Brett Wheeler Scores Hard Earned Victory on Make-A-Wish Night; Mike Billado, Alan Maynard, and Jennifer Getty Victorious
Barre, VT – Brett Wheeler outlasted Joey Becker in a side-by-side duel of front row occupants that went on for the full 50 laps of the Make-A-Wish Late Model main event Thursday at Thunder Road.
Wheeler had to command the outside lane to land his 2nd win of the season in the Spherion Chevy No. 1. Becker led the first 16 laps as well as laps 26-30 and 32-36.
Neither Wheeler nor Becker could have survived a misstep as 16 year-old Emily Packard arrived at their spoilers on lap 36. Packard got a wheel ahead of Becker as the trio encountered a lapped car, but Becker hung tough for runner-up honors.
Scott Payea was a close 4th, three car-lengths ahead of point leader Derrick O’Donnell. Nick Sweet, Cody Blake and Eric Chase were next in line.
“It was a lot of fun racing with Joey like that,” Wheeler said.
Mike Billado of Essex became the 11th different winner in 12 Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman events when he wired the field in the 35-lap feature, which had only one caution. Billado led Adam Pierson, Mike Ziter, Jason Woodard and Cam Ouellette to the wire. The five cars raced nose-to-tail well ahead of a doublewide battle for 6th, which went to point leader Eric Badore. Spots 7-10 went to Jeff Bousquet, Shawn Fleury, Scott Coburn and Brendan Moodie.
The night of stock car racing got off to a heartwarming start when Jennifer Getty of Cambridge brought a big “summer’s winding down” crowd to its feet with her first career win in the make-up WDEV Night Allen Lumber Street Stock feature.
One-handed since birth and a fan favorite for her upbeat attitude, Getty led every lap in her pink Shearer Chevrolet No. 25 despite a mirror full of Jamie Davis over the final seven laps. “I’ve had a speech ready for a long time, but I just want to thank my team, my friends and my fans,” Getty said.
Troy Kingsbury followed Davis home in 3rd. Willy Hennequin and Gary Mullen, who tailed Getty closely for a dozen laps, completed the top five.
Getty was back for more in Make-A-Wish Night qualifying action with a win in her heat race.
In the Street Stock nightcap, Al Maynard of Fairfax held off Jamie Davis to record his 1st-ever win. Sixteen year-old rookie Tyler Austin of East Calais had his best showing of the season in 3rd.
Nate Crete a mechanic from Essex won the Run What Ya’ Brung spectator drags competition in an Audi S-4.
NASCAR Hall of Famer Bobby Allison was in attendance for an autograph session on behalf of the State of Vermont’s Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over campaign and gave the “Gentleman and Ladies start your engines” command.
Thunder Road returns to action Sunday, August 18 with a previously rained out Fairpoint Communications night at 6 p.m. All four Thunder Road divisions will be in action.
Make-A-Wish Night
Thursday, August 15, 2013
Thunder Road – Barre, VT
Late Models Unofficial Results
Pos. Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Brett Wheeler (1vt) Waterbury, VT
2. Joey Becker (16vt) Jeffersonville, VT
3. Emily Packard (9me) E. Montpelier, VT
4. Scott Payea (89vt) Milton, VT
5. #Derrick O’Donnell (60vt) N. Haverhill, NH
6. Nick Sweet (88vt) Barre, VT
7. Cody Blake (99vt) Barre, VT
8. Eric Chase (40vt) Milton, VT
9. Trampas Demers (85vt) S. Burlington, VT
10. Jean-Paul Cyr (32vt) Milton, VT
