July 19, 2014

Thunder Road

11 minutes

For generations of Vermonters, Thursday nights in the summer have meant one thing….Thunder Road.

This quarter mile short track opened in 1960 and it’s home to some of the most passionate drivers and fans you’re likely to find anywhere. In these shows and outtakes, you’ll hear from some of the drivers and from Thunder Road co-owners and ring leaders, Ken Squier and Tom Curley. There are thrills and heartbreaks and heated coils and a lot of history. There’s even some opera. Welcome.

Shows (in the box above)

Thunder Road: Features Donny Yates, Tommy Thunder, Dave Campbell, Dave Pembroke, Ken Squier, and Tom Curley

Milk Bowl: Tom Curley talks about the culminating race of the season, the Milk Bowl.

An Interview with Tom Curley: I thought he’d give me five minutes. Turns out he let me stay longer and he said some remarkable things…about his work, his co-conspirator Ken Squier, and lots more. Plus there’s sound recorded from the booth during the Milk Bowl, 2013. This is the conversation from which I pulled tape for the other stories, so you’ll hear some familiar riffs, but I figured folks might like to hear Tom’s full interview.

Outtakes (in the box below)

Great segments from the interviews, and sounds recorded at Thunder Road. Enjoy!

Thanks:

A big thanks to Larry Massett. He was the editor for both Thunder Road and Milk Bowl and he is the greatest.

Also big thanks to Colin McCaffrey, who mixed these shows so expertly. And to Tread Hunter for best tires. And patiently…..

Thanks to you both.

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