Moodie ties Fleury for second on all-time Tiger wins list; Maynard earns fourth Street Stock win
–by T.J. Ingerson (@TJIngerson)
VMM Editor
BARRE – Eric Badore put the family back together over the offseason and it paid off on Thursday night at Thunder Road.
The Milton driver held off two of Thunder Road’s best – Phil Scott and Nick Sweet — in the late stages to claim his second career Thunder Road Late Model win and a $500 bonus for the Triple Crown victory.
The win for Badore comes in the car Scott previously piloted at Thunder Road one year after Badore drove a Chris Companion-owned car.
“It’s exciting. It’s Phil Scott’s old car,” Badore said. “It’s our team now. My dad bought the car and we’re working as a family again.
Eric Badore and his father, Arny Hill, celebrate with their team after their win on Thursday night at Thunder Road. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)
“This is huge right here. We worked quite a few nights in our shop to get this program together. Especially the Triple Crown and beating Phil Scott and Nick Sweet.”
Badore led the first lap of the event from the outside pole position before he gave way to Jason Allen. Badore would regain the lead shortly before a lap 11 caution flag and held it through a lap 32 caution flag.
On the ensuing restart, Eric Chase would fight to Badore’s outside to lead lap 33 before Badore gained traction on the inside to reclaim the lead. Badore would use one final restart to gain space as Scott and Sweet slipped into the top three.
Badore, however, kept his lead at comfort to claim the win.
“It was picture perfect,” Badore said. “My father told me don’t pay attention to those guys and run my own race and pretend they’re not behind you.
“Toward the last 12 laps I didn’t even look in my mirror. I knew they were back there but I didn’t look back.”
Scott, of Middlesex, moved from an eighth place starting spot to finish second while hometown driver Sweet finished third from a 12th place starting spot. Scott Dragon of Milton and Cody Blake of Barre completed the top-five finishers while Chase, Jason Corliss, Trampas Demers, Kyle Pembroke, and Dave Whitcomb finished sixth through tenth, respectively.
Brendan Moodie took the lead early in the 35-lap Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman feature and held on through multiple midrace restarts to claim the win.
The win for the Wolcott driver was the 14th of his Tiger Sportsman career, which ties him for second in the all-time career wins list with multi-time champion Shawn Fleury.
Moodie was forced to keep former division champion Jason Woodard of Waterbury Center at bay during those restarts, who settled for second. Stephen Donahue of Graniteville completed the podium finishers.
Cameron Ouellette and Joe Steffen finished fourth and fifth, while Doug Crowningshield, Mike Martin, Mike Billado, rookie Kevin Dodge, and Mark Barnier completed the top-ten finishers.
Al Maynard of Fairfax used an outside pole position start to his advantage in the 25-lap Allen Lumber Street Stock feature.
The University of Vermont professor and Race to Read driver took the lead on the second lap from polesitter Matthew Smith and held on through an early race restart. Maynard then pulled away as the second spot was challenged between Matthew Smith and Patrick Tibbetts.
The win for Maynard was the fourth of his Street Stock career.
Smith, of Essex Junction, finished second while Will Hennequin took advantage of a last lap skirmish to get by Tibbetts in the final run to the checkered flag to finish third. Tibbetts, of Barre, finished fourth with defending champion Jamie Davis of Wolcott completed the top-five finishers.
Gary Mullen, Jaden Perry, Garry Bashaw, Jamon Perry, and Greg Collette finished sixth through tenth, unofficially.
Thunder Road continues its Thursday night racing season on June 23 with North Country Federal Credit Union night.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Casella Waste Management Night
Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Thursday, June 16, 2016
Pos.-Driver-Hometown
(# — denotes rookie)
ACT Late Models (50 laps)
1. Eric Badore, Milton
2. Phil Scott, Middlesex
3. Nick Sweet, Barre
4. Scott Dragon, Milton
5. Cody Blake, Barre
6. Eric Chase, Milton
7. Jason Corliss, Barre
8. Trampas Demers, South Burlington
9. Kyle Pembroke, Montpelier
10. Dave Whitcomb, Essex Junction
Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman (35 laps)
1. Brendan Moodie, Wolcott
2. Jason Woodard, Waterbury Center
3. Stephen Donahue, Graniteville
4. Cameron Ouellette, Barre
5. Joe Steffen, Grand Isle
6. Doug Crowningshield ,Barre
7. Mike Martin, Craftsbury
8. Mike Billado, Essex
9. # Kevin Dodge, Barre
10. Mark Barnier, Essex Junction
Allen Lumber Street Stocks (25 laps)
1. Alan Maynard, Fairfax
2. Matthew Smith, Essex Junction
3. Will Hennequin, Morrisville
4. Patrick Tibbetts, Barre
5. Jamie Davis, Wolcott
6. Gary Mullen, Tunbridge
7. Jaden Perry, Hardwick
8. Garry Bashaw, Lincoln
9. Jamon Perry, Hardwick
10. Greg Collette, Milton
PHOTOS:
1 – Eric Badore celebrates his Thunder Road Late Model win on Thursday night. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)
2 – Eric Badore and his father, Arny Hill, celebrate with their team after their win on Thursday night at Thunder Road. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)