11. #Joey M. Laquerre (51vt) E. Montpelier, VT
12. Brooks Clark (68vt) Fayston, VT
13. Phil Scott (14vt) Middlesex, VT
14. Mike Bailey (00vt) South Barre, VT
15. Jamie Fisher (18vt) Shelburne, VT
16. Dave Pembroke (44vt) Middlesex, VT
17. Kyle Pembroke (27vt) Montpelier, VT
18. Brett Gervais (11nh) Island Pond, VT
19. #Jason Corliss (66vt) Barre, VT
20. #Robert Eldred (38vt) Waterbury, VT
21. #Terry Reil (11vt) E. Barre, VT
22. Marcel Gravel (5nh) Wolcott, VT
23. Joey Laquerre (15vt) E. Montpelier, VT
24. Ken Dufour (4nh) Bethlehem, NH
Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen Unofficial Results
Pos. Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Mike Billado (8) Essex, VT
2. Adam Pierson (85) Bradford,VT
3. Mike Ziter (26) Williamstown, VT
4. Jason Woodard (68) Waterbury Ctr., VT
5. #Cameron Ouellette (90) Barre, VT
6. Eric Badore (04) Milton, VT
7. Jeffrey Bousquet (60) Worcester, VT
8. Shawn Fleury (31) Middlesex, VT
9. Scott Coburn (1) Barre, VT
10. Brendan Moodie (94) Wolcott, VT
11. Randy Gonyaw (22) S. Barre, VT
12. Tucker Williams (11) Hyde Park, VT
13. John Lambert (2) Northfield, VT
14. Josh Demers (10) Montpelier, VT
15. Jason Allen (29) Barre, VT
16. Joe Steffen (00) Grand Isle, VT
17. Mike Martin (01) Craftsbury Common, VT
18. Darrell Morin (71) Essex Jct., VT
19. Ty Gagne (17) Fairfax, VT
20. Christopher Pelkey (64) South Barre, VT
21. Chris Roberts (9) Washington, VT
Allen Lumber Street Stocks Unofficial Results
Pos. Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Alan Maynard (10) Fairfax, VT
2. Jamie Davis (43) Wolcott, VT
3. #Tyler Austin (5) E. Calais, VT
4. Alex Perkins (55) White River Jct., VT
5. Will Hennequin (47) Morrisville, VT
6. Tommy Smith (50) Williamstown, VT
7. Bunker Hodgdon (83) Wolcott, VT
8. #Tommy Elwood (88) Morrisville, VT
9. Gary Mullen (29) Tunbridge, VT
10. Joe Fecteau (75) Hardwick, VT
11. Troy Kingsbury (39) Waitsfield, VT
12. Kevin Dodge (8) Barre, VT
13. Jaden Perry (02) Hardwick, VT
14. Kyle Streeter (37) Waitsfield, VT
15. Jamon Perry (62) Hardwick, VT
16. #Patrick Tibbetts (48) Barre, VT
17. Scott Maynard (59) Burlington, VT
18. Jennifer Getty (25) Cambridge, VT
19. Jason LaHue (68) Milton, VT
20. Derrick Mann (53) Duxbury, VT
21. Cassie Trendle (28) Georgia, VT
22. Marvin Johnson (19) Essex Jct., VT
23. #George Butler (9) Randolph, VT
24. Scott Weston (04) Berlin, VT
Allen Lumber Street Stock WDEV Feature Make-Up
Unofficial Results – Postponed (8/8)
Pos. Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Jennifer Getty (25) Cambridge, VT
2. Jamie Davis (43) Wolcott, VT
3. Troy Kingsbury (39) Waitsfield, VT
4. Will Hennequin (47) Morrisville, VT
5. Gary Mullen (29) Tunbridge, VT
6. Kyle Streeter (37) Waitsfield, VT
7. #Tyler Austin (5) E. Calais, VT
8. Tommy Smith (50) Williamstown, VT
9. Alan Maynard (10) Fairfax, VT
10. Bunker Hodgdon (83) Wolcott, VT
11. Jamon Perry (62) Hardwick, VT
12. Kevin Dodge (8) Barre, VT
13. Jaden Perry (02) Hardwick, VT
14. #Tommy Elwood (88) Morrisville, VT
15. #George Butler (9) Randolph, VT
16. Joe Fecteau (75) Hardwick, VT
17. Alex Perkins (55) White River Jct., VT
18. Derrick Mann (53) Duxbury, VT
19. Marvin Johnson (19) Essex Jct., VT
20. Cassie Trendle (28) Georgia, VT
21. Scott Maynard (59) Burlington, VT
22. Jason LaHue (68) Milton, VT
23. Scott Weston (04) Berlin, VT
24. #Patrick Tibbetts (48) Barre, VT
Sources: Thunder Road Speedbowl PR