Archive for the 'Thunder Road' Category

Masse Repeats at Thunder Road

Published at May 30, 2010 in TVMRS and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Barre, VT — 20 year old Stephen Masse, Bellingham, MA. captured his second consecutive Memorial Day Classic 100 at the famed Thunder Road International Speedbowl Sunday, May 30th. The race was sanctioned by the Modified Racing Series, sponsored by BobValentiAutomall.com.

Starting fifth in a 24-car field, Masse moved to second by lap nine and then took over the lead from early race leader Todd Annarummo, Swansea, MA on lap 19.

Despite 11-caution periods that slowed the race, Masse opened up sizable leads, several times by large margins, but was never headed. Rob Goodenough, West Swanzey, NH., who started the race in seventh position, finished in the runner up spot followed by Ken Barry, Preston, CT., Kirk Alexander, West Swanzey, NH., and 17 year old Norwich Free Academy student, Max Zachem, Preston, CT. At one point in the race Zachem was joined in the top five by fellow high-schooler Joey Jarvis, Ascutney. Both drivers will graduate from high school in June.

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Thunder Road Features Twin 100′s in Memorial Day Classic

Published at May 25, 2010 in ACT LM Tour, TVMRS and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Mekkelsen RV will present the 48th annual Memorial Day Classic at Thunder Road Speedbowl in Barre, VT this Sunday, May 30. For the third year the Modified Racing Series (MRS), presented by Bob Valenti AutoMall, will join the American Canadian Tour (ACT) Thunder Road Late Models in the twin bill. Each division will race 100 lap features.

The Memorial Day tradition has been going on at the high-banked oval for nearly half a century. Beginning in 1961, the list of winners is a great tribute to some of the men who helped build stock car racing in the northeast. That tradition continues this Memorial weekend.

A favorite to repeat his win from last season’s Memorial Day Classic is David Pembroke from Middlesex, Vermont. “I guess we have some momentum after our win at Devil’s Bowl last weekend, but this Memorial Day race is really a tough one to win. There are so many capable teams that run in championship form at Thunder Road, and they all want to be on that granite monument behind the tower,” said two-time winner Pembroke.

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Big Holiday Weekend For Modified Racing Series

Published at May 23, 2010 in Airborne, TVMRS and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Plattsburgh, N.Y. – Keeping with the tradition of being the biggest motorsports weekend of the season, New England’s Modified Racing Series, sponsored by Bob Valenti AutoMall.com, will spend the Memorial Day holiday weekend, competing in two states in two days. It’s the first time race events have been scheduled back-to-back by the touring series. 100 lap green flag races will be run at both venues.

Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, NY., will host the series on Saturday, May 29., for the first time. Series drivers expected to enter the “U.S. Army, Greg Atkins Logging and Taylor Rental 100,” include 2009 series champion Jon McKennedy, E.Chelmsford, MA., 2006 series champion Dwight Jarvis, Ascutney, VT., long time modified driver Carl Pasteryak, Lisbon, CT., recent Albany-Saratoga Speedway winner, Rowan Pennink, Huntingdon Valley, PA., 2009 Koszela Speed Rookie of the Year, Jacob Dore, Sanford, ME., and Kenny Barry, Preston, CT. to name a few. Saturday’s race program gets underway at 5 P.M.

Sunday, May 30, the action shifts to the famed Thunder Road International Speedbowl, Barre, VT., for the running of the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic, the third appearance there by the MRS. McKennedy, Dwight Jarvis, Pennink, Dore, and Barry are all expected to enter the Sunday program.

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Nick Sweet Earns First Career ACT Win in Merchants Bank 150

Published at May 2, 2010 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Barre’s own Nick Sweet earned his first career American Canadian Tour (ACT) stock car win in the 12th Annual Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road International Speedbowl on Sunday, May 2. Sweet started from the 12th position after qualifying through a consi. He battled his way to the front, driving around Patrick Laperle and then Dave Pembroke for the lead. Sweet held off six-time and defending ACT Late Model Tour Champion Brian Hoar of Williston late in the event. Hoar took second followed by Laperle in third.

