Grenier Ends Winless Drought on Casella Night Thursday Opener

Barre, VT — A beautiful Thursday afternoon greeted Central Vermont race fans to ring in the first Thursday Night program at Thunder Road for 2024. Casella Waste Management Night proved to be a perfect night for hard-nosed, competitive short track racing that has kept Thunder Road a tradition for folks across the region and it was a rousing start to the summer.

The New England Antique Racers joined the opening Casella Waste Management Thursday Night Program. A whole crop of yesteryear’s machines turned up for two 15-lap feature events with Bay Staters Scott Clements taking the Lloyd Hutchins Memorial Sportsman division win and Bruce ‘Gomer’ Taylor taking the Modified Cho Lee Memorial victory.

Alan Ward photo

Alan Ward photo

Alan Ward photo

Aside from polesitter Thomas Peck, the rk Miles Street Stocks ran side-by-side, row after row at the start with Todd Raymo and Patrick Tibbetts quickly moving in on the leader. Tibbetts would take control around the lapped car of Taber Andrews in a daring three wide move in turn three with Raymo, Kyle MacAskill and a hard-charging Trevor Jaques in tow. Jaques would power around the outside lane to take the lead just before the first caution coming out for Donat Premont’s fire under the #39 machine. With nine laps remaining, Jaques would get the run he needed to take his second win of the year on Casella Waste Management Night with Kyle Macaskill and Ryan Foster rounding out the podium.

While Ty Delphia and Tyler Pepin led the field, former champion Sam Caron took the lead early in their 40-lap Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger main event. Milton’s Robert Gordon tried to keep pace with Caron but was overrun by Kevin Streeter with Streeter chasing down the former champ. With the traffic jam opened up mid-pack by the halfway point, hard-charging fellow former champions Brendan Moodie and Kyle Streeter used the outside lane to their advantage, swiftly moving into the top-ten runners.

Alan Ward photo

Two late race cautions re-racked the field, leading to two spirited side-by-side battles between Streeter and Caron that were once again ruined by yellow flags. A desperation three-wide move mid-pack made for a jumble at the start/finish line sending Brendan Moodie, Luke Peters and Memorial Day winner Matt Ballard barreling into the turn one wall. Sam Caron would win the war just three laps later over Kevin Streeter and Robert Gordon at the line.

Young second-generation drivers Chris Roberts and Cooper Bouchard got the Maplefields/Irving Late Models to a lightning-start on Casella night. Chip Grenier, Marcel Gravel and Brandon Lanphear joined the fray, with the majority of the field remaining side-by-side ten laps in, battling hard for inches lost and gained on equal grooves. After a spin for Phil Scott, and a later turn one-collection that took out Kyle Pembroke, the field returned to green with Roberts and Bouchard continuing to battle at the head of the pack.

Chip Grenier took over the helm with eleven laps remaining with Lanphear and Gravel trying to track him down in the late stages but time ran out! Chip Grenier destroyed a decade of no-wins to claim the Casella Waste Management trophy with Brandon Lanphear and Marcel Gravel rounding out the podium. Apparent third-place finisher Gravel was later disqualified in post-race technical inspection for being too wide giving third to Cooper Bouchard.

Alan Ward photo

Alan Ward photo

Todd Raymo finished the night on a high note, taking the 10th annual Marvin Johnson Memorial First-Time Winner’s Race after a spirited, 19-lap battle with Ryan Foster, Paul Rocheleau and Paige Whittemore!

Thursday night weekly racing returns on Thursday, June 20 with the 45th Vermont Governor’s Cup 150 presented by the Vermont Lottery! NASCAR Xfinity Series champion Cole Custer joins the Maplefields/Irving Late Models for 150 laps around the Barre highbanks under the Thursday night lights for a chance to join a list of iconic winners! The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and the rk Miles Street Stocks will also continue their track championship chases with a Special 6:30pm Post Time on Thursday, June 20 for the Vermont Governor’s Cup.

