It’s known by fans as one of the most successful short tracks in the country, and by drivers from around the Northeast as one of the toughest bullrings to conquer.
This week, several Maine-based teams in the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Super Late Model tour are gearing up to tackle its famed, steeply banked turns.
Thunder Road International Speedbowl is a 1/4-mile oval nestled atop Quarry Hill in Barre, Vermont. Home to the American-Canadian Tour (ACT), “T-Road,” as its known in racing circles, will host its first PASS event on Sunday as part of the 53rd annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic.
Excitement has been building for this race throughout western and central Maine since it was announced, and local drivers are ready to head for central Vermont.
Turner veteran Mike Rowe has the most experience at Thunder Road of any driver in PASS North. The 1994 ACT champion won a 175-lap race on the tricky oval during his title season and finished sixth in the 1995 Vermont Milk Bowl.
Rowe moved to a different team (Petit Motorsports) for the 2015 PASS North campaign, a move which produced instant success. The 64-year-old Maine Motorsports Hall of Famer won the opener at Oxford on April 19; finished fourth at Andy Cusack’s immaculate Beech Ridge Motor Speedway on May 2; and won the tour’s third event of the season at Star Speedway in Epping, N.H., on May 9.
While many current PASS drivers have never even visited Thunder Road, Rowe is hoping his experience on the unforgiving oval will provide an advantage.
“I’ve had some strongs runs there in years past, and really like that track,” Rowe said. “I’m happy we’re taking our cars over there; the place is tight but if we use our heads, stay off of one another and pay attention, it will be a great race. I’m excited about heading for Thunder Road. Our team is really working well right now, and we’d love to add another win at the Memorial Day Classic.”
Cassius Clark, of Farmington, finished sixth in this year’s season opener at Oxford, ran strong at Beech Ridge and came home ninth, and powered his way to a seventh-place result on May 9 at Star. He’s looking for redemption in 2015 after a hard wreck at Speedway 95 ended his 2014 season prematurely.
“I think this is going to be a very exciting race for our series,” Clark said. “It has created a lot of buzz among teams since it’s a new venue with such a rich history. I raced at Thunder Road once in a Legends car years ago and really liked the track. Our Super Late Models will be quick up there, and the place will be packed. I can’t wait to get out for practice and sure would love to win that inaugural race.”
Super Late Models (formerly known as Pro Stocks) haven’t competed on the Barre high banks since 1995, the last year ACT ran that style of car. When Ontario native Dave Whitlock won the Milk Bowl that fall, it marked the end of an era that began in 1987 when ACT transitioned from the old steel-bodied machines of NASCAR North (1979-1985) to a more modern fiberglass-bodied, Pro Stock style machine.
In 1996, ACT president Tom Curley switched over to the current version of Late Models, and the formula has worked nicely. The ACT race at Oxford on April 19, their first appearance there since 2012, drew rave reviews among Maine fans.
Yet now, as the two sanctioning bodies join forces to give New England short track racing a much-needed shot in the arm, Curley has booked PASS North into “The Road” to spice up an already exciting weekend. Curley co-owns Thunder Road with Vermont native Ken Squier (who opened the place in 1960), the noted Hall of Fame broadcaster and longtime voice of the Daytona 500 on CBS.
After struggling with on-track performance in 2013 and 2014, Turner native Ben Rowe has finally turned the corner in 2015 and has his program headed in the right direction.
The driver of the familiar Richard Moody-owned No. 4 entry won a PASS South race at Anderson Speedway in South Carolina on March 21, and finished third at Star after a spirited battle with his father at the front of the field. Rowe made a triumphant return to Victory Lane in last Sunday’s Frameco 150 at Autodrome Chaudiere in Vallee-Jonction, Quebec.
He’s had difficulty over the years to get “hooked up” at Thunder Road, yet he’s ready for a return on May 24. The two-time Oxford 250 winner competed at Thunder Road during his time on the ACT Tour and finished fourth in the 2008 Labor Day Classic.
“When I saw Thunder Road on our schedule, I almost tipped out of my chair,” the younger Rowe said. “I’ve had some decent runs there, but I’ve always struggled to figure it out. They don’t call the turn 4 wall “The Widowmaker” for nothing; it can be very intimidating.
“I think guys like Johnny Clark and DJ Shaw will adapt quickly and be competitive. Our laps times there will be super-fast. I just hope to get our car hooked up in practice and win that first PASS North race. It would be an honor.”
pwhipple@sunjournal.com
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