Demers Shines Brightest at Wild Aubuchon Holiday Spectacular

Barre, VT – S. Burlington’s Trampas Demers came out on top of the on-track fireworks for his 11th career Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model victory at Thunder Road’s Aubuchon Hardware Holiday Spectacular on Thursday, July 4. Demers inherited the lead when Stephen Donahue and Christopher Pelkey tangled racing for the top spot with five laps to go. He then held off a late charge from Barre’s Cody Blake for the Independence Day victory.

Donahue started on the pole of the 50-lap feature and ran away in the early going as the field sliced and diced behind him. The third-generation driver continued to hold the top spot after a lap-15 caution when Josh Demers got into the frontstretch wall. However, the second caution on lap-27 for Kyle Pembroke’s spin completely changed the complexion of the race.

On the restart, Darrell Morin and Pelkey touched racing for the second spot in turn three, and both Morin and Eric Chase ended up in the turn-four wall. Pelkey ended up alongside Donahue for the restart with Trampas Demers in third after starting 12th.

Donahue and Pelkey proceeded to swap the lead back and forth for the next 18 circuits, with neither ever more than half a car length in front of the other. But the breathtaking duel came to an unfortunate end as the two got together approaching the start-finish line on the 46th circuit. Pelkey ended up hard in the frontstretch wall while Donahue was sent to the rear for his involvement, handing the top spot to Demers. The veteran made the most of it, motoring to the win and unofficially taking over the Late Model point lead in the process.

Blake’s late run came up just short in second. Wolcott’s Marcel J. Gravel flew all the way back to third after getting shuffled deep into the field in the early going. Tyler Cahoon, Jason Corliss, Scott Dragon, Boomer Morris, Phil Scott, Matt White, and Brendan Moodie rounded out the top-10.

In the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, E. Burke’s Colin Cornell was the last man standing of a wild-and-wooly feature, recording his first career Thunder Road victory. The 17-year-old started eighth in the 40-lap feature and steadily picked his way to the front as contenders fell by the wayside due to several incident’s in the second half of the event.

After a multi-car tangle on lap 28, Cornell found himself in third behind Williamstown’s Sid Sweet Jr. and Morrisville’s Brandon Lanphear. As the field came through turn two on the 34th lap, Sweet and Lanphear got together, with Lanphear ending up in the wall and Sweet getting nailed by several cars back in the pack. Cornell inherited the lead and held off E. Calais’s Tyler Austin on a final seven-lap sprint for the breakthrough win.

Austin finished a season-best second. Point leader Stephen Martin of Craftsbury rebounded from a midrace flat tire to catch Waterbury Ctr.’s Kelsea Woodard at the line for third. Jason Woodard, Brett Wood, Logan Powers, Mike Martin, Mike Billado, and Kevin Streeter finished fifth through 10th.

Barre’s Tyler Pepin made it work on the outside to take his second Allen Lumber Street Stock win of the season. Pepin started sixth on the grid and swung to the high groove on polesitter J.T. Blanchard on lap 10 of the 25-lap feature. The sophomore Street Stocker made the pass stick a few laps later and held off a late surge by Blanchard for the victory.

Graniteville’s Blanchard took second, matching the duo’s 1-2 finish on Opening Day. Berlin’s Kasey Collins earned his first career podium result in third. Juan “Paco” Marshall, Tommy “Thunder” Smith, Bryan P. Wall, Jamie Davis, point leader Jeffrey Martin, Hunter King, and Kasey Beattie completed the top-10.

Berlin’s Kylar Davis became a first-time winner in the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors. Davis Grabbed the lead on lap seven of the 20-lap feature when Haidyn Pearce broke loose and went through the turn-four infield. He then held on through two cautions, including one for a multi-car pile-up in turns three and four on a lap-16 restart, to take the checkered flag.

Northfield’s Josh Vilbrin rebounded from two straight tough outings to take second. Another Northfield racer, James Dopp, had his second straight podium finish in third. Todd Raymo, Dan Garrett Jr., Chris Davis, Brodie Frasier, Pearce, Rodney Campbell, and Fred Fleury also earned top-10 finishes.

The weekly Thunder Road racing season continues to roar next Thursday, July 11 with Passumpsic Bank Night. The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers take center stage with a 75-lap feature in round two of the Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series. There will also be a full card of championship stock car racing for the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models and Allen Lumber Street Stocks. Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).

