King of the Road Chris Pelkey Takes $1,000 Booth Bros./Hood Milk Bowl Pole

By admin October 1, 2022 Thunder Road

Merchant and Pilotte Back-to-Back Mini Milk Bowl Winners

Barre, VT — Day two of the 60th Vermont Milk Bowl weekend showcased the best and brightest Late Model stars in the American-Canadian Tour ranks along with some of the most competitive support divisions in the twin-states of Vermont and New Hampshire. # teams and drivers flooded the pit area Saturday morning for the all-important Booth Bros./Hood Milk Bowl Qualifying Day. The stakes were high and the hardnosed racing in all divisions showed it leaving it all hang out en route to Sunday’s Vermont Milk Bowl.

Between Friday and Saturday, 43 American-Canadian Tour teams entered the Thunder Road gates with 40 cars competing in Time Trials for the iconic Booth Bros./Hood Milk Bowl Pole Award. While young Kaiden Fisher shocked the crowd early, tying multi-time Milk Bowl champion Patrick Laperle, it was 2022 King of the Road Christopher Pelkey who showed the way. Pelkey set a blistering 12.283-second lap halfway through the Time Trial round to earn the $1,000 Booth Bros./Hood Pole Award while Wolcott’s Marcel Gravel claimed the outside pole and the $500 bonus with a 12.343-second circuit.

With the new heat race payouts to the top ten and with just five spots up for grabs in each of the Triple-50 lap heat races, it was all or nothing. Christopher Pelkey dominated heat one to take the $1,000 winners share while Cody Blake, Brendan Moodie, Scott Dragon, Kasey Beattie and Nick Sweet qualified through. Tragedy would strike Stark, New Hampshire’s Jamie Swallow Jr. after an overheating motor began pushing water heavily and ended a strong top-10 qualifying run.

Although Marcel Gravel brought heat two to green, he opted to save his tires for the bigger Sunday battle and took his option to bow out after the halfway point. After running side-by-side dangerously throughout the middle of the event, Matt Smith and Cooper Bouchard would tangle going into turn one, sending Stephen Martin into the turn two wall and ending his day. On the restart, Flying Tiger Rookie of the Year Kaiden Fisher handily pulled away from the pack to earn his first Late Model victory. Shawn Swallow, Stephen Donahue, Brandon Lanphear, and Jesse Switser would also qualify behind Fisher into tomorrow’s Milk Bowl.

The final round of heat race qualifying for the Late Models was a barn burner as the Black Night of the White Mountains, Derrick O’Donnell, fought valiantly to steal away the win, but Jimmy Hebert had other plans. Both O’Donnell and Hebert battled hard at the front before Hebert pulled away with the lead as the fight for the last transfer spot heated up between Kyle Pembroke and Joey Pole. The second-place points chaser went toe-to-toe with the former Milk Bowl champion but ultimately the 97NH snuck by to take the spot. Hebert would claim the win to qualify into tomorrow’s event along with D.J. Shaw, O’Donnell, Pole, and Brooks Clark.

Following the heats, Patrick Laperle, Kyle Pembroke, Erick Sands, Jimmy Renfrew Jr., and Alex Labbe were transferred into the 60th Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank as the fastest five cars from time trials yet to be qualified. Tomorrow’s Last Chance B-Feature will feature some heavy hitters including Thunder Road top rookies Keegan Lamson and Stephen Martin and former Kings of the Road Bobby Therrien and Jason Corliss among the 18-car field. Laps will be determined in the morning.

After White Mountain Motorsports Park Flying Tiger champion Tanner Woodard set down the fast time of 13.818-seconds over the 27-car Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel field, things went downhill fast. Their first segment went off with a rocky start as a huge lap one pileup in turn three collected the top runners and ended the day for Colin Cornell. On the restart, Logan Powers quickly took off with the lead in his Ralph Baldwin-throwback #11NC. All over the tail of Powers was the 1999 Brian Hoar throwback schemed Justin Prescott machine, both setting the fast pace out front.

The second and final caution would fly on lap 29 as rookie Cam Gadue’s right rear wheel broke, sending his Hoosier Race Tire barreling down turns three and four all on its own. On the restart, Logan Powers again powered by Prescott and stole away the Segment One win on Booth Bros./Hood Milk Bowl Qualifying Day. Justin Prescott would claim second to start tomorrow with two-points and 2022 Thunder Road Flying Tiger champion Sam Caron would post third with three points to start out with tomorrow.

