Brandon Gray Claims Record Seventh Flying Tiger Victory, Clinches Title At Thunder Road


(Press release from Thunder Road International Speedbowl)

Stephen Martin Claims First Late Model Win; Bowes Takes Supermodified Checkers

The Maplefield/Irving Late Models started off McGee Hyundai of Barre Super Friday with their 50-lap trophy dash to kick start Super Friday’s five division showcase. Outside polesitter Taylor Hoar got off to a sour start, careening into the infield on lap one to bring out the early caution. Chip Grenier put the pedal down to lead the restart on the outside groove over Stephen Martin and set the pace out front. The caution flew once more on lap 16 as Christopher Bedard stacked up the middle of the pack in turn four, sending Jason Corliss hard into the Widowmaker frontstretch wall and ending his night early.

On the restart, Marcel Gravel would take control of the field with Stephen Martin in tow at the front before the halfway caution for a number of cars spinning in turn two. Martin would get the jump on the restart to lead Gravel back to the line as Chris Pelkey began to pressure the frontrunners. Even with the pressure pouring on, Stephen Martin kept it high, wide and handsome to take the first career win for the Craftsbury Common driver followed by Marcel Gravel and Chris Pelkey across the line.

The New England Supermodified Series (NESS) were next on the field with Jim Storace and Matt Swanson leading the field to green for their lightning-fast 75-lap affair. Storace immediately launched to the lead and used every inch of the Thunder Road asphalt to keep pace ahead of Swanson as defending series champion Dan Bowes kept watch in third. The battle for fifth was the most hotly contested as point leader Bobby Timmons tried again and again to round Dave Duggan before his engine let go in a plume of white smoke in turn one to call out the lap 56 caution. 

Storace would maintain the restart lead but the catastrophic failure of a right rear tire ended his day on the backstretch. With thirteen laps remaining, Bowes got the best of Russ Wood on the restart and powered his way to the McGee Hyundai of Barre Super Friday victory, joined on the podium by Matt Swanson in second and Russ Wood in third.

The Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors went for a twin bill on Super Friday, starting with last Sunday’s rain-delayed NEFCU+VSECU feature. Derrick Mann would nab the early lead over Jed Whitcomb and maintained as the field bounced and battled for position behind him. Soon, the ‘Frickin Chicken’ Brodie Frazier cleared traffic and set his sights on Mann with five laps remaining he pulled up to a car-length behind the leader. Frazier pulled up alongside under the white flag and nabbed the lead of turn two to take the NEFCU+VSECU victory over Derrick Mann and Dan Garrett, Jr. 

The gang would return to close out the night for their second feature with Anderson Boyd and Nick Copping pacing the field of Warriors for the 25-lap feature ahead. The two kept it clean and green until Boyd drove sideways out of turn two, giving Derrick Mann the exclusive lead around the two of them. Meanwhile shortly behind, Neal Foster and Brodie Frazier entered the picture, battling in podium territory. Derrick Mann kept his foot planted in the firewall to claim his first career Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warrior victory on McGee Hyundai of Barre night joined by Neal Foster and Brodie Frazier in victory lane.  

The rk Miles Street Stocks began their 25-lap McGee Hyundai of Barre trophy dash under the leadership of Eric MacLaughlin but Derek Farnham quickly asserted his way to the point. Charging from a fourth-place starting spot, Patrick Tibbetts took over the lead on lap eight with a rearview mirror full of Tyler Whittemore. All three up front dug deep in search of their second win of the season while struggling with lapped traffic. The lap 21 caution would stall the field as Josh Lovely sat in the turn three grass while Zach Audet smacked the turn four wall and jumped pitside for a new right front shoe. Patrick Tibbetts would maintain the restart green all the way to win number two on the season with Derek Farnham in second and Tyler Whittemore taking third.

