Dragon, RGR Team Ready for Thunder Road Title Run
Barre, VT – Second-generation racer Scott Dragon is about enter his second full season of Late Model competition at Thunder Road International Speedbowl, and after a year of working with the Richard Green Racing (RGR) team, is ready to contend for a title in 2015.
After the opening event of the 2014 Thunder Road season, veteran Joey Becker of Cambridge, VT, one of Thunder Road’s favorite racers, told his long-time friend and car owner Rick Green that, for health and personal reasons, he needed to give up the driver’s seat of the RGR ACT Late Model ride. Green first chose Becker out of the Thunder Road Tiger Sportsman division to be his driver during the 2003 season. That partnership enjoyed much success over the years, and Becker, an accomplished fabricator, told Green he would still like to work on the 16VT Chevrolet Impala SS. He also suggested that they try and get his friend Scott Dragon of Milton, VT to take over the driver’s seat for the remainder of the full Thunder Road season.
Dragon raced ACT Late Models in the late 1990s and early 2000s and had some success before moving on Super Late Model racing on a part-time basis. The name Dragon is synonymous with Vermont stock car racing. Scott’s father is the legendary Bobby Dragon, his uncle is Harmon “Beaver” Dragon, and his cousin is Brent Dragon. All three have established records throughout Vermont, and for that matter throughout the Northeast. They top many championship lists and will do so for decades to come.
Scott Dragon turned out to be a great choice for RGR. In his ACT touring career he had 82 starts with three wins and 17 top-five finishes. There was clearly pressure being the youngest of the four racing Dragons. He is now the only Dragon left racing Thunder Road and ACT, and he is taking full advantage of the opportunity. Dragon scored a win last season in the June 26 event, added a second-place effort in the Mid-Season Championships on July 17, and ended the year with an impressive fourth-place finish in the Milk Bowl. After a year of full-time weekly racing, the Dragon-led RGR team is looking to hit its stride in 2015.
“At Thunder Road last year I had the most fun racing I have ever had,” Dragon said. “I felt we had a good year, not great, but good. It was just a fun time in the shop with Joey, at the track, and I couldn’t have asked for a better car owner to work with than Rick. I am very excited about taking a run at the Thunder Road ‘King of the Road’ title this year. It seems that Nick Sweet and Derrick (O’Donnell) have kind of moved things to a new level over the past five seasons, and we want to be part of that level in 2015.”
The Merchant’s Bank 150 enters its 17th year of opening Thunder Road’s famous high banks at the ‘Nation’s Site of Excitement’ on Sunday, May 3. The event is an ACT Championship event, but generally provides a home-town advantage for many of the local ACT Late Model teams.
“We have always used this opening Merchant’s Bank Thunder Road non-point event as a chance to see how the work we have done in the off-season will pan out,” said 2010 and 2012 “King of the Road” Nick Sweet of Barre, VT. “It’s a great way to get ready for the start of the championship run beginning at the Mekkelsen Memorial Day Classic later in the month. I think there are a whole lot of teams capable of winning the title this year; certainly Scott Dragon and his RGR team showed that they are super competitive last year. His fourth place finish in the Milk Bowl gives them some momentum to build off. It should be a great year at the Road.”
The 56th season of racing at Thunder Road will begin Saturday, May 2 with the traditional stock car show on the streets of downtown Barre, followed by the spectacular parade of 100 race cars from downtown, up Quarry Hill, and into the race track. Practice will be held that afternoon, and then Class Day and the 17th annual Merchants Bank 150 for the ACT Late Model Tour will kick off the season on Sunday, May 3.
For additional information contact the Thunder Road and ACT office at 802.244.6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com or www.acttour.com.
Sources: ACT PR