BARRE – While keeping an eye on the weather all day Sunday, Thunder Road International Speedbowl put on one of the best short track races in recent memory. Twenty-four Late Models joined the field for the Memorial Day Classic 125 on Father’s Day Sunday with Kaiden Fisher earning the pole position in Plus/Minus qualifying. Fisher showed the way early as last Thursday’s winner Chris Pelkey followed in second followed by Brandon Gray, Bobby Therrien and Justin Prescott running nose-to-tail in the early goings.
photo by Alan Ward
While Fisher looked unstoppable, Gray began to close in late before the lap 100 caution for Stephen Donahue’s broken ride in turn one. On the restart, Gray would round Fisher to take the lead, but the hood-pins of the S.D. Ireland Concrete machine were glued to the bumper of the C.W. Gray Auctioneers Chevy. The two swapped lanes as the battle ensued and with five laps remaining, the lapped-car of Mike Rubalcaba made things interesting. With the gap closed between the two front runners, they again swapped lanes with Gray leading all but the last lap as Fisher just edged him at the line by 0.036-seconds on in inside groove. Chris Pelkey maintained third place at the line followed by Therrien and Prescott to complete the top five.
The Street Stocks started thirty-three strong on Sunday make-up date with former track champion Jamie Davis motoring around front-row starters Paul Rocheleau and Paige Whittemore. Davis would continue to lead the show while Rocheleau hung tight to his rear bumper after the lap five caution for Hayden Morris’ spin in turn one. Derek Farnham later made the save of the afternoon with a blown right-front tire, narrowly missing the turn three wall while bringing out the caution flag on lap 18. In the final circuits, Jamie Davis showed the way to the end with Rocheleau and Whittemore rounding out the podium.
Chris LaForest and Cam Gadue headed the Flying Tiger field in Round No. 1 of the Triple Crown. The two maintained the advantage through heavy lap traffic in the early stages until the lap 20 restart saw Gadue shuffle back on the outside groove with Jason Pelkey, Eric Messier and Logan Powers taking control of the bottom lane.
Pelkey made the move up to the outside and led lap 34 ahead of LaForest with former Triple Crown champion Derrick Calkins following on the high side. By lap 38 Calkins was in control at the front while Pelkey and Logan Powers fought side-by-side for third. The story stayed the same following the lap 53 pile-up that ended the day for Eric Chase, Karsen Murphy and Rich Lowrey and Derrick Calkins went on to take the 75-lap win over Jason Pelkey and Logan Powers.
photo by Alan Ward
Nick Copping led the Road Warriors to green Sunday afternoon for their first feature since opening day with weather plaguing their early-season schedule. While Copping showed the way early, opening day winner Taylor Sayers drove up from tenth to take the lead at the halfway point and never looked back to take the win. Eddie Thompson took home second with Copping holding on for third.
The Kids Division made their season debut on Sunday with thirteen on the grid in the first of five events for the youngsters this season. It was a spirited battle at the front between Kiptyn Aldrich and Kaden Wimble until Chloe Doyle and Gracen Gorham moved in by the halfway point. Wimble, Doyle and Gorham ran nose-to-tail around the Thunder Road highbanks until Doyle lost control off turn four and collected Clayton Houghton with three-to-go. The dents didn’t slow Houghton who kept it up front but it was Kaiden Wimble who nailed down the win, 2025 Mini Milk Bowl winner Evan Folsom in second and Houghton taking third by an inch over Madison Potter at the line.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (local competitors)
Late Models (125 Laps)
7. 86VT, Marcel J. Gravel, Wolcott
10. 01VT, Stephen Martin, Craftsbury Common
16. 92VT, Jaden Perry, Hardwick
Flying Tigers (75 Laps)
5., 94VT, Brendan Moodie, Wolcott
18., 22VT, Travis Patnoe, Wolcott
21., 5VT, Kyle Gravel, Wolcott
Street Stocks – (30 Laps)
30. 8VT, Walker Fitch, Marshfield
DNS, 34VT, Patrick Tibbetts, Plainfield
Road Warriors – (20 Laps)
9., 18, Cayden Green, Marshfield
Kids Division – (15 Laps)
4., 23, Madison Potter, Marshfield
