Joel Hodgdon Returns to Thunder Road Victory Lane in Myers Triple Crown Round #1
Barre, VT — Although practice was plagued by raindrops that also pushed back the start time of Friday’s festivities, drivers and officials pushed and completed the Vermont Career Technical Centers and Vermont Agency of Education Night with flying colors at Thunder Road. The annual Friday Night Special was filled with plenty of spills and thrills and the sights and sounds of the ultra-fast New England Supermodified Series was also a stellar sight to behold.
Starting off the evening’s program the New England Supermodified Series made their return to Thunder Road to kick-start the 2023 season for the open-wheeled rockets. Led to green by Dan Bowles, the field jumped into single file, setting a lightning pace with Bowles himself taking a fast-time of 9.971-seconds during the event. Just two cautions slowed the pace with Bowles leading the field each time out. The real battle would be for second as it swapped between heavy-hitters Jon McKennedy, Anthony Nocella and Matt Swanson time and time again. It would be Dan Bowles triumphant in victory lane after a devastating wreck at the Nation’s Site of Excitement on Milk Bowl weekend in October followed by McKennedy and Swanson to round out the podium.
Barre’s-own Ryan Sayers would lead the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors to point with Brodie Frazier and Tyler Wheatley all over his tail. By the halfway point frontrunners Neal Foster and Taylor Sayers had joined a gaggle at the front with Foster taking over with the first lead change on lap 13. Soon it would be a dogfight at the front with Taylor Sayers and Foster side-by-side, duking it out as they swapped the lead over and over in the final laps. Taylor Sayers would take the win over Neal Foster by just 0.020-seconds with Brookfield’s Tyler Wheatley rounding out the top-three.
The rk Miles Street Stocks were up next led to point by Paige Whittemore and Tommy ‘Thunder’ Smith. Thunder would nab the lead immediately off turn two with young Jesse Laquerre in tow before the first caution on lap 7. Smith would again take off with Laquerre once again before tempers started to flair mid-pack as drivers dipped and dove around each other. Jeffrey Martin and Patrick Tibbetts would set off the powder keg on the frontstretch to end their Friday night. On the restart, Josh Lovely would blow a right front tire in turn one, collecting several top runners and starting a lengthy clean-up effort. With the final restart in his grasp, Tommy ‘Thunder’ Smith grew his record to 36 wins in the four-cylinder division with defending champion Dean Switser Jr. and Jesse Laquerre rounding out the podium.
The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models joined the show with Vermont Governor Phil Scott securely in the lead with Chris Roberts to his outside at the onset. While Chip Grenier would be in contention early, his falling off would allow Tyler Cahoon, Darrell Morin and Stephen Martin to follow the Governor. The first caution would fly for Kaiden Fisher as he looped the S.D. Ireland machine in turn four leaving Cahoon to take the edge over Scott on the restart. The final yellow would fly on lap 47 as the throttle hung on Keegan Lamson’s Chevy sending him hard into the Widowmaker to end his night. The final shootout would come down to Morin and Cahoon with a dogfight till the end that saw Darrell Morin take down just his second Maplewood/Irving Late Model win followed by Cody Blake and Tyler Cahoon.
The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers went out as the final event of the evening to kick-off the 2023 Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series. Kyle Streeter and Cameron Ouellette paced the field by virtue of their +5 handicap earned through the Plus/Minus gained in their respective heat races. After two spin-induced yellows, Streeter found himself facing 2018 Myers Triple Crown champion Joel Hodgdon as the two battled for over twenty laps side-by-side before Chris LaForest brought out the lap 36 caution.
The conveniently marked caution lap proved perfect for Hodgdon as he cruised to a full lead by lap 40 with Kyle having to fend off father Kevin Streeter as the elder took third-place from his son. The final caution on lap 63 would set up a final face-off between Hodgdon and hot-shoe Logan Powers. The defending Mini Milk Bowl champion would fall back as Kevin Streeter and Derrick Calkins pushed through to chase Hodgdon. In the end, Joel Hodgdon would take the first of three Myers Container Service checkered flags for the 2023 season followed by Kevin Streeter and Derrick Calkins to round out victory lane.
The Thunder and Lightning of Barre, Vermont’s Thunder Road returns to Thursday Night Racing on June 15th with Casella Waste Management Night. The New England Antique Racers (NEAR) return that nostalgic feeling of yesteryear to celebrate the 64th season of stock car racing on Quarry Hill along with the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and rk Miles Street Stocks.
