Aug 26, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
St-Croix, QC – Eight-time American Canadian Tour Champion Brian Hoar of Williston, VT outdueled Quebec’s Jean-François Déry for his third straight Can-Am 200 win at Circuit Riverside Speedway on Saturday, August 25. Hoar and Déry ran nose to tail with Déry out front for the majority of the event as the two lapped all but the top nine cars. As the ten laps to go signal was given, Hoar turned up the pressure and began his assault for the lead.
The two swapped the lead several times over the next three laps, but Déry held the lead each time at the line. Hoar completed an incredible inside-out move in turn one on lap 192 to complete the pass for the win, his third of the season. Déry was followed to the line by defending Série ACT Castrol Champion Patrick Laperle and Donald Theetge in third and fourth respectively.
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Aug 21, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Touring Series News
Waterbury, VT – In 2012, Barre’s own Nick Sweet has been busy with one of the most successful Thunder Road Late Model seasons in recent memory, but when the dust settles at the end of the month in Thunder Road’s Late Model division, his focus will turn to the race he owned in 2011: The Bond Auto Labor Day Classic.
Last year, Sweet lost the championship to Middlesex’s Dave Pembroke in late August, but was offered the seat of the RPM #57 car, teammate to eight-time Champion Brian Hoar, for the Labor Day Classic. Sweet flew to his first victory in the event, etching his name once more in the granite stones at Thunder Road.
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Aug 21, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Barre, VT – Three-time Thunder Road Champion and Vermont Lt. Governor Phil Scott will engage in more than political battles at Barre’s Thunder Road for the last Thursday night race of the summer. The Thursday finale will feature the 100-lap Aubuchon Hardware Late Model Championship event to close out the chase for the 2012 Late Model crown.
The all-time wins leader Scott, who has amassed a stunning 27 victories at Thunder Road, has been held winless in 2012. Scott remains third in the 2012 overall standings, and sits only five points off defending Champion Dave Pembroke. The situation is reminiscent to 2011, when Scott had been held winless until a convincing victory in the 100-lap finale, finishing second in overall points. Scott will attempt the feat again in 2012, working off a third place finish in last Sunday’s event, just as he was working off of a third place finish when he won the finale a year ago.
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Aug 20, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Roberts, Smith Pick Up Feature Wins
Barre, VT – After a tough season, Winooski’s Jerry Lesage vindicated himself in style with a convincing victory in the 50-lap Late Model main event at Barre’s Thunder Road on Sunday, August 19. Lesage had to fend off rising star Cody Blake, as well as three-time “King of the Road” Phil Scott to take his first checkered flag in over seven years.
Pole-sitter Ricky Roberts ran with the lead early, but by lap 23 the familiar #74 of Lesage had pulled to his rear bumper. Lesage flew high to the outside and snatched the lead from Roberts by the halfway mark, and ran from the pack. Roberts was then swarmed by Blake, who took over the second position, as well as Scott, and point-leader Nick Sweet who stacked up two wide behind him. Blake distanced himself from the battle, while Scott methodically worked by Roberts with Sweet taking away fourth in the closing laps. Scott Payea, defending Champion Dave Pembroke, Jamie Aube, last week’s winner Cris Michaud, and Brett Wheeler completed the top ten finishers.
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Aug 17, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Steffen, Christman Fly to Feature Wins
Barre, VT – On a night where tough seasons were avenged, East Montpelier’s Cris Michaud took his second victory of the 2012 season, fending second-place point man David Pembroke, and current point leader Nick Sweet off for the feel-good win. Three-time Thunder Road Champion Phil Scott took the fourth position, and Winooski’s Jerry Lesage rounded out the top five.
Lesage, who drove to the early lead, was quickly eaten up by hungry defending Champion Dave Pembroke, who stretched out to a massive lead just before the halfway point. High point drivers Nick Sweet and Phil Scott worked their way through the field, but a lap 33 caution for the spinning car of Trampas Demers bunched the field back together. Pembroke stole the restart, but multi-time Champion Cris Michaud clung to his bumper before swinging high and wide with 10 laps to go. Michaud stole the lead from dominant Pembroke, and survived a late race restart to claim his second win of 2012. Pembroke fought off Sweet for second, while Scott slipped past Lesage in the closing laps for fourth. 2011 Tiger Champion Derrick O’Donnell, Scott Payea, Brooks Clark, Ricky Roberts, and first-time driver Emily Packard rounded out the top ten.
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Aug 15, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, NHMS, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Late Model Championship Coming to a Close
Barre, VT – As drivers prepare for weekly championship action this Thursday night (August 16), division titles are nearing the homestretch at the “Nation’s Site of Excitement” Barre’s Thunder Road. Only a handful of events remain for the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen, who are currently locked in one of the closest point battles in recent memory, as well as the Allen Lumber Street Stocks. For Late Models, the championship is just around the corner.
Thursday will mark the beginning of the end for championship hopes in the Late Model division, as in a stretch of seven days they will run their final three point counting events. A rainout event last Thursday has moved the Make-A-Wish/Bond night to Sunday, August 19th, creating a weeklong dash to crown the Late Model “King of the Road.”
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