Gluchacki, Donahue Set Vermont Milk Bowl Front Row in Booth Bros./Hood Time Trial Runs

Shaw, Swanson Take PASS Wins

Barre, VT — Booth Bros./Hood Vermont Milk Bowl Qualifying Day on Saturday at Thunder Road was a spectacular display of short track racing in preparation for Sunday’s Vermont Milk Bowl. The Toughest Short Track Race in North America isn’t just tough on Sunday, Saturday’s Booth Bros./Hood Qualifying Day is no small feat with time trials and triple-50 heat races determining the start of the feature field with tomorrow’s B-Feature setting the final four spots for the 61st Vermont Milk Bowl. Throw in the start of Mini Milk Bowl action, PASS Super Late Models and the New England Supermodified Series, Booth Bros./Hood Qualifying Day set the exciting pace for Milk Bowl weekend.

North Dartmouth, Massachusetts’ Derek Gluchacki took the Booth Bros./Hood Fast Time Pole Award and the Vermont Milk Bowl pole position on Sunday with a blistering 12.152-second lap over outside polesitter Stephen Donahue’s 12.186-second lap in time trial qualifying. The triple-50 heat races followed with Cody Blake, Gabe Brown and Nick Sweet earning the $1,000 heat race wins and setting the top-17 with seven more added from their fast-time in qualifying. Twenty-four cars are locked in for the Vermont Milk Bowl with the top two finishers in tomorrow’s B-Feature with a provisional on the line for one Thunder Road driver and one American-Canadian Tour driver also on the line.

Alan Ward photos

Fast cars Rich Lowrey and 2023 track champion Kyle Streeter set the pace in segment one of the Mini Milk Bowl for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers. While the battle was hot and heavy early, Streeter marched to the lead on the outside lane. As the green flag laps continued, Jason Woodard and Cam Powers driving the Beaver Dragon throwback got physical for third. With ten laps remaining, Jason Pelkey piled in with second through fifth running under a blanket just on the rear-bumper of Streeter before disaster struck. The Streeter machine lost the right front wheel bearing just Woodard dove under the defending champion in turn three.

Alan Ward photos

Lowrey and Woodard went to war under the restart green flag, leaving a show for Powers and Pelkey in third and fourth. Jason Woodard kept his speed up to take the segment win with Jason Pelkey and Rich Lowery rounding out the top three.

Former track champions Dean Switser and Jamie Davis led the rk Miles Street Stock field to green for the first of two segments in their Mini Milk Bowl. While Switser got the jump and the lead in the early stages of their lightning-fast 25 lap segment one, Josh Lovely powered up from his sixth-place starting spot to stalk the leader. The caution-free showdown saw Dean Switser Jr. take the segment win over Josh Lovely and Trevor Jaques at the line, leading into a super competitive segment two during tomorrow's program.

Alan Ward photos

Speaking of lightning fast, the New England Supermodifed Series stole the stage for their 75-lap Milk Bowl weekend spectacular. Ryan Battle back behind the wheel of the #9 machine led from the drop of the green flag, careening around lap traffic within the first fifteen circuits around the ¼-mile Thunder Road bullring. 2023 winners Vern Romanowski and Dan Bowles kept up the pace as best they could, but quickly found themselves half-a-track back in second and third. Matt Swanson powered up through just after the halfway point to take the lead before Duggan’s powerplant let loose coming out of turn four.

Battle and Swanson restarted the field with thirty-five laps remaining as Swanson got shot out of a cannon on on the restart to take the lead from the outside lane before Dave Duggan’s spin in turn two called the caution once more. Swanson powered back up under green to take the Thunder Road win over a hard-charging Ryan Battle in just his second Supermodified start with Dan Bowles rounding out the podium.

Alan Ward photos

Green Mountain Boys Jimmy Hebert and Evan Hallstrom started off the PASS Super Late Model 150 with Gabe Brown and Joey Doiron quickly joining the top three. Hometown Hebert kept the pace out front until Brown swept under to lead lap 18. Perennial PASS runner Dennis Spencer Jr. lost a right front tire on lap 23 before rejoining the field on lap 33. Spencer would continue his string of bad luck by smacking the turn three wall on lap 53 and officially ended his day with wrecked front-end suspension.

