Clark Making Season Debut Thursday in Defense of Governor's Cup Crown

Barre, VT — While plenty of top racers are looking to claim the Vermont Governor’s Cup for themselves this Thursday, July 16, one driver is hoping it doesn’t go anywhere. Fayston, VT’s Brooks Clark, the reigning Governor’s Cup winner, will make his season debut Thursday night to defend the crown he has held for the past year.

It marks the end of an extra-long racing offseason for Clark, who has remained busy with work and family commitments. Thursday, he’ll bring the same car and team he used to get the jump over Nick Sweet on a late restart last year and sail into the record books of Thunder Road’s oldest event.

“I’d like to have a little more track time under my belt, but we just had our second kid a little over a month ago, so that’s kind of prevented us from having any track time,” Clark said. “The car is as prepared as it can be — hopefully I can keep up with the car as a driver.”

While Clark has been a part-time competitor in recent years, his résumé in a limited schedule speaks for itself. In addition to the Governor’s Cup victory, he was a top-3 overall finisher in each of the last two Vermont Milk Bowls, and also posted a podium finish in the Labor Day Classic. This run of success in big events will surely buoy his family team even as they work to make up for lost time.

“I just seem to prefer the longer events,” Clark noted. “They seem to suit my driving style a little better. The car is pretty consistent on long runs, so that helps a lot. We like the bigger events — it’s what we have time for and we enjoy. And we’ve had quite a bit of success with them, so that’s why we keep coming back for them.”

Clark will attempt to become the first driver since Sweet in 2014 and 2015 to go back-to-back in the Vermont Governor’s Cup. To do so, he’ll have to contend with multiple other former event winners such as Scott Dragon, Trampas Demers, and Cody Blake. Weekly runners such as defending “King of the Road” Jason Corliss and point leader Marcel J. Gravel will be hot to trot while invaders like three-time ACT Champion Wayne Helliwell Jr., defending ACT Rookie of the Year Ryan Kuhn, multi-time Late Model winner Chip Grenier aim to upset the apple cart.

You have to be cautiously aggressive at the beginning of the race,” Clark observed. “Then you just need to know when it’s time to go. You can’t hold back too much during the whole event.”

The Vermont Governor’s Cup at Thunder Road is coming this Thursday, July 16 at 6:30pm. The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models go at it for 150 laps in a battle that also counts towards the season-long championship. They’ll be joined by the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors.

Limited fan attendance is permitted with advance ticket sales only at www.happsnow.com/event/Thunder-Road-Speedbowl. Admission is $20 for adults, $5 for kids ages 6-12, and free for kids ages five and under. A $20 pay-per-view broadcast will also be available on the Northeast Sports Network at www.NSNsports.net/sponsors/racing.