(Press release from Thunder Road International Speedbowl)
Once again in the 2023 season, Thunder Road drivers, fans and officials battled a rainy forecast with grim outlooks and without giving up. The McGee Hyundai of Barre Super Friday showcased some amazing local talent that calls Thunder Road home every week throughout the summer season, with the McGee Super Friday bonuses waiting in victory lane. While rain has pushed the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors feature back to make it Double Features on championship night, the three championship divisions were able to seal the deal on McGee Hyundai of Barre Super Friday!
Trying to beat out the incoming wet weather, Chris LaForest got the green-flag jump over Matt Ballard to lead the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger field. A shocking blow to the season standings, the right front tire on the Sam Caron machine blew on lap 2, sending him pit-side without calling a caution. The first caution would fly for Robert Gordon’s similar tire issue, causing him to stop in turn three on lap 20. Logan Powers chose the outside lane on the restart with Cooper French to his inside. French cleared Powers on lap 24 leaving a fierce two-by-two-by-two battle for second through seventh behind him. Cooper French strolled away with the $1,000 McGee Hyundai of Barre Super Friday win followed by Cameron Ouellette who took the 0.119-second edge over Logan Powers to round out the podium.
Cameron Powers took the lead quickly at the start of the rk Miles Street Stocks feature, the final round of their 2023 Triple Crown. Trevor Jaques unofficially led the Triple Crown standings by just 10 points moving into the feature event. After a quick caution for debris on lap 4, Powers again took over the helm with top rookie Ryan Foster with Jaques facing heavy mid-pack traffic. Jaques would go into the spin cycle after coming down on Kyler Davis in turn one giving the unofficial point lead to Dean Switser Jr.
While Switser made the charge to the front, his rear-view mirror was full of Kyler Davis before Juan ‘Paco’ Marshall spun into the turn three apron to call the final caution with four laps remaining. Although Powers had a handful of racecar under the two-to-go ‘popsicle sticks,’ Cameron Powers claimed the $500 McGee Hyundai of Barre Super Friday win with season-long rival James Dopp second and Tyler Whittemore third with Dean Switser Jr. able to claim the 2023 rk Miles Street Stock Triple Crown.
Hinesburg’s Cooper Bouchard and Claremont, New Hampshire’s Cody Schoolcraft brought the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models to green in their 50-lap feature. With Nick Sweet lathering the pressure on from behind, Schoolcraft gave it his all to pass Bouchard as the two swapped the lead over and over again in the opening laps. The spin for Phil Scott and Darrell Morin brought out the caution on lap 12 with Schoolcraft and Bouchard again heading the double-file restart line. The restart was short-lived with Scott Coburn spinning on the backstretch. This time, Nick Sweet took over from his second-place position to lead lap 19. Ten laps later, Stephen Donahue began a serious challenge for the lead, looking inside Sweet for the lead.
While the two battled up front, point leader Scott Dragon slipped backward on the outside groove mid-pack. As Donahue continued to stalk Sweet just inches from bumper-to-bumper around the Speedbowl, the rain that had evaded the area finally reared its ugly head with a sudden and strong downpour descending on the Thunder Road property on lap 47. The Late Model event is official with Nick Sweet taking the $1,500 McGee Hyundai of Barre win followed by Stephen Donahue and Kyle Pembroke rounding out the top-three.
Thunder Road is back next Friday, September 15th for the 64th Season Championship Night presented by Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel. The point battles are coming down to the wire for the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and rk Miles Street Stocks while the rain tonight has given the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors DOUBLE FEATURES on next week’s championship night. The battle for the 2023 King of the Road championship will come down to the final of 64-laps along with the return of Northstar Fireworks, promising a massive, awe-inspiring spectacle to celebrate the newest champions of the Nation’s Site of Excitement!
For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, [email protected], or visit www.thunderroadvt.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @ThunderRoadVT.
Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl
McGee Hyundai of Barre Super Friday
Friday, September 8, 2023
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models – (50 Laps)
1. 88VT Nick Sweet Barre, VT
2. 31VT Stephen Donahue Graniteville, VT
3. 27VT Kyle Pembroke Montpelier, VT
4. 86VT Marcel J. Gravel Wolcott, VT
5. 31KS #Cody Schoolcraft Claremont, NH
6. 18VT #Kaiden Fisher Shelburne, VT
7. 04VT #Justin Prescott Milton, VT
8. 64VT Chris Pelkey Graniteville, VT
9. 01VT Stephen Martin Craftsbury Common, VT
10. 9VT Chip Grenier Orange, VT
11. 17VT Darrell Morin Westford, VT
12. 16VT Brandon Lanphear Morrisville, VT
13. 14VT Phil Scott Berlin, VT
14. 0VT Scott Dragon Milton, VT
15. 38VT Tyler Cahoon Danville, VT
16. 7VT Cooper Bouchard Hinesburg, VT
17. 99VT Cody Blake Barre, VT
18. 8VT Chris Roberts Washington, VT
19. 4VT Scott Coburn Barre, VT
Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers – (40 Laps)
1. 4ME Cooper French Northfield, VT
2. 90VT Cameron Ouellette Barre, VT
3. 31VT Logan Powers Middlesex, VT
4. 37VT Kyle Streeter Waterbury Ctr., VT
5. 64VT Jason Pelkey Barre, VT
6. 67VT Kevin Streeter Waitsfield, VT
7. 00VT Brandon Gray E. Thetford, VT
8. 54VT Colin Cornell E. Burke, VT
9. 23NY Cam Gadue Highgate, VT
10. 45VT Adam Maynard Milton, VT
11. 13VT Ty Delphia Duxbury, VT
12. 33VT Matt Ballard Williamstown, VT
13. 56VT Chris Laforest Barre, VT
14. 26VT #Luke Peters Groton, VT
15. 78VT Jeff Oeschger* Dover, FL
16. 20VT Robert Gordon Milton, VT
17. 08VT Phil Potvin Underhill, VT
18. 07VT Sam Caron Milton, VT
*Sub Driver for Tyler Pepin
Rk Miles Street Stocks – (25 Laps)
1. 30 Cameron Powers E. Montpelier, VT
2. 0 James Dopp Northfield, VT
3. 74 Tyler Whittemore Barre, VT
4. 68 Kyler Davis Berlin, VT
5. 16 Dean Switser, Jr. Waterford, VT
6. 08 #Ryan Foster Waterbury, VT
7. 34 Patrick Tibbetts Plainfield, VT
8. 43 Jamie Davis Johnson, VT
9. 57 Trevor Jaques Milton, VT
10. 2 Haidyn Pearce Chelsea, VT
11. 13 #Travis Gay S. Burlington, VT
12. 71 Jesse Laquerre Berlin, VT
13. 88 #Paul Rocheleau Georgia, VT
14. 66 Zach Audet Morrisville, VT
15. 5 Kyle Gravel Wolcott, VT
16. 7 Kyle MacAskill Williamstown, VT
17. 24 Scott Weston* Berlin, VT
18. 98 Kasey Collins Berlin, VT
19. 3 Michael Gay S. Burlington, VT
20. 48 Taylor Hoar South Hero, VT
21. 33 Curtis Franks Topsham, VT
22. 79 Juan ‘Paco’ Marshall Pittsfield, VT
23. 9 #Logan Farrell Barre, VT
24. 39 Derek Farnham Bethel, VT
DNS 1 #Shea Wheeler Waterbury, VT
DNS 96 Thomas Peck Waterbury, VT
DNS 50 Eric MacLaughlin Milton, VT
*Sub Driver for Todd Raymo
Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors – (20 Laps)
Rained Out – Double Features on Friday, September 15, 2023
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