The rk Miles Street Stocks were not so friendly after former track champion Jeffrey Martin claimed the fast-lap of 14.379-seconds in the car normally piloted by Kasey Collins. Unfortunately for Martin, the speed didn’t last with mechanical issues forcing the #98 pitside on lap 8. The same lap would see the first caution as the #30 driven by Danny Doyle made contact with ‘The Biffer’ Mike Gay in turn two. The caution would fly on the restart once more as Bert Duffy and Haidyn Pearce went for a ride together in turn one.

Finally able to restart cleanly, the field took off ferociously under the green flag. Luke Peters, Taylor Hoar, 2022 champion Dean Switser Jr. and a host of others battled at the front before the spinning Jesse Laquerre and Eric MacLaughlin went spinning in turn two. The final caution came out just as the white flag was being unfurled as Christopher Davis and Bert Duffy stopped dangerously broadside in turn three, blocking the turn completely. Race Control moved to a Green-White-Checkered restart which Luke Peters handily won as Hoar and Switser battled for second. Dean Switser Jr. would take down second just 0.058-seconds over Taylor Hoar.

For the second consecutive season, White Mountain Motorsports Park has sent over the Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Minis and the Dad’s 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Division and 2022 didn’t disappoint. The Strictly Minis included several White Mountain track champions alongside a few Thunder Road Warrior teams that jumped in on the action. 2022 Road Warrior winner Taylor Sayers quickly took over Segment One for the win followed by a strong Gavin McGinnis after a struggling season in New Hampshire.

Segment Two in the Strictly Stock’s Mini Milk Bowl saw things heat up a bit with the inverted field pushing the early leaders to drive back through the field. The second of two caution-free events for the Strictly Stock Minis saw Nick Pilotte easily take control of the field while Sayer and McGinnis drove hard to push through the mid-pack. For the second consecutive year, Nick Pilotte took down the Strictly Stock Mini’s Mini Milk Bowl on Booth Bros./Hood Qualifying Day, this year followed by Ryan Sayers and Adam Sicard on the podium.

The Dad’s 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Division proved to be a highlight of the day’s action. Invaders from Riverside Speedway’s DareDevil division showed the way in Segment One as young Brandon Sheldon motored away with the win followed by Karson Murphy and Connor Charbonneau. As Kyle Goodbout and McKenna Merchant brought the field underneath the green flag, it was seemingly all over. The lightning-fast 15-lap segment proved to play into Merchant’s favor as the youngster nabbed her second consecutive Mini Milk Bowl win followed by Brandon Sheldon and Carson Theraux to round out the podium.

Sunday, October 2nd showcases the 60th edition of the famed Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank. Headlined by the $12,000 to win ‘Toughest Short Track Stock Car Race in North America,’ Sunday’s action also includes the final segment in the career-defining Flying Tiger and Street Stock Mini-Milk Bowls plus the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warrior Mini Milk Bowl. Full schedule for all three days of the 60th Vermont Milk Bowl weekend is now available online at www.thunderroadvt.com/schedule. Sunday-only General Admission is $35 for adults, $15 for kiddos aged 6-12 with those 5 and under free! Two and three-day ticket packages are also available.

For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, media@thunderroadvt.com, or visit www.thunderroadvt.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @ThunderRoadVT.

Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl – Barre, VT

Booth Bros./Hood Milk Bowl Qualifying Day

Saturday, October 1, 2022

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Booth Bros./Hood Milk Bowl Pole Award – Christopher Pelkey – Time: 12.283

Outside Pole – Marcel Gravel – Time: 12.343

ACT/Maplewood Irving Late Model Heat Races – 50 Laps

Heat #1

  1. 64VT    Chris Pelkey                 Graniteville, VT
  2. 99VT    Cody Blake                  Barre, VT
  3. 94VT    Brendan Moodie         Wolcott, VT
  4. 0VT      Scott Dragon               Milton, VT
  5. 45NH   Kasey Beattie              St. Johnsbury, VT
  6. 88VT    Nick Sweet                  Williamstown, VT
  7. 55VT    #Keegan Lamson         Berlin, VT
  8. 48QC   Raphael Lessard          Quebec, Canada
  9. 9VT      Chip Grenier               Orange, VT
  10. 36QC   Alex Labbe                   St-Albert, QC
  11. 17VT    Darrell Morin              Westford, VT
  12. 7NH     #Cody LeBlanc            Berlin, NH
  13. 55TL    Blair Bessett                Barnet, VT
  14. 4NH     #Jamie Swallow Jr.      Stark, NH

