Barre, VT – In association with the Vermont Governor’s Highway Safety Program, Barre’s Thunder Road will promote the “Click It Or Ticket” message in 2005, urging race fans to increase seat belt usage and keep safety a priority on Vermont’s highways. Thunder Road’s “Click It Or Ticket” campaign will begin at the Merchants Bank 150 on Sunday, May 1, and continue through the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic on Sunday, May 29, culminating on Thursday, June 2 with Hannaford Markets/Pelletier Quick Lube Night.

Apparently, the Seacoast Late Model Challenge 100 has so huge even Mother Nature couldn’t handle it. As you probably know by now, the opening event of the ACT Late Model Tour was rained out last weekend, but Lee USA Speedway officials have rescheduled the race to Friday, May 6. Gates will open at 1:00pm, practice starts at 3:00pm, and the qualifying action gets under way at 6:00pm. We expected as many as 65 cars, so it's a show you won't want to miss! With the rain, that means the 2005 season opener will now take place at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road this weekend, with the Merchants Bank 150.

The Merchants Bank Car Show returns to Main Street in Barre City on Saturday, April 30, where cars from the Tour and each of Thunder Road’s four racing divisions will line the streets of the Granite Capital. Show hours are 9:00am to Noon, with an all-divisions – and likely all-methods necessary for some teams – Pit Stop Contest at 10:30am. The show will close with a full parade of race cars up Quarry Hill to the speedway, with practice sessions beginning at 1:30pm. Thunder Road’s famous “Class Day” ceremonies will kick the season off in style on Sunday, May 1 at 1:00pm, with the first green flag waving at 1:30pm.

Waterbury, VT – Five Star Race Car Bodies has renewed its agreement with the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) to be the “Official Body” of ACT and Barre, VT’s Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl in 2005. Located in Twin Lakes, WI, Five Star has been instrumental in the development of the ABC body concept, which has been adopted by the ACT Late Model Tour in 2005.

The ABC body program was created to establish a universal standard for the bodies used on most Late Model stock cars. With the cooperation of Five Star and other top manufacturers, the aerodynamically identical ABC bodies have quickly become a leading option in many short track series, including ACT.