Jean-Paul Cyr Earn Thunder Road Late Model Champ
Vermont Racer Wins Spot in New Hampshire Motor Speedway Invitational
Sep 3, 2009
Cyr finished third in the Vermont State Employees Credit Union 100-lap main event, which included five former Thunder Road champions and NASCAR Sprint Cup driver David Ragan.
The seven-time American Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model champion competed as a weekly regular at Thunder Road this season as the nationally acclaimed, high-banked quarter-mile asphalt oval in Barre, VT celebrated its 50th anniversary season.
New Late Model Championship For Cyr
Cyr is no stranger to the “Nation’s Site of Excitement”. In honor of its 50th season, Thunder Road owner Ken Squier, a Motorsports Hall of Fame of America member, brought in NASCAR legends Bobby Allison and Richard Petty and NASCAR Sprint Cup point leader Tony Stewart and unveiled four granite memorials listing the winners of Thunder Road’s most prestigious races and its track champions. Cyr was already engraved on three monuments as a prior winner of the Memorial Day Classic, the Labor Day Classic and the famed Milk Bowl. Now he’s due to appear on the “King of the Road” stone as well.
Cyr joined forces with car owner Joey Laquerre – still actively racing at 66 – and his son Jeff Laquerre, a well-respected crew chief. He had decided to step away from the travel requirements of the American Canadian Tour to have more family time.
“There were times on a few weekends when I didn’t know what to do with myself,” Cyr admitted. “But this season has worked out well. Jeff and I were on the same page very soon. We had some tough races with plenty of contact in the first three races, but a white paint scheme hides a lot of dents. To become the Thunder Road champion in its 50th anniversary season is a dream come true.”
Cyr Qualifies For ACT Invitational
“I’ve never worked with a driver who could describe the way the car was handling and how to change it or maintain it as clearly as Jean,” Jeff Laquerre said. “We are planning on racing in the Thunder Road Labor Day Classic, the Mohawk Casino Fall Foliage 300 at Airborne Speedway and we’re excited about being a part of ACT’s first ever race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. We had our first testing session there August 23 and things went pretty well.”
Cyr’s championship performance included one win and five top-5 finishes in 13 starts. He outpointed his closest rival, Phil Scott of Montpelier, VT 908-867. He won his first American Canadian Tour Late Model title in 1994 and won five consecutive championships from 2003-2007.
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