Racing: Dragon Rebounds from Tough Start, Earns Win at Thunder Road

Courtesy Thunder Road

Barre –– Milton’s Scott Dragon bounced back in a big way after a rough start to the 2019 season by grabbing his seventh career Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model win at NorthCountry Federal Credit Union Night on Friday, June 21. The defending “King of the Road” took the lead from Wolcott’s Marcel J. Gravel on lap 29 of the 50-lap feature and was never headed en route to victory.

Dragon started fifth and was barely able to dodge a turn-three crash on the third lap involving Ricky Roberts, Stephen Donahue, and Brendan Moodie. When the green flag flew again, polesitter Tyler Cahoon of Danville and Darrell Morin of Westford went wheel-to-wheel for several circuits before Morin was able to clear Cahoon for the top spot.

The battle didn’t stop there as Wolcott’s Marcel J. Gravel and Dragon both followed Morin up the outside. Gravel swung to the high groove on the 18th circuit and put his bumper up for the lead three laps later. The fight continued to rage as the field passed the halfway mark with Gravel, Morin, Dragon, Cody Blake, and Brooks Clark under a blanket at the front.

But once Gravel made it stick, Dragon wouldn’t be denied, as he soared past Gravel for the lead as they approached lap 30. Both Gravel and Blake kept right in Dragon’s tire tracks for a spell, but the veteran inched away as the laps wound down to snag the victory.

Gravel finished second with Blake third. Hinesburg’s Bobby Therrien took fourth in a substitute driver appearance for Phil Scott. Point leader Jason Corliss, Morin, Clark, Trampas Demers, Kyle Pembroke , and Cahoon completed the top-10.

Waitsfield’s Streeter family reigned in the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers as son Kyle and dad Kevin split a pair of features. Kyle Streeter got his own early-season tonic by taking the win in the conclusion of the Casella Waste Systems make-up feature. Streeter swiped the lead with Sam Caron with eight laps to go in the 40-lap feature and seemed primed to run away late.

However, Kevin Streeter got together with Caron fighting for the third spot and spun to bring out the caution with two laps to go. But Kyle was able to hold off rookie Logan Powers and veteran Joe Steffen for the victory.

Grand Isle’s Steffen nipped Middlesex’s Powers at the line for second. Stephen Martin, Jason Woodard, Brett Wood, Brandon Lanphear, Mike Billado, Jason Pelkey, and Caron rounded out the top-10.

It was Kevin’s turn in the nightcap as he came back to take a wild NorthCountry Federal Credit Union feature. Streeter started ninth the 40-lap feature and slowly picked his way through the field as numerous contenders fell by the wayside in various incidents.

When the fifth caution flew on lap 24, the elder Streeter found himself alongside San Caron once again – this time on the front row. Streeter got the jump for the top spot when the green fell and survived one more caution with five laps to go for his first career win.

Barre’s Jason Pelkey nosed ahead of Caron on the final sprint to take second place after starting 19th. Caron settled for a career-best third. Rookie Stephen Martin, Micheal MacAskill, Cooper Bouchard, Logan Powers, Kelsea Woodard, Jason Woodard, and Brett Wood also earned top-10 finishes.

The Allen Lumber Street Stocks saw first-year runners sweep the podium in a wild finish. E. Calais’s Hunter King got the jump for the lead off the outside pole with Williamstown’s Kyle MacAskill not far behind. The two ran away from the field in a caution-free event, opening up a half-track advantage over fellow freshman Derek Farnham of S. Royalton.

With two laps to go, the front duo came up on a huge pack of lapped traffic. King went high to try and get past while MacAskill dove low. MacAskill put the nose up in the final corner as they went three-wide around traffic. Contact was made at the checkered flag, and MacAskill ended up head-on in the wall just seconds after earning his first career Street Stock win.

King and Farnham finished second and third while point leader Jeffrey Martin of Barre came home fourth. Another first-year runner, W. Fairlee’s Hunter Garduno, took fifth. Scott Weston, Tommy “Thunder” Smith, Justin Blakely, Tyler Pepin, and Juan “Paco” Marshall finished sixth through tenth.