Brian Whalley earned the lucky dog spot as Doiron, Jeremy Davis, Hallstrom and Bobby Therrien went pit-side for adjustments. Brown and Hebert faced off on the return to green with Brown gaining the upper hand on the low groove. D.J. Shaw creeped up on Hebert to take second away on lap 67 and set his sights on Brown just a split second ahead of him. The final caution flag flew for Trevor Sanborn slowed in turn three on lap 108 just as Shaw began to work over Brown for the lead. The two restarted dead-even but it was Shaw putting the pedal to the metal on the outside groove to lead lap 109. D.J. Shaw kept pace on the field and took his second consecutive PASS win in 2023 over Gabe Brown and Johnny Clark.

Alan Ward photos

Tomorrow, Sunday, October 1 brings the Toughest Short Track Race in North America to Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vermont. The $100,000 61st Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank kicks off with the nail-biting Last Chance B-Feature for the ACT/Maplewood-Irving Late Models at 12:15pm before opening ceremonies begin at 12:40pm and Segment One of the Milk Bowl taking the Green Flag at 1:30pm. The Flying Tigers and Street Stocks will finish out their exciting Mini Milk Bowls alongside the two segment Mini Milk Bowl for the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors. Sunday-Only general admission is available at $30 for adults, $10 for kids 12-6 with children 5 and under free!

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

Booth Bros./Hood Vermont Milk Bowl Qualifying Day

Saturday, September 30, 2023

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Booth Bros./Hood Vermont Milk Bowl Fast-Time Pole Winner (Car #, Driver, Hometown, Fast-Lap Time) -
92MA  Derek Gluchacki          N. Dartmouth, MA      12.152-seconds

61s Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank Starting Line-Up

1.         92MA  Derek Gluchacki          North Dartmouth, MA

2.         29VT    Stephen Donahue       Graniteville, VT

3.         99VT    Cody Blake                  Barre, VT

4.         60ME   Gabe Brown                Center Conway, NH

5.         88VT    Nick Sweet                  Barre, VT

6.         14VT    Bobby Therrien           Hinesburg, VT

7.         86VT    Marcel J. Gravel          Wolcott, VT

8.         64VT    Chris Pelkey                 Graniteville, VT

9.         77NH   #Bryan Wall Jr.            E. Kingston, NH

10.       01VT    Stephen Martin           Craftsbury Common, VT

11.       9VT      Chip Grenier               Orange, VT

12.       36NH   Erick Sands                  Derry, NH

13.       04VT    D.J. Shaw                     Center Conway, NH

14.       66VT    Jason Corliss               Barre, VT

15.       0VT      Scott Dragon               Milton, VT

16.       58VT    Jimmy Hebert              Williamstown, VT

17.       18VT    #Kaiden Fisher             Shelburne, VT

18.       91QC   Patrick Laperle            St-Denis, QC

19.       68VT    Brooks Clark                Fayston, VT

20.       68NH   #Tanner Woodard       Waterbury Ctr., VT

21.       04NH   Shawn Swallow           Groveton, NH

22.       27VT    Kyle Pembroke            Montpelier, VT

23.       97NH   Joey Polewarczyk        Hudson, NH

24.       45NY    Brian Hoar                   Williston, VT

25.       1st-Place B-Feature

26.       2nd-Place B-Feature  

27.       Thunder Road 100% Provisional

28.       ACT Tour 100% Provisional

Pro All Stars Series (PASS) Super Late Models - (150 Laps)

1.         60        D.J. Shaw                     Center Conway, NH

2.         47B      Gabe Brown                Center Conway, NH

3.         54        Johnny Clark               Hallowell, ME

4.         58VT    Jimmy Hebert              Williamstown, VT

5.         1VT      Evan Hallstrom           Northfield, VT

6.         39        Max Cookson               Pittsfield, ME

7.         73D      Joey Doiron                 Berwick, ME

8.         44        Trevor Sanborn           E. Parsonsfield, ME

9.         5x        Bobby Therrien           Hinesburg, VT

10.       02        Brian Whalley             Laconia, NH

11.       09        Jeremy Davis               Tamworth, NH

12.       12        Dennis Spencer, Jr.     Oxford, ME

New England Supermodified Series (NESS) - (75 Laps)

