Racing: Brandon Lanphear Scores Upset Win in Triple Crown Opener

Courtesy Thunder Road

Barre – Morrisville’s Brandon Lanphear pulled the upset at Capitol City Automart Night on Friday, June 8 by taking a thrilling win in the Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series opener. The rookie grabbed the lead for good with six laps remaining to earn his first career Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger victory and snap his father Dwayne’s winning streak.

Lanphear started on the pole for the 75-lap main event after earning a “+5” in qualifying under the plus-minus system. After he led the first 29 laps, Essex Jct.’s “Double O Joe” Steffen snuck under Lanphear in lapped traffic entering turn three. Brandon eventually found himself back to fourth behind Craftsbury Common’s Joel Hodgdon and Dwayne Lanphear.

But following a lap-41 caution for a hard multi-car wreck on the front stretch, the younger Lanphear went to work on the outside. Even kissing the wall on lap 50 couldn’t stop him as he eventually drew up to challenge Steffen again. The battle eventually grew to five cars as Hinesburg’s Trevor Lyman entered the fray for a time before bouncing off the wall himself.

The race’s fifth and final caution on lap 64 put Lanphear door-to-door with the race leader. After a 5-lap battle on the restart, the rookie powered to the lead off turn four. Steffen then got shuffled back in the final circuits as Lanphear pulled away for the win.

Hodgdon emerged with second followed by Dwayne Lanphear in third. Lyman recovered to finish fourth after starting 24th on the grid. Tyler Austin, Steffen, Derrick Calkins, Kevin Streeter, Cameron Ouellette, and Kelsea Woodard completed the top-10.

In the Maplewood/Irving Late Models, Fayston’s Brooks Clark had to work for his fourth career victory. Clark started on the pole for the 50-lap feature after a mechanical problem in the championship opener and cruised for the first two-thirds of the event.

But after a trio of cautions between laps 33 and 35, Clark found himself in the clutches of Barre’s Jason Corliss and South Burlington’s Trampas Demers. Clark was able to off the 2-barreled attack over the final 15 circuits to take the win.

Corliss slid under Demers in the final circuits to take second. Christopher Pelkey, Kyle Pembroke, Darrell Morin, rookie Brendan Moodie, Phil Scott, Evan Hallstrom, and Jim “Boomer” Morris also earned top-10 finishes.

Defending Allen Lumber Street Stock Champion Jamie Davis of Wolcott bounced back from a tough start to the season by scoring the win in the division’s 25-lap feature. Davis swiped the lead when polesitter Patrick Tibbets shut down on a lap-5 restart and subsequently got turned around. He then ran away from the field for his 11th career Street Stock victory.

Point leader Matthew Smith of Essex Jct. came from 13th on the grid to sneak into the second spot during a scramble following a last-lap incident. Barre’s Justin Town completed the podium. Dean Switser Jr., Gary Mullen, Logan Powers, Will Hennequin, Stephen Martin, Jeffrey Martin, and Tim Hunt rounded out the top-10.

Thunder Road begins its Thursday night schedule on June 14 at 7:00pm with Casella Waste Systems Night. A full card of action is scheduled for the Maplewood/Irving Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors. The New England Antique Racers also make their annual pilgrimage to the high banks. Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).

For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, media@thunderroadvt.com, or visit www.thunderroadvt.com.

CAPITOL CITY AUTOMART NIGHT
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

