(Press release from Thunder Road International Speedbowl)
A beautiful Thursday afternoon greeted Central Vermont race fans to ring in the first Thursday Night program at Thunder Road for 2024. Casella Waste Management Night proved to be a perfect night for hard-nosed, competitive short track racing that has kept Thunder Road a tradition for folks across the region and it was a rousing start to the summer.
The New England Antique Racers joined the opening Casella Waste Management Thursday Night Program. A whole crop of yesteryear’s machines turned up for two 15-lap feature events with Bay Staters Scott Clements taking the Lloyd Hutchins Memorial Sportsman division win and Bruce ‘Gomer’ Taylor taking the Modified Cho Lee Memorial victory.
Aside from polesitter Thomas Peck, the rk Miles Street Stocks ran side-by-side, row after row at the start with Todd Raymo and Patrick Tibbetts quickly moving in on the leader. Tibbetts would take control around the lapped car of Taber Andrews in a daring three wide move in turn three with Raymo, Kyle MacAskill and a hard-charging Trevor Jaques in tow. Jaques would power around the outside lane to take the lead just before the first caution coming out for Donat Premont’s fire under the #39 machine. With nine laps remaining, Jaques would get the run he needed to take his second win of the year on Casella Waste Management Night with Kyle Macaskill and Ryan Foster rounding out the podium.
While Ty Delphia and Tyler Pepin led the field, former champion Sam Caron took the lead early in their 40-lap Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger main event. Milton’s Robert Gordon tried to keep pace with Caron but was overrun by Kevin Streeter with Streeter chasing down the former champ. With the traffic jam opened up mid-pack by the halfway point, hard-charging fellow former champions Brendan Moodie and Kyle Streeter used the outside lane to their advantage, swiftly moving into the top-ten runners.
Two late race cautions re-racked the field, leading to two spirited side-by-side battles between Streeter and Caron that were once again ruined by yellow flags. A desperation three-wide move mid-pack made for a jumble at the start/finish line sending Brendan Moodie, Luke Peters and Memorial Day winner Matt Ballard barreling into the turn one wall. Sam Caron would win the war just three laps later over Kevin Streeter and Robert Gordon at the line.
Young second-generation drivers Chris Roberts and Cooper Bouchard got the Maplefields/Irving Late Models to a lightning-start on Casella night. Chip Grenier, Marcel Gravel and Brandon Lanphear joined the fray, with the majority of the field remaining side-by-side ten laps in, battling hard for inches lost and gained on equal grooves. After a spin for Phil Scott, and a later turn one-collection that took out Kyle Pembroke, the field returned to green with Roberts and Bouchard continuing to battle at the head of the pack.
Chip Grenier took over the helm with eleven laps remaining with Lanphear and Gravel trying to track him down in the late stages but time ran out! Chip Grenier destroyed a decade of no-wins to claim the Casella Waste Management trophy with Brandon Lanphear and Marcel Gravel rounding out the podium. Apparent third-place finisher Gravel was later disqualified in post-race technical inspection for being too wide giving third to Cooper Bouchard.
Todd Raymo finished the night on a high note, taking the 10th annual Marvin Johnson Memorial First-Time Winner’s Race after a spirited, 19-lap battle with Ryan Foster, Paul Rocheleau and Paige Whittemore!
Thursday night weekly racing returns on Thursday, June 20 with the 45th Vermont Governor’s Cup 150 presented by the Vermont Lottery! NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer joins the Maplefields/Irving Late Models for 150 laps around the Barre highbanks under the Thursday night lights for a chance to join a list of iconic winners! The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and the rk Miles Street Stocks will also continue their track championship chases with a Special 6:30pm Post Time on Thursday, June 20 for the Vermont Governor’s Cup.