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

Thursday, June 13, 2024

Casella Waste Management Night

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

 

Maplefield/Irving Late Models – (50 Laps)

1.         9VT      Chip Grenier               E. Barre, VT

2.         16VT    Brandon Lanphear     Morrisville, VT

3.         7VT      Cooper Bouchard       Hinesburg, VT

4.         64VT    Christopher Pelkey     S. Barre, VT

5.         99VT    Cody Blake                  Barre, VT

6.         8VT      Chris Roberts              Washington, VT

7.         31VT    Stephen Donahue      Graniteville, VT

8.         18VT    Kaiden Fisher              Shelburne, VT

9.         04VT    Justin Prescott             Fairfax, VT

10.       66VT    Jason Corliss               Barre, VT

11.       01VT    Stephen Martin          Craftsbury Common, VT

12.       40VT    Nick Sweet                  Williamstown, VT

13.       68VT    Brooks Clark               Fayston, VT

14.       55VT    Keegan Lamson          Berlin, VT

15.       0VT      Scott Dragon               Milton, VT

16.       5VT      Bobby Therrien           Hinesburg, VT

17.       17VT    Darrell Morin              Westford, VT

18.       71VT    #Jesse Laquerre          E. Montpelier, VT

19.       48VT    #Taylor Hoar               South Hero, VT

20.       14VT    Phil Scott                     Montpelier, VT

21.       27VT    Kyle Pembroke           Montpelier, VT

DSQ     86VT    Marcel J. Gravel          Wolcott, VT

DNS     15VT    Derrick Calkins            Hinesburg, VT

 

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

1.         07VT    Sam Caron                  Milton, VT

2.         67VT    Kevin Streeter             Waitsfield, VT

3.         20VT    Robert Gordon           Milton, VT

4.         00VT    Brandon Gray             E. Thetford, VT

5.         64VT    Jason Pelkey                Barre, VT

6.         31VT    Logan Powers             Middlesex, VT

7.         37VT    Kyle Streeter               Waterbury Ctr., VT

8.         56VT    Chris Laforest              Barre, VT

9.         23NY   Cam Gadue                 Highgate, VT

10.       3VT      Michael MacAskill      Williamstown, VT

11.       45VT    Adam Maynard           Milton, VT

12.       5RI       #Kyle Gravel               Wolcott, VT

13.       13VT    Ty Delphia                   Waterbury, VT

14.       9VT      #Logan Farrell             Barre, VT

15.       22VT    Travis Patnoe              Wolcott, VT

16.       8VT      Mike Billado               Grand Isle, VT

17.       26VT    Luke Peters                 Groton, VT

18.       78VT    Tyler Pepin                  Barre, VT

19.       15NH   Brendan Moodie        Wolcott, VT

20.       33VT    Matt Ballard               Williamstown, VT

21.       77VT    Issac Spaulding           Wolcott, VT

22.       90VT    Cameron Ouellette     Barre, VT

23.       4VT      Cooper French             Northfield, VT

 

rk Miles Street Stocks – (25 Laps)

1.         57        Trevor Jaques             Milton, VT

2.         7          Kyle MacAskill             Williamstown, VT

3.         08        Ryan Foster                 Waterbury, VT

4.         16        Dean Switser, Jr.         Waterford, VT

5.         98        Kasey Collins               Berlin, VT

6.         73        Paige Whittemore      Graniteville, VT

7.         9          Zach Audet                 Johnson, VT

8.         24        Todd Raymo               Swanton, VT

9.         74        Tyler Whittemore       Barre, VT

10.       79        Juan Marshall             Pittsfield, VT

11.       8          Paul Rocheleau           Georgia, VT

12.       2          Haidyn Pearce             Chelsea, VT

13.       99        #Fred Fleury                Graniteville, VT

14.       96        Thomas Peck               Waterbury, VT

15.       18        Walker Fitch               Marshfield, VT

16.       19        Taber Andrews          

17.       34        Patrick Tibbetts          Plainfield, VT

18.       43        Jamie Davis                 Johnson, VT

19.       50        Eric MacLaughlin        Milton, VT

20.       32        #Kylee Potter              Marshfield, VT

21.       39        Donat Premont          

22.       3          Michael Gay                S. Burlington, VT

23.       55        Cam Powers                E. Montpelier, VT

24.       04        Scott Weston              Berlin, VT

DNS     54        Josh Lovely                  Williamstown, VT

Marvin Johnson Memorial First-Time Winner – Todd Raymo, Swanton VT

 

New England Antique Racers (NEAR) – (Two 15-lap Features)

Lloyd Hutchins Memorial Sportsman Winner – Scott Clements (#9), Princeton MA

Cho Lee Memorial Modified Winner – Bruce Taylor (#03), Rochester MA