The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers saw proud dad Mike Martin on the pole inside of Mike MacAskill to start their 40-lap main event. The two veterans would face off side-by-side in the early circuits as Chris LaForest looked to make it three wide underneath the leaders but backed off for a long-game strategy. MacAskill finally edged out to take the lone lead on lap 24, but again Martin and Cameron Ouellette stayed in the fight with Brandon Gray joining them. Gray would power into second on lap 26 and motored under MacAskill for the lead on lap 29. The duo remained beside each other with MacAskill gaining the lead back on lap 31 just to have Gray take it back over on lap 32! Brandon Gray took down his seventh win of the season, breaking the tie with Eric Williams’ impressive six-win season in 1994 and gained enough of a cushion to clinch the 2024 Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger track championship at Thunder Road! Mike MacAskill 

Thunder Road closes out the track championship season next Friday, September 13 with Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Championship Night! The Maplefield/Irving Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and rk Miles Street Stocks will officially close out the track championship chase alongside the fan-favorite Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors. Post Time on Friday, September 13 is set for 7:00pm. 

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

Friday, September 6, 2024

McGee Hyundai of Barre Super Friday

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Maplefield/Irving Late Models – (50 Laps)

1.         01VT    Stephen Martin          Craftsbury Common, VT

2.         86VT    Marcel J. Gravel          Wolcott, VT

3.         64VT    Christopher Pelkey     Graniteville, VT

4.         99VT    Cody Blake                  Barre, VT

5.         18VT    Kaiden Fisher              Shelburne, VT

6.         40VT    Nick Sweet                  Williamstown, VT

7.         04VT    Justin Prescott             Williston, VT

8.         9VT      Chip Grenier               E. Barre, VT

9.         31VT    Stephen Donahue      Graniteville, VT

10.       71VT    #Jesse Laquerre          E. Montpelier, VT

11.       8VT      Chris Roberts              Washington, VT

12.       17VT    Darrell Morin              Westford, VT

13.       16VT    Brandon Lanphear     Morrisville, VT

14.       0VT      Scott Dragon               Milton, VT

15.       14VT    Phil Scott                     Montpelier, VT

16.       7VT      Cooper Bouchard       Hinesburg, VT

17.       25VT    Michael Rubalcaba     Barre, VT

18.       48VT    #Taylor Hoar               South Hero, VT

19.       23VT    Kolby Picard                Hyde Park, VT

20.       66VT    Jason Corliss               Barre, VT

21.       15QC   Christopher Bedard    Levis, QC

DNS     88NH   Jimmy Kidder              Norwich, VT

New England Supermodified Series – (75 Laps)

1.         25        Dan Bowles                 Epping, NH

2.         97        Matt Swanson             Harvard, MA

3.         41        Russ Wood                 Pelham, NH

4.         51        Dave Duggan               Milford, NH

5.         47        Jim Storace                 Kingston, NH

6.         13        Bobby Timmons         Windham, ME

7.         11        Ben Seitz                     Bourne, MA

8.         24        David Sanborn             Tilton, NH

9.         5          Rob Summers             Manchester, CT

10.       52        Vern Romanoski         Strong, ME

Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers – (40 Laps)

1.         00VT    Brandon Gray             E. Thetford, VT

2.         3VT      Michael MacAskill      Williamstown, VT

3.         01VT    Michael Martin           Craftsbury, Common, VT

4.         90VT    Cameron Ouellette     Barre, VT

5.         26VT    Luke Peters                 Groton, VT

6.         31VT    Logan Powers             Middlesex, VT

7.         07VT    Sam Caron                  Milton, VT

8.         67VT    Kevin Streeter             Waitsfield, VT

9.         56VT    Chris Laforest              Barre, VT

10.       4VT      Cooper French             Northfield, VT

11.       64VT    Jason Pelkey                Barre, VT

12.       15NH   Brendan Moodie        Wolcott, VT

13.       37VT    Kyle Streeter               Waterbury Ctr., VT

14.       23NY   Cam Gadue                 Highgate, VT

15.       20VT    Robert Gordon           Milton, VT

16.       45VT    Adam Maynard           Milton, VT

17.       13VT    Ty Delphia                   Waterbury, VT

18.       9VT      #Logan Farrell             Barre, VT

19.       22VT    Travis Patnoe              Wolcott, VT

20.       77VT    Issac Spaulding           Wolcott, VT

rk Miles Street Stocks – (25 Laps)

