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MEKKELSEN RV MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC FILLED WITH TRADITION
For Immediate Release TR-052107-1
BARRE, VT The Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 100 is more than a stock car race at Barres Thunder Road. It is the event with the longest history at the famed ¼-mile oval, and is among the oldest continuously running short track events in United States. The list of past winners reads like a whos who of northeastern stock car racing, and winners are often referred to, throughout their entire careers, as champions of the event. This season marks the 45th running of the race since its inception in 1961. Roy Pappy Forsythe of Keene, NH won the inaugural Memorial Day Classic driving a flathead-powered Ford coupe. Forsythe won nine more feature races that season, setting a record that still stands in 2007. Legendary Canadian racer Jean-Paul Cabana won four times from 1965 to 1988, topped only by Hudson, NHs Dave Dion, a nine- time champion of the event. Dion won the event four years running on two separate occasions the first from 1975 through 1978, the second from 1989 through 1992. Dion also won in 1982. Other past winners include champion drivers Robbie Crouch, Joey Kourafas, Russ Ingerson, Jean-Paul Cyr, Kevin Lepage, and Joey Laquerre. Second-generation racer Brent Dragon of Milton won the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic last year, and considers it to be one of the five most important events in the region. By winning the Classic in May and the season-ending Milk Bowl in October, Dragon feels he has nothing left to prove. I won the Labor Day Classic a couple years ago, and weve won the Spring Green and the Fall Foliage, said Dragon. Now, weve won the Memorial Day Classic and the Milk Bowl. Weve won our five big races and Ive completed it now. If I didnt race another day, I wouldnt care. Kip Stockwell says his family holds a special place for the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic. The Braintree veteran is making his return to full-time Thunder Road racing after nearly ten years away, and looks to add his name to the winners list for a second time. The Memorial Day Classic is one of my favorite races at any track, anywhere, with any type of car, he stated. We finished third in 1995 when Ralph Nason won, and then we won it in 1996. I had survived three heart attacks just a few weeks earlier, and it was really the perfect way to bounce back. We started on the pole and led every lap, and then my father rode in the car with me on my victory lap. It was a great day for my family. Its a great race with a lot of history, and Id love to win it again. Dragon and Stockwell will meet the challenges of former Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic winners Trampas Demers, Joey Becker, Joey Laquerre, Cris Michaud, and Phil Scott on Sunday at Barres Thunder Road. General admission is $12 for adults, $5 for children, and just $25 for a family of four. Green flag racing action is scheduled to begin at 1:30pm. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com. -30- Contact: Justin St. Louis Phone: (802) 244- 6963 Email: media@acttour.com Fax: (802) 244-1616
DAVE DION REMEMBERS MEKKELSEN RV MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC
For Immediate Release TR-052307-1
JUPITER, FL No stock car driver in the history of the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic, and perhaps the entire history of Barres Thunder Road, has had more success than Dynamite Dave Dion. The Hudson, NH native, now living in Florida, won the spring holiday race a record nine times during his storied career. He took time to remember the race recently. The Memorial Day Classic always had great meaning to the entire team, Dion said. We always felt that the fact that all of us were military veterans played a big part in our magical, and often unlikely, success that day. Memorial Day in Vermont has always been one of the fondest days in my life and will continue to be so. Dions first win the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic came in 1975, a year in which he dominated Late Model Sportsman racing at Thunder Road. The Vietnam veteran won a second time the following year, and continued through 1978 for four consecutive victories. A fifth win came in 1982, followed by another unprecedented four- year streak from 1989 to 1992. I realized not too long ago that while youre a young kid and youre racing, typically all you can think about is tomorrow, and getting to the next race, said Dion. You never see the bigger picture, and you never take time to enjoy your success. You ham it up in victory lane when you win, but its over after that. I sat down a while back and