Brett Wheeler Holds Off Scott for Late Model Win
Barre, VT – Brett Wheeler of Waterbury Center met Phil Scott’s challenge on a late race restart and sped off to victory in the Harvest Equipment Night Late Model 50-lap main event on a rare Monday night of stock car racing at Thunder Road.
Wheeler started on the pole and left everyone in the dust before a caution for Joey M Laquerre’s spin on lap 39 brought his Spherion No. 1 back to the field. Scott lined up alongside Wheeler in the Lamberton Electric/Maplewood No. 14, but wasn’t able to hang at Wheeler’s door.
Trampas Demers and Dave Whitcomb spent the final 11 laps in a spirited battle for 3rd that went to Demers. Rookie Jason Corliss finished 5th. Point leader Derrick O’Donnell came from 20th on the grid to claim 6th. O’Donnell was 13th at the halfway mark. Positions 7-10 went to Joey Laquerre, Dave Pembroke, Mike Bailey and Eric Chase.
Bailey and Chase won their Late Model heats with ease. Wheeler also was a heat winner, despite close pursuit from Phil Scott. Derrick O’Donnell used a late opening in traffic to gain a qualified spot. Brooks Clark, the prior feature winner, spent his heat mired in double-wide traffic.
Eric Badore of Milton reeled in Chris Pelkey on the white flag lap to complete a stirring charge from 5th in the closing laps of the Tiger Sportsman feature. Pelkey was 2nd, just ahead of Joe Steffen. Point leader Shawn Fleury was 4th. Chris Roberts caught Jason Allen at the wire for 5th. It was Badore’s first win of the year.
Darrell Morin won his heat and the semi-feature, but his bid for a triple crown night came to an abrupt halt on the 2nd lap of 35-lap feature. Morin tangled with Pelkey at the front of the pack and ended up against the wall at the flag stand. He left on the wrecker and did not return.
Pelkey grabbed the lead on the restart with rookie Cameron Ouellette perched at his spoiler. The second yellow was thrown on lap eight when Jason Woodard executed a judge and jury spinout of Mike Martin. The front four cars on the restart were Pelkey, Ouellette, Mike Billado and Joe Steffen.
Pelkey stayed ahead of the double wide fray for a dozen laps before Billado cleared Ouellette for 2nd. A lap later, three-wide action didn’t fit through turn four and Josh Demers did a slow roll over onto his roof after a bout with Tucker Williams and the frontstretch wall. The red flag was thrown, but Demers was not seriously injured.
Bunker Hodgdon of Hardwick inherited his first Allen Lumber Street Stock win after the top three finishers were disqualified for suspension infractions in post race technical inspection. Apparent winner Greg Adams, second place Jamie Davis, third place finisher Dean Switser Jr. and tenth place finisher Joe Fecteau all failed post race tech for rear camber. Young Jamon Perry also of Hardwick took over second and fan favorite Jennifer Getty of Cambridge completed the podium.
Thunder Road International Speedbowl once again opens its gates this Thursday, August 8 with WDEV and Calkins Night. The evening will feature the Late Models, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks and the Rough Riders. The evening will also see the annual Porta-Potty Grand Prix. Post time is 6:30pm.
Harvest Equipment Night
Thunder Road – Barre, VT
Monday, August 5, 2013
Late Models Unofficial Results
Pos. Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Brett Wheeler (1vt) Waterbury, VT
2. Phil Scott (14vt) Middlesex, VT
3. Trampas Demers (85vt) S. Burlington, VT
4. David Whitcomb (25vt) Essex Jct., VT
5. #Jason Corliss (66vt) Barre, VT
6. #Derrick O’Donnell (60vt) N. Haverhill, NH
7. Joey Laquerre (15vt) E. Montpelier, VT
8. Dave Pembroke (44vt) Middlesex, VT
9. Mike Bailey (00vt) South Barre, VT
10. Eric Chase (40vt) Milton, VT
11. Jean-Paul Cyr (32vt) Milton, VT
12. Jamie Fisher (18vt) Shelburne, VT
13. Brooks Clark (68vt) Fayston, VT
14. Brett Gervais (11nh) Island Pond, VT
15. Kyle Pembroke (27vt) Montpelier, VT
16. Matthew White (42vt) Northfield, VT
17. Jim Morris (13vt) Barre, VT
18. Scott Payea (89vt) Milton, VT
19. #Joey M. Laquerre (51vt) E. Montpelier, VT
20. Jamie Aube (41vt) No. Ferrisburg, VT
21. Emily Packard (9me) E. Montpelier, VT
22. Nick Sweet (88vt) Barre, VT
23. #Brandon Atkins (4ny) Ausable Forks, NY
24. Cody Blake (99vt) Barre, VT
25. Joey Becker (16vt) Jeffersonville, VT
26. #Robert Eldred (38vt) Waterbury, VT
DNS #Terry Reil (11vt) E. Barre, VT
Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen Unofficial Results
Pos. Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Eric Badore (04) Milton, VT
2. Christopher Pelkey (64) South Barre, VT
3. Joe Steffen (00) Grand Isle, VT
4. Shawn Fleury (31) Middlesex, VT
5. Chris Roberts (9) Washington, VT
6. Jason Allen (29) Barre, VT
7. Mike Ziter (26) Williamstown, VT
8. Mike Martin (01) Craftsbury Common, VT
9. #Cameron Ouellette (90) Barre, VT
10. Jason Woodard (68) Waterbury Ctr., VT
11. Brendan Moodie (94) Wolcott, VT
12. Randy Gonyaw (22) S. Barre, VT
13. Mike Billado (8) Essex, VT
14. Caleb Nelson (07) Moretown, VT
15. Scott Coburn (1) Barre, VT
16. Jeffrey Bousquet (60) Worcester, VT
17. Tucker Williams (11) Hyde Park, VT
18. Adam Pierson (85) Bradford,VT
19. Josh Demers (10) Montpelier, VT
20. Darrell Morin (71) Essex Jct., VT
DNS Doug Crowningshield (14) Barre, VT
DNS Dan Lathrop (6) Hyde Park, VT
Allen Lumber Street Stocks Unofficial Results
Pos. Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Bunker Hodgdon (83) Wolcott, VT
2. Jamon Perry (62) Hardwick, VT
3. Jennifer Getty (25) Cambridge, VT
4. Tommy Smith (50) Williamstown, VT
5. Jaden Perry (02) Hardwick, VT
6. #Tyler Austin (5) E. Calais, VT
7. Kevin Dodge (8) Barre, VT
8. Scott Weston (04) Berlin, VT
9. Paul Grant (46) East Calais, VT
10. #George Butler (9) Randolph, VT
11. Marcel Gravel (86) Morrisville, VT
12. Gary Mullen (29) Tunbridge, VT
DNS Will Hennequin (47) Morrisville, VT
DNS Donnie Yates (05) N. Montpelier, VT
DNS Kyle Streeter (37) Waitsfield, VT
DNS #Tommy Elwood (88) Morrisville, VT
DNS Keith Fortier (35) Hinesburg, VT
DSQ Greg Adams (38) Hardwick, VT
DSQ Jamie Davis (43) Wolcott, VT
DSQ Dean Switser, Jr. (16) Lyndonville, VT
DSQ Joe Fecteau (75) Hardwick, VT
Sources: Thunder Road Speedbowl PR