Dragon Surges Back into Title Hunt with Midseason Championship Victory
Barre, VT — Milton’s Scott Dragon continued his long road back from a tough start to 2020 by capturing the Country Camper Midseason Championships at Barre’s Thunder Road on Friday, July 25. The two-time “King of the Road” took the lead from rookie Matthew Smith of Essex Jct. with time winding down in the 75-lap Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model feature and then pulled away for the double-point victory.
Dragon started fifth in the main event, entering the night still mired 11th in the overall point standings thanks to a blown engine in late June. While the veteran stayed patient early, the front row of Smith and Barre’s Jim “Boomer” Morris battled tooth-and-nail at the front. Morris led the first five laps off the outside pole before Smith clawed back on the inside. Following the first caution on lap eight for Matt White’s spin, Smith held onto the top spot as Dragon slid into the third position.
The top-three then pulled away as top point drivers Trampas Demers, Marcel J. Gravel, Bobby Therrien, and Jason Corliss tried to fight their way out of the back. As Dragon swung to the outside of Morris on lap 37, Tyler Cahoon spun in turn two to bring out the second and final caution one lap shy of halfway.
ACT Returns to Thunder Road This Sunday for Community Bank N.A. 150
American Canadian Tour
Waterbury, VT — The American-Canadian Tour (ACT) makes its first trip of the year the Barre, VT’s Thunder Road this Sunday, July 26. The Community Bank 150 is the start of a busy stretch in mid-to-late summer where the bulk of the ACT season will be decided.
The combination of the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak and a weather postponement has meant a slow start to the 2020 ACT Late Model Tour season. As the calendar nears the end of July, just two ACT Tour events have been held, leaving many racers antsy to get going. The Community Bank N.A. 150 was originally scheduled for early May and was recently re-slotted on the schedule after a separate postponement at Seekonk Speedway.
Hackel Back on Track with Third Win at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Warren nabs his second in Limited Sportsman class
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Bobby Hackel did not let a bump in the road get him down, and instead got right back on the winning track at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday, July 19. Hackel’s win was the headline moment of the night, which also saw Anthony Warren, Andrew FitzGerald, Willie Rice, and Kamden Duffy visit victory lane.
Hackel lost the championship point lead in the Pepsi Sportsman Modified division during the week due to a scoring recheck on a previous race, but he made up for it with an authoritative drive to his third feature win of the season. The fourth-generation Rensselaer, N.Y., racer survived a rough-and-tumble start to the 30-lapper which saw a spate of caution periods in the early laps, then drove from his 17th starting position into the lead on lap 10 and ran away uncontested.
Jason Gray wins 3rd DIRTcar Sabil & Sons Sportsman Modifieds
Seth Calson wins the USAC DMA Midgets
Bear Ridge Speedway
Twin State Ford of St Johnsbury VT feature winners were: Jason Gray in the Sabil & Sons DIRTcar Sportsman Modifieds, Jason Horniac in the DIRTcar Sportsman Coupes, Seth Carlson USAC DMA Midgets, John Neddo in the C.A. Miller Limited Late Models, Tyler Terry in the LaValley’s Building Supply Dirt Stockers, and Buddy Welch in the Peanuts Auto Four Cylinders.
In the DIRTcar Sabil & Sons Sportsman Modifieds Jason Gray once again comes from the final qualifying position capitalizing on some early lap cautions to use the restarts to make his way to the front and claim his third win of the season. Richie Simmons made his way to the pole position holding on until Gray knocked on his door on lap twenty-nine. Richie watched his chance at a win slip away as Gray cruised on to claim the checkers. Matt Lashua was the final one to complete the victory lane trio. Todd Buckwold and Jordan Fornwalt completed the top five.
Corliss Beats Field, Weather for Electrifying VT Governor’s Cup Win
Barre, VT — Hometown racer Jason Corliss notched yet another crown jewel at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road by fending off the best of the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models as well as the threat of Mother Nature in the 41st Vermont Governor’s Cup 150 on Thursday, July 16. The defending champion got the best of multiple on-track battles in the race of the year for the Late Models to grab his second straight win and the 17th of his storied career.
Corliss earned the pole in qualifying under the “plus-minus” system to lead a 23-car starting field to the green flag. After the veteran set the pace early, Wolcott’s Marcel J. Gravel showed why he was the Late Model point leader entering the night, swinging around the outside of Corliss to take the lead on lap 24. Corliss stayed to the inside of Gravel for more than a dozen circuits, but Gravel was able to use a lapped car as a pick on lap 38 to finally finish the pass.
Thunder Road Replaces Seekonk on Late-July ACT Schedule
American Canadian Tour
Waterbury, VT — American-Canadian Tour (ACT) officials have announced the series will head to Barre, VT’s Thunder Road on Sunday, July 26 for the 22nd Community Bank N.A. 150. The event replaces the Bay State Classic at Massachusetts’ Seekonk Speedway on the late-July ACT Late Model Tour schedule.
Earlier Monday, Seekonk officials announced the postponement of the Bay State Classic that was scheduled for Wednesday, July 29. With the track still working through the reopening process, and significant restrictions still in place for attendance and out-of-state visitors, it was determined the event could not happen at this time in a way that would be successful for the teams, fans, and sanctioning bodies. Officials are hoping to hold the event later in 2020 or in 2021.