realized that my brothers and I won nine Memorial Day Classics, and that we won four in a row twice. Thats an incredible thing to do, especially given the competition during the second time we did it with ACT (American-Canadian Tour) in the early 1990s. Were very proud of our accomplishments in that race, they really mean a lot to us. Dion laughed about the Memorial Day Classic appearing as an oasis during tough times. Success in the event would often propel the team out of winless streaks and bad finishes. We used to say Man, if we can just make it to Memorial Day at Thunder Road, well be okay, he joked. It always seemed like a turning point for us, things always seemed to get better after a good run on Memorial Day. Thunder Roads weekly Late Model competitors and several drivers from the ACT Late Model Tour will try to follow in Dave Dions footsteps on Sunday in the 45th running of the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 100. NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors will also be in action, with green flag racing set begin at 1:30pm. Gates open at 10:00am. General admission is $12 for adults, $5 for children, and just $25 for a family of four. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com. -30- Contact: Justin St. Louis Phone: (802) 244- 6963 Email: media@acttour.com Fax: (802) 244-1616
NEW BREED TO TAKE ON LATE MODELS AT MEKKELSEN RV MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC
For Immediate Release TR-052407-1
BARRE, VT Late Model stock car drivers at Barres Thunder Road may be in for a surprise on Sunday. Based on a trend of stellar performances by Thunder Roads new breed young guns, a total changing of the guard may be next on the horizon. Sophomore hometown racer Mike Beetle Bailey turned heads with a back-to-front run against an all-star American-Canadian Tour (ACT) field at the Merchants Bank 150 season opener earlier this month. He backed it up by flirting with a Triple Crown sweep of the Casella Waste Management Mothers Day event, winning his qualifying heat and the bonus-points semi-feature before finishing sixth in the 50-lap main event. Rookie Chip Grenier of Northfield has produced solid results as well, winning his Merchants Bank 150 qualifier and finishing eighth in the Casella 50. Defending Rookie of the Year Marcel Gravel of Wolcott ran in the lead pack for a majority of the Merchants Bank 150 before finishing a strong 11th, and former NAPA Tiger Sportsman Champion Shawn Fleury of Middlesex has shown signs of promise in the Late Model division this year. Were concentrating on the little things more this year than we were able to last year, said Bailey. I think with a year of experience now, our team can finish in the top ten in points. My biggest goal is to stay out of trouble. If I can do that, well be in good shape. I think weve got as good a shot as anyone else to win on Memorial Day, said Grenier, who is driving the car that Chad Wheeler raced to the King of the Road crown last season. Im still learning behind the wheel, but I have a lot of great help in the pits and in the shop. Grenier has received input and advice from champion crew chiefs Troy Wheeler and Pete Duto, and says that some veteran drivers have been helpful as well. Cris Michaud and Eric Williams have talked with me at the track some, and theyve been good to me, he said. Its nice to go into the top division as a rookie and be accepted by champions like them. Dont count the old guard out just because the young guns are cranking it up, though. Long-time campaigners Michaud, Williams, Dave Whitcomb, and Phil Scott are ready to teach the kids a thing or two. Its no different than any other year, said Whitcomb, the 1995 Thunder Road Track Champion. A few new guys will come in and do well, and its nice to see them have good runs and be as respectful as they have been, but you still want to beat them on the track. Ive spoken with guys like Beetle and Chip and Shawn, and I think theyll all be good racers. The Essex Junction driver turned the race for third place into an outstanding 30-lap duel with Williams in the Casella 50. Williams stole the position by about two feet at the finish. I would love to have another race this weekend like I did last weekend, but I want to come out on top this time, Whitcomb said. Im pretty confident. We have a brand new car this year, and its going well. I still want to win races, even after all these years. Thunder Roads new breed driver will see how they measure up to the veterans at Sundays Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic. Qualifying action for the traditional 100-lap holiday event is scheduled to begin at 1:30pm. General admission is $12 for adults, $5 for children, and only $25 for a family of four. NAPA Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors will also be on tap. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com. -30- Contact: Justin St. Louis Phone: (802) 244- 6963 Email: media@acttour.com Fax: (802) 244-1616
