Danville, VT’s Tyler Cahoon celebrates his first Thunder Road Late Model win in the 54th Mekkelsen Memorial Day Classic on Sunday, May 29. (Alan Ward photo)
Barre, VT – Tyler Cahoon made his first career Thunder Road Late Model win count on Sunday, May 29, holding off a late charge from Scott Dragon for the victory in the 54th Annual Mekkelsen Memorial Day Classic.
The Danville veteran took the lead from Matt White on lap 6 of the 100-lap event, just prior to the second and final caution for Brian Tarbell’s hard encounter with the turn one wall. Cahoon pulled out to a big lead in the middle stages, but had to fend off Dragon in the closing laps to secure the win. The former Street Stock Champion became the third driver in the last four years to score his first Thunder Road Late Model victory in the event.
Dragon settled for second, followed by former Memorial Day Classic winner Jason Corliss in third. Trampas Demers took fourth, while Nick Sweet made a late charge to finish fifth. Brooks Clark, John Donahue, Kyle Pembroke, White, and Cody Blake rounded out the top-10.
Turner, ME’s Glen Luce earned his first Pro All Stars Series (PASS) North win of the season and third of his career in the PASS 150. Luce got the jump on Dover, NH’s Wayne Helliwell following the race’s final restart on lap 119 and pulled away in the closing laps for his first victory at Thunder Road.
Helliwell, who had inherited the lead when Jeremy Davis suffered mechanical problems during the lap 119 caution, posted his best career PASS North effort with a second place finish. Former Champion Travis Benjamin took third. Derek Ramstrom, Ben Rowe, Derek Griffith, Johnny Clark, D.J. Shaw, Mike Rowe, and Scott Payea rounded out the top-10.
Essex Jct. veteran Mark Barnier scored his 11th career victory in the 30-lap Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman feature. Barnier took the lead from polesitter John Lambert on lap four and held off former champions Joe Steffen and Jason Woodard for the win.
Stephen Donahue finished fourth with Doug Crowningshield fifth. Kyle Streeter, Mike Martin, Cameron Ouellette, Lambert, and defending Champion Brendan Moodie also earned top-10 finishes.
Richard Gravel captured his first win of the season in the Allen Lumber Street Stock feature. Gravel went around Will Hennequin in traffic on lap 16 on the 25-lap event, shortly following the resumption of the race after the division made a trip to the penalty box. Jaden Perry caught Hennequin at the line for second. Kelly Miller, Jr. finished fourth, followed by Garry Bashaw, Bunker Hodgdon, Jamon Perry, Jennifer Getty, Tyler Austin, and Jamie Davis.
Andy Shaw was the winner in the PASS Modified feature. Shaw passed polesitter Mark Lunblad, Jr. early in the 30-lap event and was never seriously challenged. Ben Tinker took second, followed by Ryan Robbins, Mike Carignan, and Ron Henry.
Thunder Road returns to action Sunday, June 12 with the Harvest Equipment event. The previously postponed event features a full card of racing for all divisions along with the annual Kids Rides. Post time is 2:00pm. Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).
For more information contact the Thunder Road offices at 802-244-6963, [email protected], or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
THUNDER ROAD LATE MODELS
MEMORIAL DAY CLASSIC
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos Start Pos Driver Car # Hometown Laps
- ( 3 ) Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) , Danville, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 6 ) Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) , Milton, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 11 ) Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) , Barre, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 14 ) Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) , S. Burlington, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 12 ) Nick Sweet ( 88VT ) , Barre, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 5 ) Brooks Clark ( 68VT ) , Fayston, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 13 ) John Donahue ( 26VT ) , Graniteville, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 17 ) Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) , Montpelier, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 1 ) Matt White ( 42VT ) , Northfield, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 16 ) Cody Blake ( 99VT ) , Barre, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 4 ) Brett Gervais ( 11NH ) , Island Pond, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 15 ) Phil Scott ( 14VT ) , Middlesex, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 9 ) Mike Bailey ( 2VT ) , South Barre, VT , 100 Laps