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 – Barre, VT
Thursday, June 13, 2024
Casella Waste Management Night
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Maplefield/Irving Late Models – (50 Laps)
1. 9VT Chip Grenier E. Barre, VT
2. 16VT Brandon Lanphear Morrisville, VT
3. 7VT Cooper Bouchard Hinesburg, VT
4. 64VT Christopher Pelkey S. Barre, VT
5. 99VT Cody Blake Barre, VT
6. 8VT Chris Roberts Washington, VT
7. 31VT Stephen Donahue Graniteville, VT
8. 18VT Kaiden Fisher Shelburne, VT
9. 04VT Justin Prescott Fairfax, VT
10. 66VT Jason Corliss Barre, VT
11. 01VT Stephen Martin Craftsbury Common, VT
12. 40VT Nick Sweet Williamstown, VT
13. 68VT Brooks Clark Fayston, VT
14. 55VT Keegan Lamson Berlin, VT
15. 0VT Scott Dragon Milton, VT
16. 5VT Bobby Therrien Hinesburg, VT
17. 17VT Darrell Morin Westford, VT
18. 71VT #Jesse Laquerre E. Montpelier, VT
19. 48VT #Taylor Hoar South Hero, VT
20. 14VT Phil Scott Montpelier, VT
21. 27VT Kyle Pembroke Montpelier, VT
DSQ 86VT Marcel J. Gravel Wolcott, VT
DNS 15VT Derrick Calkins Hinesburg, VT
Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers – (40 Laps)
1. 07VT Sam Caron Milton, VT
2. 67VT Kevin Streeter Waitsfield, VT
3. 20VT Robert Gordon Milton, VT
4. 00VT Brandon Gray E. Thetford, VT
5. 64VT Jason Pelkey Barre, VT
6. 31VT Logan Powers Middlesex, VT
7. 37VT Kyle Streeter Waterbury Ctr., VT
8. 56VT Chris Laforest Barre, VT
9. 23NY Cam Gadue Highgate, VT
10. 3VT Michael MacAskill Williamstown, VT
11. 45VT Adam Maynard Milton, VT
12. 5RI #Kyle Gravel Wolcott, VT
13. 13VT Ty Delphia Waterbury, VT
14. 9VT #Logan Farrell Barre, VT
15. 22VT Travis Patnoe Wolcott, VT
16. 8VT Mike Billado Grand Isle, VT
17. 26VT Luke Peters Groton, VT
18. 78VT Tyler Pepin Barre, VT
19. 15NH Brendan Moodie Wolcott, VT
20. 33VT Matt Ballard Williamstown, VT
21. 77VT Issac Spaulding Wolcott, VT
22. 90VT Cameron Ouellette Barre, VT
23. 4VT Cooper French Northfield, VT
rk Miles Street Stocks – (25 Laps)
1. 57 Trevor Jaques Milton, VT
2. 7 Kyle MacAskill Williamstown, VT
3. 08 Ryan Foster Waterbury, VT
4. 16 Dean Switser, Jr. Waterford, VT
5. 98 Kasey Collins Berlin, VT
6. 73 Paige Whittemore Graniteville, VT
7. 9 Zach Audet Johnson, VT
8. 24 Todd Raymo Swanton, VT
9. 74 Tyler Whittemore Barre, VT
10. 79 Juan Marshall Pittsfield, VT
11. 8 Paul Rocheleau Georgia, VT
12. 2 Haidyn Pearce Chelsea, VT
13. 99 #Fred Fleury Graniteville, VT
14. 96 Thomas Peck Waterbury, VT
15. 18 Walker Fitch Marshfield, VT
16. 19 Taber Andrews
17. 34 Patrick Tibbetts Plainfield, VT
18. 43 Jamie Davis Johnson, VT
19. 50 Eric MacLaughlin Milton, VT
20. 32 #Kylee Potter Marshfield, VT
21. 39 Donat Premont
22. 3 Michael Gay S. Burlington, VT
23. 55 Cam Powers E. Montpelier, VT
24. 04 Scott Weston Berlin, VT
DNS 54 Josh Lovely Williamstown, VT
Marvin Johnson Memorial First-Time Winner – Todd Raymo, Swanton VT
New England Antique Racers (NEAR) – (Two 15-lap Features)
Lloyd Hutchins Memorial Sportsman Winner – Scott Clements (#9), Princeton MA
Cho Lee Memorial Modified Winner – Bruce Taylor (#03), Rochester MA
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