PEMBROKE HOLDS HOAR OFF FOR MEKKELSEN RV MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC WIN
For Immediate Release TR-052807-1
BARRE, VT Stock car racer Dave Pembroke on Montpelier held off long-time nemesis Cris Michaud of Williamstown and American- Canadian Tour (ACT) invader Brian Hoar of Williston for a thrilling victory in the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic at Barres Thunder Road on Monday afternoon. Pembroke, who started on the pole position for the 45th running of the 100-lap holiday race, led the first 67 laps before Michaud made a successful outside lane bid for the lead. The races final restart on lap 69 left the pair lined up in a reverse situation, and Pembroke found the outside lane to his liking for the first time in the event. Michaud led for 21 laps with Pembroke only inches behind at times, before Pembroke grabbed the lead back for good on lap 90. Just after Pembroke took over, Hoar made an outside lane pass of Michaud to take over second place. A five-time ACT Late Model Tour champion, Hoar drew even with Pembroke while the pair negotiated lapped traffic in the final circuits. After momentarily losing the top spot on the backstretch, Pembroke used a lapped car to complete a pick move with two laps remaining, and held Hoar off by a car length for the victory. I thought it was going to be easy starting on the pole, said an excited Pembroke in victory lane, but it was anything but that. I have to thank Cris and Brian for running me so cleanly, it was a lot of fun out there. I was worried about Brian during the last couple of laps, but I knew that if I kept my car under control I could use traffic the way I needed to in order to get the win. Michaud held on for third place behind winner Pembroke and runner-up Hoar. Granitevilles John Donahue and Jay Laquerre of East Montpelier turned in solid performances to finish fourth and fifth, respectively. Trampas Demers, Joey Becker, Pete Fecteau, Shawn Fleury, and rookie Chip Grenier rounded out the unofficial top ten in order. Tom Therrien of Hinesburg won a wild NAPA Tiger Sportsman event that saw no less than three multi-car pileups during its 40-lap distance. Once the smoke cleared, the Hinesburg driver cruised to an easy victory over Mark Barnier of Essex Jct. and Kevin Campbell of Fairfax. Kyle Tatro and former Track Champion Joe Steffen rounded out the top five finishers, while Joey Laquerre, Matt White, rookie Lance Allen, Nick Sweet, and Pete Ainsworth completed the unofficial top ten. Mike Martin of Craftsbury Common made a sensational move from fourth place to first in the final corner of the Allen Lumber Street Stock feature to earn his second career win. Logan Blacklock led the 25-lap event from the outset, but was spun by Billy Hennequin on the final lap. Martin dodged the altercation and passed Josh Demers to take over the top spot. Hennequin crossed the finish line in second place, but was penalized for his involvement in the Blacklock incident and relegated to 14th place, one position behind Blacklock. Demers, of Montpelier, inherited second place just ahead of Lloyd Blakely of Barre. Bruce Melendy and Joe Fecteau rounded out the top-five finishers, unofficially. Jared Henry of East Barre was the winner in the hard-fought Power Shift Junkyard Warrior main event. Henry traded the top spot several times with Leonard Sanborn of Graniteville and Scott Weston of Barre. Henry nipped Weston at the finish line by a half- car length. Unofficially, Sanborn finished third ahead of Bunker Hodgdon and Ryan Kennedy. Thunder Roads 48th season of exciting stock car racing continues on Thursday, June 14 with Ferguson Waterworks Night. Post time is scheduled for 7:00pm. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
UNOFFICIAL FINISHES Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic Thunder Road Intl Speedbowl Barre, VT Monday, May 28, 2007
Late Model 100 1. Dave Pembroke 2. Brian Hoar 3. Cris Michaud 4. John Donahue 5. Jay Laquerre 6. Trampas Demers 7. Joey Becker 8. Pete Fecteau 9. Shawn Fleury 10. Chip Grenier
NAPA Tiger Sportsmen 1. Tom Therrien 2. Mark Barnier 3. Kevin Campbell 4. Kyle Tatro 5. Joe Steffen
Allen Lumber Street Stocks 1. Mike Martin 2. Josh Demers 3. Lloyd Blakely 4. Bruce Melendy 5. Joe Fecteau
Power Shift Junkyard Warriors 1. Jared Henry 2. Scott Weston 3. Leonard Sanborn 4. Bunker Hodgdon 5. Ryan Kennedy -30- Contact: Justin St. Louis Phone: (802) 244-6963 Email: media@acttour.com Fax: (802) 244-1616
HOAR DISQUALIFIED FROM MEKKELSEN RV MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC, PENALTIES IMPOSED
