The 56th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic at Barre’s Thunder Road is just days away from coming to the starting line. The first green flag for the annual holiday event will fly at 1:30pm on Sunday, May 27, kicking off a busy afternoon at the “Nation’s Site of Excitement”.

 Up to 120 cars are expected on one of the most popular days for racing in North America. The Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models join Thunder Road’s local Maplewood/Irving Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors. With more than 500 laps of action planned, fans will be getting their money’s worth on Sunday.

While the Thunder Road season has already officially opened, things will get serious for the Maplewood/Irving Late Model division this Sunday, May 27. The 56th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic opens the 2018 “King of the Road” chase with a special 100-lap event for the track’s local stars.

Entering the Late Model season, the only certainty is that there will not be a back-to-back champion. Reigning “King of the Road” Bobby Therrien stated recently that he is running a limited Thunder Road schedule in 2018 and will not defend the title.

The Thunder returns to Barre on Sunday, May 27 at 1:30pm as Thunder Road wraps up the month of May with the 56th Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic. With the Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models joining the hometown Thunder Road favorites as part of a 5-division card, a big holiday afternoon of racing is in store as the 59th season of competition kicks into high gear.

The PASS North Series has been bring their high-octane action to the Memorial Day weekend event since 2015. Last year’s track repaving kicked things up a notch as they ran some of the fastest laps ever recorded at Thunder Road. With another year to adjust to the new surface, a thriller of an event is expected.

Hometown driver Jason Corliss showed why he’s considered one of the top drivers at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road on Sunday, May 6 with a dominating win in the 20th Community Bank 150. It was the first American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model Tour win of his career, but his ninth Late Model win at the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” in his young career.

 Corliss started on the pole after earning a +5 in his qualifying heat under ACT’s plus-minus system. But while he eventually led 142 laps, he had to head off several challenges along the way. The first was a rain delay that halted the event during a lap-two caution. Once the race resumed, he then had to contend with Williamstown, VT’s Jimmy Hebert, who was looking for a home track win of his own.

Cars from throughout the Northeastern United States and the province of Quebec converged at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road Speedbowl on Saturday, May 5 for a Test & Tune Day in preparation for the 20th Community Bank 150. More than 110 cars were in the pits across all four divisions. With more expected tomorrow, the event is shaping up to be one of the biggest Thunder Road Opening Days in recent memory.

The field included 40 American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models, with many invaders joining the tracks’ local Maplewood/Irving Late Models. But at day’s end, it was hometown driver Jason Corliss who stood atop the speed charts. The defending Vermont Milk Bowl Champion led three out of the four practice sessions and set the fast time of the day with a lap of 12.477 seconds in the third session.

After multiple delays due to the effects of a long, snowy Northeast winter, both Thunder Road Speedbowl and the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) are ready to finally drop the green flag on the 2018 season. The 20th Community Bank N.A. 150 will go to post this Sunday, May 6 to kick off the 59th season at Thunder Road and the 33rd year for ACT racing.

 Both the track and series spent much of April waiting out lingering snow, water, and mud throughout the region. But better conditions have finally arrived over the past week with a promising weekend forecast in store. All the while, the excitement has continued to build for one of the biggest events of the year.

Less than one week remains before Thunder Road Speedbowl and the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) go to the grid for their 2018 seasons. The 20th Community Bank N.A. 150 on Sunday, May 6 will pit the weekly stars of the Maplewood/Irving Late Models against the ACT Late Model Tour standouts as both look to start the year on the right foot.

 While the Community Bank N.A. 150 does not count towards the Thunder Road championship chase, many Thursday night regulars have already entered the event. All will look to finally get on track after a long winter and make a statement against the ACT competitors.