LENNY’S SHOE & APPAREL FLYING TIGERS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
1. #Brandon Lanphear ( 11 ) Morrisville, VT
2. Joel Hodgdon ( 36 ) Craftsbury Common, VT
3. Dwayne Lanphear ( 40 ) Morrisville, VT
4. Trevor Lyman ( 17 ) Hinesburg, VT
5. Tyler Austin ( 5 ) East Calais, VT
6. Joe Steffen ( 00 ) Grand Isle, VT
7. Derrick Calkins ( 15 ) Hinesburg, VT
8. #Kevin Streeter ( 67 ) Waitsfield, VT
9. Cameron Ouellette ( 90 ) Barre, VT
10. #Kelsea Woodard ( 55 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
11. Jason Pelkey ( 64 ) Barre, VT
12. Michael Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury Common, VT
13. Sid Sweet Jr. ( 51 ) Williamstown, VT
14. Mark Barnier ( 0 ) Essex Jct., VT
15. Mike Billado ( 8 ) Essex, VT
16. Robert Gordon ( 20 ) Milton, VT
17. #Cooper Bouchard ( 7 ) Hinesburg, VT
18. Eric Messier ( 3 ) Hinesburg, VT
19. Colin Cornell ( 54 ) E. Burke, VT
20. Brett Wood ( 29 ) Georgia, VT
21. Kevin Dodge ( 88 ) Barre, VT
22. Michael MacAskill ( 33 ) Williamstown, VT
23. Burton Spooner III ( 4 ) E. Montpelier, VT
24. Craig Bushey ( 05 ) Fairfax, VT
25. Chris Chambers ( 14 ) Brookfield, VT
26. Kyle Streeter ( 37 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
27. #Jeff Murray ( 35 ) Georgia, VT
28. Sam Caron ( 07 ) Milton, VT
29. #Bunker Hodgdon ( 83 ) Hardwick, VT
30. Cedrick Zeno ( 27 ) Middlesex, VT

MAPLEWOOD/IRVING LATE MODELS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
1. Brooks Clark ( 68VT ) Fayston, VT
2. Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) Barre, VT
3. Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) Shelburne, VT
4. Christopher Pelkey ( 64VT ) Barre, VT
5. Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) Montpelier, VT
6. Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) Richmond, VT
7. Cody Blake ( 99VT ) Barre, VT
8. Phil Scott ( 14VT ) Middlesex, VT
9. Evan Hallstrom ( 1VT ) Northfield, VT
10. Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) Barre, VT
11. Lance Allen ( 12VT ) Barre, VT
12. Stephen Donahue ( 2VT ) Graniteville, VT
13. Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) Milton, VT
14. Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) Washington, VT
15. Marcel Gravel ( 86VT ) Wolcott, VT
16. #Brendan Moodie ( 94VT ) Wolcott, VT
17. Stacey Cahoon ( 38VT ) St. Johnsbury, VT
18. Dave Whitcomb ( 25VT ) Essex Jct., VT
19. Mike Bailey ( 00VT ) S. Barre, VT
20. Scott Coburn ( 72VT ) Barre, VT
21. Eric Chase ( 40VT ) Milton, VT
22. Mike Foster ( 7VT ) Montpelier, VT
23. Joey Laquerre ( 15VT ) East Montpelier, VT
24. Josh Masterson ( 11NY ) Bristol, VT

ALLEN LUMBER STREET STOCKS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
1. Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT
2. Matthew Smith ( 44 ) Essex Jct., VT
3. Justin Town ( 53 ) Barre, VT
4. Dean Switser Jr. ( 16 ) Lyndonville, VT
5. Gary Mullen ( 29 ) Tunbridge, VT
6. Logan Powers ( 31 ) Middlesex, VT
7. William Hennequin ( 47 ) Hardwick, VT
8. Stephen Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury Common, VT
9. Jeffrey Martin ( 8 ) Barre, VT
10. Tim Hunt ( 93 ) Derby, VT
11. #Tyler Pepin ( 78 ) Barre, VT
12. Troy Kingsbury ( 39 ) Waitsfield, VT
13. #Trevor Rossi ( 54 ) Washington, VT
14. Kasey Beattie ( 45 ) St. Johnsbury, VT
15. #Bryan P. Wall ( 77 ) E. Kingston, NH
16. #Keenan Laclair ( 10 ) St. Albans, VT
17. Justin Blakely ( 17 ) Graniteville, VT
18. Garry Bashaw ( 4 ) Lincoln, VT
19. Michael Gay ( 3 ) So. Burlington, VT
20. #Royce Lussier ( 95 ) Berlin, VT
21. #Edward Bowen Jr. ( 12 ) Morrisville, VT
22. Tom Smith ( 50 ) Williamstown, VT
23. Thomas Peck ( 96 ) Barre, VT
24. #Shawn M. Teague ( 24 ) Enosburg Falls, VT
25. Patrick Tibbetts ( 48 ) Barre, VT
26. #Juan Marshall ( 79 ) Pittsfield, VT
27. Brandon Gray ( 00 ) E. Thetford, VT