Ken Squier, Mr. Thunder Road, Barre, Vermont

On Thursday nights from May through September, this quarter-mile racetrack features cars that vary from your standard 380-horsepower types to, well, those that aren’t far removed from the junk heap. Which is pretty much what Ken Squier, former racing voice of CBS Sports, envisioned in 1960, when he turned a tired old dairy farm into a summer evening destination where families could picnic, fill the grandstands, or just lounge on the grassy hills above the track.

“This has always been a sport for those with unshined shoes,” says the Waterbury native, who began announcing races as a teenager from the back of a logging truck. “So we’ve focused on making sure families can afford it.”

Thunder Road Speedbowl, Fisher Road. 802-244-6963.

Ian Aldrich

Ian Aldrich is the executive editor at Yankee, where he has worked for more for two decades. As the magazine’s staff feature writer, he writes stories that delve deep into issues facing communities throughout New England. In 2019 he received gold in the reporting category at the annual City-Regional Magazine conference for his story on New England’s opioid crisis. Ian’s work has been recognized by both the Best American Sports and Best American Travel Writing anthologies. He lives with his family in Dublin, New Hampshire.

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