Martin claims Tiger Triple 25’s; Hodgdon goes from upside down to winner’s circle
–by T.J. Ingerson (@TJIngerson)
VMM Editor
BARRE – Boomer Morris turned his season around in a big way on Thursday night at Thunder Road.
The hometown driver who had struggled during the 2016 season parked it in victory lane after he passed leader Marcel Gravel inside the final ten laps. It was Morris’ first top-ten finish of the season.
“It’s been a long season,” Morris said in victory lane. “We hadn’t even cracked the top ten, and to get a win, it means a lot.
“It’s been a lot of hard work.”
Morris started on the outside pole position and moved into the top spot on lap five after he stayed tough on the outside of leader Ricky Roberts. He would drop to the bottom and lead through a lap 13 restart when rookie driver Gravel grabbed the lead on the topside.
However, the two drivers would switch lanes and Morris began to make headway back toward the top spot. He began to sneak to Gravel’s outside beginning on lap 20 and kept that momentum until lap 40, when he drew even with Gravel.
“I was just hoping I could get by (Gravel) on the outside,” Morris said. “I gained a little bit and then he would get me and I’d lose it.
“It’s hard. I don’t run the outside very much. It was a long time on the outside for me.”
Morris would edge ahead on lap 43 and clear Gravel on lap 45.
The remaining five laps of the 50-lap Cody Chevrolet event would not be easy for Morris as he would have to fend off a last lap pass attempt from Matt White, which he did successfully.
White, of Northfield, finished second with Gravel, of Wolcott, third. Darrell Morin of Westford and Eric Chase of Milton completed the top-ten finishers. Jason Allen, Kyle Pembroke, Tyler Cahoon, Shawn Fleuery, and Eric Badore finished sixth through tenth, unofficially.
Point leader Scott Dragon finished one spot ahead of second place point driver Nick Sweet to maintain his 34-point advantage, unofficially. Third place point driver Phil Scott was 14th, unofficially, while fourth and fifth place point drivers Jason Corliss and Trampas Demers finished 11th and 15th, respectively.
Mike Martin won the three-segment Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman event.
The Craftsbury driver would claim wins in the first and third 25-lap segment and combined that with an 11th place finish in segment two to earn the overall win.
Martin would unofficially finish in a tie with Essex Junction driver Mark Barnier, who posted finishes of third, sixth, and fourth. Defending champion Brendan Moodie of Wolcott finished third overall, earning the tiebreaker over Cameron Ouellette. Jason Woodard of Waterbury Center finished fifth overall.
Sixth through tenth overall was scored Mike Billado, Eric Johnson, Joe Steffen, Stephen Donahue, and Kevin Dodge. Donahue would win a thriller in segment number two over Johnson.
Bunker Hodgdon claimed his eighth career Allen Lumber Street Stock win in their 25-lap feature event. It was his second of the year.
The Hardwick driver used a lap 20 restart to get by last week’s feature winner Cooper Bouchard, who had led every lap up until that point, to earn the win.
The win for Hodgdon comes one week after he flipped over on the frontstretch and being involved in another incident in Sunday’s 50-lap special event.
Second place point driver Jamon Perry of Hardwick finished second with the rookie, Bouchard, third. Alan Maynard of Farifax and Jaden Perry of Hardwick finished fourth and fifth while Jennifer Getty, point leader Garry Bashaw, rookie Brandon Lanphear, Matthew Smith, and Reilly Lanphear completed the top-ten finishers.
Thunder Road continues its Thursday night racing season on Thursday, August 18 with US Army Recruiting night. Post time is 7:00pm.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Cody Chevrolet Night
Thunder Road Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Pos.-Driver-Hometown
(# — denotes rookie)
ACT Late Models (50 laps)
1. Boomer Morris, Barre
2. Matt White, Northfield
3. Marcel J. Gravel, Wolcott
4. Darrell Morin, Westford
5. Eric Chase, Milton
6. Jason Allen, Barre
7. Kyle Pembroke, Montpelier
8. Tyler Cahoon, St. Johnsbury
9. Shawn Fleury, Middlesex
10. Eric Badore, Milton
Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman (3 x 25 laps)
1. Mike Martin, Craftsbury – 13 pts
2. Mark Barnier, Essex Junction – 13 pts
3. Brendan Moodie, Wolcott – 14 pts
4. Cameron Ouellette, Barre – 14 pts
5. Jason Woodard, Waterbury Center – 16 pts
6. Mike Billado, Essex – 17 pts
7. Eric Johnson, Randolph Center – 18 pts
8. Joe Steffen, Grand Isle – 20 pts
9. Stephen Donahue, Graniteville – 20 pts
10. # Kevin Dodge, Barre – 26 pts
Allen Lumber Street Stocks (25 laps)
1. Bunker Hodgdon, Hardwick
2. Jamon Perry, Hardwick
3. # Cooper Bouchard, Hinesburg
4. Alan Maynard, Fairfax
5. Jaden Perry, Hardwick
6. Jennifer Getty, Cambridge
7. Garry Bashaw, Lincoln
8. # Brandon Lanphear, Morrisville
9. Matthew Smith, Essex Junction
10. Reilly Lanphear, Duxbury
PHOTO: Boomer Morris celebrates his Thunder Road Late Model win on Thursday night with his wife, Ashley, and their two sons. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)