Berlin’s Eric “Pork” Chase made it two in a row in the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warrior feature. Chase started 12th in the 20-lap event but only needed seven laps to sweep past polesitter Bernie Roy for the top spot. He then held off Northfield’s James Dopp and Berlin’s Chris Davis on a green-white-checkered for the win. Kyler Davis, Mike Mitchell, Nate “Tater” Brien, Brian Putney, Fred Fleury, Paige Whittemore, and Dan Garrett Jr. also earned top-10 finishes.

Racing returns to Thunder Road next Thursday, June 27 at 7:00pm with Community College of Vermont Night. The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models have double features as they start the evening with their 50-lap Casella Waste Systems make-up race. The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and Allen Lumber Street Stocks also have a full card. 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.

NORTHCOUNTRY FEDERAL CREDIT UNION NIGHT
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

MAPLEWOOD IRVING LATE MODELS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
1. Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) Milton, VT
2. Marcel J. Gravel ( 86VT ) Wolcott, VT
3. Cody Blake ( 99VT ) Barre, VT
4. Bobby Therrien ( 14VT ) Hinesburg, VT
5. Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) Barre, VT
6. Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) Westford, VT
7. Brooks Clark ( 68VT ) Waitsfield, VT
8. Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) Shelburne, VT
9. Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) Montpelier, VT
10. Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) Danville, VT
11. Christopher Pelkey ( 64VT ) Graniteville, VT
12. Josh Masterson ( 11VT ) Bristol, VT
13. Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) Barre, VT
14. Eric Chase ( 40VT ) Milton, VT
15. Matt White ( 42VT ) Northfield, VT
16. Trevor Lyman ( 25VT ) Hinesburg, VT
17. Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) Washington, VT
18. Brendan Moodie ( 94VT ) Wolcott, VT
19. Stephen Donahue ( 2VT ) Graniteville, VT

LENNY’S SHOE & APPAREL FLYING TIGERS
Casella Make-Up Feature
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
1. Kyle Streeter ( 37VT ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
2. Joe Steffen ( 00VT ) Grand Isle, VT
3. #Logan Powers ( 31VT ) Middlesex, VT
4. #Stephen Martin ( 9VT ) Craftsbury Common, VT
5. Jason Woodard ( 68VT ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
6. Brett Wood ( 29VT ) Georgia, VT
7. Brandon Lanphear ( 11VT ) Morrisville, VT
8. Mike Billado ( 8VT ) Grand Isle, VT
9. Jason Pelkey ( 64VT ) Barre, VT
10. Sam Caron ( 07VT ) Milton, VT
11. Tyler Austin ( 5VT ) East Calias, VT
12. Danny Doyle ( 51VT ) Chelsea, VT
13. Colin Cornell ( 54VT ) E. Burke, VT
14. Michael Martin ( 01VT ) Craftsbury Common, VT
15. Cooper Bouchard ( 7VT ) Hinesburg, VT
16. Chris Chambers ( 14VT ) Brookfield, VT
17. Bunker Hodgdon ( 83VT ) Wolcott, VT
18. Robert Gordon ( 20VT ) Milton, VT
19. Adam Maynard ( 57VT ) Milton, VT
20. Micheal MacAskill ( 33VT ) Williamstown, VT
21. Kelsea Woodard ( 55VT ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
22. Kevin Dodge ( 88VT ) Barre, VT
23. Jeff Murray ( 35VT ) Georgia, VT
24. Kevin Streeter ( 67VT ) Waitsfield, VT
25. Matthew Potter ( 23VT ) Marshfield, VT
26. Michael Potter ( 23NH ) Plainfield, VT