For Immediate Release TR-052907-1
WATERBURY, VT Officials from Barres Thunder Road International Speedbowl have disqualified Late Model stock car driver Brian Hoar of Williston from his apparent second-place finish in the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic on Monday. Following post-race technical inspection, Hoars #45 car was found to be in violation of the Koni sealed shock absorber rule, which is also in use on the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) championship series. Although the Koni shocks on Hoars car were not modified internally, an external modification was determined to be an alteration to the strict ACT Koni shock rule. Hoar and team have been stripped of all championship points and purse money earned in the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic and placed on a three-month suspension from competition at Thunder Road. The #45 team has also been handed a $4,000 fine and will be on technical probation for all ACT Late Model Tour and Série ACT Castrol events for the remainder of the 2007 season. A good part of our success over the past five years has been our strict policy on the Goodyear tires, the sealed crate engines and the Koni sealed shocks in our Late Model division, said Thunder Road Manager and ACT President Tom Curley. Unfortunately, there was an alteration on the part the #45 team. The modification to the shocks was inexpensive and external, but still did not comply with the ACT rulebook. Thunder Road is as disappointed as the #45 team, but we feel strongly about upholding the integrity of our shock rule. Thunder Roads 48th racing season continues with Ferguson Waterworks Night on Thursday, June 14. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com. -30- Contact: Justin St. Louis Phone: (802) 244-6963 Email: media@acttour.com Fax: (802) 244-1616
The hammer has fallen for one American-Canadian Tour (ACT) driver following the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic at Thunder Road on Monday. Brian Hoar of Williston, VT was competing in the race to test for the upcoming ACT Late Model Tour events at the track later this year, and crossed the finish line in second place. Hoar failed technical inspection, however, as his car found to be in violation of ACTs strict Koni sealed shock absorber rule.
Hoars #45 team had made external alterations to their shocks, and were penalized severely for it. Hoar and team have been stripped of all championship points and purse money earned in the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic and placed on a three-month suspension from competition at Thunder Road.
They have also been handed a $4,000 fine and will be on technical probation for all ACT Late Model Tour and Série ACT Castrol events for the remainder of the 2007 season.
A good part of our success over the past five years has been our strict policy on the Koni sealed shocks, said Thunder Road Manager and ACT President Tom Curley. The modification to the shocks was inexpensive and external, but still did not comply with the ACT rulebook. Thunder Road is as disappointed as the #45 team, but we feel strongly about upholding the integrity of our shock rule.
The three-month suspension for Hoar is limited only to Thunder Road events, but includes the Vermont Governors Cup 100 on July 12, an event that many ACT teams are looking forward to as a test session, not unlike Hoar did at the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic. Hoars suspension will end in time for the ACT Late Model Tours Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 on Sept. 1/2.
This should serve as a one-time only warning to ACT competitors play with fire, and you will get burned.
***
Long heralded as the biggest weekend in motorsports, Memorial Day weekend was chock full of auto racing surprises. The big races had surprise endings in Charlotte and Indianapolis, but the real stories came in the world of Late Model racing.
For starters, Patrick Laperle of St-Denis, QC, who has been one sick kid of late, climbed behind the wheel of his brand new Junior Hanley-built ACT Late Model at the Serie ACT Castrol event at Autodrome St-Eustache on Saturday night, with intent to complete the entire 100-lap distance. Laperle was released from a Quebec hospital recently after a severe illness, and is still in the recovery process. Ever the racer, he not only took part in the St- Eustache 100, he very nearly won the whole show. Laperle fended off the toughest customer St-Eustache has seen in years Sylvain Lacombe to lead 88 laps before the pair were wrecked by lapped traffic. After the yellow, Laperle, again with Lacombe in tow, soldiered back through the field to finish in the top ten. Thats surprise number one.
