Point Leader Pembroke Not Feeling Pressure at Mid-Season

For Immediate Release                                    TR-072507-1

    BARRE, VT Stock car racer and current Thunder Road point leader Dave Pembroke says he is not feeling any
pressure heading into the 48th Annual Times Argus Mid-Season Championship at the historic Barre oval on Thursday. 
The Montpelier racer says that while double points are on the line, they will not derail his focus on aiming for
his first Late Model King of the Road crown.
    I was leading points at mid-season in 2004, and we had a bad night and fell to fourth, said
Pembroke.  Since then I see it as a regular race; the goals are to take care of the car, to not crash, and to get
the best finish possible.  You cant nerve yourself up or youll make a mistake.
    Pembroke leads three-time Track Champion Cris Michaud of Williamstown by 37 points entering the Times
Argus Mid-Season Championship (538-501).  Shelburnes Jamie Fisher, another former King of the Road, sits third
at 491.
    Hometown racer Nick Sweet leads East Montpelier veteran Joey Laquerre in the NAPA Tiger Sportsman
division, 556-491, while 19 year-old Hinesburg rookie Bobby Therrien holds a slim Allen Lumber Street Stock lead
over Mike Martin of Craftsbury Common, 543-536.  Hardwicks Bunker Hodgdon (558) leads David Whitcomb of Elmore
(549) in the Power Shift Junkyard Warrior division.
    Pembroke conceded that his biggest concern will be dealing with another responsibility that comes with
leading points at the Times Argus Mid-Season Championship.
    To be honest, Im more nervous about the Port-A-Potty Grand Prix next week than anything else right now,
he said with a grin.
    Each year, the point leaders in all four divisions at or around mid-season are entered into the outhouse
push-cart race on Calkins Portables/Pelletier Quick Lube Night, which will roll out Thursday, August 2.  The
racing johns must be human-powered with the point leaders from each respective division riding along.
    I was on a push team in my Tiger days, but Ive never been the driver, Pembroke said.  The Late Model
race and the double points will take care of themselves; the Port-A-Potty Grand Prix is the big event of the year.
    The Times Argus Mid-Season Championship, with double points on the line for all four racing divisions,
will have preliminary events at 6:30pm, while the regular program begins at 7:00pm with the traditional Post
Parade.  Also on the card are the annual Times Argus driver autograph session and a special preview of Sundays
M&M Beverage Enduro 200.  General admission is only $9 for adults, $3 for kids, and just $18 for a family of
four.  For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
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Contact: Justin St. Louis                            Phone: (802) 244-6963
Email: media@acttour.com                            Fax: (802) 244-1616