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.
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.
Lanphear Holds Off All Challengers for Myers Triple Crown Win
Barre, VT — Morrisville’s Brandon Lanphear kicked his Thunder Road season into high gear with an electrifying victory in the Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series opener for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers on Thursday, July 9. Lanphear staved off a flurry of challenges from point leader Jaden Perry of Hardwick and rookie Kasey Beattie of St. Johnsbury for his first win of the year in the 75-lap main event on the Barre high banks.
While Lanphear started on the outside pole and grabbed the lead from Hinesburg’s Eric Messier right at the start, the triumph was anything but easy for the former Rookie of the Year. For much of the event, Lanphear led a four-car breakaway with Perry, Beattie, and Logan Powers in some order.
Barre, VT — Thunder Road officials have postponed the 36th Bolduc Metal Recycling Enduro 200 and Street Stock Special to Sunday, August 23 at 6:00pm. The decision was made to avoid a conflict with the NASCAR Cup Series event at Loudon’s New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which was recently moved to August 2 as part of a schedule shuffle due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The 200-lap, $3,000-to-win “People’s Race” will remain largely unchanged apart from the new date, from the three-wide start to the no-yellow-flags format. The track’s Allen Lumber Street Stocks will once again join the card with a 50-lap main event in their biggest show of the year. The rules and entry forms for the Enduro are now available at www.thunderroadvt.com/rules.