Pembroke led the majority of the first half of the race before battling Laperle just after the halfway point in the 150 lap event. Pembroke drove back around Laperle but then lost the battle with Sweet. Pembroke would hold on for fourth and Mark Lamberton took fifth. Craig Bushey, Joey Laquerre, Chip Grenier, Scott Payea and Mark Hayward rounded out the top ten.

The 12th Annual Merchants Bank 150 was the season opener for the 25th Season of American Canadian Tour racing and also the season opener of the 2010 Thunder Road season. With the win Sweet also earned the first invitation to the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, September 18.

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Bellerose and Laquerre Team Up Again for 2010 Season at Thunder Road

Published at March 18, 2010 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

It has been a decade since Tracie Bellerose from Gorham, NH made history at Thunder Road International Speedbowl (TR) in Barre, VT. She became the first woman to win a major championship at one of the nation’s most famous and toughest short tracks. In a surprise today, Bellerose announced that she would be returning to full time racing with the same crew chief and team that brought her to national prominence in 2000.

“When the opportunity came calling, this kid (Bellerose) knew exactly what she wanted and that was to go back to racing competitively. I tried golf, but the golf carts were too slow, I then bought a Harley, but wrecking that on the highway was way worse than a couple of memorable wrecks I had at Thunder Road. Quite frankly, I have not even been able to visit Thunder Road as a spectator – I have missed racing so much. Obviously, I am pretty excited,” said Bellerose.

There will be no rust on the team she is joining. The Laquerre Race Team located in Barre, VT, owned by Jeff Laquerre, won the 2009 50th Anniversary “King of the Road” title at Thunder Road with seven-time American Canadian Tour Champion Jean-Paul Cyr. Cyr has moved over to a full-time effort on the popular touring series, and that opened the door for Bellerose to return to the driver’s seat for the championship Laquerre team. Continue reading ‘Bellerose and Laquerre Team Up Again for 2010 Season at Thunder Road’

Meet Thunder Road Late Model Driver Chip Grenier

Published at February 18, 2010 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Meet Thunder Road Late Model Driver Chip Grenier
#9VT Grenier Motorsports Toyota Camry
Hometown: Graniteville, VT
Date of Birth: October 26, 1977

Chip lives with his wife Larissa and their two cats. He works as a foundation mason during the summer and a racecar
fabricator during the winter.

2009 Season: Chip competed on the ACT Tour full-time for the first time during the 2009 season. He earned four top tens in his 12 starts and earned ninth place in the final point standings. He also finished tenth in the 47th Annual Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl. At the 2009 ACT Banquet of Champions he received the 2009 ACT Tour Sportsmanship Award. Chip could also be seen every Thursday night at Thunder Road as the crew chief for Rich Lowrey.

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Hoar, Cyr and NHMS Honored at ACT/Thunder Road Banquet of Champions

Published at January 16, 2010 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model stock car Champion Brian Hoar of Williston was honored for his sixth career ACT Late Model Tour Championship on Saturday, January 16 at the Sheraton-Burlington Hotel and Conference Center in South Burlington, VT. Hoar currently holds the record for the most career wins in ACT Late Model Tour history with 25, including back-to-back wins at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway and Waterford Speedbowl in 2010. These wins, plus 11 top tens in 13 starts, helped Hoar edge out runner-up Scott Payea. Hoar was joined by over 500 teams, fans and officials as he celebrated his first championship with new car owner Rick Paya. Paya also has previous ACT Tour championships as a crew chief and car owner with Jean-Paul Cyr.

