The 25th annual Community Bank NA 150 on Sunday, May 7th will mark the silver anniversary of the season-opening bout between the American-Canadian Tour heavyweights and local heroes Thunder Road. (Photo by Erik Tavares)
BARRE, Vt. – For 24 years, the American-Canadian Tour has come home to the Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl to open the season for the only asphalt track in the state of Vermont, this Sunday, May 7th, marks the silver anniversary of that opening.
The Community Bank NA 150 not only marks the start of the Thunder Road season, but ushers in a busy three-week stretch for the ACT Tour fans. Perhaps building on this upcoming push, the Community Bank 150 has been one of the top events of the year each year, and its 25th edition will be no different.
As the 132nd American-Canadian Tour event on the home stretch of the 45-year-old series, the community bank NA 150 will once again pit the touring stars against the local heroes of the Thunder Road.
Derek Gluchacki leads the points standings after claiming his second straight Northeast Classic victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on April 15 while also leading the second-placed duo of longtime ACT activist Tom Carey III and defending champion DJ Shaw leads.
While Carey has stated Thunder Road isn’t his favorite track, Shaw won the NEFCU Labor Day Classic last September to join father Dale Shaw on the 44-year-old event’s tally of winners.
Former ACT champion and multiple Thunder Road winner Joey Polewarczyk returns to the Highbanks, as does fellow former champion Jimmy Hebert. Quebec’s Alexendre Tardif wants to improve his Thunder Road program in 2023, as does Quinny Welch, Jimmy Renfrew Jr., Erick Sands and Gabe Brown.
Once again, Thunder Road’s local crowd is poised to take on the tour stars, this time spearheaded by defending King of the Road Chris Pelkey. After securing his first track championship last season, Pelkey has yet to prove something against the ACT crowd. A Barre, Vermont native, he had taken on the full ACT schedule before focusing on Thunder Road, but he is no stranger to ACT success. Pelkey finished a career-best 3rd at last year’s Community Bank 150, and after beating the ACT-sanctioned Vermont Milk Bowl in October, Pelkey is hoping for his first ACT victory counting points.
Joining Pelkey is the 2022 championship runner-up and long-term contender Kyle Pembroke, who is trying to improve on his best career ACT result in fourth. Brooks Clark is ready to return and hopes for his second Community Bank 150 win with former lane champions Jason Corliss and Bobby Therrien, former Rookie of the Year Brandon Lanphear, Memorial Day Classic winner Tyler Cahoon and multiple winner Cody Blake.
After announcing that eight-time champion Brian Hoar was ready to return to the American-Canadian Tour for multiple appearances in 2023, he isn’t the only highly decorated rider 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 also returns, along with six-time ACT Champion Robbie Crouch, starting with the Community Bank 150.
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