Quebec’s Alex Labbe Scores Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Pole Award
Barre, VT — Racing stateside is becoming very agreeable with 2013 Série ACT Runner-up Alex Labbe of St-Albert, QC.
One week after winning the ACT Fall Foliage 200 at Airborne Park Speedway, the 20-year-old Canadian racer won the Booth Brothers/HP Hood pole award at Thunder Road and will start on the point in Sunday’s (October 6) 51st Peoples United Bank Milk Bowl. He became the first Quebec driver to earn the pole award and the $1,000 bonus since Patrick Laperle in 2002.
Labbe best 49 other ACT Late Model teams when he turned Saturday’s fastest lap (13.159) in qualifying. Three-time Milk Bowl winner Brian Hoar (13.206) will be his partner on the front row.
“This was my second time trying to qualify for the Milk Bowl,” the former go-kart racer said. “The first time, in 2010, I didn’t make it. I just wanted to get into the race, but the car felt really good. I practiced on older tires, but I went out on new tires for the time trial. In the 50-lap race, I let (Patrick) Laperle go. I want to keep my stuff for tomorrow.”
Laperle, like Hoar a three-time Milk Bowl winner, handily won the first of three 50-lap qualifying events. He will start 3rd, alongside 2013 Thunder Road Late Model champion Derrick O’Donnell of North Haverhill, NH. O’Donnell edged Barre’s Cody Blake in a tight battle in the second 50-lapper.
Row three will be comprised of Joey Polewarczyk Jr. of Hudson, NH and Trampas Demers of South Burlington. Joey “Pole” ran the final half of his 50-lap qualifier up on the rim of the race track while Nick Sweet pressed him from the low groove. Polewarczyk Jr negotiated lapped traffic well enough to beat Sweet to the finish line by 0.03 seconds.
The Milk Bowl B-Feature Last Chance race rounded out the day’s events. Barre’s own Jim “Boomer” Morris won the 25 lap event, while Bobby Therrien took second. Both were good enough to qualify. Brooks Clark and Labor Day Classic winner Travis Stearns claimed provisionals to round out the 30 car field.
The first half of the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman “Mini Milk Bowl”, consisting of 35 raucous, high-attrition laps, was won by Jason Woodard of Waterbury. Seasonal point leader Shawn Fleury moved closer to claiming the 2013 track championship by placing second at Woodard’s bumper, just ahead of his closest rival Mike Ziter of Barre.
Groveton, NH’s Jason Kenison claimed the first leg of the Allen Lumber Street Stocks Mini-Milk Bowl. He edged out Donnie Yates and Nick Pilotte.
Post time for the running of the 51st People’s United Bank Milk Bowl, comprised of three 50-lap segments, is set for 1:00 p.m tomorrow (Sunday, October 6). The Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will run their final segments of their Mini-Milk Bowls and the Rough Riders will be on hand for a special event of their own. Opening ceremonies begin at 1:00pm.
