Courtesy American Canadian Tour
BARRE – Hinesburg’s Bobby Therrien took the lead early and never looked back en route to capturing the 55th Memorial Day Classic presented by Mekkelsen RV Sales & Rental at Barre’s Thunder Road on Sunday, May 28. It was the first Thunder Road Late Model victory for the multi-time American-Canadian Tour (ACT) winner.
After previously winning his heat, Therrien sliced through the field from the 10th starting position, grabbing the top spot from pole sitter Brooks Clark on a lap-16 restart. The former Flying Tiger champion held off a host of challengers during a series of yellows, then walked away from the field during an extended green flag run following a competition caution on lap 60.
However, second-place runner Phil Scott blew a tire and smacked the front stretch wall with three laps to go, setting up a sprint to the finish. Therrien held on for the final laps to take the win.
Defending “King of the Road” Scott Dragon and veteran Shawn Fleury sliced to second and third during the final scramble, dropping Kyle Pembroke back to fourth. First-time Thunder Road Late Model competitor Brendan Moodie, Eric Badore, Clark, Oren Remick, Ray Christian III, and Trampas Demers rounded out the top-10.
Former Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North Champion D.J. Shaw of Center Conway, N.H. led early and often to score the win in the PASS Super Late Model feature. Apart from Barre’s Nick Sweet nosing ahead for two laps in the early going, Shaw went the distance, keeping all challengers at bay in a caution-filled event that was shorted to 125 laps due to tire and track concerns.
Strong, Me.’s Tracy Gordon was second while St-Denis, QC’s Patrick Laperle recovered from early troubles to finish third. Former PASS Champions Travis Benjamin and Ben Rowe were fourth and fifth. Todd Stone, Devin O’Connell, Johnny Clark, Angelo Belsito, and Glen Luce also earned top 10 finishes.
Prior to the Memorial Day Classic, Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie had already driven to victory in the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger feature. Moodie took the lead from Craftsbury Common’s Mike Martin on lap 17 of the 40-lap event and held off a hard-charging Dwayne Lanphear in the closing laps to become the division’s all-time winningest driver (18).
Morrisville’s Lanphear showed he hasn’t lost anything after a long hiatus from racing, charging from 13th on the starting grid to finish second. Joel Hodgdon took third followed by rookie Jaden Perry and veteran Joe Steffen. Martin, Jason Woodard, Jamon Perry, Cameron Ouellette, and Tyler Austin finished 6th through 10th.
Duxbury’s Reilly Lanphear scored her first career victory in the 25-lap Allen Lumber Street Stock feature. Lanphear took the lead from pole sitter Michael Gay of South Burlington on the start and pulled away in the race’s middle stages, but had to hold off a resurgent Gay in the final circuits for the victory.
Gay settled for a career-best second, while Waterbury Center’s Kelsea Woodard fended off the pack for her first podium result. Gary Mullen, Alan Maynard, Brandon Lanphear, Matthew Smith, Bunker Hodgdon, rookie Logan Powers, and Thomas Merchant rounded out the top-10.
Thunder Road will be back in action Sunday, June 4 for Harvest Equipment Night with a special 3:00pm post time. The Thunder Road Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will all be in action along with the annual Kids Rides. Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).
For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
55TH MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC PRESENTED BY MEKKELSEN RV SALES & RENTAL
THUNDER ROAD LATE MODELS
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos., Start Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown, Laps
- ( 10 ) Bobby Therrien ( 5VT ) , Hinesburg, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 14 ) Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) , Milton, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 22 ) Shawn Fleury ( 31VT ) , Middlesex, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 7 ) Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) , Montpelier, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 13 ) Brendan Moodie ( 94VT ) , Wolcott, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 19 ) Eric Badore ( 04VT ) , Milton, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 1 ) Brooks Clark ( 68VT ) , Fayston, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 15 ) Oren Remick ( 21NH ) , Warner, NH , 100 Laps
- ( 25 ) #Raymond L. Christian lll ( 93CT ) , Norwich, CT , 100 Laps
