(Press release from Thunder Road International Speedbowl)
Thunder returns to the Nation’s Site of Excitement this Sunday, September 4th, with the 44th running of the New England Federal Credit Union Labor Day Classic. Along with the $5,000-to-win, 200-lap ACT Late Model showdown, the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, rk Miles Street Stocks and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors all return to join the winners circle in one of Thunder Road’s cornerstone, crown jewel events.
Although the event is not points-counting for the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models and does not factor into the King of the Road championship bid, several weekly runners have thrown their helmets into the ring for the chance to join a long list of Northeast stock car racing greats. Like the three other cornerstone Thunder Road events, the Labor Day Classic has seen its fair share of different divisions jump for the epic end-of-summer brass ring.
In the beginning it was the open wheeled Coupes of Pappy Forsythe and first generation of Flying Tigers like Larry Demar that competed for the Labor Day holiday win in the 1960s. Then came along icons like the Dragons’, Cabana, Crouch and Dion in the Late Model Sportsman days of the ‘70s before the NASCAR Busch Series stars like Dale Shaw and Mike Olsen powered their way to the top in the early 2000s. Ever since 2004, the NEFCU Labor Day Classic has been under the ACT Late Model banner with international heroes joining the earlier generation’s names in stone behind the main tower.
So far, top weekly runners Scott Dragon, Kyle Pembroke and track championship point leader Christopher Pelkey all intend on hunting down the $5,000 American-Canadian Tour prize before WDEV/Calkins Portable Toilets Championship Night ends their title contention on Friday, September 9th. Other confirmed local drivers include strong weekly runners Cooper Bouchard and Chip Grenier while multi-time Thunder Road winner and first-time ACT winner at Maine’s Oxford Plains Speedway Marcel Gravel will also join the fray.
The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers will strut their stuff for the large international crowd expected on Labor Day weekend and for all those tuning in around the world on FloRacing. Sam Caron continues to lead the standings while the Myers Container Triple Crown Series rivalry between himself and Derrick Calkins seems to be brewing up again with just two point-counting events left in the season. After Justin Prescott has slipped back in the last few events, Calkins has come back into the picture, albeit still 32-points behind Caron but still with a mathematical chance of pulling off the long-game victory.
After averaging over 30 cars during the 2022 season, the rk Miles Street Stocks are likewise coming down to just two point-counting events before the non-point Vermont Milk Bowl in October. Following a final lap smash-up that sent top point chasers scrambling last Thursday, Waterford’s Dean Switser Jr. continues to hold the championship in his hands, 49-points ahead of Berlin’s Kyler Davis.
After four-straight first-time winners in the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors, it has truly become anyone’s game in the unpredictable four-cylinder division. Both Sayers brothers, Ryan Foster and Chris Couture would love to add another first-place trophy to their hard-earned first-time wins this season, but don’t overlook the veterans. Frank Putney, ‘Flyin’ Fred Fleury and Nate ‘Tater’ Brien have reputations to uphold and are prepared to bounce back, whether off the wall or on top of the leaderboard under the checkers!
The Stars and Cars of the American-Canadian Tour return home to Barre, Vermont’s Thunder Road International Speedbowl on Sunday, September 4th for the 44th running of the New England Federal Credit Union Labor Day Classic. Along with the $5,000-to-Win, 200 lap ACT Tour Classic, the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, rk Miles Street Stocks and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors complete a full card of championship stock car racing on one of the most iconic dates on the annual calendar. Full schedule and price is available online at www.thunderroadvt.com/schedule.
All racing events at Thunder Road Speedbowl, including the 44th New England Federal Credit Union Labor Day Classic and the $100,000+ 60th Vermont Milk Bowl, will be broadcast live and around the world on FloRacing with a monthly or yearly subscription. For more information about FloRacing, visit www.FloRacing.com or www.FloSports.tv.
For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, [email protected], or visit www.thunderroadvt.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @ThunderRoadVT.
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