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
Vermont Career Technical Centers Night presented by the Vermont Agency of Education
Friday, June 9, 2023
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers – Myers Container Service Triple Crown Round #1 (75 Laps)
- 36VT Joel Hodgdon Craftsbury Common, VT
- 67VT Kevin Streeter Waitsfield, VT
- 21VT Derrick Calkins Hinesburg, VT
- 31VT Logan Powers Middlesex, VT
- 20VT Robert Gordon Milton, VT
- 07VT Sam Caron Milton, VT
- 68VT Jason Woodard Waterbury Ctr., VT
- 64VT Jason Pelkey Barre, VT
- 37VT Kyle Streeter Waterbury Ctr., VT
- 8NH Rich Lowrey South Hero, VT
- 3VT Michael MacAskill Williamstown, VT
- 90VT Cameron Ouellette Barre, VT
- 54VT Colin Cornell E. Burke, VT
- 23NY Cam Gadue Highgate, VT
- 13VT Ty Delphia Duxbury, VT
- 45VT Adam Maynard Milton, VT
- 56VT Chris Laforest Barre, VT
- 8VT Mike Billado Grand Isle, VT
- 00VT Brandon Gray E. Thetford, VT
- 4ME Cooper French Northfield, VT
- 26VT #Luke Peters Groton, VT
- 78VT #Tyler Pepin Barre, VT
- 33VT Matt Ballard Williamstown, VT
- 57VT Trevor Jaques Milton, VT
- 22VT Travis Patnoe Wolcott, VT
- 93FL Jeff Oeschger Dover, FL
- 9VT #Zach Audet Morrisville, VT
- 08VT Phil Potvin Underhill, VT
- 23VT Matthew Potter Marshfield, VT
- 5VT Tyler Austin East Calais, VT
New England Supermodified Series – (75 Laps)
- 25 Dan Bowles Epping, NH
- 79 Jon McKennedy Chelmsford, MA
- 9 Matt Swanson Acton, MA
- 97 Anthony Nocella Woburn, MA
- 41 Russ Wood Pelham, NH
- 52 Vernon Romanowski Strong, ME
- 11 Ben Seitz Bourne, MA
- 51 Dave Duggan Milford, NH
- 5 Rob Summers Manchester, CT
- 45 Mike Mayberry Naples, ME
Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models – (50 Laps)
- 17VT Darrell Morin Westford, VT
- 99VT Cody Blake Barre, VT
- 38VT Tyler Cahoon Danville, VT
- 16VT Brandon Lanphear Morrisville, VT
- 01VT Stephen Martin Craftsbury Common, VT
- 14VT Phil Scott Berlin, VT
- 04VT #Justin Prescott Milton, VT
- 0VT Scott Dragon Milton, VT
- 64VT Chris Pelkey Graniteville, VT
- 8VT Chris Roberts Washington, VT
- 27VT Kyle Pembroke Montpelier, VT
- 7VT Cooper Bouchard Hinesburg, VT
- 31VT Stephen Donahue Graniteville, VT
- 9VT Chip Grenier Orange, VT
- 88VT Nick Sweet Williamstown, VT
- 18VT #Kaiden Fisher Shelburne, VT
- 86VT Marcel J. Gravel Wolcott, VT
- 31KS #Cody Schoolcraft Claremont, NH
- 55VT Keegan Lamson Berlin, VT
- 60NH Derrick O’Donnell N. Haverhill, NH
rk Miles Street Stocks – (25 Laps)
- 22 Thomas Smith Williamstown, VT
- 16 Dean Switser, Jr. Waterford, VT
- 71 Jesse Laquerre Berlin, VT
- 0 James Dopp Northfield, VT
- 5 Kyle Gravel Wolcott, VT
- 47 William Hennequin Morrisville, VT
- 7 Kyle MacAskill Williamstown, VT
- 2 Haidyn Pearce Chelsea, VT
- 39 Derek Farnham Bethel, VT
- 79 Juan ‘Paco’ Marshall Pittsfield, VT
- 43 Jamie Davis Johnson, VT
- 69 Christopher Davis Berlin, VT
- 73 Paige Whittemore Graniteville, VT
- 48 Taylor Hoar South Hero, VT
- 33 Curtis Franks Topsham, VT
- 04 Scott Weston Berlin, VT
- 08 #Ryan Foster Waterbury, VT
- 54 Josh Lovely Williamstown, VT
- 24 Todd Raymo Swanton, VT
- 74 Tyler Whittemore Barre, VT
- 34 Patrick Tibbetts Plainfield, VT
- 8 Jeffery Martin Barre, VT
- 57 Trevor Jaques Milton, VT
- 30 Cameron Powers E. Montpelier, VT
- 88 #Paul Rocheleau Georgia, VT
- 1 #Shea Wheeler Waterbury, VT
- 50 Eric MacLaughlin Milton, VT
- 98 Kasey Collins Berlin, VT
DNS 9 #Logan Farrell Barre, VT
DNS 3 Michael Gay S. Burlington, VT
Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors – (20 Laps)
- 95 Taylor Sayers Barre, VT
- 19 Neal Foster Moretown, VT
- 31 Tyler Wheatley Brookfield, VT
- 94 Ryan Sayers Barre, VT
- 17 Brodie Frazier E. Montpelier, VT
- 18 David Wilder Barre, VT
- 74 Keegan Tabor Williamstown, VT
- 50 Nick Copping Barre, VT
- 99 Fred Fleury Graniteville, VT
- 71 Jason Kirby Milton, VT
- 43 Anderson Boyd Berlin, VT
DNS 33 Brayden Murphy Barre, VT
DNS 16 Nate Brien Williamstown, VT
DNS 42 Karsen Murphy Northfield, VT
DNS 96 Bill O’Connor S. Washington, VT
DNS 77G Zach Garvey Milton, VT
Sources: Cale King/Thunder Road Speedbowl PR
(IMG_1966.jpg): New England Supermodified Series Victory Lane (L-R): Matt Swanson (3rd), winner Dan Bowles, Jon McKennedy (2nd).
(IMG_1992.jpg): Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors Victory Lane (L-R): Tyler Wheatley (3rd), winner Taylor Sayers, Neal Foster (2nd).
(IMG_2017): rk Miles Street Stock Victory Lane (L-R): Jesse Laquerre (3rd), winner Tommy Smith, Dean Switser, Jr. (2nd).
(IMG_2038.jpg): Maplewood/Irving Late Model Victory Lane (L-R): Tyler Cahoon (3rd), winner Darrell Morin, Cody Blake (2nd).
(IMG_2067.jpg): Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers Victory Lane (L-R): Derrick Calkins (3rd), winner Joel Hodgdon, Kevin Streeter (2nd).
(Alan Ward photos)