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Dragon Capitalizes on Late Race Restart to Steal Trophy Dash

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BARRE – The Street Stocks started off the final Thursday night action at Thunder Road with a Crunch Bunch in turn four on the initial opening lap. With several cars unable to muster fourth, Paul Rocheleau took command and led the field with Gary Mullen in tow. Mullen would quickly pass off second to Trevor Jaques who fought hard along the outside of Rocheleau for the lead. Ryan Foster patiently sat in the catbird seat in third, waiting for a bobble out of either Jaques or Rocheleau. The time would not come with Trevor Jaques claiming his fourth win of the season followed by Foster and Dean Switser Jr. coming home third.

photo by Alan Ward
In Late Model victory lane were (from left) Chris Pelkey (3rd), winner Scott Dragon and Chris Roberts (2nd).

Adam Maynard and Travis Patnoe brought an accordion start to the Flying Tiger feature with Chris LaForest quickly looking to make a three-wide drive for the top spot. Quickly settling back into two-by-two until Travis Patnoe’s smack with the Widowmaker frontstretch wall sent him spinning into the turn one tire barrier and bringing out the lap-12 caution. Another slam-bang dust-up between Adam Maynard and Luke Peters slowed the field once again just two laps later leaving Brandon Gray to restart alongside LaForest. Gray got the quick jump with Logan Powers in hot pursuit as the two battled door-handle to door-handle over the final half of the trophy dash. Brandon Gray took down the win followed by Logan Powers and Brendan Moodie across the line.

Chris Roberts and Taylor Hoar brought down the Late Models for their 50-lap main. Hoar would grow her lead on the outside groove as Chip Grenier and Marcel Gravel began working under Roberts. After completing the pass, Grenier set his sights on Hoar and started to reel the rookie in as they paced the field before the lap 28 caution for Michael Rubalcaba’s spin in turn-three. Hoar continued to set the pace under the return to green as Scott Dragon and Chris Pelkey joined the mix prior to Stephen Martin’s spin in turn four in a chain-reaction three-wide bout.

photo by Alan Ward
Stephen Donahue takes the Run-What-U-Brung trophy with his grandfather Paul’s daily drive!

Roberts would get the jump on the restart as Hoar shuffled back on the outside groove with Dragon, Pelkey and Gravel all over his rear bumper. Dragon would jump down alongside Roberts as the two duked it out in two-by-two-by-two as the top four ran under a blanket at the head of the field. Scott Dragon would unofficially nab win number 20 in the Late Models at Thunder Road with Chris Roberts holding on for second and Chris Pelkey rounding out the podium.

The Road Warriors ended the night following Stephen Donahue’s Run-What-U-Brung triumph behind the borrowed wheel of papa Paul’s Dodge Charger. Longtime veterans Nick Copping and Jason Kirby faced off at the head of the pack before Kirby planted his foot in the firewall, charging his No. 71 to the front and never looking back in a chaotic 20-lap dash to close out the night. Kirby would nail down his first win of the season, Nick Copping took second and Brodie Frazier took third.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (local competitors) 

Late Models – (50 Laps)

4. 86VT, Marcel J. Gravel, Wolcott

21. 01VT, Stephen Martin, Craftsbury Common

Flying Tigers – (40 Laps)

3. 15NH, Brendan Moodie, Wolcott

16. 22VT, Travis Patnoe, Wolcott

19. 01VT, Michael Martin, Craftsbury Common

Street Stocks – (25 Laps)

19. 18, Walker Fitch, Marshfield

23. 32, Kylee Potter, Marshfield

24. 34, Patrick Tibbetts, Plainfield

Road Warriors – (20 Laps)

13. 18, Cayden Green, Marshfield

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