Heat #2 –

  1. 18VT    Kaiden Fisher              Shelburne, VT
  2. 9ME     Shawn Swallow           Groveton, NH
  3. 2VT      Stephen Donahue       Graniteville, VT
  4. 16VT    Brandon Lanphear      Morrisville, VT
  5. 25NH   Jesse Switser               West Burke, VT
  6. 36NH   Erick Sands                  Derry, NH
  7. 29VT    Cooper Bouchard        Hinesburg, VT
  8. 04ME   Matt Smith                  Fairfax, VT
  9. 41QC   Jonathan Bouvrette    Blainville, QC
  10. 4VT      Scott Coburn               Barre, VT
  11. 01VT    #Stephen Martin         Craftsbury Common, VT
  12. 86VT    Marcel Gravel             Wolcott, VT
  13. 7NY      Fred Lagoy

Heat #3 –

1          58VT    Jimmy Hebert              Williamstown, VT

2          04VT    D.J. Shaw                     Center Conway, NH

3          7K        Derrick O’Donnell       N. Haverhill, NH

4          97NH   Joey Polewarczyk        Hudson, NH

5          68VT    Brooks Clark                Fayston, VT

6          27VT    Kyle Pembroke            Montpelier, VT

7          51VT    Jason Corliss               Barre, VT

8          91QC   Patrick Laperle            St-Denis, QC

9          3VT      Chris Roberts               Washington, VT

10        21QC   #Alexandre Tardif       Notre Dame des Pins, QC

11        92VT    Jaden Perry                 Hardwick, VT

12        00NH   Jimmy Renfrew, Jr.     Candia, NH

13        5VT      Bobby Therrien           Hinesburg, VT

Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers – Mini Milk Bowl Segment #1 – 40 Laps

  1. 11NC   Logan Powers              Middlesex, VT
  2. 45BH   Justin Prescott             Williston, VT
  3. 07VT    Sam Caron                   Milton, VT
  4. 35VT    Derrick Calkins             Hinesburg, VT
  5. 3VT      Michael MacAskill      Williamstown, VT
  6. 45VT    Adam Maynard           Milton, VT
  7. 8VT      Mike Billado                Grand Isle, VT
  8. 68VT    Jason Woodard           Waterbury Ctr., VT
  9. 37VT    Kyle Streeter               Waterbury Ctr., VT
  10. 68NH   Tanner Woodard         Waterbury Ctr., VT
  11. 56VT    Chris Laforest              Barre, VT
  12. 67VT    Kevin Streeter             Waitsfield, VT
  13. 01VT    Michael Martin           Craftsbury, Common, VT
  14. 15NH   Joey Laquerre             E. Montpelier, VT
  15. 08VT    Phil Potvin                   Underhill, VT
  16. 13VT    Brian Delphia              Duxbury, VT
  17. 78VT    Tyler Pepin                  Barre, VT
  18. 33VT    #Matt Ballard             Williamstown, VT
  19. 62VT    Jamon Perry                Hardwick, VT
  20. 23NY    #Cam Gadue               Highgate, VT
  21. 38VT    Zach Audet                  Morrisville, VT
  22. 0VT      Mark Barnier              Essex Jct., VT
  23. 36VT    Joel Hodgdon              Craftsbury Common, VT
  24. 2NH     Michael Clark              Littleton, NH
  25. 8NH     Rich Lowrey                 South Hero, VT
  26. 20VT    Robert Gordon            Milton, VT
  27. 54VT    Colin Cornell               E. Burke, VT

