Looking Back: The Top-5 Events from Thunder Road in 2023

Barre, VT — With 2023 winding down to a close, we wanted to look back at some of our most memorable events at Thunder Road in 2023. Each event at the Nation’s Site of Excitement is memorable, making it all the more difficult to narrow down, but we decided to put our minds to it and give it try anyway!

Here are our favorite picks as we look back on the 2023 season. (Note: Events Listed in Chronological Order)

Thursday, July 20, 2023 – First Responders Night

After smooth sailing to start the 2023 season, Mother Nature brought the rains and the rains brought historically devastating flooding to Central Vermont. While massive clean-up efforts engulfed the region, Vermonters never wavered to help one another through, and Thunder Road stepped up to offer some relief to those digging in the hardest.

Alan Ward photo

First Responders and DOT employees received free admission on July 20th for a Thursday Night of spectacular side-by-side racing complete with a visit from Vermont’s-own Dave Moody to replace the SRX Event that had been cancelled due to the flooding. The nights headlined popular winners, including Cooper Bouchard, Jason Woodard, Mike ‘Biffer’ Gay and the career first win for Brookfield’s Tyler Wheatley. All of the night's winners emotionally thanked those that stepped up throughout the aftermath of the flooding, continued the message of Vermont Strong and laughed along with Biffer’s customary Vermont Maple Syrup chug with Victory Lane announcer Michael Stridsberg – it simply doesn’t get more Green Mountain State than that!

Thursday, August 20, 2023 – Cody Chevrolet-Cadillac Night

A humid August night brought the fan-favorite Cody Chevrolet-Cadillac 100, the championship finale for the Myers Container Service Flying Tiger Triple Crown Series. Former champion Joel Hodgdon led the standings going into the night, but a blown right front tire sent him slamming into the turn four wall, ending his hopes of becoming the first two-time Triple Crown champion.

Alan Ward photo

A tough night saw fellow top-chaser Jason Pelkey get mired deep in the pack, leaving all the limelight on Brandon Gray and Kyle Streeter up front. The two young-guns fought a spirited side-by-side battle on the Thunder Road highbanks for over well forty laps before Gray edged Streeter by a bumper cover for the win. Through it all, Logan Powers kept it clean for a third-place run, enough to claim the 2023 Myers Container Triple Crown championship!

Sunday, September 3, 2023 – 45th Labor Day Classic 200 presented by NEFCU/VSECU

The Thunder and Lightning of Thunder Road is often best represented by the American-Canadian Tour, and the 45th Labor Day Classic 200 presented by NEFCU/VSECU was a sure example of that! Thirty-two ACT Late Models entered the $5,000 to win showdown in a flurry of qualifying chaos and 200 laps of adrenaline, all in an attempt to join the granite monument of iconic winners at Thunder Road.

Alan Ward photo

Two of the most spectacular and heart-stopping wrecks of the season occurred on Labor Day Classic Sunday. Hollis, Maine’s Jason Gammon went for a wild roll-over on the frontstretch Widowmaker wall, ending on his roof in turn one for a hard introduction to The Road for the Vacationland driver. The day didn’t just consume the greenhorns either, longtime pilot Jaden Perry ending up rolling up and over the turn one wall, ending his day amongst the billboards.

Through it all, the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model regulars classed the touring teams, showing just how much experience counts at the Nation’s Site of Excitement. Former King of the Road Bobby Therrien led the final 57 laps to claim his second-career Labor Day Classic with Marcel Gravel and Maplewood/Irving Late Model Rookie of the Year Kaiden Fisher rounding out the podium.

Alan Ward photo

Friday, September 15, 2023 – Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Championship Night

Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Championship Night once again thrilled with three important battles determining the 2023 Kings of the Road. While Waterford’s Dean Switser Jr. did everything he could to catch up to Northfield’s James Dopp, including taking the rk Miles Street Stock win, Dopp still prevailed by a one-point lead with his own 7th-place finish to claim the crown.

Four Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers were within five points to start off Championship Night. After a hard wreck entering the frontstretch took out championship leader Brandon Gray and defending King Sam Caron, leaving Kyle Streeter and Jason Pelkey to roll the dice. With Pelkey mired in heavy traffic just outside the top-10 under the return to green, Streeter sailed to a second-place finish and sewed up the title.

Alan Ward photo

The top-seven Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model pilots were all in mathematical contention on championship night with a cast of characters that included former Kings, longtime chasers and a rookie of the year. Kaiden Fisher, like Switser, did everything he could to take the leaderboard and claim both the rookie honors and the King of the Road title by winning the night, but fate had other plans. Stephen Donahue took his 11th-place starting-position and worked his way through to a fourth-place finish, clearing the King of the Road track championship by just four points over Fisher in the final tally to complete a trifecta of first-time Thunder Road track champions in their respective divisions.

Sunday, October 1, 2023 – 61st Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank

One simply cannot compile a top-5 list for Thunder Road without the Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank. American-Canadian Tour hot-shoe Derek Gluchacki went from wrecking out of qualifying for the Labor Day Classic just weeks before to claiming the Booth Bros./Hood Fast Time Pole Award, flanked by non-other than Stephen Donahue on the front row.

Alan Ward photo

Donahue used his weekly experience to claim the first segment but quickly found former Milk Bowl champions Nick Sweet and Christopher Pelkey all over his rearview mirror. Pelkey would nab the upper hand over the two of them in the second segment that saw Brendan Moodie crash-out and Patrick Laperle dive head-long into the turn one tire barriers.

The lone caution at the halfway point of the third and final segment set off a final push for the three low-point leaders, all mired back behind 10th-place while Bobby Therrien recovered to lead every lap in the final 50-lap sprint. Donahue and Sweet battled side-by-side for the Milk Bowl honors all through the segment, as if it were a match race between the two. Ultimately, Donahue stole the show by just three points over Sweet to claim the 61st Vermont Milk Bowl!

All of us at Thunder Road International Speedbowl wish our fans, teams and supporters a wonderful holiday season and a Happy New Year!

For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, media@thunderroadvt.com, or visit www.thunderroadvt.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @ThunderRoadVT.