Sweet Makes Move Late for Record Third Labor Day Classic Victory

By admin September 7, 2015 ACT, Thunder Road

Barre, VT – Local racer Nick Sweet made his move on a late restart to become the first three-time winner of the Coca-Cola Labor Day Classic 200 at Barre’s Thunder Road on Sunday, September 6 while Derrick O’Donnell put the finishing touches on his third straight “King of the Road” crown.

Sweet methodically worked his way through the field after pitting for right-side tires on a lap-78 caution and found himself alongside leader Brett Gervais of Island Pond on a restart with 22 laps remaining after O’Donnell shut down due to fuel pick-up issues while battling for third.

Sweet, who started 13th, got the jump to take the lead and held Gervais off on two more restarts, including one for a red flag with three laps to go after Eric Badore and Jim Morris pounded the turn-4 wall, for his third win of the season and 17th of his Thunder Road Late Model career. N. Haverhill, NH’s O’Donnell, who came into the event having already clinched his third consecutive Thunder Road track championship, recovered to finish ninth.

“The cautions definitely worked in our favor,” Sweet said. “The last one I didn’t want though – I was a little bit nervous. My dad and brother told me to just stay calm and race my race, and by the end of it, we were looking at the checkered flag.”

Gervais settled for second after leading on two occasions a race-high 105 laps. Kyle Pembroke took third after leading 48 laps in the middle stages of the race. Cody Blake and Jason Corliss completed the top-five. Scott Dragon, Trampas Demers, Brad Babb, O’Donnell, and Phil Scott finished sixth through 10th.

Graniteville’s Stephen Donahue picked up his third win of the season in Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman feature. The rookie dueled with Barre’s Cameron Ouellette for more than half of the 35-lap feature before finally securing the top spot in the final laps.

Ouellette finished second followed by new father Dylan Payea. Jason Woodard and Shawn Fleury completed the top-five.

Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie rebounded from a flat right-front tire and charged to sixth in the final laps, which was enough to clinch his first Thunder Road Tiger Sportsman Championship by 10 points over Woodard. Mike Martin, Mike Billado, Christopher Pelkey, and David Finck completed the top-10.

Brandon Gray of East Thetford captured his first career Allen Lumber Street Stock win in the 25-lap feature. Gray charged from the 10th starting position to take the lead from polesitter Thomas Merchant just past the halfway point and cruised to the victory. Wolcott’s Jamie Davis finished 11th, which gave him his first Street Stock Championship by 24 points over Jaden Perry.

Richard Gravel finished second with Jennifer Getty recording her third straight podium finish in third. Rookie Matthew Smith, Jaden Perry, Donny Yates, Jamon Perry, Kevin Streeter, Alan Maynard, and Kyle Streeter rounded out the top-10.

The 53rd annual Northfield Savings Bank Vermont Milk Bowl will conclude the 56th season of racing at Thunder Road Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11. The unique event will set the field through time trials and Triple 50 qualifying races on Saturday, October 10, with the historic three-segment, 50-lap Milk Bowl on Sunday, October 11. The Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will also hold their annual Mini Milk Bowls. Two-day general admission is $30 for adults and free for children 12 and under.

For more information contact the Thunder Road offices at 802.244.6963,media@acttour.com, or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.

37TH COCA-COLA LABOR DAY CLASSIC
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Thunder Road Late Models
Pos, Start Pos, Driver, Car #, Hometown, Laps