- ( 21 ) Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) , Barre, VT , 99 Laps
- ( 20 ) #Marcel J. Gravel ( 86VT ) , Wolcott, VT , 99 Laps
- ( 23 ) Richard Lowrey III ( 44VT ) , Charlotte, VT , 99 Laps
- ( 8 ) Eric Chase ( 40VT ) , Milton, VT , 99 Laps
- ( 19 ) Shawn Fleury ( 31VT ) , Middlesex, VT , 98 Laps
- ( 25 ) Rick Roberts ( 3VT ) , E. Barre, VT , 98 Laps
- ( 22 ) Walt Hammond, Jr. ( 98NH ) , Orange, NH , 98 Laps
- ( 29 ) #Christopher Pelkey ( 64VT ) , So. Barre, VT , 98 Laps
- ( 18 ) Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) , Westford, VT , 98 Laps
- ( 7 ) David Whitcomb ( 25VT ) , Essex Jct., VT , 98 Laps
- ( 10 ) Jeremy Zullo ( 46NH ) , Claremont, NH , 97 Laps
- ( 26 ) Mike Foster ( 79VT ) , Williston, VT , 57 Laps
- ( 24 ) Scott Coburn ( 72VT ) , Barre, VT , 20 Laps
- ( 27 ) Brian Tarbell ( 15ME ) , Springfield, VT , 6 Laps
- ( 2 ) Eric Badore ( 04VT ) , Milton, VT , 0 Laps
DNS ( 28 ) Jason Allen ( 29VT ) , Barre, VT , 0 Laps
Lap Leaders: Matt White, 1-5; Tyler Cahoon, 6-100. (1 lead change among 2 drivers)
Time of Race: 34:27 Margin of Victory: seconds
Cautions: 2 (laps 1, 6 [red])
Heat Winners: Jason Corliss, Nick Sweet, John Donahue
Consi Winner: Scott Dragon
PASS SUPER LATE MODELS
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos., Driver, Car Number, Hometown, Laps Completed
- Glen Luce (7L), Turner, ME, 150 laps
- Wayne Helliwell, Jr. (27NH), Dover, NH, 150 laps
- Travis Benjamin (7), Morrill, ME, 150 laps
- Derek Ramstrom 35), 150 laps
- Ben Rowe (4), Turner, ME, 150 laps
- Derek Griffin (12G), Hudson, NH, 150 laps
- Johnny Clark (54), Hallowell, ME, 150 laps
- D.J. Shaw (60), Center Conway, NH, 150 laps
- Mike Rowe (24), Turner, ME, 150 laps
- Scott Payea (37), Colchester, VT, 150 laps
- Travis Stearns (16ME), Auburn, ME, 150 laps
- Brent Dragon (49), Milton, VT, 150 laps
- Mike Hopkins (15), Hermon, ME 150 laps
- Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (97), Hudson, NH, 149 laps
- Jeremy Davis (09), Tamworth, NH, 119 laps
- Matt Matheson (2M), French Lick, NB, 114 laps
- Bryan Kruczek (00), Newmarket, NH, 47 laps
- Todd Stone (1x), Middlebury, VT, 7 laps
BOND AUTO TIGER SPORTSMEN
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
- Mark Barnier ( 0 ) Essex Jct., VT
- Joe Steffen ( 00 ) Grand Isle, VT
- Jason Woodard ( 68 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
- Stephen Donahue ( 26 ) Graniteville, VT
- Doug Crowningsheild ( 14 ) Barre, VT
- #Kyle Streeter ( 22 ) Waitsfield, VT
- Mike Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury Common, VT
- Cameron Ouellette ( 90 ) Barre, VT
- John C. Lambert ( 8 ) Northfield, VT
- Brendan Moodie ( 94 ) Wolcott, VT
- Shannon Tomasovich ( 71 ) Milton, VT
- Brian Delphia ( 25 ) Duxbury, VT
- #Kevin Dodge ( 88 ) Barre, VT
- Shawn Powell ( 40 ) Jericho, VT
- Sid Sweet ( 51 ) Williamstown, VT
- Thomas Smith ( 50 ) Williamstown, VT
ALLEN LUMBER STREET STOCKS
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
- Richard Gravel ( 68 ) Wolcott, VT
- Jaden Perry ( 92 ) Hardwick, VT
- William Hennequin ( 47 ) Hardwick, VT
- Kelly Miller, Jr. ( 0 ) Johnson, VT
- Garry Bashaw ( 4 ) Lincoln, VT
- Bunker Hodgdon lll ( 83 ) Hardwick, VT
- Jamon Perry ( 62 ) Hardwick, VT
- Jennifer Getty ( 25 ) Cambridge, VT
- Tyler Austin ( 5 ) E. Calais, VT
- Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT
- Gary Mullen ( 29 ) Tunbridge, VT
- Reilly Lanphear ( 21 ) Duxbury, VT
- #Cooper Bouchard ( 7 ) Hinesburg, VT
- #Kelsea Woodard ( 55 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
- Patrick Tibbetts ( 48 ) Barre, VT
- Keith Fortier ( 35 ) Hinesburg, VT
- Peter Burt, Jr. ( 82 ) Johnson, VT
- Joshua Poirier ( 15 ) Enosburg Falls, VT
- Thomas Chamberlin ( 66 ) Johnson, VT
- Michael Gay ( 3 ) So. Burlington, VT
- Kevin Streeter ( 67 ) Waitsfield, VT
- Matthew Smith ( 04 ) Essex Jct., VT
- Thomas Merchant ( 38 ) Eden Mills, VT
- #Brandon Lanphear ( 11 ) Morrisville, VT
- Greg Collette ( 33 ) Milton, VT
- #Peyton Lanphear ( 22 ) Duxbury, VT
- Dave Whitcomb ( 77 ) Morrisville, VT
- Alan Maynard ( 10 ) Fairfax, VT
PASS MODIFIEDS
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
- Andy Shaw (0), Center Conway, NH
- Ben Tinker (19), New Gloucester, ME
- Ryan Robbins (36), Dixfield, ME
- Mike Carignan (21), Lebanon, ME
- Ron Henry (05), New Gloucester, ME
- Mark Lunblad, Jr. (28), Conway, NH
- Jon McCarron (14), Etna, ME
- Matt Sanborn (64), Westbrook, ME