rk Miles Street Stocks – Mini Milk Bowl Segment #1 – 25 Laps

  1. 26        Luke Peters                 Groton, VT
  2. 16        Dean Switser, Jr.         Waterford, VT
  3. 48        Taylor Hoar                 South Hero, VT
  4. 22        Thomas Smith             Williamstown, VT
  5. 17        Justin Blakely              Graniteville, VT
  6. 04        Scott Weston               Berlin, VT
  7. 5VT      Derek Farnham           Bethel, VT
  8. 8          Ryan Foster                 Waterbury, VT
  9. 24        Todd Raymo                Swanton, VT
  10. 3          Michael Gay                S. Burlington, VT
  11. 30        #Cameron Powers       E. Montpelier, VT
  12. 73        #Paige Whittemore     Graniteville, VT
  13. 33        #Curtis Franks             Topsham, VT
  14. 71        Jesse Laquerre             Berlin, VT
  15. 96        Thomas Peck               Waterbury, VT
  16. 12        Mekaylah Bowen        Morrisville, VT
  17. 6          Eric MacLaughlin        Milton, VT
  18. 29        Gary Mullen                Tunbridge, VT
  19. 69        Christopher Davis       Berlin, VT
  20. 5          Kyle Gravel                  Wolcott, VT
  21. 77        Bert Duffy                    Milton, VT
  22. 98        Jeffery Martin             Barre, VT
  23. 54        Josh Lovely                  Williamstown, VT
  24. 2          Haidyn Pearce             Chelsea, VT
  25. 1          #Shea Wheeler           Waterbury, VT

DNS     16NH   Kristian Switser           Waterford, VT

DNS     88        Travis Gay                   S. Burlington, VT

Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Minis – Mini Milk Bowl Overall

  1. 52        Nick Pilotte                  Jefferson, NH              7 = 6+1
  2. 95        Taylor Sayers               Barre, VT                     9 = 1+8
  3. 16        Adam Sicard                Barton, VT                   11 = 8+3
  4. 57        Todd Derrington         Littleton, NH                11 = 5+6
  5. 15        Chris Moulton             Pepperell, MA             11 = 4+7
  6. 10        Gavin McGinnis           St. Johnsbury, VT        11 = 2+9
  7. 51        Tyler Thompson          Lincoln, NH                  13 = 9+4
  8. 57VT    Jason Ball                           13 = 3+10
  9. 16VT    Patrick Switser             Waterford, VT             16 = 14+2
  10. 09        Jack Hayes                   Littleton, NH                16 = 11+5
  11. 4          Donnie Baumgardner N. Woodstock, NH      20 = 7+13
  12. 77        Tyler Whittemore       Graniteville, VT           22 = 10+12
  13. 14        Jillian Baumgardner    N. Woodstock, NH      23 = 12+11
  14. 92        Jason Goodboul, Jr.     Lincoln, NH                  29 = 13+16
  15. 16x      Nate Brien                   Williamstown, VT        30 = 16+14
  16. 07        Josh Vilbrin                 Northfield, VT             30 = 15+15

Dad’s 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Division – Mini Milk Bowl Overall

  1. 99        McKenna Merchant    Waterford, VT             7 = 6+1
  2. 55        Brandon Sheldon                                        7 = 1+6
  3. 95        Carson Theraux                                          8 = 5+3
  4. 22        Logan Farnsworth       St. Johnsbury, VT        8 = 4+4
  5. 6          Connor Charbonneau  Groveton, NH              8 = 3+5
  6. 90        Kyle Goodbout             Lincoln, NH                  9 = 7+2
  7. 42        Karson Murphy                                          13 = 2+11
  8. 18x      Walker Fitch                Marshfield, VT            15 = 8+7
  9. 01        Austin Sicard               Gilmanton, NH            18 = 9+9
  10. 32        Kylee Potter                Marshfield, VT            20 = 11+8
  11. 4          Bentley Robbin            Bradford, VT                20 = 10+10

Sources: Cale King/Thunder Road Speedbowl PR

(IMG_3110.jpg): 2022 King of the Road, Thunder Road Track Champion Christopher Pelkey took down the Booth Bros./Hood Milk Bowl Pole Award with his 12.283-second lap.

(IMG_3685.jpg): Woodsville Guaranty Savings Bank Strictly Stock Mini Victory Lane on Booth Bros./Hood Milk Bowl Qualifying Day (L-R) Adam Sicard (3rd), winner Nick Pilotte, Taylor Sayers (2nd).

(IMG_3494.jpg): Dad’s 4 By Tool & Supply Kids Division Mini Milk Bowl Victory Lane on Booth Bros./Hood Milk Bowl Qualifying Day (L-R) Carson Thetaux (3rd), winner McKenna Merchant, Brandon Sheldon (2nd).

(Alan Ward photos)