Woodard uses outside to claim Flying Tiger win; Streeter takes fourth Street Stock victory
–by T.J. Ingerson (@TJIngerson)
VMM Editor
BARRE — Chris Pelkey had to beat his best friend to earn his first career Thunder Road Late Model win.
The hometown driver did just that as he came out on top of a back-and-forth battle for the lead with best friend Cody Blake over the final 14 laps to claim his first win on Thursday night.
“That was just awesome,” Pelkey said. “Cody (Blake) is one of my best friends and greatest competitors. Any game we play, if we play a game of cornhole, and we’re on opposite teams, neither of us like to lose.
“I don’t think we could have dreamed about that in the first grade, but here we are now.”
Pelkey appeared to have the race in hand as the duo raced under the white flag, but Blake mounted a last corner charge. The two crossed under the checkered flag side-by-side, Pelkey ahead by half of a car length.
The win for Pelkey was his first Thunder Road Late Model win and comes in his sophomore season of racing Late Models.
“You hope you win sometime,” Pelkey said. “To do it like that, battling hard. We’ve had chances to win and had the cautions fly our way. We’ll take it anyway we can get it.”
For Blake, although likely disappointed in defeat, he took solace that his team was able to run up front and race for a win against his best friend.
“I don’t even know yet,” Blake said of his emotions. “It was fun race. For us to come here and have fun, that’s all I can ask for right now with the season we’ve had.
“I definitely used (Pelkey) up more than I should have but I wanted to win so bad. But I’m pretty sure he’s happy.”
Tyler Cahoon ran inside the top-five to the majority of the 50-lap WDEV Radio/Calkins Portable Toilets event and finished third while early race leader Shawn Fleury came home in the fourth position. Kyle Pembroke completed the top-five finishers.
Point leader Bobby Therrien raced home in the sixth position while second place point driver Trampas Demers rallied late to finish seventh. Marcel J. Gravel, Eric Chase, and Darrell Morin completed the top-ten finishers.
Jason Woodard powered around the outside of three cars inside the final 12 laps to claim the win in the 40-lap Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger feature.
The Waterbury Center sat in the fourth spot on a lap 22 restart and ran in that spot until lap 28. Woodard would then jump to the outside of Dwayne Lanphear for the the third spot and would keep that momentum up to go around second place Brendan Moodie and race leader Trevor Lyman.
Woodard would take the lead on lap 33 from Lyman and cruise to the win.
The win for Woodard was his third on the season and the fifth of his Flying Tiger career.
Lyman, of Hinesburg, settled for second while rookie driver Jamon Perry navigated his way from a 15th place starting spot to finish third. Division point leader Brendan Moodie finsihed fourth with Dwayne Lanphear completed the top-five finishers.
Joe Steffen, Jaden Perry, Robert Gordon, and Mike Martin finished sixth through ninth, while Jason Pelkey completed the top-ten finishers after he rallied back after he was spun out of the lead on lap 22.
Kevin Streeter claimed his fourth Allen Lumber Street Stock feature win of the season in their 25-lap event.
The Waitsfield driver took the lead from Logan Powers on a lap seven restart and held on through a lap 15 restart to claim the win.
Kelsea Woodard finished second with mid-season championship race winner Cooper Bouchard third. Jamie Davis and Dean Switser Jr. finished fourth and fifth while Matthew Smith, Gary Mullen, Logan Powers, Reilly Lanphear, and Peyton Lanphear completed the top-ten finishers.
Issac Spaudling of Wolcott won the 20-lap Burnett Scrap Metal Road Warrior feature over James Dopp and Jeffrey Martin.
Thunder Road will run its annual “People’s Race” on Sunday, August 6 for the M&M Beverage Enduro along with the Perry & Sons 50-lap Street Stock event. Post time is set for 6:00pm.
Thunder Road’s weekly racing season continues on Thursday, August 10 with Cody Chevrolet Night and the third race of the Myers Container Service Flying Tiger Triple Crown. Post time for that event is at 7:00pm.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — WDEV Radio/Calkins Portable Toilets Night
Thunder Road Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Thursday, August 3, 2017
Pos.-Driver-Hometown
(# — denotes rookie)
Late Models (50 laps)
1. Chris Pelkey, Barre
2. Cody Blake, Barre
3. Tyler Cahoon, St. Johnsbury
4. Shawn Fleury, Middlesex
5. Kyle Pembroke, Montpelier
6. Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg
7. Trampas Demers, South Burlington
8. Marcel J. Gravel, Wolcott
9. Eric Chase, Milton
10. Darrell Morin, Westford
Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers (40 laps)
1. Jason Woodard, Waterbury Center
2. Trevor Lyman, Hinesburg
3. # Jamon Perry, Hardwick
4. Brendan Moodie, Hardwick
5. Dwayne Lanphear, Morrisville
6. Joe Steffen, Grand Isle
7. # Jaden Perry, Hardwick
8. Robert Gordon, Milton
9. Mike Martin, Craftsbury Common
10. # Jason Pelkey, Barre
Allen Lumber Street Stocks (25 laps)
1. Kevin Streeter, Waitsfield
2. Kelsea Woodard, Waterbury Center
3. Cooper Bouchard, Hinesburg
4. Jamie Davis, Wolcott
5. Dean Switser Jr., Lyndonville
6. Matthew Smith, Essex Junction
7. Gary Mullen, Tunbridge
8. Logan Powers, Middlesex
9. Reilly Lanphear, Duxbury
10. Peyton Lanphear, Duxbury
Burnett Scrap Metal Road Warriors (20 laps)
1. Issac Spaulding, Wolcott
2. James Dopp, Northfield
3. Jeffrey Martin, Barre
4. Benjamin Ashford, Northfield
5. Dylan Duffy, Milton
PHOTO: Chris Pelkey celebrates his first career Thunder Road Late Model victory on Thursday night. (Alan Ward photo)
