BARRE, VT – Stock car driver Dennis Demers of Shelburne came out on top of a thrilling 50-lap Late
Model division feature on Ferguson Waterworks Night at Barre’s Thunder Road on Thursday. Demers recovered from a lap 2 spin, then drove through a disastrous crash on lap 41 to steal the lead from Dave Whitcomb of Essex Junction with seven laps remaining.
Whitcomb, driving a Ferguson Waterworks-sponsored Chevrolet, led the majority of the race, and held off strong challenges from Phil Scott, Demers, and Demers’ son, Trampas. As Dennis and Trampas Demers battled for second position on lap 41, Scott attempted to push the pair three-wide in Thunder Road’s treacherous fourth turn. As the three cars made contact, Trampas Demers veered directly into the outside wall, taking Scott with him. Dennis Demers spun to avoid the melee, as did Jamie Fisher. No drivers were injured in the wreck.
As green flag action resumed, Dennis Demers swiftly out-maneuvered Whitcomb to take over the top spot. Whitcomb attempted several times to rattle Demers, but had settle for second place. Cris ichaud of Williamstown nipped Fisher at the finish for third place. Dave Pembroke of Montpelier, who entered the night as the Late Model point leader, completed the unofficial top five finishers.
Hometown drivers swept the top two finishing positions in the NAPA Tiger Sportsman feature. Scott
Coburn took the lead from Josh Lovely near the halfway mark of the 35-lap event, and sped to his second career win. Lovely held off a great battle for third place between Craig Bushey of Cambridge and rookie Joel Hodgdon of Craftsbury. Hodgdon made a last-turn bid on the inside to grab the position from Bushey. Chuck Beede of Williamstown finished fifth.
Chad Stewart of Barnet nailed down his first career Allen Lumber Street Stock victory, narrowly
edging out Bruce Melendy of Danville. Rookie Mike Ziter finished a career-best third, unofficially.
James Dopp of Montpelier earned his first Power Shift Junkyard Warrior win of the year to close out
the Ferguson Waterworks event. Jared Henry of East Barre backed up a Memorial Day victory with a second-place finish. Neal Foster of Waterbury was third.
Thunder Road’s 48th season of exciting stock car racing continues with the WDEV 100 for the NAPA
Tiger Sportsman division next Thursday (June 21), with an early start time of 6:00pm. Late Models, Street Stocks, and Warriors will also be in action. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit
www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.