Thomas Peck Ends Seven Year Itch with rk Miles Street Stock Win

Barre, VT — To complete a picturesque and amazingly rain-free weekend in Central Vermont, the sights and sounds of Barre’s Thunder Road International Speedbowl went off without a hitch on Sunday for the 45th Labor Day Classic presented by New England Federal Credit Union. The American-Canadian Tour once again put on a thrilling international showdown while the weekly warriors of the Thunder Road highbanks wowed the large crowd on hand and those at home around the world on FloRacing.

Under the command of Robert Catchapaw and Kevin Wheatley, the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors led the pace for the first feature event of the afternoon. Wheatley quickly took over but it was Frank Putney in the ‘Unofficial Thunder Road Pacecar’ that stole the show on lap 3. The caution for a slashing 03 across the frontstretch sent both Catchapaw and Windsor Hodgdon into the turn-two wall and restarted Nate ‘Tater’ Brien alongside Putney. A second caution for Corey Martin’s smack into the turn one tire barrier set up a new showdown between Putney and young-gun Karsen Murphy. In the end, the veterans schooled the Northfield Marauder with Frank Putney taking the victory over Nate Brien and Murphy.

With Thomas Peck and Scott Weston showing the way, the rk Miles Street Stocks slowed early on lap one as Taylor Hoar slammed into the turn four wall ending her day. Back under green the Crunch Bunch continued to thrash with Weston going around in turn four, collecting point leaders James Dopp and Cam Powers among others. Finally, under a long green flag run, Peck ran away at the front as Trevor Jaques and Dean Switser Jr. attempted to make space mid-pack as laps wound down. Thomas Peck triumphantly took down his first career win in front of the packed holiday crowd after starting in the four-cylinder Street Stock ranks back in 2017. Haidyn Pearce and Trevor Jaques completed the winner’s circle podium.

Outside pole-sitter Luke Peters began to slide back early in the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers making an interesting chase out front. Polesitter Matt Ballard made it look easy as he extended his lead while Tyler Pepin and Robert Gordon dug deep to reel him in. Cooper French came from an early slide to rim-ride the outside lane around the top-five, setting his sights on Ballard. Slowly but surely catching up to his top adversary, French came to within a fender-length under the white flag with lap-traffic playing a hand ahead. The Northfield kid took one last shot at the win but time ran out even as Ballard’s right rear sliced off Craig Bushey’s fender to send him sideways across the line. Ballard’s win would be stripped in tech for an unapproved clutch assembly giving Cooper French his first-career Flying Tiger win with Tyler Pepin in second and Kevin Streeter in third.

After leading the pack with his +2 in the Mighty Mini Stock Tour heat races, Kevin Boucher led the field to green alongside Kodi Sabins. Boucher kept the early charge going but increased heat from Cody LeBlanc kept the pressure on through the halfway point. LeBlanc would take charge just after the crossed flags and never looked back en-route to Thunder Road victory lane with Kodi Sabins and Kevin Boucher joining the podium.

After two rounds of qualifying, the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model Thunder Road regulars showed the way. Brandon Lanphear and Darrell Morin brought the field to green with both sharing the lime-light as an ACT lap leader at their home track. With former King of the Road track champions Chris Pelkey and Bobby Therrien quickly joining the scene, Lanphear and Morin continued to battle hard for the top spot. Therrien would overtake on lap 38 as the Thunder Road heroes continued to show-up the touring stars.

Although Pelkey and Therrien swapped the lead on several restart periods, it was Therrien’s race through and through. Even as the American-Canadian Tour championship battle between Gabe Brown and D.J. Shaw got hot and heavy behind them, Therrien, Pelkey, Marcel Gravel, Kaiden Fisher and Kyle Pembroke proved seat-time and experience are the ultimate aid at Thunder Road.

After an absolutely wild ride for longtime Thunder Road ladder-climber Jaden Perry on top of the turn one tire wall, Gravel and Therrien fought hard on the restart. Ultimately, it was just a one man game. After subbing in for Governor Phil Scott during this summer’s State of Emergency following the unprecedented July flooding, Bobby Therrien took all his 2023 experience to a second Labor Day Classic 200 win in New England Federal Credit Union victory lane. Marcel Gravel and Kaiden Fisher rounded out the podium.

Thunder Road returns to action for the rain-delayed Super Friday on September 8th presented by McGee Hyundai of Barre. With extra money on the line for all four Thunder Road divisions, and the championship season coming down to just two events left, expect your favorite drivers to let it all hang out this Friday!

For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, media@thunderroadvt.com, or visit www.thunderroadvt.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @ThunderRoadVT.

Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl – Barre, VT

45th Labor Day Classic presented by New England Federal Credit Union

Sunday, September 3, 2023

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

American-Canadian Tour – 45th Labor Day Classic (200 Laps)