Surprise number two came in the form of Normand Lavigeur, who found himself to be having a good day as of lap 89 of the St-Eustache 100. Lavigeur inherited the lead as Laperle and Lacombe spun, and then missed a lap 90 melee that included top-three runner Alexandre Gingras flipping his car down the frontstretch. Lavigeur held on to win the race over Steven Boissonneault (who publicly accepted part of the blame in the Gingras wreck) and unofficial point leader Jean-Francois Dery.
Surprise number three came at Maines Wiscasset Raceway on Sunday, as 17 year-old racer D.J. Shaw of Center Conway, NH held off 50-something veteran (and former Wiscasset champion) Mike Rowe to win the Coastal 200 and its $10,000 top prize. Shaw and Rowe were driving ACT-legal Late Models in a race once dominated by pro stocks. Dale Shaw, D.J.s father and a champion driver himself, was in the stands at Thunder Road on Monday and reported that Sunday was the first time his boy had ever turned a lap at Wiscasset. The Coastal 200 was D.J.s second big win of the year, having also captured the NH Governors Cup at Lee USA Speedway in April at the wheel of the same ACT- legal car.
The fourth surprise was held for Dave Pembroke of Montpelier, VT, who at halfway thought he had the 45th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic in hand at Thunder Road on Monday. Pembroke earned the pole position in plus/minus heat race qualifying and jumped out to a big lead over the first 65 laps. A series of cautions bunched the field up, however, and Cris Michaud was able to sneak in front of Pembroke. Following a heated 20-lap battle, Pembroke inched back into the top spot, then had to hold off a challenges in lapped traffic for the win.
The last big surprise was the finish of the Allen Lumber Street Stock feature at Thunder Road. On the last lap, Craftsbury, VTs Mike Martin was running in fourth place. Then, as leaders Logan Blacklock, Billy Hennequin, and Josh Demers came together, Martin snatched the lead and sped to the checkered flag. Demers finished second with a mangled race car, Blocklock spun to the infield, and Hennequin was penalized for dumping Blacklock out of the lead.
Incidentally, were hearing that Mondays event at Thunder Road may have been Blacklocks final race. The Addison county teenager has enlisted to serve his country in the military, and is expected to leave Vermont in the near future. For that, we salute you, Logan Blacklock, and wish your last race could have had a slightly better ending.
***
Did you know?
-Dave Pembroke has extended the streak of different winners in the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic to sixteen, dating back to Dave Dions final win in the event in 1992. Since then, no driver has been able to grab multiple victories in the prestigious holiday race.
-Tom Therrien of Hinesburg, VT grabbed his fourth career win in the NAPA Tiger Sportsman event at Thunder Road on Monday, joining his younger brother, Street Stock rookie Bobby, as a feature winner this season. The last pair of siblings to win in the same season at Thunder Road was the Fecteaus last year Pistol Pete won the Times Argus Mid-Season Championship in the Late Model division, Super Joe was a winner in the Street Stocks. Pete and Joe Fecteau also won once each in 2005.
-If the Power Shift Junkyard Warriors continue to race as well as they have been, Thunder Road officials will be holding tryouts for the next Jack Roush Gong Show at the Milk Bowl. Okay, thats not true, but the Warriors have been doing well lately, and Mondays feature was lots of fun to watch. Jared Henry of East Barre, VT won the race and becomes the 50th different Warrior winner since the division began in 2003. Henrys brother, Randy, is also a winner in the division.
The ACT Late Model Tour heads north of the border for the first time in 2007 with the Challenge ACT 100 at Circuit Ste-Croix near Quebec City on Saturday. Thunder Roads Thursday night season gets under way on June 14 with the Ferguson Waterworks card. As always, email media@acttour.com with any questions or comments.
