Thunder Road to Open this Weekend
Thunder Road International Speedbowl will open this weekend for the 55th season of championship stock car racing. Billed as the “Nation’s Site of Excitement”, Thunder Road is known for its close door-banging, “take no prisoners” style of racing action.
The Merchants Bank 150 for the ACT Championship Late Model teams is the featured event this Sunday, but there will be plenty of racing action from the Bond Auto Tigers and Allen Lumber Street Stocks. They will also open their 2014 championship charge.
Seasoned race fans always feel that this event at Thunder Road should give an edge to the track’s graduates and regulars. T-Road veterans Jimmy Hebert and Bobby Therrien are former Tiger champions and are now tested and proven ACT drivers. They each won races on the Tour in 2013. Hebert won the 2013 New Hampshire Governor’s Cup at Lee USA Speedway and also the 100-mile race at SANAIR Super Speedway in St. Pie, Quebec. Just half-way into his first full season on the ACT, Therrien won the White Mountain Motorsport Park 150 lap event last July.
“The long winter is finally over and things have actually dried out a lot faster than we might have thought they would a couple weeks ago. We are getting a late start cleaning up, but we have scheduled a practice for this Thursday and look forward to seeing all the teams and fans this weekend. After watching the Lee (Lee USA Speedway) opener a week ago, I am really looking forward to the Merchants Bank 150, it should be a thriller,” said Promoter of Thunder Road, Tom Curley.
Weekly Thunder Road challenger Cody Blake from Barre, VT said, “I was crewing for my friend Ben Lynch at Lee last weekend, and if we have a race like the Tour had down in New Hampshire, the fans are in for a real opening day treat. I can‘t wait to get the season started this weekend.”
The annual Car Show in downtown Barre will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2014 from 9 till noon. A full afternoon of practice will follow after the popular race car parade from downtown up Quarry Hill to the race track beginning at high noon. Sunday will open with the traditional Class Day celebration when all cars go on parade beginning at 1:00. Qualifying for the 16th annual Merchants Bank 150 will begin at 1:30 on Sunday, April 27, 2014.
Sources: ACT PR