Crowningshield, Austin score second wins in Tigers, Streets; Bouchard wins Marvin Johnson Memorial

–by T.J. Ingerson (@TJIngerson)
 VMM Editor

BARRE – Shawn Fleury went wire-to-wire to claim the 50-lap Late Model win on Friday night at Thunder Road.

The Middlesex driver used a pole position starting spot to take the lead at the green flag and grew his lead steadily over the course of the caution-free CVMC ExpressCARE event.

The win for Fleury was the third of his Late Model career and comes during a strugglesome season for the veteran driver that saw the team lose a motor earlier this year.

“I just can’t believe I’m standing here,” Fleury said in victory lane. “My guys have busted their butts. We’ve had motor problems and handling problems. It’s been one thing after the other.

“Tonight it was rolling.”

Fleury won his heat race, but was denied by Phil Scott in the semi-feature and had his chance at the triple crown end.

“Phil (Scott) kind of spoiled my fun,” Fleury joked. “But hell, I was still going for it anyways.”

Fleury held a comfortable straightaway lead for most of the event and was his winning margin, approximately.

Marcel Gravel of Wolcott bounced back from a major disappointment on Sunday after a power steering issue denied him his first win to finish second while veteran driver Dave Whitcomb of Essex Junction finished third. Jason Allen of Barre fought Matt White for the fourth spot for the majority of the middle part of the race to finish fourth while Scott, of Middlesex, completed the top-five finishers.

Point leader Nick Sweet drove from a dead last starting spot after he suffered a rear end issue in the consolation qualifying round to finish sixth while second place point driver Scott Dragon finished seventh. Memorial Day Classic winner Tyler Cahoon, Jason Corliss, and White completed the top-ten finishers.

Doug Crowningshield of Barre won the two-segment Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman feature after he posted finishes of third and fifth in the two respective segments.

The overall win for Crowingshield was the fourth of his career and his second of the season.

Mike Martin of Craftsbury finished second overall with finishes of seventh and second, which earned him the tiebreaker over Jason Woodard of Waterbury Center, who finished fifth and fourth in the respective segments.

Joe Steffen of Grand Isle and Mike Billado of Essex finished fourth and fifth overall, with Brendan Moodie, Tommy Smith, Cameron Ouellette, Stephen Donahue, and Eric Johnson sixth through tenth.

Segment wins went to Smith and Moodie, respectively.

Tyler Austin took the lead on lap five of the 25-lap Allen Lumber Street Stock feature and the drove away from the field following a late race restart to claim the win.

The win for the East Calais driver was his second of the season and the fourth of his career.

Sixteen-year-old Reilly Lanphear of Duxbury used a second place starting spot to finish there while her cousin, rookie Brandon Lanphear of Morrisville, earned his second straight third place finish. Matthew Smith of Essex Junction and Kevin Streeter of Waitsfield completed the top-five finishers.

Sixth through tenth was unofficially scored as Jamon Perry, Jennifer Getty, Jaden Perry, Garry Bashaw, and point leader Bunker Hodgdon.

Cooper Bouchard of Hinesburg won the special 19-lap Marvin Johnson Memorial Street Stock non-winners race over Smith and Brandon Lanphear. The win for Bouchard came after he was involved in an incident earlier in the night in the Street Stock feature and his team changed the rear end in his car.

Thunder Road races again on Thursday, July 14 with the 37th Annual VP Racing Fuels Vermont Governor’s Cup 150 for the Thunder Road Late Models. The Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman and the Allen Lumber Street Stocks will also be in attendance. Post time is set for 6:30pm.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – CVMC ExpressCARE Night
Thunder Road Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Friday, July 8, 2016

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

ACT Late Models (50 laps)
1. Shawn Fleury, Middlesex
2. # Marcel J. Gravel, Wolcott
3. Dave Whitcomb, Essex Junction
4. Jason Allen, Barre
5. Phil Scott, Middlesex
6. Nick Sweet, Barre
7. Scott Dragon, Milton
8. Tyler Cahoon, St. Johnsbury
9. Jason Corliss, Barre
10. Matt White, Northfield

Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman (2 x 25 laps)
1. Doug Crowningshield, Barre – 8 pts
2. Mike Martin, Craftsbury – 9 pts
3. Jason Woodard, Waterbury Center – 9 pts
4. Joe Steffen, Grand Isle – 11 pts
5. Mike Billado, Essex – 11 pts
6. Brendan Moodie, Wolcott – 12 pts
7. Tommy Smith, Williamstown – 12 pts
8. Cameron Ouellette, Barre – 13 pts
9. Stephen Donahue, Graniteville – 14 pts
10. Eric Johnson, Randolph Center – 15 pts

Allen Lumber Street Stocks (25 laps)
1. Tyler Austin, East Calais
2. Reilly Lanphear, Duxbury
3. # Brandon Lanphear, Morrisville
4. Matthew Smith, Essex Junction
5. Kevin Streeter, Waitsfield
6. Jamon Perry, Hardwick
7. Jennifer Getty, Cambridge
8. Jaden Perry, Hardwick
9. Garry Bashaw, Lincoln
10. Bunker Hodgdon, Hardwick

Marvin Johnson Memorial (19 laps)
1. # Cooper Bouchard, Hinesburg
2. Matthew Smith, Essex Junction
3. # Brandon Lanphear, Morrisville

PHOTO: Shawn Fleury celebrates his Late Model win on Friday night at Thunder Road. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)