Donahue Scores 15th Thunder Road Late Model Win on Harvest Equipment Night
Barre, VT – John Donahue used a late charge to score his 15th career Thunder Road Late Model victory at Harvest Equipment Night on Thursday, June 11.
The Graniteville, VT veteran was fourth on the race’s final restart on lap 37 of the 50-lap event, but shot up to outside to take the lead from Cody Blake with 10 laps remaining. Donahue then held on during the final sprint to take the first Thursday night win of 2015 after starting 17th in the 27-car field.
“When we got up on the outside when we had to restart there, the car felt pretty good,” Donahue said. “We stayed out there, and the harder I went, the more bite I got…the car was really good today.
“A win is so hard to come by now, because everything is so equal,” he added. “If you have a decent car, then anybody can win on any given night.”
Josh Demers started on the pole and led the first 14 laps. On the 15th circuit, Demers and second-place runner Eric Chase made contact in turn three, causing Demers to spin and sending both cars to the rear.
Barre local Boomer Morris inherited the top spot and held on through a lap-16 caution that saw point leader Derrick O’Donnell forced out of the event with a broken tie rod. In the ensuing green-flag run, a four-car battle developed between Morris, Blake, Scott Dragon, and Donahue.
Blake eventually swung to the outside of Morris and took the lead on lap 32. The race’s third and final caution flew five laps later for Kevin Boutin’s spin, setting up Donahue’s dash to the win.
Dragon got by Blake in the final laps for his second consecutive runner-up finish, with Blake settling for third. Morris, Nick Sweet, Kyle Pembroke, Dave Pembroke, Joey Laquerre, and Trampas Demers completed the top-10. O’Donnell was relegated to 26th.
In the 35-lap Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen feature, Wolcott, VT’s Brendan Moodie wired the field for his first win of the season. Moodie started on the pole and fended off defending champion Jason Woodard and Craftsbury Common, VT’s Mike Martin on a pair of restarts in the second half of the event for his 10th career win.
Woodard finished second with Doug Crowningshield in third. Martin, Mike Billado, Joe Steffen, Cameron Ouellette, Chris Pelkey, Jeffrey Bousquet, and Derek Barker rounded out the top-10.
Kyle Streeter earned his fourth career win in the Allen Lumber Street Stock feature. Waitsfield, VT’s Streeter stalked Garry Bashaw for most of the 25-lap event before getting around him on a restart with six laps to go.
Bashaw held off point leader Tyler Austin for second. Jamie Davis, Jeremy Colson, Chris LaForest, Jaden Perry, Will Hennquin, Jamon Perry, and Kevin Streeter completed the top-10.
Thunder Road will be back in action next Thursday, June 18 with Casella Waste Management Night, featuring all weekly divisions plus the New England Antique Racers. Post time is 6:30pm. Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, two kids).
For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at 802.244.6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
HARVEST EQUIPMENT NIGHT
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
LATE MODELS
Pos Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. John Donahue ( 26VT ) Graniteville, VT
2. Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) Milton, VT
3. Cody Blake ( 99VT ) Barre, VT
4. Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) Barre, VT
5. Nick Sweet ( 88VT ) Barre, VT
6. Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) Montpelier, VT
7. Dave Pembroke ( 44VT ) Middlesex, VT
8. Joey Laquerre ( 15VT ) E. Montpelier, VT
9. Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) S. Burlington, VT
10. Eric Badore ( 4VT ) Milton, VT
11. Mike Bailey ( 00VT ) S. Barre, VT
12. Brett Gervais ( 11NH ) Island Pond, VT
13. Matt White ( 42VT ) Northfield, VT
14. Shawn Fleury ( 1VT ) Middlesex, VT
15. Phil Scott ( 14VT ) Middlesex, VT
16. #Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) Westford, VT
17. #Scott Coburn ( 72VT ) Barre, VT
18. Josh Demers ( 10VT ) Montpelier, VT
19. Eric Chase ( 40VT ) Milton, VT
20. Walt Hammond Jr. ( 98NH ) Canaan, NH
21. Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) E. Barre, VT
22. David Whitcomb ( 25VT ) Essex Jct., VT
23. Kevin Boutin ( 25NY ) Fairfax, VT
24. Mark Norris ( 22ME ) Benson, VT
25. Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) Barre, VT
26. Derrick O’Donnell ( 60VT ) N. Haverhill, NH
27. Jason Allen ( 29VT ) Barre, VT
TIGER SPORTSMEN
Pos Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Brendan Moodie ( 94 ) Wolcott, VT
2. Jason Woodard ( 68 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
3. Doug Crowningshield ( 14 ) Barre, VT
4. Mike Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury, VT
5. Mike Billado ( 8 ) Essex, VT
6. Joe Steffen ( 00 ) Grand Isle, VT
7. Cameron Ouellette ( 90 ) Barre, VT
8. Christopher Pelkey ( 64 ) S. Barre, VT
9. Jeffrey Bousquet ( 44 ) Worcester, VT
10. #Derek Barker ( 15 ) Post Mills, VT
11. Tommy Smith ( 50 ) Williamstown, VT
12. Caleb Nelson ( 07 ) Moretown, VT
13. David Finck ( 37 ) Barre, VT
14. Derrick Calkins ( 4 ) Milton, VT
15. Bert Gallison ( 30 ) Graniteville, VT
16. Dylan Payea ( 7 ) Milton, VT
17. Stephen Donahue ( 26 ) Graniteville, VT
STREET STOCKS
Pos Driver (Car #) Hometown
1. Kyle Streeter ( 37 ) Waitsfield, VT
2. Garry Bashaw ( 4 ) Lincoln, VT
3. Tyler Austin ( 5 ) E. Calais, VT
4. Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT
5. Jeremy Colson ( 44 ) S. Royalton, VT
6. #Chris LaForest ( 56 ) Barre, VT
7. Jaden Perry ( 92 ) Hardwick, VT
8. Will Hennequin ( 47 ) Morrisville, VT
9. Jamon Perry ( 62 ) Hardwick, VT
10. Kevin Streeter ( 67 ) Waitsfield, VT
11. Richard Gravel ( 68 ) Wolcott, VT
12. Patrick Tibbetts ( 48 ) Barre, VT
13. Donny Yates ( 05 ) N. Montpelier, VT
14. Alan Maynard ( 10 ) Fairfax, VT
15. #Matthew Smith ( 04 ) Essex Jct., VT
16. Marcel J. Gravel ( 86 ) Wolcott, VT
17. Gary Mullen ( 29 ) Tunbridge, VT
18. Thomas Merchant ( 38 ) Eden Mills, VT
19. #Reilly Lanphear ( 21 ) Duxbury, VT
20. #Matthew Smith ( 04 ) Essex Jct., VT
21. Travis Streeter ( 61 ) Waitsfield, VT
22. Dave Whitcomb ( 77 ) Morrisville, VT
23. Jaden Perry ( 92 ) Hardwick, VT
24. Bunker Hodgdon ( 83 ) Hardwick, VT
DNS Ken Stridsberg ( 6 ) Berlin, VT
DNS Jennifer Getty ( 25 ) Cambridge, VT
DNS Justin Town ( 53 ) East Barre, VT
Sources: Michael Stridsberg/Thunder Road PR