BARRE – The final Thursday night of the Thunder Road racing season came with plenty of drama in the finale for the championship chase on the night. In a twist of events, the Road Warriors started off Thursday’s racing action with Cayden Green taking the hard fought win just ahead of Mike Slingerland and Derrick Mann at the line in their 20 lap main event.
photo by Alan Ward
While Kyler Davis clinched the 2025 Street Stock title in heat race action, a smash-up affair at the end of his heat almost meant he’d collect his championship honors on foot. A fast-working crew got him back out for a 22nd-place starting spot as rookies T.J. Haggett and Jason Kirby brought the field to green. Haggett quickly took over the lead, looking like a veteran leading the pack before a huge lap-nine pile-up in turn two claimed eight cars with a lengthy clean-up. Back under green, Haggett kept his foot to the firewall to become a first time winner on the Barre highbanks with Street Stock driver Tommy Smith and Derek Farnham rounding out the podium. Kyler Davis would finish 11th en-route to his championship celebrations with family, crew and sponsors in victory lane.
Following Sam Caron’s gains by winning heat two, it was a two point spread for the Flying Tiger championship between Caron and Cameron Ouellette. Whoever finished ahead of the other would be crowned the 2025 track champion. With that in mind, they went to war. Caron launched off from an 8th-place starting spot to steal the lead by the halfway point as Ouellette was stuck, mired deep in the pack but maintained a level head to chase opportunities when the right doors opened. Caron kept his spot up front with Ouellette managing to get to fifth with fifteen laps remaining but too much real-estate laid ahead. Sam Caron took down the 75 point win to Ouellette’s 62 feature points earned for a second Flying Tiger track championship. Barre’s Chris LaForest and Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie rounding out the podium in second and third respectively.
photo by Alan Ward
Following heat race qualifying, Barre’s Jason Corliss had clinched his fourth King of the Road track championship but wanted to match Caron and go for the final Thursday night win of the season as well. Rookie Trevor Jaques and Phil Scott got the field underway with Jaques eventually shaking the Vermont Governor to take sole control of the lead. Tough luck with a busted rear-end for Scott Coburn was the lone caution as Jaques eventually fell under Christpher Pelkey with just fifteen laps remaining. Pelkey ran away to take his second win of the season and second in overall points, unofficially. Jaques earned his first career podium appearance with a hard-earned second place run with 2025 Rookie of the Year Brandon Gray taking third.
Corliss, ever patient, spent most of the 66 lap event caught towards the end of the pack but methodically made his way up through the field to take home fourth at the line. The Kinney Drugs team celebrated a record-breaking fourth Late Model King of the Road track championship in the modern era and already has their sights set on a fourth Vermont Milk Bowl in just over two weeks time.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS (local competitors)
Late Models – (66 Laps)
6. 01VT, Stephen Martin, Craftsbury Common
9. 86VT, Marcel J. Gravel, Wolcott
Flying Tigers – (50 Laps)
3. 15NH, Brendan Moodie, Wolcott
Street Stocks – (30 Laps)
5. 32, Kylee Potter, Marshfield
Road Warriors – (20 Laps)
1. 18, Cayden Green, Marshfield
