The 38th installment of the Vermont Governor’s Cup presented by VP Racing Fuels at Thunder Road International Speedway will be held tonight, Thursday, July 13th. NASCAR Champion Kyle Busch, current Vermont Governor Phil Scott are expected to lead one of the most talented fields of ACT Type Late Models to ever hit the ever so challenging high banks.
Las Vegas native Busch will make his inaugural visit to the Thunder Road. Busch will be looking to add to a long short track résumé that includes the Snowball Derby, Redbud 400, Winchester 400 and the always competitive Slinger Nationals. Surprisingly, Busch would become the first NASCAR driver to emerge victorious in an event that has seen stars such as Three-Time Cup Series Champion Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer, and fellow dirt racer Ken Schrader in the starting order over the years. While the track regulars will be ready to defend their turf against the outsiders.
“I’ve raced against Tony Stewart, David Ragan, Clint Bowyer, and a few others, and they always raced the same as we do,” 2013 Vermont Governor’s Cup Champion Cody Blake said. “It’s a bigger name to contend with, but we’ll be prepared. We beat Clint Bowyer – we can beat Kyle Busch!”
“Kyle always runs really well when he races Late Models, and he owns a few of them himself, so I’m sure he’ll be really good,” sophomore competitor Marcel Gravel added. “He’s a Cup guy, and he’s got a lot of experience short-track racing. I’ll do my best to race him clean, but I’m going to give him everything I’ve got. I just hope my Toyota ends up in front of his!”
One of his biggest competitors might be the newly elected Governor Phil Scott. Arguably, Thunder Road’s best Late Model driver added to his legacy last Thursday when he became the nation’s first sitting governor to win in a stock car race. In doing so he became the all-winningest Late Model driver of “The Road”. Aside from a chaotic schedule at times due to his responsibilities as the Governor, Scott continues to compete as often as he can as long as his schedule allows him at the historic track where he’s been racing and winning since 1991, and he hopes to win his first Governor’s Cup tonight.
“Thunder Road has been a part of the social fabric for all of Vermont and the higher portion of the Northeast, for more than 50 years” Scott said. “Racing at Thunder Road has been an very important part of my life. Growing up at Thunder Road, it’s pretty cool to get a win, but to get the record is astonishing. I’m glad I’m unfortunate enough to have gotten to race in a few select races in this year while serving proudly as our Governor. I’m really looking forward to competing and racing against NASCAR’s best Kyle Busch and the entire field in tonight’s Governor’s Cup.”
The best of Thunder Road’s weekly late model racers and ACT late model invaders will also look to challenge Busch and try to add their name to a trophy that’s got a whose who of Northeast. Vermont Governor Phil Scott has stated that he intends to enter the event after his historic win last Thursday night. Defending “King of the Road” and Governor’s Cup winner Scott Dragon of Milton will go for two in a row, while Memorial Day Classic winner Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg has proven himself in long-distance events, as he leads the points standings and could extend his points lead with perhaps the biggest win of his career. Barre’s Jason Corliss and Montpelier’s Kyle Pembroke already have feature wins in 2017. Eric Chase, Trampas Demers, Tyler Cahoon, Josh Demers, Darrell Morin and ACT Tour rising star Rich Dubeau will be the many others that will be ready for 150 laps of action at the newly repaved Thunder Road.
Although this will be Busch’s first visit to Thunder Road, he is no stranger to the ACT-type Late Models that competes at the track, as he won the Oxford 250 in 2011 when it was an ACT-sanctioned event. For the Vermont Governor’s Cup, he will drive a car prepared by two-time “King of the Road” winner Nick Sweet which is from Eric Chase’s Mad Dog Motorsports shop. While Phil Scott’s car, will be fielded by Pete Duto’s FastOne Motorsports, as they have all season, with multi-time Thunder Road Champion Derrick O’Donnell serving as his crew chief.
One of the many traditions that’s held at Thunder Road, more specifically the Governor’s Cup, is that the winner gets presented the trophy by the current Governor. With Governor Scott racing tonight, he said “I hope to be the driver that gets the trophy presented to”. He later went on to say “it would feel weird to take the checkered flag and on the cool down lap I pull to the infield and fulfill my obligations. If I don’t win, I will indeed fulfill that obligation as previous governors have done before me.”
Qualifying for the 38th Vermont Governor’s Cup presented by VP Racing Fuels gets underway at 6:30pm on Thursday, July 13. The pit gates open at 2:30pm and the front gates open at 3:30pm. Admission is $20 for adults and free for kids ages 12 and under.
