BARRE – A quick night greeted the faithful fans and teams of Thunder Road Speedbowl Thursday night. Even Mother Nature did her fair share to make the mood a little more comfortable after several weeks of dry, heated days.
photo by Mark A. Cote
Following the annual Kids’ Poster Contest, the Flying Tigers kicked off feature racing. Mike Billado and Eric Messier made for a spirited race for the lead in the opening laps before the lone caution on lap 13 for Mike MacAskill’s front stretch spin into the infield grass. Back under green, Brendan Moodie launched into the lead with another fantastic battle brewing behind him. Throughout the final fifteen laps, Cameron Ouellette, Mike Billado and Cooper French ran side-by-side and all around each other before coming under the twin checkered flags. Brendan Moodie took down Flying Tiger win No. 22 over Ouellette and French with point leader Sam Caron taking sixth.
The Street Stocks went off without a single caution in their 25-lap trophy dash. Connor Rueda shot off from outside polesitter Walker Fitch and never took his size six shoe off the gas pedal to take the win over the pair of eights in Jaiden Del Toro and Paul Rocheleau. While there was no drama on the track, post-race technical inspection changed the narrative. Both Rocheleau and Del Toro were disqualified for illegal suspension, similar to Nate Brien’s DQ at the Street Stock Special, giving Tommy Smith the runner-up spot and Derek Farnham third.
photo by Mark A. Cote
The Late Models were similarly devoid of any on track drama in their own green-to-checkered, 14-minute 50 lap main event! Washington’s Chris Roberts flew from the pole starting spot to take his first win of the year, after reportedly selling his ride in the pits earlier in the afternoon, but all eyes were on the battle for second. Arguably called by officials for the Race-of-the-Year candidate, Darrell Morin and Justin Prescott fought tooth and nail for fifty grueling laps back and forth across the start/finish line, swapping second-place again and again. In the final laps, a slippery affair allowed Brandon Lanphear to slide by the battle and take second away as Morin settled for a back-to-back third-place run.
photo by Mark A. Cote
The Metals Road Warriors rounded out the flash-bang evening as polesitter Sierra Wilds brought out just the second, and final, caution in feature racing with her lap one spin to the infield and mechanical woes that followed under yellow flag conditions. Back under green, Bert Duffy showed the early way before Eddie Thompson motored around to lead lap five and never looked back to take down his first career Road Warrior win over Mike Slingerland and Taylor Sayers.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
(local competitors)
Late Models – (50 Laps)
4. 01VT, Stephen Martin. Craftsbury Common
17. 86VT, Marcel J. Gravel, Wolcott
Flying Tigers – (40 Laps)
1. 15NH. Brendan Moodie, Wolcott
24. 22VT. Travis Patnoe. Wolcott
Street Stocks – (25 Laps)
5. 18x, Walker Fitch. Marshfield
12. 32, Kylee Potter. Marshfield
17. 34, Patrick Tibbetts, Plainfield
Road Warriors – (20 Laps)
DNS 18, Cayden Green, Marshfield
