Granby, MA’s Adam Gray Claims 39th Annual Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200

By admin August 7, 2023 Thunder Road

Switser Survives Chaotic 50-Lap Special, Post-Race Tech, for Street Stock Win

Barre, VT — Finally greeted by a beautiful day of weather, Thunder Road opened its gates Sunday to an overflow crowd of fans ready to witness the greatest spectacle in auto racing; The 39th annual Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200. ‘The People’s Race’ was far from disappointing with ninety of the most ridiculous-looking machines in the Green Mountain State each looking to tackle the Thunder Road highbanks for 200 laps. When it was all said and done, after many years of trying, a deserving Bay State driver finally made his mark on the Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro history books.

As is tradition, Sunday began with the all-important rk Miles Street Stock Special with the most competitive four-cylinder division in New England going for a long fifty-lap distance. Following the single round of heat race qualifying and their introductions before the capacity crowd on hand, Thomas Peck and Kyle Gravel led the thirty-four-car field to green. Trouble brewed early as point leader Cameron Powers tangled with Trevor Jaques, Justin Blakely and Eric Johnson in turn three. Jumping pit-side, the Powers crew jumped under the hood to replace a lower tie-rod and get him back on track.

While nearly finished the field returned to green only to slam the brakes once more as Peck and Jamie Davis flew sideways across the incoming onslaught of cars. Jeffrey Martin was unable to return with a destroyed rear-end as several others followed him into the pits to knock out fenders, tape down hoods and change flat tires. Gravel and Juan ‘Paco’ Marshall would restart the field as Josh Lovely and Dean Switser Jr. followed Gravel on the high side around Paco.

Lovely took command at the line on lap 13 before the lap 16 caution for an overheating, and spinning, Derek Farnham slowed the field once more. Powers was awarded the Lucky Dog in the special event and placed back on the lead lap at the tail of the field. Josh Lovely rocketed off with the lead on the final restart and sliced his way through lap traffic to the bitter end of the 50-lap main event. The race was for second between Gravel and Switser until Gravel got tangled with lap-car Robert Audet on the backstretch and Switser got the outside jump to take second. At the line, Lovely took the win followed by Switer and Gravel but post-race technical inspection changed that. An unapproved exhaust on the Lovely machine disqualified him from the win, giving Dean Switser, Jr. the victory followed by Kyle Gravel and James Dopp.

With ninety cars on the grid for the Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200, it’s truly anyone’s game. Around the halfway point, front-runners begin to shine through the carnage of the first 100 laps of metal-crunching thrills. Brandon Gray’s #023, Nick DeBlois’ 97VT, the car-show-winning Frog Car of Kyle Botela, Chris LaForest’s #15, and Adam Gray’s #23 Buick Regal were all beginning to catch the eye of onlookers. Perhaps no-one shared more cheers than Highgate’s Dalton LaPlante. Although many laps down, his patriotic #114 made more spin-stop-go cycles than anyone and a late race collision with the turn one tire barrier only to back out and pound the throttle once more brought the pit grandstands to their feet! Unfortunately, LaPlant would bring out the final of four red-flag stoppages for a smoldering fire in his right-rear fender well.

Another heartbreaker came just a few laps into the return to green-flag racing with a blown engine under Brandon Gray’s hood stalling him out in turn three, ruining a seven-lap lead and a second Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200 win. Nick DeBlois and Adam Gray started to make those laps up as they raced out the final circuits among both stationary and rolling roadblocks ahead. After many years of making the trek from Granby, Massachusetts, Adam Gray would take down the 39th annual Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200 and the $3,000 check over DeBlois and former champion Kyle Botela.

Thunder Road is back in action this Thursday, August 10th for the 5th annual Road Warrior 50-lap Challenge on Nolato GW Night. Along with the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warrior special, the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, and rk Miles Street Stocks return to championship-defining action with the Streets ready for Round #2 of their three-in-a-row Triple Crown Series before Saturday, August 12th championship finale.

