Chris Pelkey Takes ACT Community Bank 150 Checkers at Thunder Road

A strong showcase of true Thunder Road tradition awaited spectators and teams alike on Saturday, as over 100 cars joined the annual car show and joined the celebration of the late, great Ken Squier. What followed was also nothing short of tradition, with the competition brimming with talent and the fantastic showmanship that helped Squier name his palace on Quarry Hill the Nation’s Site of Excitement.

The rk Miles Street Stocks started the feature action with 2023 Rookie of the Year Ryan Foster leading the field to green on Community Bank opening day. Before too long, Milton’s Trevor Jaques made his way to the front of the pack with Graniteville’s Tyler Whittemore looking underneath for some racing room. As if toying with his closest competitor, Jaques surged ahead with three laps remaining and diced through lap traffic with just enough to take the opening day win.

Longtime pilot Chris LaForest led the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers under the green flag in their 40-lap feature event. The Barre-native looked to have a career day but trouble brewed behind him. Dicing his way from through the top ten, 2023 championship hopeful Brandon Gray made his way to the front and used the crossover move in turn two to steal the lead away from LaForest on lap 21. By lap 30 Gray, LaForest and Sam Caron began to criss-cross through lapped traffic with Gray getting all the breaks and pulling away at the front. Brandon Gray would pour on for the opening day victory followed by Chris LaForest and Sam Caron to round off the podium.

A series of former Thunder Road track champions kept the invaders busy in the American-Canadian Tour Community Bank, N.A. 150. Former Flying Tiger champion Jimmy Hebert paced the field throughout the majority of the event while multi-time champions Jason Corliss, Derrick O’Donnell and Scott Dragon kept on his back bumper. The thrilling side-by-side action came to a head on lap 144 when Hebert, O’Donnell and Marcel Gravel careened into the Turn Four wall for a red flag with fire under the hood of O’Donnell. Quickly extinguished by Speedway Safety Services, and following clean-up, the race was back to red hot and rolling!

With the final restart, Chris Pelkey, who had been in the top-five mix-up throughout the race, made his play against ACT Tour star Gabe Brown and kept his foot mashed in the firewall. Pelkey, the 2022 King of the Road, kept the pressure on and won his first career American-Canadian Tour point-counting event at his hometrack with the 26th annual Community Bank 150. Fellow Thunder Road hot-shoe Chip Grenier took home second with Brown taking third.

Kendall Zeno and Benjamin Bushey brought out the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors to wrap up the day’s activities. The wacky racers put on a show at the front with veterans Neal Foster, Bert Duffy and Tyler Wheatley quickly joining the early leaders at the front. All was well until coming out of turn four on lap 18, Bushey kept turning right and landing both himself and Foster into the widowmaker for a roll-over to make opening day complete. Kendall Zeno kept pace on the restart to take his first victory with Tyler Wheatley and Bert Duffy rounding out the podium.

Thunder Road roars back to life on Sunday, May 26 to the ground-pounding rumble of the mighty Monaco Modifieds in the Granite City 100 as part of the 61st Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic! The Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 125 will start the King of the Road track championship season for the Maplefields/Irving Late Models along with action from the Flying Tigers, Street Stocks and Road Warriors!

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.

-Thunder Road International Speedbowl Release
-Photo credit: Alan Ward

The 26th annual Community Bank, N.A. 150
Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl – Barre, VT
Sunday, May 5, 2024
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

American-Canadian Tour – Community Bank 150 (150 Laps)

1. 68NH Christopher Pelkey S. Barre, VT
2. 9VT Chip Grenier E. Barre, VT
3. 47NH Gabe Brown Center Conway, NH
4. 4NH Jamie Swallow Jr. Lancaster, VT
5. 18VT #Kaiden Fisher Shelburne, VT
6. 03MA Derek Gluchacki Dartmouth, MA
7. 55VT Keegan Lamson Berlin, VT
8. 66VT Jason Corliss Barre, VT
9. 04VT DJ Shaw Center Conway, NH
10. 04NH Shawn Swallow Groveton, NH
11. 45NH #Kasey Beattie St. Johnsbury, VT
12. 68VT Brooks Clark Fayston, VT
13. 77NH Bryan Wall Jr. E. Kingston, NH
14. 41QC Jonathan Bouvrette Blainville, QC
15. 7VT Cooper Bouchard Hinesburg, VT
16. 36NH Erick Sands Derry, NH
17. 25NH Jesse Switser W. Burke, VT
18. 0NH Brandon Barker Windham, ME
19. 21QC Alexendre Tardif Quebec, Canada
20. 58VT Jimmy Hebert Williamstown, VT
21. 86VT Marcel J. Gravel Wolcott, VT
22. 60NH Derrick O'Donnell N. Haverhill, NH
23. 16VT Brandon Lanphear Morrisville, VT
24. 01VT Stephen Martin Craftsbury Common, VT
25. 28ME Rowland Robinson, Jr. Stueben, ME
26. 5VT Bobby Therrien Hinesburg, VT
27. 7MA #Jeremy Sorel Westfield, MA
28. 0VT Scott Dragon Milton, VT
29. 99VT Cody Blake Barre, VT

Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers – (40 Laps)

1. 00VT Brandon Gray E. Thetford, VT
2. 56VT Chris Laforest Barre, VT
3. 07VT Sam Caron Milton, VT
4. 37VT Kyle Streeter Waterbury Ctr., VT
5. 20VT Robert Gordon Milton, VT
6. 15NH Brendan Moodie Wolcott, VT
7. 67VT Kevin Streeter Waitsfield, VT
8. 31VT Logan Powers Middlesex, VT
9. 01VT Michael Martin Craftsbury, Common, VT
10. 31NH Shawn Fleury Middlesex, VT
11. 26VT Luke Peters Groton, VT
12. 64VT Jason Pelkey Barre, VT
13. 23NY Cam Gadue Highgate, VT
14. 45VT Adam Maynard Milton, VT
15. 3VT Michael MacAskill Williamstown, VT
16. 90VT Cameron Ouellette Barre, VT
17. 4VT Cooper French Northfield, VT
18. 33VT Matt Ballard Williamstown, VT
19. 8VT Mike Billado Grand Isle, VT
20. 78VT Tyler Pepin Barre, VT
21. 9VT #Logan Farrell Barre, VT
22. 5RI #Kyle Gravel Wolcott, VT
23. 13VT Ty Delphia Waterbury, VT
24. 22VT Travis Patnoe Wolcott, VT
25. 26NH John Donahue Graniteville, VT

rk Miles Street Stocks – (25 Laps)

1. 57 Trevor Jaques Milton, VT
2. 74 Tyler Whittemore Barre, VT
3. 16 Dean Switser, Jr. Waterford, VT
4. 98 *Jeffrey Martin Berlin, VT
5. 43 Jamie Davis Johnson, VT
6. 08 Ryan Foster Waterbury, VT
7. 24 Todd Raymo Swanton, VT
8. 7 Kyle MacAskill Williamstown, VT
9. 9 Zach Audet Johnson, VT
10. 73 Paige Whittemore Graniteville, VT
11. 55 Parker Gagne Fairfax, VT
12. 2 Haidyn Pearce Chelsea, VT
13. 3 Michael Gay S. Burlington, VT
14. 8 Paul Rocheleau Georgia, VT
15. 34 Patrick Tibbetts Plainfield, VT
16. 96 Thomas Peck Waterbury, VT
17. 32 #Kylee Potter Marshfield, VT
18. 50 Eric MacLaughlin Milton, VT
19. 39 Derek Farnham Bethel, VT
20. 13 Travis Gay S. Burlington, VT
21. 79 Juan 'Paco' Marshall Pittsfield, VT
DNS 04 Scott Weston Berlin, VT
DNS 99 #Fred Fleury Graniteville, VT

*Sub Driver for Casey Collins

Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors – (20 Laps)

1. 7 Kendall Zeno Graniteville, VT
2. 31 Tyler Wheatley Brookfield, VT
3. 75 Bert Duffy Milton, VT
4. 17 Brodie Frazier E. Montpelier, VT
5. 71 Jason Kirby Milton, VT
6. 43 Anderson Boyd Berlin, VT
7. 27 Derrick Mann Graniteville, VT
8. 8 Jaiden Del Toro Barre Town, VT
9. 05 Brandon Premont Johnson, VT
10. 33 Brayden Murphy Barre, VT
11. 70 Mason Frazier E. Montpelier, VT
12. 07 Benjamin Bushey Springfield, VT
13. 19 Neal Foster Moretown, VT
14. 24 Jon Pecor Barre, VT
15. 77 Zachary Garvey Milton, VT
16. 72 Christopher Herring Montpelier, VT