Vermont Motorsports Expo Announces Ron St. Louis Memorial Award
Award to recognize efforts of 23rd-place drivers in Vermont’s entry-level divisions
BARRE, Vermont (February 4, 2024) – The inaugural Vermont Motorsports Expo will shine a spotlight on the new racing season in 2024, and it will also shine a spotlight on three racers who may not have seen much of it last summer. The Expo has announced the creation of the Ron St. Louis Memorial Award, which will be given to the drivers who finish 23rd in the point standings of the entry-level division at each weekly stock car track in Vermont.
For the 2023 season, those drivers were Anna Ricker at Bradford’s Bear Ridge Speedway, Donald Olden at West Haven’s Devil’s Bowl Speedway, and Michael “Biffer” Gay at Barre’s Thunder Road International Speedbowl. They will be recognized at the Vermont Motorsports Expo on Saturday, March 30, at the B.O.R. Ice Arena in Barre.
Ron St. Louis is the late father of Vermont Motorsports Expo promoter Justin St. Louis. He finished 23rd overall in the four-cylinder Street Stock division at Thunder Road in 1994 – the same year that he was voted “favorite driver.” Six years later, Justin matched the 23rd-place effort. While each finished better in other years, the 23rd-place theme tied together an idea to highlight racers who may not have had an outstanding season.
“Every racer likes to find little victories here and there, even if they don’t win races,” Justin St. Louis said. “I remember running 23rd and wanting something better to happen. After speaking with Anna, Donald, and Biffer, I can tell that the recognition means a lot to them. They all do it right – they race with their families with the goal of having fun. That’s how my dad and I raced, and I can’t think of three more perfect racers to help this award get started.”
Anna Ricker, who lives in South Ryegate, Vt., is a teacher at the Blue Mountain Union School and competed in the Ridge Runner division on the dirt at Bear Ridge Speedway in 2023. Her brother and sister-in-law, Travis and Katie Burroughs, are also racers in the division. Ricker ran about half of the schedule, earning a best result of fifth place on Memorial Day weekend, on her way to finishing 23rd in points.
Poultney, Vt.’s Donald Olden is a familiar face in the Mini Stock division on the dirt at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, racing with his brother, Damian. In his third season of driving, he qualified for 10 feature races in 17 attempts, earning a top-five finish in June and a qualifying heat win in July as his best results.
Michael “Biffer” Gay – a South Burlington, Vt., native who has been racing on the asphalt at Thunder Road for 17 years – had a tough season in the Street Stocks, though he did capture a win in July and was able to race against his son, Travis, who was a rookie in 2023. An added wrinkle is that Ron St. Louis’ daughter, Lynn, drove Gay’s car to a second-place finish in her only race – a Mother’s Day special at Thunder Road in 2007.
“This makes my season, to be honest,” Gay said upon learning of the award. “I’ve known Justin for a long time, and I remember his dad racing, so to win an award with Ron St. Louis’ name on it really is special. We got a win, but the year was tough, and things like this make the struggles worth it. I guess 23rd wasn’t so bad after all.”
The Vermont Motorsports Expo will be held on Friday, March 29, and Saturday, March 30, at the B.O.R. Ice Arena in Barre, Vermont. More than 17,000 square feet of indoor display space is sold out, and exhibitors will include speedways, vendors, and racing teams from around New England, New York, and Quebec. Details including show times, daily schedules and attractions, ticket pricing, food concessions, and much more will be announced in the coming weeks.
Advertising and sponsorship opportunities for the Vermont Motorsports Expo are available. To learn more, visit the new website at www.vermontmotorsports.net or find “Vermont Motorsports Expo 2024” on Facebook and Instagram at @VTMotorsportsExpo. For more information, call (802) 355-3282 or email vermontmotorsports@gmail.com.
Sources: Justin St. Louis/Vermont Motorsports Expo PR
AnnaRicker.jpg: South Ryegate, Vt.’s Anna Ricker of Bear Ridge Speedway is one of three drivers receiving the inaugural Ron St. Louis Memorial Award at the Vermont Motorsports Expo. (Alan Ward photo)
DonaldOlden.jpg: Poultney, Vt.’s Donald Olden of Devil’s Bowl Speedway is one of three drivers receiving the inaugural Ron St. Louis Memorial Award at the Vermont Motorsports Expo. (Bill McGaffin photo)
MichaelGay.jpg: South Burlington, Vt.’s Michael “Biffer” Gay of Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl is one of three drivers receiving the inaugural Ron St. Louis Memorial Award at the Vermont Motorsports Expo. (Alan Ward photo)
RonStLouis2.jpg: The inaugural Ron St. Louis Memorial Award will shed a light on three drivers from Vermont’s entry-level stock car racing divisions. The late Ron St. Louis, shown here in 1994, was a competitor in the Street Stock division at Thunder Road in Barre. (David Heath photo)