1. 14VT Bobby Therrien Hinesburg, VT

2. 86VT Marcel J. Gravel Wolcott, VT

3. 18VT #Kaiden Fisher Shelburne, VT

4. 64VT Chris Pelkey Graniteville, VT

5. 68NH #Tanner Woodard Waterbury Ctr., VT

6. 99VT Cody Blake Barre, VT

7. 27VT Kyle Pembroke Montpelier, VT

8. 60ME Gabe Brown Center Conway, NH

9. 66VT Jason Corliss Barre, VT

10. 04VT D.J. Shaw Center Conway, NH

11. 77NH #Bryan Wall Jr. E. Kingston, NH

12. 68VT Brooks Clark Fayston, VT

13. 0VT Scott Dragon Milton, VT

14. 94VT Brendan Moodie Wolcott, VT

15. 16VT Brandon Lanphear Morrisville, VT

16. 7VT Cooper Bouchard Hinesburg, VT

17. 36NH Erick Sands Derry, NH

18. 00NH Jimmy Renfrew Jr. Candia, NH

19. 17VT Darrell Morin Westford, VT

20. 04NY #Justin Prescott Milton, VT

21. 55VT #Keegan Lamson Berlin, VT

22. 41QC Jonathan Bouvrette Blainville, QC

23. 31KS #Cody Schoolcraft Claremont, NH

24. 31CT #Andrew Molleur Shelton, CT

25. 92VT Jaden Perry Hardwick, VT

26. 12CT #PJ Evans Uncasville, CT

27. 58VT Jimmy Hebert Williamstown, VT

28. 78CT Walter Suttcliffe E. Haven, CT

29. 01VT Stephen Martin Craftsbury Common, VT

30. 27NH Cam Huntress Rochester, NH

DNS 03MA Derek Gluchacki North Dartmouth, MA

DNS 25ME #Jason Gammon Hollis, ME

Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers - (40 Laps)

1. 4ME Cooper French Northfield, VT

2. 78VT #Tyler Pepin Barre, VT

3. 67VT Kevin Streeter Waitsfield, VT

4. 20VT Robert Gordon Milton, VT

5. 64VT Jason Pelkey Barre, VT

6. 90VT Cameron Ouellette Barre, VT

7. 00VT Brandon Gray E. Thetford, VT

8. 54VT Colin Cornell E. Burke, VT

9. 07VT Sam Caron Milton, VT

10. 23NY Cam Gadue Highgate, VT

11. 31VT Logan Powers Middlesex, VT

12. 37VT Kyle Streeter Waterbury Ctr., VT

13. 45VT Adam Maynard Milton, VT

14. 08VT Phil Potvin Underhill, VT

15. 26VT #Luke Peters Groton, VT

16. 13VT Ty Delphia Duxbury, VT

17. 68VT Jason Woodard Waterbury Ctr., VT

18. 56VT Chris Laforest Barre, VT

19. 05VT Craig Bushey Fletcher, VT

20. 23VT Matthew Potter Marshfield, VT

DSQ 33VT Matt Ballard* Williamstown, VT

*Disqualified for Illegal Clutch Assembly

rk Miles Street Stocks - (25 Laps)

1. 96 Thomas Peck Waterbury, VT

2. 2 Haidyn Pearce Chelsea, VT

3. 57 Trevor Jaques Milton, VT

4. 74 Tyler Whittemore Barre, VT

5. 7 Kyle MacAskill Williamstown, VT

6. 71 Jesse Laquerre Berlin, VT

7. 55 Parker Gagne Fairfax, VT

8. 24 Todd Raymo Swanton, VT

9. 16 Dean Switser, Jr. Waterford, VT

10. 34 Patrick Tibbetts Plainfield, VT

11. 5 Kyle Gravel Wolcott, VT

12. 98 Kasey Collins Berlin, VT

13. 79 Juan 'Paco' Marshall Pittsfield, VT

14. 88 #Paul Rocheleau Georgia, VT

15. 33 Curtis Franks Topsham, VT

16. 43 Jamie Davis Johnson, VT

17. 13 #Travis Gay S. Burlington, VT

18. 9 #Logan Farrell Barre, VT

19. 3 Michael Gay S. Burlington, VT

20. 66 Robert Audet Morrisville, VT

21. 30 Cameron Powers E. Montpelier, VT

22. 04 Scott Weston Berlin, VT

23. 0 James Dopp Northfield, VT

24. 08 #Ryan Foster Waterbury, VT

25. 48 Taylor Hoar South Hero, VT

Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors - (20 Laps)

1. 88 Frank Putney Graniteville, VT

2. 16 Nate Brien Williamstown, VT

3. 42 Karsen Murphy Northfield, VT

4. 19 Neal Foster Moretown, VT

5. 07 Benjamin Bushey Springfield, VT

6. 99 Fred Fleury Graniteville, VT

7. 71 Jason Kirby Milton, VT

8. 17 Brodie Frazier E. Montpelier, VT

9. 81 Mike Slingerland Fairfax, VT

10. 13 Kevin Wheatley Brookfield, VT

11. 18 David Wilder Barre, VT

12. 83 Gavin Hodgdon Hyde Park, VT

13. 33 Brayden Murphy Barre, VT

14. 31 Tyler Wheatley Brookfield, VT

15. 97 Eddie Thompson Colchester, VT

16. 89 Mike Sherburne Lyndonville, VT

17. 26 Corey Martin Northfield, VT

18. 43 Anderson Boyd Berlin, VT

19. 96 Bill O'Connor S. Washington, VT

20. 28 Windsor Hodgdon Granby, VT

21. 03 Robert Catchapaw Waterbury, VT

22. 77 Zach Garvey Milton, VT

23. 75 Bert Duffy Milton, VT

Mighty Mini Stock Tour – (30 Laps)

1. 7NH Cody LeBlanc Berlin, NH

2. 36VT Kodi Sabins Springfield, VT

3. 71 Kevin Boucher Grafton, NH

4. 7MI Matt LeBlanc Berlin, NH

5. 8 Jeffrey Martin Barre, VT

6. 76 Garrett LaBounty Orleans, VT

7. 55 Nick Anderson Oxford, MA

8. 90 Desmond Skillings Antrim, NH

9. 95 Cale Skillings Antrim, NH

10. 51VT Chris Judd Windsor, VT

11. 57 Pat Houle Vernon, VT

12. 1NH Ken Marier Newfields, NH

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Therrien Capitalizes on 2023 Experience to Claim Second Labor Day Classic

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