Racer Cyr to Pull Memorial Day Double-Duty at Home
Milton, VT driver will race ACT, Modified events at Thunder Road
Champion stock car driver Jean-Paul Cyr of Milton, VT will attempt his second double-duty effort of the 2008 racing season at his home track, Barre, VT’s Thunder Road, with this weekend’s 46th Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic on Sat./Sun., May 24/25. Cyr will assume his regular duties behind the wheel of the #32 RPM Racing Engines Chevrolet in the 100-lap American-Canadian Tour Late Model event on Sunday afternoon, and will then strap into the #25 Roscoe Racing car owned by Gary Casella for the True Value Modified Racing Series 100.
Cyr did the double at New Hampshire’s Lee USA Speedway in April, but was involved in an early crash in the ACT Late Model Tour event, finishing 28th. He later battled power steering problems in the Modified race, but managed to finish a respectable 12th.
“I think things should go a little better at Thunder Road,” said the seven-time and defending ACT Champion. “Our ACT car is running well, and the problem with the Modified has been solved. I want to run up front in both races, and it would be great to win one or even both.”
Cyr, 42, snapped an 18-race ACT winless streak in last weekend’s Furniture World of VT Spring Green 100 at Airborne Speedway, and closely trails co-point leaders Scott Payea and Patrick Laperle in the championship standings. He said that focusing on the ACT event is his main priority, but that he also wants to enjoy his experience at the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic.
“I know I’ll sleep pretty well on Sunday night after all those laps,” he joked, “but I look at a guy like Joey Laquerre and respect the double effort. He’s a few years older than I am (Laquerre is 64), but he races in two divisions every week at Thunder Road and is still winning. I’d like to try to pull that off this weekend.”
Cyr will be challenged in the ACT event by cross-town Milton, VT rival Payea, Montréal driver Laperle, New Hampshire’s Randy Potter, and three-time Thunder Road Track Champion Cris Michaud of Northfield, VT. Cyr’s competition in the True Value Modified portion of the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic will come from past series champions Kirk Alexander of Swanzey, NH and Dwight Jarvis of Ascutney, VT, Massachusetts star Vinnie “Who?” Annarummo, Connecticut’s Les Hinckley, and point leader David Pinkham of Maine.
General admission for the 46th Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic is just $20 for adults, $5 for children (6-12), and only $40 for the “Family Fare” for any two adults and two children. ACT Late Model Tour and True Value Modified Racing Series practice will begin at 1:00pm on Sat., May 24, followed by qualifying for Thunder Road’s NAPA Tiger Sportsman, Allen Lumber Street Stock, and Power Shift Warrior divisions at 3:30pm. ACT and TVMRS racing begins at 1:30pm on Sun., May 25. Spectator gates open at 12:00 noon on Saturday and 10:00am on Sunday. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.acttour.com or www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
Sources: Justin St. Louis/ACT LM Tour PR