Tight Point Standings Lead into Preston’s Kia Independence Night Spectacular

Barre, VT — Following a hard-nosed and exciting Thursday night, the top-dogs at Thunder Road are ready to roll once again on Preston’s Kia Independence Night this Sunday, July 2nd. The holiday crowd is sure to see some of the best racing of the summer as the point standings for all three championship divisions are tight as can be with multiple top-10 ties just one week before Midseason Championships with the Road Warriors ready for more wild and wacky moves on their way to the front!

Alan Ward photo

While Tyler Cahoon remains at the helm for the second consecutive week in the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models, the remaining top-10 are an interesting collection. Cody Blake and defending champion Christopher Pelkey trail Cahoon while Nick Sweet and Stephen Donahue complete the top-5. Both Sweet and Donahue have been quietly consistent in recent weeks, making smart choices to put themselves in championship contention week in and week out. Of these top teams, Donahue and Blake must stay in the top-5 or stand triumphant in victory lane over the next two weeks to punch their ticket to the All-Star Race on SRX Night on July 20th. Not to be overshadowed, keep an eye on Brandon Lanphear, Kyle Pembroke and Chris Roberts in their tie for 6th and Kaiden Fisher’s and Scott Dragon’s tie in 9th!

Equally tied up in the point chase game is the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers. Myers Container winner Jason Pelkey is tied at the top with defending champion Sam Caron. It’s certainly too early in the season to start making the call, but Pelkey would take the tie-breaker championship with his two wins to Caron’s zero. Just as hotly contested is the battle for third with veteran Rich Lowrey up against the youthful Logan Powers and Kyle Streeter moving into Preston’s Kia Independence Night Spectacular! Don’t stop there; Brandon Gray, Cameron Ouellette and Kevin Streeter are all tied up in 6th place too! We’ll have to wait and see who lets the pressure get to their heads this Sunday!

Alan Ward photo

Consistency has been key for the kid from East Montpelier in the rk Miles Street Stocks. After winning his first race at the Nation’s Site of Excitement just two weeks ago, Cameron Powers has charged to the top of the heap in the most competitive four-cylinder class in the Northeast. While he insists he’s just having fun, a championship at Thunder Road is pretty hard to pass up so look for the #30 Casella machine to turn up the wick in weeks to come. We’re not ready to make any predictions quite yet but Jeffrey Martin and Tyler Whittemore have been quietly consistent since the beginning of the season and may just finally break into the top spot on Preston’s Kia Sunday!

The Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors are coming off their wildest feature of the season. Although they went green to checkers, caution free, they also did it with fogged-over windshields, many wishing they kept the defrosters in their rough and rowdy mounts! They’ll all be back on Sunday, several looking to capitalize on Preston’s holiday special for their first win at the Nation’s Site of Excitement.

The Thunder Road-faithful return to Quarry Hill on Sunday, July 2nd for the Preston’s Kia Independence Night Spectacular with Central Vermont’s largest fireworks display! All four divisions are back in action including the Maplewood/Irving Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, rk Miles Street Stocks and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors just before Northstar Fireworks mega display of patriotic power! Post Time is set for 7:00pm with Adult Admission set for $15, kids 6-12 for $5 and children 5 and under free! A Family Four Pass, two adults and two children, is also available for $30.

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.