LENNY’S SHOE & APPAREL FLYING TIGERS
NorthCountry Federal Credit Union Feature
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
1. Kevin Streeter ( 67VT ) Waitsfield, VT
2. Jason Pelkey ( 64VT ) Barre, VT
3. Sam Caron ( 07VT ) Milton, VT
4. #Stephen Martin ( 9VT ) Craftsbury Common, VT
5. Micheal MacAskill ( 33VT ) Williamstown, VT
6. Cooper Bouchard ( 7VT ) Hinesburg, VT
7. #Logan Powers ( 31VT ) Middlesex, VT
8. Kelsea Woodard ( 55VT ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
9. Jason Woodard ( 68VT ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
10. Brett Wood ( 29VT ) Georgia, VT
11. Sid Sweet Jr. ( 93VT ) Williamstown, VT
12. Mike Billado ( 8VT ) Grand Isle, VT
13. Jeff Murray ( 35VT ) Georgia, VT
14. Bunker Hodgdon ( 83VT ) Wolcott, VT
15. Robert Gordon ( 20VT ) Milton, VT
16. Shawn Powell ( 44VT ) Jericho, VT
17. Chris Chambers ( 14VT ) Brookfield, VT
18. Brandon Lanphear ( 11VT ) Morrisville, VT
19. Colin Cornell ( 54VT ) E. Burke, VT
20. Joe Steffen ( 00VT ) Grand Isle, VT
21. Kyle Streeter ( 37VT ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
22. Michael Martin ( 01VT ) Craftsbury Common, VT
23. Adam Maynard ( 57VT ) Milton, VT
24. Kevin Dodge ( 88VT ) Barre, VT
25. Danny Doyle ( 51VT ) Chelsea, VT
26. Tyler Austin ( 5VT ) East Calias, VT

ALLEN LUMBER STREET STOCKS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
1. #Kyle MacAskill ( 7 ) Williamstown, VT
2. Hunter King ( 64 ) E. Calais, VT
3. #Derek Farnham ( 5 ) S. Royalton, VT
4. Jeffrey Martin ( 8 ) Barre, VT
5. Hunter Garduno ( 13 ) W. Fairlee, VT
6. Scott Weston ( 04 ) Berlin, VT
7. Thomas Smith ( 22 ) Williamstown, VT
8. Justin Blakely ( 17 ) Barre, VT
9. Tyler Pepin ( 78 ) Barre, VT
10. Juan Marshall ( 79 ) Pittsfield, VT
11. Tim Hunt ( 93 ) Derby, VT
12. J.T. Blanchard ( 66 ) Graniteville, VT
13. Dean Switser Jr. ( 16 ) Lyndonville, VT
14. Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT
15. Tom Campbell ( 85 ) Middlesex, VT
16. Michael Gay ( 3 ) So. Burlington, VT
17. Bryan P. Wall ( 77 ) E. Kingston, NH
18. Kasey Beattie ( 45 ) St. Johnsbury, VT
19. Kasey Collins ( 98 ) Berlin, VT
20. #Keegan Lamson ( 55 ) Berlin, VT
21. Frank Putney ( 88 ) Graniteville, VT
22. Eric MacLaughlin ( 6 ) Milton, VT
23. Thomas Peck ( 96 ) Barre, VT
24. #Tanner Woodard ( 68 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
25. #Cooper French ( 4 ) Northfield, VT

BURNETT SCRAP METALS ROAD WARRIORS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
1. Eric Chase ( 13 ) Berlin, VT
2. James Dopp ( 0 ) Northfield, VT
3. Chris Davis ( 69 ) Berlin, VT
4. Kyler Davis ( 68 ) Berlin, VT
5. Mike Mitchell ( 1 ) Essex Jct., VT
6. Nate Brien ( 16 ) Brookfield, VT
7. Brian Putney ( 87 ) E. Corinth, VT
8. Fred Fleury ( 99 ) Graniteville, VT
9. Paige Whittemore ( 47 ) Graniteville, VT
10. Dan Garrett Jr. ( 54 ) Berlin, VT
11. Rodney Campbell ( 10 ) Worcester, VT
12. Haidyn Pearce ( 4 ) Middlesex, VT
13. Sean McCarthy ( 86 ) Williamstown, VT
14. Bernie Roy ( 2 ) Hinesburg, VT
15. Josh Vilbrin ( 07 ) Northfield, VT
16. Jacob Hall-Larson ( 42 ) Northfield, VT
17. Todd Raymo ( 26 ) Swanton, VT
18. Kyle Chapin ( 27 ) Barre, VT
19. Davey Chase ( 11 ) Hardwick, VT