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

39th annual Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200

Sunday, August 6, 2023

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Bolduc Metal Recycling Street Stock Special – (50 Laps)

  1. 16        Dean Switser, Jr.         Waterford, VT
  2. 5          Kyle Gravel                  Wolcott, VT
  3. 0          James Dopp                 Northfield, VT
  4. 2          Haidyn Pearce             Chelsea, VT
  5. 20        Eric Johnson                Randolph, VT
  6. 57        Trevor Jaques              Milton, VT
  7. 9          #Logan Farrell             Barre, VT
  8. 68        Kyler Davis                  Berlin, VT
  9. 30        Cameron Powers         E. Montpelier, VT
  10. 79        Juan ‘Paco’ Marshall   Pittsfield, VT
  11. 48        Taylor Hoar                 South Hero, VT
  12. 7          Kyle MacAskill             Williamstown, VT
  13. 24        Todd Raymo                Swanton, VT
  14. 55        Parker Gagne              Fairfax, VT
  15. 33        Curtis Franks               Topsham, VT
  16. 3          Michael Gay                S. Burlington, VT
  17. 34        Patrick Tibbetts           Plainfield, VT
  18. 88        #Paul Rocheleau         Georgia, VT
  19. 71        Jesse Laquerre            Berlin, VT
  20. 74        Tyler Whittemore       Barre, VT
  21. 04        Scott Weston               Berlin, VT
  22. 96        Thomas Peck               Waterbury, VT
  23. 66        Robert Audet               Morrisville, VT
  24. 43        Jamie Davis                 Johnson, VT
  25. 08        #Ryan Foster               Waterbury, VT
  26. 12        Mekaylah Bowen        Morrisville, VT
  27. 39        Derek Farnham           Bethel, VT
  28. 8          Jeffery Martin             Barre, VT
  29. 98        Kasey Collins               Berlin, VT
  30. 13        #Travis Gay                 S. Burlington, VT
  31. 17        Justin Blakely              Graniteville, VT
  32. 50        Eric MacLaughlin        Milton, VT

DNS     22        Thomas Smith             Williamstown, VT

DSQ     54        Josh Lovely                  Williamstown, VT

Disqualified for Unapproved Exhaust

39th annual Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro – (200 Laps)

