Monumental Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic Ready for Thunder Road Faithful

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Barre, VT — After two weeks of recuperation, the steadfast race teams of Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl are ready to re-enter the ring for the 61s Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic on Sunday, May 26. The Memorial Day Classic 125 for the Maplefields/Irving Late Models starts off the 2024 King of the Road track championship campaign as well as the new Late Model Triple Crown! Along with the Late Models, the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series adds a headline double-bill for New England’s race fans along with guaranteed action courtesy of the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, rk Miles Street Stocks and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors!

Alan Ward photo

Alan Ward photo

The Memorial Day Classic has been a staple of Thunder Road since 1961 with Keene, New Hampshire’s Roy ‘Pappy’ Forsythe earning the inaugural win, the first of his record 10 victories during the 1961 season! Since then, such stars as Jean-Paul Cabana, Dave Dion, Robbie Crouch, Joey Laquerre, Jason Corliss and Nick Sweet have stood victorious in the holiday classic. Along with earning one’s name etched in Barre Grey Granite as a Thunder Road Monument Race, this year’s winner will no-doubt start the new Late Model triple crown on top before moving on to June’s Vermont Lottery Governor’s Cup 150 and July’s Jack Daniel’s Cocktails 100!

Alan Ward photo

Following his mid-race charge to the front on opening weekend, E. Thetford’s Brandon Gray leads the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger standings by a mere two points over Barre’s Chris Laforest. Gray continued his path to 2024 greatness after dominating the debut of the ACT Tri-State Flying Tiger series last Sunday at White Mountain Motorsports Park. Many of Sunday’s 29-car field are expected to return to Thunder Road for the Memorial Day holiday spectacular, all with the same goal of overcoming the 00VT on the path to victory lane.

The rk Miles Street Stocks have quite the shake-up on their hands after defending champion James Dopp stepped away from full-time competition following his championship run last summer. After taking the opening day win, Milton’s Trevor Jaques is in charge of the standings, far from a fluke after his strong and improved track record last season. Veterans Tyler Whittemore and Dean Switser Jr. will certainly continue to be hot on his heels but keep an eye on sophomore driver Ryan Foster who’s off to a strong start already!

Alan Ward photo

Alan Ward photo

The rolling calamity that is the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors is sure to continue on Memorial Day weekend. Surprise first-time winner Kendall Zeno kept his nose clean to take the first win of the new year while veterans Neal Foster and Ben Bushey got a rolling start to their season, literally, after Foster ended up on his roof with less than five laps remaining on opening day! More and more of these homegrown Road Warriors are expected to pop up throughout the season and Memorial Day will be no exception to the rule!

Up next for the Nation’s Site of Excitement comes the 61st Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic on Sunday, May 26! The 125-lap Memorial Day Classic for the Maplefields/Irving Late Models also stands as Round #1 in their new Triple Crown Series alongside the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series Granite City 100! The Flying Tigers, Street Stocks and Road Warriors will also be in action during the popular Memorial Day weekend showcase. Post Time Sunday is set for 1:30pm following Class Day activities rolling out at 12:55pm. Grandstand gates open at 10:00am with adult general admission set at $30, kids 12-6 for $10 and children 5 and under are free!

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.