BARRE, VT – Veteran stock car racer Joey Laquerre of East Montpelier has been taking the young
drivers at Barre’s Thunder Road to school for five decades, and Thursday’s WDEV 100 was no different. The 63 year-old won the NAPA Tiger Sportsman division’s second long-distance event of the season, making it a clean sweep of the 100-lap features in 2007.
Laquerre, who also won the Casella Waste Management Mother’s Day 100 in May, made an aggressive pass underneath leader Matt White of Northfield to take command on lap 21, then held off White’s repeated challenges throughout the final 25 laps to take the victory.
Second-generation driver White, who is half Laquerre’s age, tried to repay the favor of Laquerre’s
lap 21 bump on lap 80, but was unsuccessful in his attempt to re-take the lead. The Northfield driver
settled for second place ahead of Williamstown’s Chuck Beede, Nick Sweet of Barre, and Craftsbury rookie Joel Hodgdon.
“These kids can drive, they’re good,” said Laquerre in victory lane. “I love to run against them,
they race so hard but are so respectful. Matt did a good job tonight.”
The unofficial top ten finish was rounded out by Scott Coburn of Barre, Craig Bushey of Cambridge,
Duxbury’s Brian Delphia, Joe Steffen of Essex Junction, and rookie Eric Badore of Milton. White started on the pole position for the WDEV 100 by passing seven cars in his heat race to earn a “+7” handicap
in “plus/minus” qualifying.
North Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie walked away uninjured from a lap 76 fire in the WDEV 100.
Sophomore racer Marcel Gravel of Wolcott passed former Vermont Milk Bowl champion Dwayne Lanphear to take the lead in the WDEV 50 for the Late Model division, then held off a fast-closing Jamie Fisher of Shelburne to take his first career victory. Gravel, a low-buck racer with an all-volunteer team, was seemingly in awe of his accomplishment.
“It means so much to me to haul this car into the pits on an open trailer and have almost no
budget, and to beat the cars we beat tonight,” he said. “My crew gave me an even better car last week than we had tonight, but I wrecked it. We came back tonight and got it done. This win is for them.”
Fisher was behind by as much as a half-straightaway at times and was steadily narrowing the gap, but closed quickly as a lapped car crossed Gravel’s path in final corner. As Gravel slowed, Fisher pulled to within ten feet of the victory, but settled for second place. Rich Lowrey of Charlotte recovered from an early spin to finish in third place, ahead of Graniteville’s John Donahue and Barre’s Mike Bailey.
Rookie Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg took his second feature win of the season in the Allen Lumber Street Stock division, unofficially beating out fellow rookie Maynard Bartlett, Jr. of Hardwick and David Allen of North Troy.
James Dopp of Montpelier took his second-straight Power Shift Junkyard Warrior main event win. Mike Ducey of Williamstown finished second ahead of Waterbury’s Neal Foster.
Thunder Road’s 48th season of stock car racing continues on Thursday, June 28 with Sanel Parts Plus Night, as NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Kenny Wallace takes on the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Model division. NAPA Tiger Sportsmen, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Power Shift Junkyard Warriors will also be in action. Post time is scheduled for 6:30pm. Call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com for
more information.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS: WDEV Radio Night
Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl, Barre, VT – Thursday, June 21, 2007
NAPA Tiger Sportsmen (100 laps)
1. Joey Laquerre, East Montpelier
2. Matt White, Northfield
3. Chuck Beede, Williamstown
4. Nick Sweet, Barre
5. Joel Hodgdon, Craftsbury
6. Scott Coburn, Barre
7. Craig Bushey, Cambridge
8. Brian Delphia, Duxbury
9. Joe Steffen, Essex Jct.
10. Eric Badore, Milton
Late Models (50 laps)
1. Marcel Gravel, Wolcott
2. Jamie Fisher, Shelburne
3. Rich Lowrey, Charlotte
4. John Donahue, Graniteville
5. Mike Bailey, Barre
6. Cris Michaud, Northfield
7. Dwayne Lanphear, Morrisville
8. Trampas Demers, South Burlington
9. Rusty Berger, Williston
10. Gary Caron, Colchester
Allen Lumber Street Stocks (25 laps)
1. Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg
2. Maynard Bartlett, Jr., Hardwick
3. David Allen, North Troy
Power Shift Junkyard Warriors (20 laps)
1. James Dopp, Montpelier
2. Mike Ducey, Williamstown
3. Neal Foster, Waterbury