Alan Ward photo
Barre, VT – Milton’s Eric Badore held off point leader Derrick O’Donnell to score his first career Thunder Road Late Model win and the “Triple Crown” in the Jet Service Envelope/Accura Printing Trophy Dash on Thursday, August 20 in front of a full house at the Barre high banks.
The second-year driver started on the pole and led the whole way in the caution-free 50-lap feature, but Island Pond’s Brett Gervais followed him like a shadow for most of the event. N. Haverhill, NH’s O’Donnell entered the fray in the final 10 circuits and began working Badore’s outside with three laps to go.
But Badore fended him off to take the win and the $800 progressive Maplewood Triple Crown bonus after winning his heat and the semi-feature earlier in the evening. Badore is the first Triple Crown winner since the program was re-introduced earlier this year.
“I was getting a little nervous when I looked up in my mirror and saw Gervais and O’Donnell,” Badore said. “And then I looked up at the scoreboard and saw that we still had five laps left. It felt like those five laps were about 20 laps.
“I just wanted that win so bad,” he add. “The race could not get over quick enough. This is huge to end the year on a good note – especially winning the Triple Crown.”
O’Donnell finished second to take a commanding point lead with just two races remaining. Gervais was third followed by Scott Dragon and John Donahue. Phil Scott, Matt White, Jason Corliss, Cody Blake, and Jim Morris rounded out the top-10.
Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie picked up his fourth win of the season in the two-segment Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman feature. Moodie finished seventh in the 23-lap first segment and third in the 22-lap second segment, winning a tiebreaker with rookie Stephen Donahue.
Donahue finished second in the first segment and mounted a comeback after shutting down in the opening laps of the second segment with wiring problems, but stalled out in the final laps. Moodie moved into a tie with Joe Steffen for third on the all-time Tiger Sportsman win list with his 13th career victory.
Segment 2 winner Christopher Pelkey beat Dylan Payea for third in another tiebreaker. Mike Martin, Jason Woodard, Brian Delphia, Cameron Ouellette, Steffen, and Segment 1 winner Tommy Smith finished fifth through 10th overall. Moodie unofficially moved within two point of Woodard in the overall point standings.
Thomas Merchant dominated the 25-lap Allen Lumber Street Stock feature from the pole for his first career win. Rookie Reilly Lanphear finished second while Jennifer Getty snuck by Kevin Streeter for third during a yellow-and-checkered situation on the final lap. Richard Gravel, Brandon Gray, Jamie Davis, Will Hennequin, Donny Yates, and Matthew Smith completed the top 10. Davis unofficially is now tied with Jaden Perry for the points lead.
Colby Philbrick won the four-cylinder division in the Run-What-U-Brung, while Bob Lestage won the eight-cylinder division. Philbrick triumphed in the winner’s showdown.
The final Thursday night event of the 2015 Thunder Road season rolls next Thursday, August 27 at 7:00pm with Cody Chevrolet Cadillac Night. The Thunder Road Late Models, Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen, and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will all be in action for their next-to-last point counting event of the year. Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).
For more information contact the Thunder Road offices at 802.244.6963. media@acttour.com, or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
JET SERVICE ENVELOPE/ACCURA PRINTING NIGHT
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
THUNDER ROAD LATE MODELS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
- Eric Badore ( 4VT ) Milton, VT
- Derrick O’Donnell ( 60VT ) N. Haverhill, NH
- Brett Gervais ( 11NH ) Island Pond, VT
- Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) Milton, VT
- John Donahue ( 26VT ) Graniteville, VT
- Phil Scott ( 14VT ) Middlesex, VT
- Matt White ( 42VT ) Northfield, VT
- Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) Barre, VT
- Cody Blake ( 99VT ) Barre, VT
- Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) Barre, VT
- Josh Demers ( 10VT ) Montpelier, VT
- Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) Montpelier, VT
- Nick Sweet ( 88VT ) Barre, VT
- Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) S. Burlington, VT
- Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) St. Johnsbury, VT
- Mike Bailey ( 00VT ) S. Barre, VT
- Eric Chase ( 40VT ) Milton, VT
- #Scott Coburn ( 72VT ) Barre, VT
- Arthur Heino Jr. ( 07ME ) Newport, NH
- #Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) Westford, VT
- David Whitcomb ( 25VT ) Essex Jct., VT
- Jason Allen ( 29VT ) Barre, VT
- Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) E. Barre, VT
- Alby Ovitt ( 0NH ) Somersworth, NH
BOND AUTO TIGER SPORTSMEN
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
- Brendan Moodie ( 94 ) Wolcott, VT
- Stephen Donahue ( 26 ) Graniteville, VT
- Christopher Pelkey ( 64 ) S. Barre, VT
- Dylan Payea ( 7 ) Milton, VT
- Mike Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury, VT
- Jason Woodard ( 68 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
- Brian Delphia ( 27 ) Duxbury, VT
- Cameron Ouellette ( 90 ) Barre, VT
- Joe Steffen ( 00 ) Grand Isle, VT
- Tommy Smith ( 50 ) Williamstown, VT
- Doug Crowningshield ( 14 ) Barre, VT
- Caleb Nelson ( 07 ) Moretown, VT
- Mike Billado ( 8 ) Essex, VT
- Bert Gallison ( 30 ) Graniteville, VT
ALLEN LUMBER STREET STOCKS
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
- Thomas Merchant ( 38 ) Eden Mills, VT
- #Reilly Lanphear ( 21 ) Duxbury, VT
- Jennifer Getty ( 25 ) Cambridge, VT
- Kevin Streeter ( 67 ) Waitsfield, VT
- Richard Gravel ( 68 ) Wolcott, VT
- Brandon Gray ( 00 ) E. Thetford, VT
- Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT
- Will Hennequin ( 47 ) Morrisville, VT
- Donny Yates ( 05 ) N. Montpelier, VT
- #Matthew Smith ( 04 ) Essex Jct., VT
- Gary Mullen ( 29 ) Tunbridge, VT
- Jaden Perry ( 92 ) Hardwick, VT
- Bunker Hodgdon ( 83 ) Hardwick, VT
- #Chris LaForest ( 56 ) Barre, VT
- Marcel J. Gravel ( 86 ) Wolcott, VT
- Kyle Streeter ( 37 ) Waitsfield, VT
- Alan Maynard ( 10 ) Fairfax, VT
- Jamon Perry ( 62 ) Hardwick, VT
- Kevin Dodge ( 8 ) Barre, VT
- Tyler Austin ( 5 ) E. Calais, VT
- Kelly Miller Jr. ( 0 ) Johnson, VT
- Scott Weston ( 40 ) Berlin, VT
- Scott Maynard ( 59 ) Burlington, VT