by | Jul 6, 2012 | Thunder Road, Vermont
Barre, VT – In a night full of last lap surprises, Barre sensation Nick Sweet sent up championship fireworks of his own on his way to a hard fought win in Tuesday night’s (July 3) Northfield Savings Bank Holiday event at Thunder Road. Defending Thunder Road Champion Dave Pembroke chased Sweet to the line, and Milton’s Scott Payea was forced to settle for third in the closing laps.
Sweet started from the fifteenth position, and manipulated traffic masterfully on his way to the front of the pack. Sweet had reached second place just past the halfway mark, but Payea had extended a sizable lead searching for his first win of 2012. Sweet mercilessly closed the gap before catching him with 10 laps to go and charging to victory in the outside lane. Pembroke inched by Payea on the last lap to steal second, and Chip Grenier scored his first top five of the season with a fourth place finish. Trampas Demers, a feature winner already this season, came home fifth, three-time champion Phil Scott fought from 14th to sixth, and Brett Wheeler, Cody Blake, Jamie Fisher, and Brent Dragon rounded out the top ten.
With his win, Sweet breaks a streak of 19 different winners in 19 feature races in 2012 at Thunder Road. “Wow, that was a lot of fun to drive,” remarked Sweet. “We touched a bit there at the end, I think he just wanted our lane, but he drove a great race,” he finished with a smile.
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by Jay | Jul 4, 2012 | ACT, Thunder Road, Touring Series News, Vermont
Allen and Gabaree Win Last Lap Showdowns
In a night full of last lap surprises, Barre sensation Nick Sweet sent up championship fireworks of his own on his way to a hard fought win in Tuesday night’s (July 3) Northfield Savings Bank Holiday event at Thunder Road. Defending Thunder Road Champion Dave Pembroke chased Sweet to the line, and Milton’s Scott Payea was forced to settle for third in the closing laps.
Sweet started from the fifteenth position, and manipulated traffic masterfully on his way to the front of the pack. Sweet had reached second place just past the halfway mark, but Payea had extended a sizable lead searching for his first win of 2012. Sweet mercilessly closed the gap before catching him with 10 laps to go and charging to victory in the outside lane. Pembroke inched by Payea on the last lap to steal second, and Chip Grenier scored his first top five of the season with a fourth place finish. Trampas Demers, a feature winner already this season, came home fifth, three-time champion Phil Scott fought from 14th to sixth, and Brett Wheeler, Cody Blake, Jamie Fisher, and Brent Dragon rounded out the top ten.
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by | Jun 27, 2012 | New England, Thunder Road, Vermont
Championship hopes caught traction last Thursday night at Barre’s Thunder Road, but not just for a select few. Fifteen different drivers have already celebrated feature wins in 2012 with no repeat winners in any of Thunder Road’s three premiere divisions, and it leaves titles across all divisions ripe for the picking.
Thunder Road Co-Owner and NASCAR Hall of Famer Ken Squier is blown away. “I have been to short tracks all over the country, and I’m not sure I’ve ever heard a stat like that,” exclaimed Squier. “Fifteen different winners in five events? That’s really something,” he finished.
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by Jay | Jun 25, 2012 | Bear Ridge, Dirt Track, New England, Vermont
Harrington grabs Coupe checkers
Chris Donnelly returned to victory lane in a big way at Bear Ridge Speedway on Wells River Savings Bank Night on Saturday, driving from last place on the 21-car starting grid to win the 35-lap Bond Auto Parts DIRTcar Sportsman Modified feature. The Piermont, NH veteran put on a show, passing cars in both low and high grooves for his first 99ROCK Weekly Racing Series win of the year.
Donnelly piloted the No. 91 Tuck’s Repair-sponsored Bicknell chassis owned by Tim Tucker to the win after avoiding a six-car wreck on the opening lap, then slicing through the pack as the laps clicked away.
“It doesn’t get any better than that, 21st to the win,” Donnelly said after catching his breath in victory lane. “It’s been a long time since I had a car that good. Thanks to Tim Tucker for letting me drive it tonight.”
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by Jay | Jun 24, 2012 | Devils Bowl, New England, Vermont
Craig Bushey wins again in Late Models
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Rising stock car racing star Jessey Mueller posted his second NASCAR Whelen All-American Series victory of the season in the Bond Auto Parts Modified division on Whelen Engineering “Hometown Heroes” Night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday, June 22. The 17 year-old from Olmstedville, NY had a convincing drive from eighth starting position to take the lead from Jamie Proctor at the halfway point, then drove away to the win in the 35-lap main event.
Mueller had suffered through tough luck and crashes in recent weeks but credited the victory to his family-based team.
“My dad and my mom pour everything into this race car with their Mueller & Sons Heavy Duty Towing business, and this whole team has been working hard. It feels great to win again for them,” Mueller said in victory lane.
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by Jay | Jun 21, 2012 | New England, Thunder Road, Vermont
South Burlington, VT’s Trampas Demers made a return to victory lane in the Late Model Stock Car division on Thursday (June 21) night’s Casella Waste Management event at Barre’s Thunder Road. Demers, who was driving his father’s familiar #86 automobile after a hard wreck in last Sunday’s (June 17) event, had to hold off a hard charging Jamie Fisher and Cody Blake to pick up his first victory of 2012.
Outside pole sitter Dave Whitcomb dominated early, leading all but the final two laps in the caution-free 50-lap event. Demers slid underneath Whitcomb on lap 35, only to engage in a no-holds-barred showdown for the win. Whitcomb seemed to have the race in hand in the outside lane until he slid too high and into the dirt in turn one with less than two laps remaining. Demers took advantage, sliding underneath Whitcomb with Fisher and Blake in tow. Whitcomb recovered to finish fourth, and Mike Bailey came home fifth. Rookie Lance Allen, Eric Chase, Ricky Roberts, John Donahue, and Chip Grenier rounded out the top ten.
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