  1. 23        Adam Gray                  Granby, MA                 200
  2. 97VT    Nicholas Deblois         Barre, VT                     200
  3. 55        Kyle Botela                  Grand Isle, VT              195
  4. 24        Caleb Bedard              Milton, VT                   192
  5. 12        Brian Rogers Jr.           Milton, VT                   188
  6. 023      Brandon Grey              Thetford, VT                185
  7. 00        TJ Bohannon                Wolcott, VT                 179
  8. 21        Andy Benoit                Barre, VT                     178
  9. 171      Brodie Frazier             Barre, VT                     177
  10. 16        Chris Laforest              Barre, VT                     176
  11. 007      James Corr                  Newport, VT                170
  12. 315      Alec Lemieux               Orange, VT                  166
  13. 43        Kyle Willis                   Derby Line, VT             161
  14. 51        Danny Doyle                Northfield, VT             156
  15. 35        Carson Desrealeau     Milton, VT                   148
  16. 186      Levi Jackson                 Milton, VT                   125
  17. 13        Kira Jennings               Milton, VT                   123
  18. 517      Richie Turner              Highgate, VT               121
  19. 114      Dalton LaPlant            Highgate, VT               110
  20. 113      Bill Davis                     Monson, MA               103
  21. 46        Peter Perkins               Worcester, VT         100
  22. 05        Jeffrey DeGrasse         Sunapee, NH               93
  23. 11        Andrew Botala            Grand Isle, VT              89
  24. 303      Cameron Comstock     Orange, VT                  84
  25. 87        Matt Raboin                Newport, VT                79
  26. 73        Tim Cookson                Johnson, VT                 78
  27. 14        Kyle Johnson                S. Hadley, MA             78
  28. 222      Bradley Duke               Marshfield, VT            76
  29. 66        J.T. Blanchard             Georgia, VT                 73
  30. 226      Tracy Gaudette           Milton, VT                   73
  31. 20        Kyle Bedard                 Milton, VT                   71
  32. 40        Justin Langlois             Northfield, VT             71
  33. 006      Dylan Palmer              Northumberland, NH  70
  34. 42        Cole Boutah                 Alburgh, VT                 68
  35. 714      Jeremiah Hathaway    Georgia, VT                 62
  36. 74        Ryan Benoit                 Milton, VT                   61
  37. 310      Josh Kennett                E. Barre, VT                 60
  38. 53        Justin Town                 Washington, VT          56
  39. 03        Dylan MacRitchie        Williamstown, VT        55
  40. 126      Cole Gaudette             Milton, VT                   54
  41. 643      Eric Godin                    Milton, VT                   54
  42. 25        Gene Salvador             Monson, MA               52
  43. 199      Austin Jacobs              Orange, VT                  52
  44. 185      John Drown                 Littleton, NH                47
  45. 32        Taylor Sayers               Barre, VT                     47
  46. 995      Colin Kelley                 Sheffield, VT                46
  47. 41        Bobby Bell                   Danville, VT                 44
  48. 911      Jay Mason                   Palmer, MA                 43
  49. 6          Andrew Lopes             Swanton, VT                43
  50. 10        Jerry Davis                   Cambridge, MA           42
  51. 522      Kasey Beattie              St. Johnsbury, VT        42
  52. 22        Nick Cain                     Milton, VT                   41
  53. 71        Braden Mathieu                        41
  54. 30        Travis Collins               Newport, VT                41
  55. 110      Gavin McGinnis           St. Johnsbury, VT        39
  56. 19        Steven Corbett            Williamstown, VT        39
  57. 111      Davy Dragon               Franklin, VT                 39
  58. 2          Matthew Kelley           Barre, VT                     39
  59. 28        Jared Blakely               Barre, VT                     38
  60. 44        Keith Benoit                Colchester, VT             37
  61. 50        John Gay                     Barre, VT                     36
  62. 133      Brayden Murphy         Barre, VT                     35
  63. 27        Jordan Matte              Winooski, VT               34
  64. 02A      Wendell Davis             W. Berlin, VT               33
  65. 77        Josh Adams                 Plattsburgh, NY           29
  66. 117      Warren Morgan          Northfield, VT             22
  67. 49        Hunter Garduno          Marshfield, VT            22
  68. 7          Dillon Botala               Grand Isle, VT              20
  69. 01        Slade MacAuley          Barre, VT                     20
  70. 108      Robert Langlois           Randolph, VT              17
  71. 118      Wesley Stedt               Palmer, MA                 13
  72. 31VT    Amber Rich                 Graniteville, VT           11
  73. 78        Craig Jennings             Milton, VT                   4
  74. 069      Jason Vezina               N. Hero, VT                 4
  75. 29        Allen Botala                Grand Isle, VT              2
  76. 062      Gregory Davis             Randolph, VT              1
  77. 50        John Gay                     Barre, VT                     36
  78. 133      Brayden Murphy         Barre, VT                     35
  79. 27        Jordan Matte              Winooski, VT               34
  80. 02A      Wendell Davis             W. Berlin, VT               33
  81. 77        Josh Adams                 Plattsburgh, NY           29
  82. 117      Warren Morgan          Northfield, VT             22
  83. 49        Hunter Garduno          Marshfield, VT            22
  84. 7          Dillon Botala               Grand Isle, VT              20
  85. 01        Slade MacAuley          Barre, VT                     20

*          4          Zach Wood                  Georgia, VT

*          79        Ethan Johnson             Corinth, VT

*          96        Nick Curro IV               Biddeford, VT

*          214      Aiden Cuddy                N. Thetford, VT

*          722      Kyle Perry                    Hardwick, VT

            *No Scorecard Submitted                               

Sources: Cale King/Thunder Road Speedbowl PR

(IMG_6218.jpg): Following post-race technical inspection, second-place runner Dean Switser, Jr. was awarded the Bolduc Metal Recycling Street Stock Special win after apparent winner Josh Lovely was found with an unapproved exhaust.

(IMG_6501.jpg): Highgate, Vermont’s Dalton LaPlante was just one of the many unsung Enduro heroes who went flat-out on their one attempt at the Thunder Road highbanks this season, and proved to make quite the show for the capacity crowd on hand.

(IMG_4459.jpg): After years of making the trek North, Granby, Massachusetts’ own Adam Gray finally conquered the Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200! (Alan Ward photos)