- ( 8 ) Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) , S. Burlington, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 9 ) Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) , Barre, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 11 ) Eric Chase ( 40VT ) , Milton, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 16 ) Mike Bailey ( 00VT ) , S. Barre, VT , 99 Laps
- ( 24 ) Christopher Pelkey ( 64VT ) , Graniteville, VT , 99 Laps
- ( 2 ) Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) , Westford, VT , 99 Laps
- ( 23 ) Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) , Washington, VT , 99 Laps
- ( 4 ) Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) , Danville, VT , 99 Laps
- ( 17 ) Jamie Fisher ( 18VT ) , Shelburne, VT , 99 Laps
- ( 6 ) Phil Scott ( 14VT ) , Berlin, VT , 96 Laps
- ( 31 ) Mike Foster ( 7VT ) , Williston, VT , 58 Laps
- ( 26 ) Marcel J. Gravel ( 86VT ) , Wolcott, VT , 57 Laps
- ( 12 ) Josh Demers ( 10VT ) , Montpelier, VT , 37 Laps
- ( 5 ) Brandon Atkins ( 4NY ) , Au Sable Forks, NY , 37 Laps
- ( 21 ) Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) , Barre, VT , 37 Laps
- ( 20 ) Cody Blake ( 99VT ) , Barre, VT , 32 Laps
- ( 18 ) Jason Allen ( 29VT ) , Barre, VT , 29 Laps
- ( 3 ) Matt White ( 42VT ) , Northfield, VT , 26 Laps
- ( 27 ) Richard Lowrey III ( 44VT ) , Charlotte, VT , 16 Laps
- ( 29 ) Scott Coburn ( 72VT ) , Barre, VT , 14 Laps
Lap Leaders: Brooks Clark, 1-16; Bobby Therrien, 17-100. (1 lead change among 2 drivers)
Time of Race: 1:03:46 Margin of Victory: 1.125 seconds
Cautions: 7 (laps 16, 26, 36, 37, 42, 60, 97)
Heat Winners: Bobby Therrien, Eric Chase, Josh Demers
Consi Winners: Mike Bailey, Brandon Atkins
PASS SUPER LATE MODELS 125
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown, Laps
- D.J. Shaw ( 60 ) Center Conway, NH, 125 Laps
- Tracy Gordon ( 41 ) Strong, ME, 125 Laps
- Patrick Laperle ( 91QC ) St-Denis, QC, 125 Laps
- Travis Benjamin ( 7 ) Morrill, ME, 125 Laps
- Ben Rowe ( 4n ) Turner, ME, 125 Laps
- Todd Stone ( 1X ) Middlebury, VT, 125 Laps
- Devin O’Connell ( 43 ) Madison, CT, 125 Laps
- Johnny Clark ( 54 ) Hallowell, ME, 125 Laps
- Angelo Belsito ( 8 ) Auburn, MA, 125 Laps
- Glen Luce ( 7L ) Turner, ME, 124 Laps
- Dave Farrington Jr. ( 23 ) Jay, ME, 122 Laps
- Bobby Therrien ( 5X ) Hinesburg, VT, 114 Laps
- Derek Ramstrom ( 35 ) W. Boylston, MA, 113 Laps
- Jeremy Davis ( 1VT ) Tamworth, NH, 106 Laps
- Nick Sweet ( 40VT ) Barre, VT, 103 Laps
- Derek Griffith ( 12G ) Hudson, NH, 91 Laps
- John Salemi ( 63 ) Nashua, NH, 54 Laps
- Travis Stearns ( 16ME ) Auburn, ME, 44 Laps
LENNY’S SHOE & APPAREL FLYING TIGERS
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
- Brendan Moodie ( 94 ) Wolcott, VT
- Dwayne Lanphear ( 11 ) Morrisville, VT
- Joel Hodgdon ( 36 ) Craftsbury Common, VT
- #Jaden Perry ( 92 ) Hardwick, VT
- Joe Steffen ( 00 ) Grand Isle, VT
- Mike Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury Common, VT
- Jason Woodard ( 68 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
- #Jamon Perry ( 62 ) Hardwick, VT
- Cameron Ouellette ( 90 ) Barre, VT
- #Tyler Austin ( 5 ) East Calais, VT
- Trevor Lyman ( 17 ) Hinesburg, VT
- Kyle Streeter ( 37 ) Waitsfield, VT
- Kevin Dodge ( 88 ) Barre, VT
- #Jason Pelkey ( 64 ) Barre, VT
- Mike Billado ( 8 ) Essex, VT
- Brian Delphia ( 25 ) Duxbury, VT
- Adam Maynard ( 57 ) Milton, VT
- Sid Sweet, Jr. ( 51 ) Williamstown, VT
- Robert Gordon ( 20 ) Milton, VT
- #Burt Spooner III ( 4 ) E. Montpelier, VT
- Brent Currier ( 1 ) Morrisville, VT
- Matthew Potter ( 7 ) Marshfield, VT
ALLEN LUMBER STREET STOCKS
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
- Reilly Lanphear ( 21 ) Duxbury, VT
- Michael Gay ( 3 ) So. Burlington, VT
- Kelsea Woodard ( 55 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
- Gary Mullen ( 29 ) Tunbridge, VT
- Alan Maynard ( 10 ) Fairfax, VT
- Brandon Lanphear ( 11 ) Morrisville, VT
- Matthew Smith ( 04 ) Essex Jct., VT
- Bunker Hodgdon lll ( 83 ) E. Hardwick, VT
- #Logan Powers ( 31 ) Middlesex, VT
- Thomas Merchant ( 38 ) Eden Mills, VT
- #Stephen Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury Common, VT
- Dean Switzer, Jr. ( 45 ) Lyndonville, VT
- Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT
- Greg Collette ( 33 ) Milton, VT
- Tom Campbell ( 85 ) Middlesex, VT
- #Jeff Murray ( 35 ) Georgia, VT
- #Kasey Collins ( 98 ) Barre, VT
- Cooper Bouchard ( 7 ) Hinesburg, VT
- William Hennequin ( 47 ) Hardwick, VT
- Scott Weston ( 40 ) Berlin, VT
- Vern Woodard ( 73 ) Brandon, VT
- Tom Smith ( 50 ) Williamstown, VT
- Kevin Streeter ( 67 ) Waitsfield, VT
- Peyton Lanphear ( 22 ) Duxbury, VT