Scott Dragon To Focus On 2016 Season At Thunder Road Speedbowl
Scott Dragon will run the full season in the Late Model division at Thunder Road Speedbowl. Dragon finished second last weekend in the 54th annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 100 lap late model race. “ For the longest time this place would haunt me. I always dreaded coming here for a long time. This is been the last 3 years running full time up here. I am started to get more comfortable with the track. Starting to figure out the line to get around this place. I really enjoy the place now.” Dragon Said
Dragon and his family have been around racing for many years as Scott’s cousin Brent competed in the PASS North Super Late Model race last weekend at Thunder Road Speedbowl. Scott’s dad Bobby and his uncle Beaver had raced at many different tracks all over. Scott and his cousin Brent spent their time growing up by going to the track. “ I don’t know if I’d ever got into this sport had they not. I didn’t start racing myself until I was 20. It took a few of my friends to get into the game before it really kind of motivated me to do the same. Been at it ever since. I am 42 now so 22 years I’ve been at this. I’ll keep on doing it as long as I can.”
There is so many memories for Scott Dragon. He and his father Bobby Dragon ran the Milk Bowl one year as teammates for Mad Dog Motorsports. Dragon’s main focus will be Thunder Road this season. One of Scott’s favorite memories was when he would go to Catamount Stadium as a kid to watch his father race. “ It seem like he would win all the time and he did win all the time back at Catamount. It’s been a lot of fun. I traveled around with him and kind of helped out on the crew there a few years with them and now he comes with me. He’s always here. Been one of my biggest supporters. Biggest critics too.”
Scott said that his dad would not miss one of his races and if he misses a race. Scott would tell you that it is probably a good reason for missing one
Dragon raced in 3 ACT Tour races already this season. He ran the season opener at Oxford Plains Speedway where he would finish in 5th position. He would finish in 11th in the Merchant Bank 150 at Thunder Road Speedbowl back on May 8th and at the Spring Green 116 at Airborne International Speedway. Dragon is planning to go run some ACT Tour events at the end of the season once the points wrap up at Thunder Road.
Tom Curley is the President of the ACT Tour and the Co-Owner of Thunder Road Speedbowl. Curley has been around for many years in the sport of auto racing. “ I’ve had my run ins with Tom (Curley) a few times over the years. There was one time and of course I’ve seen it happen with a lot of different drivers where they say I am never coming back. I was one of the guys that said that. I took a year or two off. You always come back. You know what I mean. Tom (Curley) is a great guy. Most everybody I know that’s raced for Tom has a lot of respect for Tom. As a young guy coming in this game. He’s the guy you’re trying to impress and really even myself for years and years it was always Tom Curley is the man to impress and if he came over and he shook your hand and said good job then you know you did a good job.It’s certainly going to change this game when the day comes when Tom is not around anymore. I’ll tell you that ” Dragon Said
Many tracks all over New England are running their late model division under the ACT rules “ It’s been like that for a while now. I think the last 10 years or so when (Tom) Curley really started making his rules package and it really worked for a while. I think the sport is in kind of in a little bit of a decline right now. I don’t think it’s (Tom) Curley’s rules. I just think it’s one of those swings were in and it always does that. It drops and comes back again. The cars are great. Their fun to race. That’s what we been racing now since I think 2002, 2003 something like that you know with the spec motors. It’s a good deal.” Dragon Said .
Thunder Road Speedbowl will resume their 2016 season next Sunday afternoon June 12th with racing kicking off at 2:00 P.M. Their first Thursday night race of the season will be held on Thursday night June 16th.
Story and Photos By: Matthew Wiernasz/Yankeeracer.com