60th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 125 Starts King of the Road Championship Hunt

Barre, VT — Since 1961, following Thunder Road’s popular inaugural season, the Memorial Day Classic has been a staple event on the calendar of many Vermont and New England racing fans. Such bonafide Northeast legends as Jean-Paul Cabana, Joey Kourafas, Ralph Nason, Robbie Crouch and Dave Dion have stood in Memorial Day Classic victory lane. For the 27th-consecutive event, the folks at Mekkelsen RV Sales & Service once again present the season opening showdown for the Maplewood/Irving Late Models to kick-start the annual King of the Road track championship season and the first of three Monument Races, with the winner’s name etched forever in Barre, Vermont granite. 

Over the last decade, the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic has given many of Thunder Road’s current top stars their first opportunity to reach immortality. Former King of the Road track champions Nick Sweet, Derrick O’Donnell, Jason Corliss and Bobby Therrien scored big on Memorial Day weekend to help launch their championship seasons while perennial fan-favorites Tyler Cahoon, Cody Blake and Stephen Donahue have taken career-defining wins.  

Alan Ward photo

While Sunday jump-starts the King of the Road Late Model campaign, both the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and rk Miles Street Stocks are already in the thick of their championship runs. After spending most of his 2022 season at White Mountain Motorsports Park last season, Waterbury Center’s Kyle Streeter has come home to Thunder Road and started his 2023 campaign in earnest. The younger Streeter made a big statement on opening day by winning both his heat race and the 40-lap feature to lead the early standings.  

Similarly, Northfield’s James Dopp dominated in the rk Miles Street Stocks by winning his heat and driving up through the top-10 to take the season-opening win for the popular 4-cylinder class. Speaking of 4-cylinders, the Burnett Scrap Metal Road Warriors are also back in action with everyone chasing Flyin’ Fred Fleury. 

Also in town will be the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series for the Tour-type Modifieds. Such high ranking open-wheeled masters including ‘Big Money’ Matt Hirschman, Doug Coby, Ronnie Silk, Mike Christopher Jr., Woody Pitkat and inaugural Granite City 100 winner Chase Dowling will be hunting for the $10,000 grand prize as the popular Northeast Series begins their 10th anniversary season of competition! 

Thunder Road roars back to life with the 60th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic on Sunday, May 28th. The 125-lap Memorial Day Classic for the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models kicks off their 2023 King of the Road track championship season with the winner earning their right to have their name etched in stone alongside legends. The ground-pounding Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series also returns for the 2nd annual Granite City 100 for the Tour-type Modifieds plus the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, rk Miles Street Stocks and Burnett Scrap Metal Road Warriors also join the line-up for the fan-favorite event on Memorial Day weekend. 

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.