The 41st Annual MacTavish Award was given to New Hampshire Motor Speedway (NHMS) for their contribution to Northeast stock car racing. The prestigious MacTavish Award is named for legendary New England racer Don MacTavish who was killed in 1969 while racing at Daytona International Speedway. In 2010, NHMS hosted the first annual ACT Invitational, which invited 36 of the best Late Model competitors from around the region. It was the showcase event for ACT Late Model competition during the 2010 season.
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D4D Kicks-Off With Annual Testing & Evaluation Combine

Published at October 15, 2009 in NASCAR WA-AS, Stafford and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

New Englanders Heather DesRochers, Katie Hagar,  Dylan Smith & Jonathan Smith Among Participants

Huntersville, NC — Thirty drivers from different forms of racing across the United States  will showcase their skills in front of NASCAR executives and officials at the annual Drive for Diversity Testing & Evaluation Combine presented by Sunoco, as they vie for one of 10 spots with Revolution Racing for the 2010 season.

The Combine kicks off the new academy-style development for Drive for Diversity, with 10 drivers competing for the program under a single team ownership structure. The scouting event will take place October 16-20 in Charlotte, N.C., and Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va.

“The drivers invited to the Combine will compete for an opportunity to be a part of the inaugural class in the D4D programs new academy-style driver development program,” said Marcus Jadotte, Managing Director of Public Affairs for NASCAR, who oversees the sanctioning body’s diversity initiatives, “As the Drive for Diversity initiative enters its seventh year, the program’s focus on driver testing and training will better position drivers to succeed and advance in our sport.”

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Donahue Takes 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl

Published at October 4, 2009 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Hebert, Mullen and Yates Crowned 2009 Champions

Graniteville’s John Donahue won the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl at Thunder Road International Speedbowl on Sunday, October 4. Donahue’s fifth place finish in the third segment was enough to edge out Brent Dragon by just four points. Dragon went into the third segment as the overall leader after winning the first segment and placing 10th in the second segment. His tenth place finish in the third segment gave him an overall score of 21 points for the three segment event.

Donahue took the green in the final segment trailing Dragon by just one point. The two fought hard through traffic to get to the front but Donahue got into the open air quicker and made it up to fifth and secured the win with a combined score of 17.

Eric Williams finished third overall with 26 points, followed by Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (28), Brian Hoar (29), Dave Pembroke (31), Jamie Fisher (31), Nick Sweet (31), Joey Laquerre (34), and Chip Grenier (37) rounded out the top ten.
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Seven Past Milk Bowl Champions Qualify for 47th Chittenden Milk Bowl

Published at September 30, 2009 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Barre, VT — Seven former Milk Bowl Champions have secured a spot in the starting grid for the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl rescheduled for this Sunday (October 4) at Thunder Road International Speedbowl. Brent Dragon, Dave Pembroke, Eric Williams, Cris Michaud and Jean-Paul Cyr each have their name etched in the Milk Bowl Champions granite monument once, while Phil Scott and Brian Hoar have two wins apiece. This leaves 23 drivers aiming for their first career Milk Bowl win.

Two favorites will start segment one from the front row. Barre’s Nick Sweet starts on the pole after earning the Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Pole award last Saturday. His lap was the fourth fastest to earn the pole since Late Models took over the Chittenden Milk Bowl in 1996. Sweet will attempt to become the tenth driver in the history of the Milk Bowl to win from the pole. It is only his second career start in the prestigious event. His ninth place finish in last year’s event helped him earn the 2008 ACT Tour Rookie of the Year honors.

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47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl Postponed

Published at September 27, 2009 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Barre, VT — The 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl at Barre’s Thunder Road originally scheduled for Sunday, September 27th, has been postponed due to rain. The event has been rescheduled for next Sunday, October 4th.

The 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl is the final event of Thunder Road’s 50th Anniversary Season. Barre’s Nick Sweet will start on the pole of the first segment next Sunday, after earning the Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Pole award on Saturday, September 26. Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. will start on the outside pole after coming up just short in his bid for a fourth straight pole award. A total of 54 cars attempted to qualify for the non-point counting event. The field of 30 has been set for the first segment.

