by Jay | Aug 22, 2012 | Thunder Road, Vermont
Three-time Thunder Road Champion and Vermont Lt. Governor Phil Scott will engage in more than political battles at Barre’s Thunder Road for the last Thursday night race of the summer. The Thursday finale will feature the 100-lap Aubuchon Hardware Late Model Championship event to close out the chase for the 2012 Late Model crown.
The all-time wins leader Scott, who has amassed a stunning 27 victories at Thunder Road, has been held winless in 2012. Scott remains third in the 2012 overall standings, and sits only five points off defending Champion Dave Pembroke. The situation is reminiscent to 2011, when Scott had been held winless until a convincing victory in the 100-lap finale, finishing second in overall points. Scott will attempt the feat again in 2012, working off a third place finish in last Sunday’s event, just as he was working off of a third place finish when he won the finale a year ago.
“I feel good coming in to the 100-lapper on Thursday,” said Scott. “Obviously we always want to be in it for the championship, but we’ve had a good year and with the momentum here from the last couple of weeks, I think we’ve got a good shot,” he finished.
Though the Late Model Championship race will end on Thursday, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stock championships hit the homestretch with their third-to-last point counting event. Low-buck veteran Brendan Moodie, Jr, of Wolcott, leads the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen in a close points battle, holding on to a slim 16-point lead over two-time Champion Shawn Fleury. Jason Allen, Bobby Therrien, and Mike Martin remain within striking distance of the top spot.
Jefferson, NH’s Nick Pilotte has stretched out his lead over rookie sensation Dean Switser, Jr as they head into the final three events, but his 33-point lead is far from insurmountable. Switser, along with Tommy “Thunder”, the winningest driver in Street Stock history, “Wild” Willy Hennequin, and Bunker Hodgdon continue to battle for the 2012 Allen Lumber Street Stock title.
All three divisions will be in action for the final Thursday night of the summer, featuring the 100-lap Late Model Finale presented by Aubuchon Hardware. Post time is 6:00pm. Adult admission is $10, a family pass is $20, kids 6-12 are $3 and children under 6 get in free.
by Jay | Aug 20, 2012 | Bear Ridge, Dirt Track, Media, Photos, Vermont
Rich, Beckley Highlight Bear Ridge Speedway Winners
Donnelly wins against record-tying 25-car Modified field
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BRADFORD, VT – Tyler Rich and Jeremy Beckley highlighted a jam-packed list of dirt track stock car winners on Swenson Insurance Night in the 99ROCK Weekly Racing Series at Bear Ridge Speedway on Saturday. Rich won the 25-lap WYKR Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) feature for his first win of 2012, and Beckley’s long-awaited Wells River Chevrolet Sportsman Coupe win was the first of his career. More than 120 race teams filled the pit area.
Rich started sixth on the 17-car SCoNE and wasted little time in getting to the front. The Pike, NH racer, who was the series’ Rookie of the Year last season, moved past former series champion Mark Cole into the lead on lap 8, then survived a restart with eight laps remaining for his second career win. Clay Dow of Barnstead, NH – the 2011 SCoNE Triple Crown series champion – finished second, with defending SCoNE overall champion Dan Douville of Bridgewater, NH third. Chris Donnelly, pulling double duty in Sprint Cars and Modifieds, drove from 15th starting position to finish fourth, and Jake Williams fifth.
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by Jay | Aug 20, 2012 | New England, Thunder Road, Vermont
Roberts, Smith Pick Up Feature Wins
Barre, VT – After a tough season, Winooski’s Jerry Lesage vindicated himself in style with a convincing victory in the 50-lap Late Model main event at Barre’s Thunder Road on Sunday, August 19. Lesage had to fend off rising star Cody Blake, as well as three-time “King of the Road” Phil Scott to take his first checkered flag in over seven years.
Pole-sitter Ricky Roberts ran with the lead early, but by lap 23 the familiar #74 of Lesage had pulled to his rear bumper. Lesage flew high to the outside and snatched the lead from Roberts by the halfway mark, and ran from the pack. Roberts was then swarmed by Blake, who took over the second position, as well as Scott, and point-leader Nick Sweet who stacked up two wide behind him. Blake distanced himself from the battle, while Scott methodically worked by Roberts with Sweet taking away fourth in the closing laps. Scott Payea, defending Champion Dave Pembroke, Jamie Aube, last week’s winner Cris Michaud, and Brett Wheeler completed the top ten finishers.
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by Jay | Aug 19, 2012 | Maine, Speedway 95
Although he’s been atop the Dysart’s Late Model points chart for most of the 2012 season, it took Andy Saunders of Ellsworth until this past Saturday night to finally post a feature race win in the track’s premier division. Saunders started the race in the fifth spot in the 17 car field, and it took him until a restart on lap 26 before he could pass Milford’s Deane Smart to take the lead. Smart had led the event for most of the first 26 laps, losing it for only a lap at a time through close competition from Duane Seekins of Stockton Springs and Hermon’s Phil Richardson, who took turns challenging Smart for the top spot. Smart fought them both off, but didn’t have enough left at the end to keep Saunders from taking the win. Smart finished second with Seekins in third. Fourth went to Joey Doyon of Winterport with Hermon’s Dale Swoboda finishing fifth.
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by Jay | Aug 19, 2012 | Granite State Pro Stock, New Hampshire, Star Speedway, Touring Series News
Frahm Dominates Granite State Pro Stock Series Star 100
Part-time NASCAR racer leads all 100 laps in first series start
EPPING, NH — NASCAR Nationwide Series part-time competitor Matt Frahm dominated the Granite State Pro Stock Series 100-lap race at Star Speedway in Epping, NH to score his first series win in his first series start.
The 22-year-old Frahm, of New Salem, NH, used his pole position start to lead 99 of the 100 laps at the track where he began his racing career eight years ago. Three restarts put challengers to the outside of Frahm, but the young racer was able to retain his lead and pick up the win.
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