1.         34        Patrick Tibbetts          Plainfield, VT

2.         39        Derek Farnham           Bethel, VT

3.         74        Tyler Whittemore       Barre, VT

4.         24        Todd Raymo               Swanton, VT

5.         3          Michael Gay                S. Burlington, VT

6.         50        Eric MacLaughlin        Milton, VT

7.         79        Juan Marshall             Pittsfield, VT

8.         8          Paul Rocheleau           Georgia, VT

9.         32        #Kylee Potter              Marshfield, VT

10.       08        Ryan Foster                 Waterbury, VT

11.       6          Terry Pearce Jr            Chelsea, VT

12.       73        Paige Whittemore      Graniteville, VT

13.       57        Trevor Jaques             Milton, VT

14.       16        Dean Switser, Jr.         Waterford, VT

15.       7          Kyle MacAskill             Williamstown, VT

16.       98        Kasey Collins               Berlin, VT

17.       33        Curtis Franks               Topsham, VT

18.       43        Jamie Davis                 Johnson, VT

19.       29        Gary Mullen                Tunbridge, VT

20.       9          Zach Audet                 Johnson, VT

21.       99        #Fred Fleury                Graniteville, VT

22.       17        Justin Blakely              Graniteville, VT

23.       47        William Hennequin    Morrisville, VT

24.       04        Scott Weston              Berlin, VT

25.       6x        Connor Charbonneau Groveton, NH

26.       18        #Walker Fitch             Marshfield, VT

27.       2          Haidyn Pearce             Chelsea, VT

28.       54        Josh Lovely                  Williamstown, VT

29.       96        Thomas Peck               Waterbury, VT

DNS     51        Thomas Smith             Williamstown, VT

Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors – (25 Laps)

1.         27        Derrick Mann              Graniteville, VT

2.         19        Neal Foster                 Moretown, VT

3.         17        Brodie Frazier             E. Montpelier, VT

4.         43        Anderson Boyd           Berlin, VT

5.         71        Jason Kirby                  Milton, VT

6.         54        Dan Garrett, Jr.           Berlin, VT

7.         81        Mike Slingerland        Milton, VT

8.         50        Nick Copping              Barre, VT

9.         17        Brodie Frazier             E. Montpelier, VT

10.       97        Eddie Thompson        Colchester, VT

11.       14        Jed Whitcomb             Williamstown, VT

12.       96        Bill O’Connor              S. Washington, VT

13.       13        Kevin Wheatley          Brookfield, VT

14.       8          Jaiden Del Toro           Barre Town, VT

15.       70        Mason Frazier             E. Montpelier, VT

16.       51        Caleb Cramer              Georgia, VT

17.       72        Christopher Herring   Montpelier, VT

18.       31        Tyler Wheatley           Brookfield, VT

NEFCU+VSECU Labor Day Classic 20 Lap Make-Up

1.         17        Brodie Frazier             E. Montpelier, VT

2.         27        Derrick Mann              Graniteville, VT

3.         54        Dan Garrett, Jr.           Berlin, VT

4.         31        Tyler Wheatley           Brookfield, VT

5.         43        Anderson Boyd           Berlin, VT

6.         81        Mike Slingerland        Milton, VT

7.         18        Cayden Green             Marshfield, VT

8.         71        Jason Kirby                  Milton, VT

9.         19        Neal Foster                 Moretown, VT

10.       14        Jed Whitcomb             Williamstown, VT

11.       97        Eddie Thompson        Colchester, VT

12.       50        Nick Copping              Barre, VT

13.       96        Bill O’Connor              S. Washington, VT

14.       8          Jaiden Del Toro           Barre Town, VT

15.       51        Caleb Cramer              Georgia, VT

16.       13        Kevin Wheatley          Brookfield, VT

17.       33        Brayden Murphy        Barre, VT

18.       70        Mason Frazier             E. Montpelier, VT

19.       72        Christopher Herring   Montpelier, VT



Leave a Reply

Copyright 2018 E-Media Sports

Website Designed by Thirty Marketing