Brian Hoar Wins Labor Day Classic 200
Eight-time Tour champion inches closer to 2012 ACT Title
BARRE, Vt. – Brian Hoar of Williston, Vt., took advantage of shrewd pit strategy at Thunder Road International Speedbowl, emerging with crucial track position and holding off all comers to win the Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 on Sunday afternoon. Hoar led the most laps en route to his record 37th career ACT Late Model Tour victory and inched to within eight points of the series lead with just one race remaining.
The win was the second in a row in this event for RPM Motorsports, which also won the event in 2011 with Nick Sweet driving as a teammate to Hoar.
“I’d like to thank all these guys on the RPM team,” Hoar said. “They work awfully hard all the time, and they give me an awesome car. It’s a blast racing with all these guys, and I’ve got to thank everybody at Thunder Road because it’s a lot of fun coming out here.”
Hoar started fifth in the 30-car field and held his track position until a caution on Lap 71. He dove to pit road for fresh right side tires and was the first car to emerge back onto the track just behind those cars in the Top-10 that elected to stay out. By Lap 108, Hoar had the lead the would never relinquish.
“We got lucky there when the caution came out,” Hoar said. “(Car owner and crew chief Rick Paya) came on the radio and said, ‘Pit, pit, pit!’ and we were the first ones down pit road. The guys had a great pit stop, and everything just worked out really well.”
The victory was the fourth in nine races this season for Hoar, who first won this event in 2003.
Hoar won the first two races of the season in the RPM No. 37 GossCars.com Dodge Charger and has now won the last two. He was victorious in the Can-Am 200 at Circuit Riverside Speedway in Saint Croix, Quebec, last weekend.
“The car was good. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough,” Hoar said. “I really like the new Thunder Road – running the outside with the (traction compound) goop out there.
“That’s a lot of fun.”