1.         97        Matt Swanson             Acton, MA

2.         9          Ryan Battles                Dunstable, MA

3.         25        Dan Bowles                 Epping, NH

4.         11        Ben Seitz                     Bourne, MA

5.         5          Rob Summers              Manchester, CT

6.         41        Russ Wood                  Pelham, NH

7.         45        Mike Mayberry           Naples, ME

8.         51        Dave Duggan               Mason, NH

9.         13        Bobby Timmons          Windham, ME

10.       52        Vern Romanowski       Strong, ME

Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers Mini Milk Bowl Segment #1 - (40 Laps)

1          68VT    Jason Woodard           Waterbury Ctr., VT

2          64VT    Jason Pelkey                Barre, VT

3          8NH     Rich Lowrey                 South Hero, VT

4          7VT      Logan Powers              Middlesex, VT

5          15VT    Derrick Calkins             Hinesburg, VT

6          4ME     Cooper French             Northfield, VT

7          90VT    Cameron Ouellette     Barre, VT

8          65VT    Robert Gordon            Milton, VT

9          8VT      Mike Billado                Grand Isle, VT

10        07VT    Sam Caron                   Milton, VT

11        01VT    Michael Martin           Craftsbury, Common, VT

12        52VT    Brad Bushey                Fairfax, VT

13        2NY      Cam Gadue                 Highgate, VT

14        54VT    Colin Cornell               E. Burke, VT

15        08VT    Phil Potvin                   Underhill, VT

16        45VT    Adam Maynard           Milton, VT

17        78VT    #Tyler Pepin                Barre, VT

18        2VT      Craig Bushey               Fairfax, VT

19        5NH     Kyle Gravel                  Wolcott, VT

20        77VT    Ryan Field                   Stowe, VT

21        37VT    Kyle Streeter               Waterbury Ctr., VT

22        33VT    Matt Ballard               Williamstown, VT

23        93FL     Jeff Oeschger              Dover, FL

24        31NH   Shawn Fleury              Middlesex, VT

25        6VT      Kyler Davis                  Berlin, VT

rk Miles Street Stocks Mini Milk Bowl Segment #1 - (25 Laps)

1.         16        Dean Switser, Jr.         Waterford, VT

2.         54        Josh Lovely                  Williamstown, VT

3.         57        Trevor Jaques              Milton, VT

4.         16NH   Nick Pilotte                  Bethlehem, NH

5.         48        Taylor Hoar                 South Hero, VT

6.         43        Jamie Davis                 Johnson, VT

7.         16x      Patrick Switser            Waterford, VT

8.         9          #Logan Farrell             Barre, VT

9.         55        Parker Gagne              Fairfax, VT

10.       66        Robert Audet               Morrisville, VT

11.       08        #Ryan Foster               Waterbury, VT

12.       0          James Dopp                 Northfield, VT

13.       57NH   Todd Derrington         Littleton, NH

14.       88        Danny Doyle                Northfield, VT

15.       3          Michael Gay                S. Burlington, VT

16.       24        Todd Raymo                Swanton, VT

17.       2          Haidyn Pearce             Chelsea, VT

18.       98        Kasey Collins               Berlin, VT

19.       90        Kyle Goodbout             N. Woodstock, NH

20.       2x        Cameron Ruggles        Richmond, VA

21.       33        Curtis Franks               Topsham, VT

22.       04        Scott Weston               Berlin, VT

23.       17x      Connor Rueda             Barre, VT

24.       50        Eric MacLaughlin        Milton, VT

25.       13        #Travis Gay                 S. Burlington, VT

26.       8          Jeffery Martin             Barre, VT

DNS     17        Justin Blakely              Graniteville, VT