’s outside with three laps to go.
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Aug 20, 2015 | American Canadian Tour, More Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Alan Ward photo
Barre, VT – Thunder Road racing legend and family patriarch Joey Laquerre of East Montpelier has been elected to the New England Auto Racing (NEAR) Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015.
The 71-year-old Laquerre is the all-time winningest driver at Barre’s Thunder Road with 45 wins, including a record 17 in the Tiger Sportsmen and 14 in the Late Models. His most recent Thunder Road victory came in a Late Model feature on June 5, 2014. Laquerre was the 1982 “King of the Road” and also won five championships in the Mini Stock division between 1973 and 1980.
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Aug 19, 2015 | American Canadian Tour, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Alan Ward/Big Al’s Photos photo
Barre, VT – The next-to-last Thursday night event of the 56th Thunder Road racing season is this Thursday, August 20 with Jet Service Envelope/Accura Printing Night. N. Haverhill, NH’s Derrick O’Donnell is just three races away from a record-tying third consecutive “King of the Road” title, making each spot critical this Thursday night.
The evening will also feature the annual “Run-What-U-Brung” spectator races, allowing people to race their registered and inspected street vehicles mano-a-mano around the ¼-mile oval. Participants must register at the pit gate by 5:30pm, purchase a pit pass, and wear a full racing helmet.
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Aug 19, 2015 | American Canadian Tour, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Alan Ward photo
Barre, VT – Seventeen-year-old Stephen Donahue of Graniteville was not to be denied at Thunder Road on Thursday, August 13 as he took the overall win in the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen Twin 50s on U.S. Army Recruiting Night.
The rookie won the first 50-lap feature after Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie blew a right-front tire while racing with Donahue coming to the white flag. But Donahue had a right front of his own go down on lap 12 of the second feature after contact with point leader Jason Woodard.
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Aug 13, 2015 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Thunder Road photo
Barre, VT – The stretch drive of Thunder Road’s weekly racing season continues this Thursday night, August 13 with U.S. Army Recruiting Night. With just four point-counting events remaining on the 2015 Thunder Road racing calendar, it’s “go time” in the championship battles for the Thunder Road Late Models, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen, and Allen Lumber Street Stocks.
The famed Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman division will take the stage on Thursday night. Thunder Road officials have announced the Tiger Sportsmen will run twin 50-lap Milk Bowl–style features. The finish of the first 50-lap feature will be inverted to set the starting line-up for the second feature. The driver with the best combined finish in the two features will be the overall winner.
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