Devil’s Bowl Modifieds To Make Thunder Road Debut
Dirt-style Modifieds to run at Memorial Day Classic
BARRE, VT – The ground-pounding Bond Auto Parts Modified stock car division from Devil’s Bowl Speedway will be hitting “The Road” this year – Thunder Road International Speedbowl, that is. The legendary Barre, VT bullring has invited the dirt-style, center-seat Modifieds to compete in a 50-lap event during the 51st Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic on Sunday, May 26 at 1:30pm.
The site of the famous People’s United Bank Milk Bowl, Thunder Road has hosted a variety of open-wheel events throughout its history, but never with the “dirt on asphalt” Modified rules package that has been so popular at Devil’s Bowl in recent years. The race will be held as a companion event to the traditional 100-lap Late Model event at the Memorial Day Classic, along with Thunder Road’s regular Bond Auto Parts Tiger Sportsman and Allen Lumber Street Stock divisions.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway drivers are excited about the creation of the Thunder Road event. Two-time defending Devil’s Bowl champion Ron Proctor will make the long haul from Charlton, NY to compete.
“I’ve heard a lot of stories about how small and tight Thunder Road is. It really makes you leery of how much contact there might be,” Proctor said. “But for now it’s all stories, and I can’t judge until I race it. I know I’ll have a lot of competition from Vince Quenneville, Jessey Mueller, Hunter Bates, and those guys. Since I’ve never raced there it will be a clean slate of sorts, but I’m hoping I can find the adjustments a little quicker than them because of my racing experience.”
Vince Quenneville, Jr. of Brandon, VT has never raced at Thunder Road, but the 2012 Devil’s Bowl runner-up knows all about it. Quenneville’s father competed there some 40 years ago, and his employer, Todd Stone, raced there with the American-Canadian Tour.
“I’ve been a Vermonter all my life, so I’ve heard an awful lot about Thunder Road. I know some of the guys in NASCAR today have competed there, and when guys like Robbie Crouch, Jean-Paul Cabana, the Dragons, Stub Fadden, and Ricky Craven have raced there, it excites me even more,” Quenneville said. “Todd Stone used to run an ACT Late Model, and he told me what a tough track it was to figure out. My father raced there in the 1970s with the old NASCAR North Tour, too. I’m going to do a lot of asking around, and I think I can adjust faster than a lot of these guys. A win would mean a lot to me up there.”
The Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic at Thunder Road International Speedbowl is scheduled for Sunday, May 26. Devil’s Bowl Speedway opens its season with the ACT Spring Green 113 and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series on Sunday, May 5. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com, or call (802) 265-3112 or visit www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com.
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway PR