(From track press release)
BARRE — ( presented by Mekkelsen RV Sales & Rental. As part of the action-packed program, the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models will take to the Barre high banks for a 150-lap event.
The event is the third time the PASS North Series has visited the quarter-mile oval, with the first two dominated by the state of Maine. Berwick, Me.’s Joey Doiron captured the inaugural event in 2015, while former Oxford 250 winner Glen Luce of Turner, Me. took down the 2016 edition. This edition will be the first at Thunder Road since the track’s recent repaving was completed, offering a new challenge for all competitors.
“I think the biggest thing is going to be figuring out where the new groove is going to be,” defending Oxford 250 winner Wayne Helliwell Jr. said. “That’s going to be really interesting since the track has had so many different lanes in it over the years – sometimes the top was better, and sometimes the bottom was better, and sometimes the middle. It’s going to be interesting to move around the speedway and see what the fast way around is. Hopefully the new car we’ve built and all the research we’ve put into it will go well and we can put it in Victory Lane.”
Dover, N.H.’s Helliwell is one of many names familiar to Thunder Road fans that will be in attendance, as the multi-time ACT Tour Champion will make his season debut. Fellow ACT Champion and former Vermont Milk Bowl winner Joey Polewarczyk Jr. will look for his first PASS victory at Thunder Road, as will two-time “King of the Road” Nick Sweet of Barre. Former Labor Day Classic winner Travis Stearns of Auburn, Me. has also stated he will be at the event.
They will join the stars of the PASS North Series in tackling the famed speedway. Former PASS North Champions Ben Rowe, D.J. Shaw, Johnny Clark, and Travis Benjamin are just some of the drivers who will be in action. Young talent such as Derek Griffith, Dave Farrington Jr., and Jeremy Davis will also look to break through.
The annual Memorial Day Classic is also on the card and sees the Thunder Road Late Models open their championship chase with a 100-lap event. Defending winner Tyler Cahoon of Danville will be going for his second straight Classic crown, with defending “King of the Road” Scott Dragon, 2014 Memorial Day Classic winner Jason Corliss, and former Vermont Governor’s Cup winner Cody Blake among those set to challenge. The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will also kick off their 2017 seasons with numerous contenders expected in each division.
The 55th Memorial Day Classic presented by Mekkelsen RV Sales & Rental hits the high banks Sunday, May 28. The first green flag flies at 1:00pm, with Class Day ceremonies for the weekly Thunder Road divisions at 12:20pm. Admission is $25 for adults and free for children age 12 and under. An open practice day for all divisions will be held Saturday, May 27.
(Alan Ward photo)
