PHOTO: Three-time Thunder Road champion Cris Michaud dominated Thursday night and earned a much needed Late Model win. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)

–by T.J. Ingerson

BARRE — If Cris Michaud ever needed a win, it was Thursday night at Thunder Road.

The three-time King of the Road said he and his team had taken a step back in the two previous weeks, with finishes of 14th and 19th, respectively.

Michaud started on the outside pole in the 50-lap Fairpoint Communications Late Model feature, and a brief battle with polesitter Joey Becker, powered to the lead. Michaud then set it on cruise control and opened an unbeatable lead in the caution-free race.

“This is huge,” the East Montpelier racer said. “Not just for me, but for the guys, too. They work so hard on the car and we’ve making small steps. And last week we took a huge step backwards. They just went back to the shop, put their heads together, busted their butts and changed a bunch of stuff. It’s really huge for them.”

Barre’s Cody Blake scored his third podium finish of the year with a runner-up finish. Blake sat patiently behind the battling duo of Eric Chase and Becker for many laps before working by both of them in the second half. Chase, of Milton, continued his hot streak with a third place finish. Chase also scored a third place finish in the American-Canadian Tour feature event on Saturday at White Mountain Motorsports Park.

Milton’s Scott Payea came home in the fourth position while defending King of the Road Dave Pembroke, of Middlesex, finished fifth. Lt. Gov. Phil Scott drove from his 14th starting position to finish sixth, while Trampas Demers, Brooks Clark, Nick Sweet, and Becker completed the unofficial top ten finishers.

Essex’s Mike Billado picked up career win number two in the 35-lap Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman feature. Billado started on the pole and survived two-mid race restarts, opening up a safe lead en route to the victory.

Rookie Chris Roberts, of Washington, scored a career best second place finish after beating former champion Joe Steffen for the position. Steffen, of Grand Isle, came across the line sideways in the third position. Tucker Williams of Hyde Park and Jason Allen of Barre completed the top five finishers.

Jason Corliss, Josh Demers, Mike Ziter, Shawn Fleury, and Bobby Therrien were the sixth through tenth place finishers, respectively.

Jamie Davis ended a season of bad luck and mechanical issues to score a much needed feature win in the Allen Lumber Street Stock feature. Wolcott’s Davis started the 25-lap feature from the third position and moved into the lead on lap five, then held off the quick No. 05 of Donny Yates on a late race restart.

Point leader Nick Pilotte battled back from a wreck earlier in the evening to finish third. Pilotte, of Jefferson, N.H., was involved in an incident that saw both young teenager Emily Packard and Marvin Johnson end up on their roofs. Last week’s winner Dean Swister, Jr., finished fourth while Cameron Ouellette finished fifth.

Thunder Road continues their summer racing season with their Fourth of July Special on Tuesday, July 3rd.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — Fairpoint Communications Night
Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Thursday, June 28, 2012

Pos.-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)

ACT Late Models (50 laps)
1. Cris Michaud, East Montpelier
2. Cody Blake, Barre
3. Eric Chase, Milton
4. Scott Payea, Milton
5. Dave Pembroke, Middlesex
6. Phil Scott, Berlin
7. Trampas Demers, South Burlington
8. Brooks Clark, Fayston
9. Nick Sweet, Barre
10. Joey Becker, Jeffersonville

Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen (35 laps)
1. Mike Billado, Essex
2. # Chris Roberts, Washington
3. Joe Steffen, Grand Isle
4. Tucker Williams, Hyde Park
5. Jason Allen, Barre
6. Jason Corliss, Barre
7. Josh Demers, Middlesex
8. Mike Ziter, Williamstown
9. Shawn Fleury, Middlesex
10. Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg

Allen Lumber Street Stocks (25 laps)
1. Jamie Davis, Wolcott
2. Donny Yates, North Montpelier
3. Nick Pilotte, Jefferson, N.H.
4. # Dean Swister, Jr., Lyndonville
5. Cameron Ouellette, Barre
6. # Justin Town, East Barer
7. Ken Christman, Cabot
8. Bob Eldred, Waterbury
9. Tommy Smith, Williamstown
10. Joe Fecteau, Hardwick