Next Sunday’s event will be the final point counting event for the NAPA Tiger Sportsman, Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors. Post time is set for 1 p.m.

Photo Galleries
[Milk Bowl Sat.] by Eric LaFleche
[ACT Milk Bowl Sat.] by Eric LaFleche
[Milk Bowl Sat.] by Leif Tillotson

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Nick Sweet Claims Milk Bowl Pole

Published at September 26, 2009 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Barre’s Nick Sweet earned the Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Pole award at Thunder Road International Speedbowl on Saturday, September 26. Sweet ran a lap of 13.110 on the ¼ mile speedbowl and will sit on the pole for the first segment of the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl on Sunday, September 27. Sweet earned $1000 from Booth Bros./H.P. Hood for his qualifying efforts.

Only four other times Milk Bowl history has a Barre driver claimed pole position. Chester T. Woods set the fast time in 1970, Dan Beede sat on the pole in 1991 and 1992 while brother Chuck Beede started at the front in 1996.

Joey “Pole” Polewarczyk, Jr. came up just short in his attempt for four straight pole awards. His fastest lap was just 54 one-thousandths of a second off of Sweet’s fast time. Pole had to settle for the outside pole position.

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47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl Schedule of Events

Published at September 25, 2009 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Saturday, Sept. 26, 2009
8:00     LM Pits Open
            Tire Compound
            Tech Inspection
9:00     Pits Open—Sportsman, SS, JYW
10:00   MANDATORY DRIVER MEETING
            Spectator Gate Opens
11:00   Practice
            -ACT Late Models
            -NAPA Tiger Sportsmen
            -Allen Lumber SS/Power Shift JYW
            -ACT Late Models
            -NAPA Tiger Sportsmen
            -Allen Lumber SS/Power Shift JYW
            -ACT Late Models

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New Faces Take on Chittenden Milk Bowl

Published at September 24, 2009 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

 Barre, VT — Lots of new names will be at Barre’s Thunder Road this weekend for their first Chittenden Milk Bowl experience. These “outsiders” will invade the Barre highbanks to take on the Thunder Road and American Canadian Tour regulars in the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl on Sunday, September 27.

Newcomers Wayne Helliwell, Jr. (2009 Lee USA Champion), Quebec’s Daniel Bergeron, stock car builder Jeff Taylor, White Mountain’s Bernie Lantagne and Travis Fadden will take on local favorites Dave Pembroke, 2009 King of the Road Jean-Paul Cyr, Nick Sweet, Phil Scott, Jamie Fisher and Eric Williams among others.

“Its fun competing against new faces and we proved at Loudon last weekend that you don’t have to know one another to race each other with respect,” said Barre’s Nick Sweet. Sweet turned heads when he finished second at the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, NH last Saturday, September 19.

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Dave Pembroke Dominates the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic

Published at September 6, 2009 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Dave Pembroke of Montpelier led all 200 laps of the American Canadian Tour Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, VT. Pembroke started on the pole after earning a +8 handicap by moving from 11th to 3rd in his heat race. John Donahue and Patrick Laperle battled hard for the final 19 laps with Donahue getting the edge by a bumper at the line. Brian Hoar and Eric Williams were the final two cars on the lead lap and rounded out the top five.

The thirty car field made it through the first 181 laps caution free while Pembroke put all but the top five cars down a lap. Pembroke felt no competition as the closest car on the lead lap was nearly a half a track behind as they both worked their way through lap traffic. All thirty cars were still on the track when the checkered flag flew.
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ACT Double Header Labor Day Weekend

Published at September 2, 2009 in ACT LM Tour, Thunder Road and Twin State. 0 Comments

The upcoming Labor Day weekend will bring a major test for the American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model race teams. The first double-header weekend of the season takes place with a rain make up event at the Twin State Speedway in Claremont, NH on Friday night, September 4. Post time is 7 pm. Following the event at Twin State; the TOUR will head to Thunder Road for the 31st running of the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 on Sunday, September 6, 2009.

