Thunder Road Rookie Class of 2012

In 2012 many Thunder Road drivers are making moves to different divisions. Some with little experience, others bearing championships. The drivers below are ones to keep a close eye on in the upcoming season for Rookie of the Year honors.

Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman

Waterbury Center's Jason Woodard will pilot the familiar #68 Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman championship car of Derrick ODonnell from 2011. Woodard, who was the final champion of the Junkyard Warriors with nine wins in 2011, will face a steep learning curve having opted to race in the Tigers as opposed to the Allen Lumber Street Stocks. With championship experience and a great car underneath him, he could be a wildcard in 2012.

Greg Adams, Jr. of Hardwick, the 2011 Champion of the Allen Lumber Street Stocks, also moves to the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman division. With five seasons of experience in the Street Stocks, Adams hopes for a more seamless transition to the Tigers. Adams knows what it takes to win a close points race after an electrifying battle with runner-up Nick Pilotte of Jefferson, NH for the 2011 Street Stock Championship that came down to a last lap pass. He is one to watch for Rookie of the Year in 2012.

Surprise Thunder Road Weekly Competitors Flex Muscle at ACT Opener

Victory lane at the Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road on Sunday April 29 was all Brian Hoar, but for weekly contenders there was more to the race than just victory lane. For weekly racers at "The Nation’s Site of Excitement" this was not a point-counting race, but a proving ground to set the stage for a summer-long battle to become the next "King of the Road."

The usual suspects were in good form. John Donahue of Graniteville made a late race charge for fourth, former champs Nick Sweet of Barre and David Pembroke of Middlesex led sections of the race, multi-time Champion Phil Scott of Berlin was on his way to the front before an altercation with the front stretch wall. In 2012, however, these four names won’t be the only ones on the list of drivers to watch out for in the race for the 2012 Late Model Title.