RPW Exclusive: Several Drivers Had Up & Down Nights At Thunder Mountain On Memorial Day
Column By: JOSEPH PHILLIPS / RPW – CENTER LISLE, NY – There were plenty of stories that transpired throughout the pit area of Thunder Mountain Speedway on Memorial day.
From the Big Block Modified throttle jockey’s of the Super DIRTcar Series to DIRTcar Sportsman competitors, several had up and down nights at the Center Lisle, NY facility.
Former Tour Rookie of the Year, Felix Roy, and his family are the definition of Road Warriors. Roy said that it is roughly a six-hour drive from his home in Quebec to most of the tour races. Races in Delaware are especially trying and for this reason, the Roy family travels as a unit and lives out of their hauler.
Defending Natural 77 winner, Jimmy Phelps, spoke briefly about not finishing in the Weedsport series race the previous night.
“Hopefully with a good heat race finish and redraw, we can finish good tonight,” Phelps said.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t to be for the Baldwinsville Bandit as he retired from the feature early with heavy right rear damage after an early-race skirmish in turn one. The HBR team has struggled on tour to start 2025 but Phelps reiterated that they have the strength to turn the season around.
The hometown driver who’s following the Super DIRTcar Series again this season, Darren Smith, would be the one who may have had the “home track advantage” on Monday with his Jeremy Smith Racing no. 12. After all, Thunder is his Saturday night home.
At the beginning of the night, Smith was confident that he’d be able to run well at a track so close to his Binghamton, NY home.
“This race is just another race here at Thunder Mountain,” Smith said. “I hope we have a good night. I’m not worried.”
Unfortunately, Smith didn’t have the night he would have liked, coming home 22nd at the finish.
Before the night began, DIRTcar Sportsman campaigner Matt Brewer was hoping to stand in victory lane when the evening was complete. He has been so close. There was only one way to go and that was to win.
Brewer did earn a top five finish on the night. However, he’s sure to be in victory lane soon.
Jimmy Zacharias in his 71 Speed and Design #71 also struggled to qualify for the 77-lap feature event. He did make the show through one of the last chance races and finished 19th in the main.
Zacharias made mini side panels of Dale Planck’s #77x car and donated them to the DIG Race Shocks booth for the family of Dale. These panels were sold as souvenirs and were very popular with the fans. One of the mini body panels was autographed by all drivers in attendance and presented to the Planck family.
The second iteration of “The Natural 77” Super DIRTcar Series event was a resounding success. Fans in the packed grandstands were witness to a very competitive race. Just getting into the feature was a win in itself.
Most importantly, drivers and fans were able to share their memories of a legendary driver, Dale Planck, with his family. A race will never replace a man who was a husband, father and a strong competitor. However, a race of this magnitude can show that Dale and his memory will live on in the hearts of all in our extended Modified family.
