BARRE, Vt. — For 24 years the American-Canadian Tour has come home to Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl to open the season for the only asphalt track in the State of Vermont, this Sunday, May 7, will be the silver anniversary of that opening.
The Community Bank N.A. 150 not only marks the beginning of the Thunder Road season but also kick-starts a busy three-week stretch for the ACT Tour faithful. Perhaps building off that impending pressure, the Community Bank 150 has annually been one of the best events of the year and its 25th edition will be no different.
Set as the 132nd American-Canadian Tour event at the home track of the 45-year-old series, the Community Bank N.A. 150 will once again pit the touring stars against the local Thunder Road heroes.
Derek Gluchacki leads the point standings after taking his second consecutive Northeast Classic win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on April 15th while also leading the tied second-in-points duo of longtime ACT campaigner Tom Carey III and defending ACT champion D.J. Shaw.
While Carey has professed that Thunder Road is not his favorite track, Shaw took down the NEFCU Labor Day Classic last September to join father Dale Shaw on the wins list of the 44-year-old event.
Former ACT champion and multi-time Thunder Road winner Joey Polewarczyk also returns to the highbanks as does fellow former champion Jimmy Hebert. Quebec’s Alexendre Tardif is looking to better his Thunder Road program in 2023 as is Quinny Welch, Jimmy Renfrew Jr., Erick Sands and Gabe Brown.
Once again, the Thunder Road local crowd is ready to take on the touring stars, this time headed by defending King of the Road Chris Pelkey. After securing his first track championship last season, Pelkey still has something to prove against the ACT crowd. The Barre, Vermont-native had taken on the full ACT schedule before focusing on Thunder Road but is no stranger to ACT success. Pelkey took a career-best 3rd-place-finish in last year’s Community Bank 150 and after taking down the ACT-sanctioned Vermont Milk Bowl in October, Pelkey is looking to get his first point-counting ACT win.
Along with Pelkey is 2022 championship runner up and perennial contender Kyle Pembroke looking to better his career best ACT finish of fourth. Brooks Clark is ready to return, looking for his second Community Bank 150 win with former track champions Jason Corliss and Bobby Therrien, former Rookie of the Year Brandon Lanphear, Memorial Day Classic winner Tyler Cahoon and multi-time winner Cody Blake.
After announcing 8-time champion Brian Hoar is ready to return to the American-Canadian Tour for several appearances in 2023, he isn’t the only highly decorated driver returning to North America’s most competitive short track series. Seven-time ACT Tour champion and 2009 Thunder Road King of the Road Jean-Paul Cyr is also returning, partnered with six-time ACT champion Robbie Crouch, starting with the Community Bank 150.