BARRE, VT – Stock car drivers John Donahue and Tom Therrien are at the top of their respective divisions entering Sanel Parts Plus Night at Barre’s Thunder Road on Thursday (June 19). Both drivers are looking for their first championships in 2008.
Donahue, 38, leads the American-Canadian Tour Late Model division after two weekly championship events. The Graniteville driver piloted his National Guard #26 Ford Fusion to a victory at the Harvest Equipment Mother’s Day Special on May 11 and finished seventh at last week’s Ferguson Waterworks 50-lap event. Joe Becker of Jeffersonville sits second overall, just seven points behind (139-132). Hyde Park’s Eric Williams, Graniteville sophomore Chip Grenier, and Ferguson Waterworks winner Trampas Demers of South Burlington round out the top five Late Model drivers.
Twenty-one year-old Hinesburg driver Therrien has strung together a remarkable record of consistency through four events in the NAPA Tiger Sportsman division. Therrien finished on the heels of his younger brother, Bobby, for his second fourth-place result of the year last week, and also has finishes of sixth and seventh to his credit. Ferguson Waterworks winner Craig Bushey of Cambridge ranks second, just six points behind Tom Therrien (250-244). Pete Ainsworth of Middlesex is third over Craftsbury’s Joel Hodgdon and East Montpelier veteran Joey Laquerre.
Mike Martin of Craftsbury Common has a narrow two-point edge over North Troy’s David Allen (239-237) in the Allen Lumber Street Stock class. Like Tom Therrien, Martin has produced four top-ten finishes in four starts this year. Plainfield youngster Jason Corliss and Barre’s Erik Steel are next in line.
Wolcott’s Jamie Davis paces the Power Shift Online Junkyard Warrior division, 331-317 over Donny Yates of North Montpelier. South Burlington’s Mike Gay and Graniteville’s Travis Hull are tied in third place overall.
Green flag qualifying action for Sanel Parts Plus Night at Barre’s Thunder Road begins at 6:30pm on Thursday, June 19. All four racing divisions will be in action, along with a special “Media Madness” race for members of the local and regional press. Mike Twist, Editor of Speed51.com, will be back to defend last year’s win over Frank 107.1 FM morning show host T.J. Michaels and Québec auto racing writer Marc Patrick Roy.
General admission for Sanel Parts Plus Night is only $9.50 for adults, $3 for children (6-12), and just $20 for a “Family” ticket, good for any two adults and two kids. For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
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