Thunder Road Doubling Up with VT Tire & Service Night and Bolduc Enduro

Barre, VT — Barre’s Thunder Road is ready for a double dose of Vermont stock car thrills this Thursday, August 20 and Sunday, August 23. Vermont Tire & Service Night and the 36th Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200 gives fans two chances to see great racing either at the track or worldwide on the Northeast Sports Network.

The doubleheader starts with Vermont Tire & Service Night on Thursday, August 20 at 7:00pm. All four of Thunder Road’s weekly divisions are on the card with the stars of the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors ready to do battle. The evening also includes the Marvin Johnson Memorial First-Time Winners Race where a Street Stock driver becomes a first-time winner on the high banks.

Then on Sunday, August 23 at 6:00pm is the annual “People’s Race”. The Bolduc Enduro 200 has been an annual Thunder Road tradition since 1985. Pre-entries are on par with previous seasons, meaning 100 or more cars are once again expected to vie for the $3,000 top prize.

Cars will start three-wide on the high banks with no yellow flags and stoppages only for dangerous situations. The Allen Lumber Street Stocks join them for their annual 50-lap special that draws the best 4-cylinder racers in the Northeast.

Thursday is another crucial night in the Thunder Road championship chases. The Late Models and Flying Tigers each have just four point-counting events remaining, meaning drivers in contention are running out of chances to make their move.

The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model “King of the Road” bout took a turn in round nine last week when Wolcott’s Marcel J. Gravel crashed out early in the 50-lap feature. The scrappy young underdog had been the point leader after seven of the previous eight events. Now, he sits 19 points behind defending champion Jason Corliss of Barre. Gravel’s mulligan is now gone, and he needs a bounce-back in a big way.

Just behind Gravel in the standings is another former “King of the Road” in Hinesburg’s Bobby Therrien. The veteran has been the most consistent Late Model driver this year, and his perfect record of top-10 finishes has put him 23 points back of Corliss. However, Therrien has yet to find Victory Lane this year, and he will likely need that elusive win to make up ground. Shelburne’s Trampas Demers and Milton’s Scott Dragon are also in contention and are capable of finding the speed to catch up.

In the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, it is a six-way battle for the championship. Fifty point separate leader Jason Woodard of Waterbury Center and sixth-place Derrick Calkins of Hinesburg. In between are Craftsbury Common’s Michael Martin, Barre’s Cameron Ouellette, Morrisville’s Brandon Lanphear, and Middlesex’s Logan Powers. All can win on any given night, and with the division maintaining its 30-car weekly average, the situation can change on a dime.

A clash has also broken out for the Rookie of the Year title. St. Johnsbury’s Kasey Beattie seemed to have a hammerlock on the award a few weeks ago, but East Kingston, NH’s Bryan P. Wall has won two of the last three features to close with a single point of Beattie.

Two events for the Allen Lumber Street Stocks means two chances for the field to try and close on East Thetford’s Brandon Gray. It will be a tough task, though, as Gray is 93 points ahead of the pack. He’s the only multi-time winner and the only driver to finish in the top-10 at every event, an enviable combination of speed and consistency.

His dominance has done nothing, though, to diminish the week-to-week Street Stock excitement. Five different drivers have already scored their first win this year with another to be added in the Marvin Johnson Memorial. Young drivers such as Tanner Woodard, Kaiden Fisher, and Cooper French have broken out as stars while veterans like Jamie Davis and Josh Lovely continue to show they still have it.

The Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors round out Thursday’s program coming off the high of their Road Warrior Challenge last week. Top drivers like Sean McCarthy, Josh Vilbrin, and Dan Garrett Jr. are also expected to return, and reports are that multiple new cars could make an appearance — including one guided by eternal fan favorite Eric “Pork” Chase.

A full weekend of Thunder Road racing begins Thursday, August 20 at 7:00pm with Vermont Tire & Service Night. The program includes a full card for all four divisions along with the annual Marvin Johnson Memorial First-Time Winners Race. Admission is $15 for adults and $3 for kids ages 12 and under with limited fan attendance. Advance tickets are on sale until 10:00am Thursday, August 20 at https://happsnow.com/event/Thunder-Road-Speedbowl. Any remaining tickets will be offered for walk-up purchase at the gate.

Sunday, August 23 at Thunder Road is the 36th Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200 and Street Stock Special with a 6:00pm post time. Grandstand admission for the event is sold out. However, a $15 pay-per-view is available on the Northeast Sports Network at www.NSNsports.net/sponsors/racing. Thursday’s event will also be broadcast on NSN.