Jun 2, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Barre, VT – Thunder Road International Speedbowl begins the traditional Thursday night racing on June 5, 2014. Beginning its 55th year of stock car racing, the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” will present the strongest field of American Canadian Tour Late Models in the 22-year history of the division.
“We had a tremendous transition from a year ago with several Bond Auto Tiger teams moving into Late Models for the 2014 season. These are high caliber teams with lots of Thunder Road high-bank experience. Earlier this month the 100-lap Mekkelsen Memorial Day Classic went the 100 lap distance without a caution, and that defines just how good the talent level is,” said Tom Curley, Promoter at Thunder Road.
The latest star to emerge from the famous Thunder Road Tiger division is Jason Corliss whose surprise win in the Memorial Day Classic might have sounded the alarm for Thunder Road’s favorite sons Nick Sweet, Phil Scott, Dave Pembroke, Dave Whitcomb and Jamie Fisher, all former “Kings of the Road”.
“You have to remember we all started there (Street Stock and Tiger divisions) at one time in our racing careers,” said Sweet, two-time Thunder Road Champion. Sweet was also a star in the four-cylinder Allen Lumber Street Stock division and Bond Auto Tigers. “The cars certainly are different, but learning how to be patient, taking the necessary time to complete passes and figuring out things like the ‘widow maker’ (turn 4 at T-Road) make the transition from a Tiger to an ACT Late Model car a lot easier,” explained Sweet.
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May 30, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Barre, VT – A summer time of Thursday night action on the high banks of Barre’s Thunder Road is set to kick off with FairPoint Communications night. This Thursday, June 5, the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” opens its gates for its 55th season of stock car racing Thursday night action. The Late Models, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will all be racing. While the first two events of the season were among the biggest and most prestigious held at Thunder Road, it’s the gritty Thursday night action each week where drivers win or lose titles.
Barre’s Jason Corliss sits atop the Late Model standings after his thrilling win in the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic. The division will run its first 50-lap feature this Thursday for their second point-counting event. Unlike the 100-lap Memorial Day event, weekly 50-lap features are sprint races that require drivers to be aggressive each and every lap. Two-time “King of the Road” Nick Sweet will look to avenge his Memorial Day loss, while Cody Blake, Dave Pembroke and a host of others continue their title campaigns.
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May 28, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Emily Packard
EAST MONTPELIER, Vt – With the rain cancelling the race scheduled for Friday night, all the focus was on the Vermont State Championship Race #1 at Thunder Road for Packard and her 9x Northstar Fireworks/Packard Fuels team.
Packard and the team unloaded the car and immediately got to work readying the car for the first practice. After running a few laps, Packard found the track to be greasy and the car really loose. The team continued to work on tightening the car up for her, and eventually found something that worked for her. “The guys tried hard to get the car set up, so that I could race.”, said Packard. Starting second in the second heat, Packard wasted no time in moving out front of the 25vt, running in the lead until the 58vt got by her to take the checkers, giving her second place. The car showing that team had found a way to tighten it up.
Packard found herself starting 14th in the Mekkelson RV Memorial Day Classic, and with only 100 laps, she would have her work cut out for her. “We had a semi-decent run; the car was just too free all day,” said Packard, “the track was definitely a lot different than the last time we ran here.”
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May 27, 2014 | Thunder Road
Photo courtesy www.vtmotormag.com
New York teenager undefeated at legendary track
BARRE, VT – Jessey Mueller left little doubt as to who the open-wheel “King of the Road” is. The 19 year-old made it two-for-two at the historic Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, VT on Sunday, winning his second Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic for the Northern Modified Challenge Series stock cars in as many years.
Mueller, from Olmstedville, NY, was the top overall performer in a two-segment, cumulatively scored event. He posted a runner-up finish in the opening 20-lap dash to score two race points, then sliced through traffic to win the second 20-lap round for an additional point. His total three-point combined score was the lowest among all drivers, giving him the overall victory.
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May 26, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Photo by Alan Ward
Jessie Mueller Wins Second Straight Modified Event at Thunder Road
Barre, VT – Barre’s own Jason Corliss scored his first career Thunder Road Late Model win in the 52nd running of the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic. Corliss stole the win with a last lap pass of multi-time Thunder Road Champion Nick Sweet in a photo finish of the first Vermont State Late Model Championship event of the year.
Sweet led every step of the way during the first 99 laps of the caution free 100 lap event. The hometown favorite rode the much favored high lane as he lapped the majority of the field. Sophomore driver Corliss and Cody Blake caught Sweet in the final 10 laps as they worked heavy lap traffic. Corliss got by Blake but couldn’t find the grip to get around Sweet. With the white flag flying, Corliss made a last ditch effort as he threw his Burnett Scrap Metals Ford Fusion to the low lane.
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May 24, 2014 | American Canadian Tour, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Waterbury, VT –The Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic will open the third annual Vermont State Late Model Championship Series this Sunday, May 25th at Thunder Road. The series was started when Devil’s Bowl Speedway in Fair Haven, Vermont introduced the American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model division weekly to its new asphalt surface in 2012.
“Thunder Road and Devil’s Bowl officials have worked with the ACT office to create this partnership, and the racing has been spectacular at both tracks,” said Tom Curley, President of ACT and promoter at Thunder Road. “Having two very different asphalt tracks competing in Vermont with the high-banked Thunder Road and the very fast, relatively flat, half mile at Devil’s Bowl, has really allowed competitors from both tracks to have a unique racing experience in this State series. The big winners have been the fans as the point battles during the first two years have been outstanding,” concluded Curley.
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