AUBUCHON HARDWARE HOLIDAY SPECTACULAR

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

MAPLEWOOD/IRVING OIL LATE MODELS

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) Shelburne, VT

2. Cody Blake ( 99VT ) Barre, VT

3. Marcel J. Gravel ( 86VT ) Wolcott, VT

4. Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) Danville, VT

5. Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) Barre, VT

6. Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) Milton, VT

7. Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) Barre, VT

8. Phil Scott ( 14VT ) Middlesex, VT

9. Matt White ( 42VT ) Northfield, VT

10. Brendan Moodie ( 94VT ) Wolcott, VT

11. Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) Washington, VT

12. Eric Chase ( 40VT ) Milton, VT

13. Stephen Donahue ( 2VT ) Graniteville, VT

14. Christopher Pelkey ( 64VT ) Graniteville, VT

15. Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) Montpelier, VT

16. Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) Westford, VT

17. Josh Demers ( 10VT ) Montpelier, VT

DNS Josh Masterson ( 11VT ) Charlotte, VT

LENNY’S SHOE & APPAREL FLYING TIGERS

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Colin Cornell ( 54VT ) E. Burke, VT

2. Tyler Austin ( 5VT ) East Calias, VT

3. #Stephen Martin ( 9VT ) Craftsbury Common, VT

4. Kelsea Woodard ( 55VT ) Waterbury Ctr., VT

5. Jason Woodard ( 68VT ) Waterbury Ctr., VT

6. Brett Wood ( 29VT ) Georgia, VT

7. #Logan Powers ( 31VT ) Middlesex, VT

8. Michael Martin ( 01VT ) Craftsbury Common, VT

9. Mike Billado ( 8VT ) Grand Isle, VT

10. Kevin Streeter ( 67VT ) Waitsfield, VT

11. Adam Maynard ( 57VT ) Milton, VT

12. Cooper Bouchard ( 7VT ) Hinesburg, VT

13. Lance Rabtoy ( 12VT ) Fairfax, VT

14. Brandon Lanphear ( 11VT ) Morrisville, VT

15. Sid Sweet Jr. ( 93VT ) Williamstown, VT

16. Robert Gordon ( 20VT ) Milton, VT

17. Eric Messier ( 3VT ) Hinesburg, VT

18. Micheal MacAskill ( 33VT ) Williamstown, VT

19. Jeff Murray ( 35VT ) Georgia, VT

20. Bunker Hodgdon ( 83VT ) Wolcott, VT

21. Kyle Streeter ( 37VT ) Waterbury Ctr., VT

22. Joe Steffen ( 00VT ) Grand Isle, VT

23. Jason Pelkey ( 64VT ) Barre, VT

24. Chris Chambers ( 14VT ) Brookfield, VT

25. Sam Caron ( 07VT ) Milton, VT

26. Danny Doyle ( 51VT ) Chelsea, VT

ALLEN LUMBER STREET STOCKS

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Tyler Pepin ( 78 ) Barre, VT

2. J.T. Blanchard ( 66 ) Graniteville, VT

3. Kasey Collins ( 98 ) Berlin, VT

4. Juan Marshall ( 79 ) Pittsfield, VT

5. Thomas Smith ( 22 ) Williamstown, VT

6. Bryan P. Wall ( 77 ) E. Kingston, NH

7. Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT

8. Jeffrey Martin ( 8 ) Barre, VT

9. Hunter King ( 64 ) E. Calais, VT

10. Kasey Beattie ( 45 ) St. Johnsbury, VT

11. Justin Blakely ( 17 ) Barre, VT

12. #Tanner Woodard ( 68 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT

13. Tim Hunt ( 93 ) Derby, VT

14. Scott Weston ( 04 ) Berlin, VT

15. Michael Gay ( 3 ) So. Burlington, VT

16. Frank Putney ( 88 ) Graniteville, VT

17. Thomas Peck ( 96 ) Barre, VT

18. #Keegan Lamson ( 55 ) Berlin, VT

19. Dean Switser Jr. ( 16 ) Lyndonville, VT

20. Gary Mullen ( 29 ) Tunbridge, VT

21. Eric MacLaughlin ( 6 ) Milton, VT

22. #Kyle MacAskill ( 7 ) Williamstown, VT

DNS Royce Lussier ( 95 ) Berlin, VT

DNS Hunter Garduno ( 13 ) W. Fairlee, VT

DNS Tom Campbell ( 85 ) Middlesex, VT

DNS Jayme Lee ( 4 ) Berlin, VT

BURNETT SCRAP METALS ROAD WARRIORS

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Kyler Davis ( 68 ) Berlin, VT

2. Josh Vilbrin ( 07 ) Northfield, VT

3. James Dopp ( 0 ) Northfield, VT

4. Todd Raymo ( 26 ) Swanton, VT

5. Dan Garrett Jr. ( 54 ) Berlin, VT

6. Chris Davis ( 69 ) Berlin, VT

7. Brodie Frazier ( 17 ) E. Montpelier, VT

8. Haidyn Pearce ( 4 ) Middlesex, VT

9. Rodney Campbell ( 10 ) Worcester, VT

10. Fred Fleury ( 99 ) Graniteville, VT

11. Sean McCarthy ( 86 ) Williamstown, VT

12. Jacob Hall-Larson ( 42 ) Northfield, VT

13. Mark Beaulieu ( 12 ) Essex Jct., VT

14. Mike Mitchell ( 1 ) Essex Jct., VT

15. Brian Putney ( 87 ) E. Corinth, VT

16. Jason Kirby ( 71 ) Milton, VT

17. Nate Brien ( 16 ) Brookfield, VT

18. Paige Whittemore ( 47 ) Graniteville, VT

DNS Chris Morse ( 88 ) Graniteville, VT

DNS Eric Chase ( 13 ) Berlin, VT