Jul 24, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Thunder Road Point Leaders Survive Double Points Night
Barre, VT – Championship battles are turning the corner at Barre’s Thunder Road as point battles tighten heading into the second half of the season. Point leaders Nick Sweet, Jason Allen, and Nick Pilotte survived a double points battle last Thursday, but title hunts remain unsettled.
Late Model point leader Nick Sweet has taken no prisoners in 2012, jumping out to a 78-point lead on the wings of four feature victories. Defending Champion Dave Pembroke, looking for his third Thunder Road track title, rides second and leads the effort to break Sweet’s stranglehold. Trampas Demers has risen to third, multi-time Champion Phil Scott rides fourth, and young Cody Blake sits in fifth.
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Jul 20, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Sweet Defends Points Lead, Shines at Midseason Championships
Barre, VT – Hometown sensation Nick Sweet sent a dagger into his competitor’s championship hopes, claiming the victory and extending his point lead at The Times Argus Midseason Championships on Thursday, July 19. Sweet was followed to the line by Jeffersonville’s Joey Becker and Essex Junction’s Dave Whitcomb. Former K&N Pro Series Champion Jamie Aube took home fourth, and 3-time Thunder Road Champion Phil Scott rounded out the top five.
Becker dominated the early part of the 75 lap event, stretching his lead while top three point drivers David Pembroke and Cody Blake were caught in early trouble. After a lap 23 caution, Whitcomb and Becker broke into a tireless duel side by side for the lead, with point leader Nick Sweet waiting in the whims. When Whitcomb finally inched by Becker using the high lane, Sweet took full advantage soaring to the lead with over 30 laps to go in the event, and never looked back. Mad River Valley’s Brooks Clark brought home sixth place and South Burlington’s Trampas Demers was seventh. Pembroke recovered from early damage to salvage eighth place, and Eric Chase and Scott Payea rounded out the top ten.
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Jul 13, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Historic Winnings Posted for Marquee Race
Barre, VT – Thunder Road officials have announced that the 50th Annual People’s United Bank Milk Bowl on Sunday, September 30th, will boast winnings exceeding $100,000 for competitors at “The Nation’s Site of Excitement.” It is the highest purse ever posted for the event deemed the “Toughest Short Track Race in America”.
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Jul 13, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Badore, Whitcomb Bounce Back for Feature Victories
Barre, VT – Barre’s hometown hero Nick Sweet continued a dominating 2012 with a dazzling victory in the Vermont Governor’s Cup 150 presented by the VT Lottery Commission at Thunder Road on Thursday (July 12). Sweet was hounded by defending Champion Dave Pembroke, and perennial front runner Scott Payea picked up third place. Young sensation Cody Blake crossed the line fourth, with 2011 Governor’s Cup winner John Donahue rounding out the top five.
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Jul 6, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Pelkey, Packard Claim Feature Victories
Barre, VT—East Montpelier’s Jay Laquerre took the 50-lap late model feature by storm on his way to his second win of 2012 on Thursday night (July 5) at Thunder Road sponsored by Charter Communications. He was followed by a late-charging “Hurricane” Jamie Fisher, and early leader Ricky Roberts.
Roberts looked to be on his way to victory while leading the first twenty laps of the race, but daring to drive on the high line was Laquerre, who swung high and wide near the top of the track to pass Roberts for the lead and never looked back. He developed a sizable lead over Roberts, who in the closing laps lost second to a fast closing Fisher on the outside groove, but the former champion ran out of laps trying to catch Laquerre. Brett Wheeler and Cody Blake chased the trio to the line in fourth and fifth. Point leader Nick Sweet flexed muscle starting fifteenth and extending his points lead once again with a sixth place finish. Mike Bailey, Cris Michaud, defending champion Dave Pembroke, and Brooks Clark rounded out the top ten.
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Jul 4, 2012 | American Canadian Tour, Maine Racing News, NE Racing News, Thunder Road, Touring Series News
Allen and Gabaree Win Last Lap Showdowns TR-070312
Barre, VT – In a night full of last lap surprises, Barre sensation Nick Sweet sent up championship fireworks of his own on his way to a hard fought win in Tuesday night’s (July 3) Northfield Savings Bank Holiday event at Thunder Road. Defending Thunder Road Champion Dave Pembroke chased Sweet to the line, and Milton’s Scott Payea was forced to settle for third in the closing laps.
Sweet started from the fifteenth position, and manipulated traffic masterfully on his way to the front of the pack. Sweet had reached second place just past the halfway mark, but Payea had extended a sizable lead searching for his first win of 2012. Sweet mercilessly closed the gap before catching him with 10 laps to go and charging to victory in the outside lane. Pembroke inched by Payea on the last lap to steal second, and Chip Grenier scored his first top five of the season with a fourth place finish. Trampas Demers, a feature winner already this season, came home fifth, three-time champion Phil Scott fought from 14th to sixth, and Brett Wheeler, Cody Blake, Jamie Fisher, and Brent Dragon rounded out the top ten.
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