Sunday,
at Barre, Vermont’s Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl,
Milton, Vermont’s Jean-Paul Cyr made it an every other
year habit of winning the American-Canadian Tour’s
(ACT) season-opening Merchants Bank 150. Cyr had
previous carried the checkers in the event in 2002 and
2004 and is the lone driver in the event’s eight year
history to repeat a win. Scott Payea, the 2005 ACT
Rookie of the Year, served notice he was not going to be
the victim of the sophomore jinx by finishing second.
Pete Fecteau, the 2001 ACT Tour Champion from
Morrisville, VT was third. Completing the top five were
Dave Whitcomb from Essex Junction, VT and Shelburne, VT’s
Dennis Demers.
Cyr started on the outside of the
front row along side long-time racing nemesis and
childhood friend Brent Dragon in Thunder Road’s 47th
season opener. The veteran racers swapped the lead back
and forth nine times in the first 62 circuits around the
high banked, quarter-mile oval which kept the packed
house on their feet. Cyr was able to pull ahead for good
when the left rear tire on Dragon’s Dodge Charger lost
air pressure which affected the handling of his car.
Young Payea took advantage of Dragon’s misfortune and
was able to pass him a few laps later. The 24 year-old
racer set off in search of leader Cyr.
Several cautions, all for minor
incidents kept the field close but Payea wasn’t able
to seriously challenge Cyr. Then fact that Cyr was at
and had qualified for the Merchants Bank 150 was a
testament to his multi-time Championship winning team.
During Saturday’s first ACT Late Model practice
session Cyr was involved in an on-track incident which
caused significant damage to his Chevrolet Monte Carlo.
The crew packed up the pieces and returned to their
Milton shop for repairs. Ironically, runner-up Payea was
involved in the same practice crash. Unfortunately for
the sophomore competitor and team, they were forced to
burn the midnight oil to affect repairs.
"Today’s race was a lot of
fun," remarked Cyr in Victory Lane. The 40 year-old
winner was complimentary of the youngster who chased him
over the half of the race, "Scott (Payea) for a
sophomore proved today that he is the real thing – he
really made me work for my victory."
Cyr’s win gives him a jump-start
in his quest for Robbie Crouch’s record of six ACT
Championships. Cyr, winner of the past three consecutive
ACT Tour titles (as well those in 1994 and 1996), tied
Brian Hoar’s record with the 2005 crown.
Defending Merchants Bank 150
winner, Dave Pembroke was sixth, 17 year-old New
Hampshire resident, Joey Polewarczyk from Hudson was
seventh, Cris Michaud, a three-time and defending
Thunder Road Late Model Champion was eighth, Eric
Williams and Dragon rounded out the top10.
Forty-five cars representing all
six New England States, New York and Quebec attempted to
qualify for the Merchants Bank 150. Among the notables
not making the 26 car starting field were a pair of
Quebec drivers, Patrick Laperle, winner of the ACT’s
Milk Bowl at Thunder Road last October and Montreal’s
Claude Lerclerc who had returned to the "Nation’s
Site of Excitement" for the first time in over 10
years. Also, failing to qualify were Maine’s Ben Rowe,
a multi-time Pro Stock Series Champion; former Thunder
Road and ACT Tour Champion Phil Scott, last year’s
runner-up at Thunder Road, Chad Wheeler from Waterbury
Ctr, VT and former five-time ACT Champion, Brian Hoar.
The ACT Late Model Tour’s second
event on the 12-race schedule is slated for Saturday,
May 13 at the 5/8ths mile Circuit Ste-Croix near Quebec
City. For many Tour of the current crop of drivers, it
will be their first trip to the legendary Quebec
speedplant since the Tour hasn’t raced there since
2003 when Brent Dragon was the winner.
In accompanying action, Doug
Murphy won the NAPA Sportsman 35-lap feature, Steve
Quenneville was victorious in the Allen Lumber Street
Stocks and Jeff Martin claimed the PowerShift Warrior
win.
Thunder Road’s weekly race
season continues on Sunday, May 14 with the Casella
Mother’s Day 100 for the Tiger Sportsman Series. Also
in action will be the Late Models, Street Stocks and
Warriors.