51st People’s United Bank Milk Bowl
Thunder Road – Barre, VT
Segment #1 Lineup
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Pos. (Car #) Driver, Hometown
1. (48QC) Alex Labbe, St-Albert, QC
2. (37VT) Brian Hoar, Williston, VT
3. (91QC) Patrick Laperle, St-Denis, QC
4. (60VT) #Derrick O’Donnell, N. Haverhill, NH
5. (97NH) Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, NH
6. (85VT) Trampas Demers, S. Burlington, VT
7. (99VT) Cody Blake, Barre, VT
8. (88VT) Nick Sweet, Barre, VT
9. (50VT) Jay Laquerre, Barre, VT
10. (11NH) Brett Gervais, Island Pond, VT
11. (44VT) Dave Pembroke, Middlesex, VT
12. (55VT) Brent Dragon, Milton, VT
13. (14VT) Phil Scott, Middlesex, VT
14. (58VT) Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, VT
15. (6VT) Cris Michaud, E. Montpelier, VT
16. (17VT) Lance Allen, Barre, VT
17. (16VT) Joey Becker, Jeffersonville, VT
18. (78NH) Quinten Welch, Lancaster, NH
19. (7ME) Glen Luce, Turner, ME
20. (40VT) Eric Chase, Milton, VT
21. (27VT) Kyle Pembroke, Montpelier, VT
22. (51NH) Joey Laquerre, E. Montpelier, VT
23. (66VT) #Jason Corliss, Barre, VT
24. (9ME) #Emily Packard, E. Montpelier, VT
25. (51VT) #Joey M. Laquerre, E. Montpelier, VT
26. (25VT) David Whitcomb, Essex Jct., VT
27. (13VT) Jim Morris, Barre, VT
28. (5VT) #Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg, VT
29. (68VT) Brooks Clark, Fayston, VT
30. (16ME) #Travis Stearns, Auburn, ME
Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen Segment #1 Results
Pos. Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Jason Woodard (68) Waterbury Ctr., VT
2. Shawn Fleury (31) Middlesex, VT
3. Mike Ziter (26) Williamstown, VT
4. Jason Allen (29) Barre, VT
5. Christopher Pelkey (64) South Barre, VT
6. Adam Pierson (85) Bradford,VT
7. #Cameron Ouellette (90) Barre, VT
8. Mike Billado (8) Essex, VT
9. Joe Steffen (00) Grand Isle, VT
10. Brendan Moodie (94) Wolcott, VT
11. Eric Badore (04) Milton, VT
12. Jeffrey Bousquet (60) Worcester, VT
13. Darrell Morin (71) Essex Jct., VT
14. Mark Barnier (0) Essex Jct., VT
15. Caleb Nelson (07) Moretown, VT
16. John Lambert (2) Northfield, VT
17. Mike Martin (01) Craftsbury Common, VT
18. Scott Coburn (1) Barre, VT
19. Chris Roberts (9) Washington, VT
20. Randy Gonyaw (22) S. Barre, VT
21. Martin Ingram (02) Essex Jct., VT
22. Joe Tetreault (73) Enfield, NH
23. Ty Gagne (17) Fairfax, VT
24. Doug Crowningshield (14) Barre, VT
25. #Daniel Lathrop (6) Hyde Park, VT
Allen Lumber Street Stocks Segment #1 Results
Pos. Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Jason Kenison (03) Groveton, NH
2. Nick Pilotte (11) Jefferson, NH
3. Donnie Yates (05) N. Montpelier, VT
4. Tommy Smith (50) Williamstown, VT
5. Troy Kingsbury (39) Waitsfield, VT
6. Mike Smith (22) Lyndonville, VT
7. Jamon Perry (62) Hardwick, VT
8. Scott Corey (0) Waterford, VT
9. #Tyler Austin (5) E. Calais, VT
10. Danny Emerson (71) E. Ryegate, VT
11. Jaden Perry (02) Hardwick, VT
12. #Tommy Elwood (88) Morrisville, VT
13. #George Butler (9) Randolph, VT
14. Ben Belanger (99) Whitefield, VT
15. Alan Maynard (10) Fairfax, VT
16. Gary Mullen (29) Tunbridge, VT
17. Scott Maynard (59) Burlington, VT
18. Michael Gay (3) S. Burlington, VT
19. Keith Fortier (35) Hinesburg, VT
20. #Patrick Tibbetts (48) Barre, VT
21. Marvin Johnson (19) Essex Jct., VT
22. Cassie Trendle (28) Georgia, VT
23. Steve Bennett (76) Williamstown, VT
24. Kyle Streeter (37) Waitsfield, VT
25. Bunker Hodgdon (83) Wolcott, VT
26. Marcel Gravel (86) Morrisville, VT
27. Alex Perkins (55) White River Jct., VT
28. Jennifer Getty (25) Cambridge, VT
29. Jamie Davis (43) Wolcott, VT
30. Will Hennequin (47) Morrisville, VT
31. Derrick Mann (53) Duxbury, VT
32. Paul Grant (78) East Calais, VT
33. Thomas Merchant (38) Eden Mills, VT
34. Kevin Dodge (8) Barre, VT
Sources: Thunder Road Speedbowl PR; Alan Ward Photo