“This is just like the old days, when we used to race lots of double header weekends”, said Tom Curley, President of the ACT. “I actually liked doing a couple of races a weekend back when we ran the old NASCAR North and ACT Pro-Stock Tours. It seemed to build great camaraderie among the teams who helped put the cars together with each other, and certainly those weekends created some interesting short term rivalries”, continued Curley.
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Ragan Ready for Final Thursday Night at T-Road

Published at August 26, 2009 in Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Unadilla, Georgia’s David Ragan will pull into Thunder Road for Thursday night’s final race of the 50th season on a high after a morale boosting victory in Bristol, Tennessee this past weekend over Carl Edwards. The 23 year old prospect for NASCAR stardom won his second Nationwide series of the season after his victory at Talladega, Alabama earlier this summer. The 100 lap main event will put the “scourge” of Georgia short tracking up against Thunder Road’s top talent. Along with his Nationwide series success, he’s been a top ten finisher in the past NASCAR Sprint Cup Series 11 times, driving for John Henry (Red Sox Owner) and Jack Roush. He has already been signed for another year in their UPS car for Sprint Cup Racing.

“I am truly excited about the prospect of running at Thunder Road. Tony Stewart told me that seldom in his experience has he raced against guys that drive harder and are more respectful of each other than the guys at Thunder Road”, he said. But he cautioned that you need track time to get in the rhythm of the famed Barre high banks. “I intend to be there early and really work on what everyone tells me is as challenging a short track as one can find in the US”, he said.

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Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. Wins CARQUEST Governor’s Cup 150

Published at June 25, 2009 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Young Joey “Pole” Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson, NH scores his first career win at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in the CARQUEST Governor’s Cup 150. Pole got by Jamie Fisher to take the lead shortly after a restart with just under 100 laps to go. Nick Sweet then worked his way to second and setup the battle of the race. Pole and Sweet ran side by side and worked their way through lap traffic before a lap 145 caution staged a shootout for the win. Pole proved to be too much for Sweet as he held onto the lead for the final 5 laps. Cris Michaud passed Sweet with two to go for second to come home with the best finish ever for a Ford crate motor in ACT Late Model competition. Sweet settled for third followed by Jamie Fisher and John Donahue finishing in the top five. Sixth through tenth was filled by Dave Pembroke, Trampas Demers, Phil Scott, Joey Laquerre and Eric Williams.

Pole is a regular of the American Canadian Tour, where he has three career wins. He has already qualified for the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 19th by winning an ACT Tour race earlier this the season at Oxford Plains Speedway.
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CARQUEST Governor’s Cup 150 Schedule

Published at June 24, 2009 in ACT LM Tour and Thunder Road. 0 Comments

Schedule of Events

Wednesday 6.24
5:00pm-6:30pm        Optional Local Teams Pits Open – Park Haulers

Thursday 6.25
2:00    Pits open
Tires – Tech Draw
2:00    Non-VT RV PARKING ONLY with Loudon Tix
RV must show Loudon tix – park farmhouse
2:45    Season Pass Front Gate Open
3:00    Front Gate Open
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Thunder Road Pushed Back by Rain to Friday

Published at June 18, 2009 in Thunder Road. 0 Comments

The Harvest Equipment stock car racing program set for Thursday, June 18 at Barre’s Thunder Road International Speedbowl has been washed away by rain.  The four-division card has been rescheduled for Friday, June 19 at 6:30pm.  Gates will open at 5:00pm, regular admission rates will be in effect at $9.50 for adults, $3 for children (6-12), and just $20 for a family of any two adults and any two kids.

Harvest Equipment Night was scheduled to be the second Thursday night event of the 50th Anniversary Season. It is the fourth race of the year for the NAPA Tiger Sportsman, Allen Lumber Street Stocks and Powershift Junkyard Warriors. The ACT Late Models will run their second weekly event of the season at tomorrow’s Harvest Equipment event.

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