  1. ( 13 ) Nick Sweet ( 88VT ) , Barre, VT , 200 Laps
  2. ( 3 ) Brett Gervais ( 11NH ) , Island Pond, VT , 200 Laps
  3. ( 8 ) Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) , Montpelier, VT , 200 Laps
  4. ( 12 ) Cody Blake ( 99VT ) , Barre, VT , 200 Laps
  5. ( 10 ) Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) , Barre, VT , 200 Laps
  6. ( 29 ) Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) , Milton, VT , 200 Laps
  7. ( 9 ) Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) , S. Burlington, VT , 200 Laps
  8. ( 19 ) Brad Babb ( 15NH ) , Windham, ME , 200 Laps
  9. ( 14 ) Derrick O’Donnell ( 60VT ) , N. Haverhill, NH , 200 Laps
  10. ( 7 ) Phil Scott ( 14VT ) , Middlesex, VT , 200 Laps
  11. ( 20 ) Brooks Clark ( 68VT ) , Fayston, VT , 200 Laps
  12. ( 16 ) Mike Bailey ( 00VT ) , S. Barre, VT , 199 Laps
  13. ( 26 ) #Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) , Westford, VT , 199 Laps
  14. ( 30 ) Jean-Paul Cyr ( 32VT ) , Milton, VT , 199 Laps
  15. ( 17 ) Emily Packard ( 9ME ) , E. Montpelier, VT , 199 Laps
  16. ( 5 ) Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) , Barre, VT , 196 Laps
  17. ( 1 ) Eric Badore ( 4VT ) , Milton, VT , 196 Laps
  18. ( 18 ) Chip Grenier ( 9VT ) , Graniteville, VT , 196 Laps
  19. ( 28 ) Chad White ( 8NY ) , Fort Ann, NY , 195 Laps
  20. ( 21 ) Mike Ziter ( 54VT ) , Barre Town, VT , 187 Laps
  21. ( 22 ) Scott Coburn ( 72VT ) , Barre, VT , 179 Laps
  22. ( 31 ) Brad Bushey ( 51VT ) , Cambridge, VT , 178 Laps
  23. ( 11 ) John Donahue ( 26VT ) , Graniteville, VT , 164 Laps
  24. ( 25 ) Matt White ( 42VT ) , Northfield, VT , 149 Laps
  25. ( 2 ) Josh Demers ( 10VT ) , Montpelier, VT , 132 Laps
  26. ( 6 ) Jason Allen ( 29VT ) , Barre, VT , 130 Laps
  27. ( 27 ) Arthur Heino Jr. ( 07ME ) , Newport, NH , 125 Laps
  28. ( 4 ) David Whitcomb ( 25VT ) , Essex Jct., VT , 60 Laps
  29. ( 23 ) Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) , E. Barre, VT , 49 Laps
  30. ( 15 ) Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) , St. Johnsbury, VT , 28 Laps
  31. ( 24 ) Jeremy Zullo ( 46NH ) , Claremont, NH , 15 Laps

Lap Leaders: Eric Badore, 1-3; Josh Demers, 4-25; Brett Gervais, 26-79; Kyle Pembroke, 80-127; Gervais, 128-178; Nick Sweet, 179-200. (5 lead changes among 5 drivers)    

Time of Race: 1:28:36 Margin of Victory: 0.862 seconds

Cautions: 9 (laps 22, 25, 28, 78, 127, 132, 178, 180, 197)     

Heat Winners: Eric Badore, Boomer Morris, Brett Gervais    

Consi Winners: Cody Blake, Derrick O’Donnell    

BOND AUTO TIGER SPORTSMEN
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

  1. Stephen Donahue ( 26 ) Graniteville, VT
  2. Cameron Ouellette ( 90 ) Barre, VT
  3. Dylan Payea ( 7 ) Milton, VT
  4. Jason Woodard ( 68 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
  5. Shawn Fleury ( 31 ) Middlesex, VT
  6. Brendan Moodie ( 94 ) Wolcott, VT
  7. Mike Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury, VT
  8. Mike Billado ( 8 ) Essex, VT
  9. Tommy Smith ( 50 ) Williamstown, VT
  10. Christopher Pelkey ( 64 ) S. Barre, VT
  11. Joe Steffen ( 00 ) Grand Isle, VT
  12. Brent Currier ( 1 ) Johnson, VT
  13. Adam Maynard ( 25 ) Milton, VT
  14. David Finck ( 37 ) Barre, VT
  15. Caleb Nelson ( 07 ) Moretown, VT
  16. Brian Delphia ( 27 ) Duxbury, VT
  17. M.C. Ingram ( 02 ) Essex Jct., VT

 ALLEN LUMBER STREET STOCKS
Pos., Car #, Driver, Hometown

  1. Brandon Gray ( 00 ) E. Thetford, VT
  2. Richard Gravel ( 68 ) Wolcott, VT
  3. Jennifer Getty ( 25 ) Cambridge, VT
  4. #Matthew Smith ( 04 ) Essex Jct., VT
  5. Jaden Perry ( 92 ) Hardwick, VT
  6. Donny Yates ( 05 ) N. Montpelier, VT
  7. Jamon Perry ( 62 ) Hardwick, VT
  8. Kevin Streeter ( 67 ) Waitsfield, VT
  9. Alan Maynard ( 10 ) Fairfax, VT
  10. Kyle Streeter ( 37 ) Waitsfield, VT
  11. Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT
  12. Marcel J. Gravel ( 86 ) Wolcott, VT
  13. Kevin Dodge ( 8 ) Barre, VT
  14. Bunker Hodgdon ( 83 ) Hardwick, VT
  15. Gary Mullen ( 29 ) Tunbridge, VT
  16. Justin Town ( 53 ) East Barre, VT
  17. Thomas Merchant ( 38 ) Eden Mills, VT
  18. #Reilly Lanphear ( 21 ) Duxbury, VT
  19. Kelly Miller Jr. ( 0 ) Johnson, VT
  20. #Chris LaForest ( 56 ) Barre, VT
  21. Tyler Austin ( 5 ) E. Calais, VT

DNS Will Hennequin ( 47 ) Morrisville, VT 

Sources: Michael Stridsberg/Thunder Road PR