Streeter wins first Flying Tiger feature; Gay claims first Street Stock triumph
–by T.J. Ingerson (@TJIngerson)
VMM Editor
BARRE — New winners filled Thunder Road victory lane on Monday afternoon.
Kyle Streeter, Mike Gay, and Edward Bowen Jr. eached claimed their first career wins in their respective divisions, the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers, Allen Lumber Street Stocks, and Burnett Scrap Metal Road Warriors.
Streeter, of Waitsfield, came out on top of a back-and-forth battle with Mike Billado following a restart with three laps left in their 40-lap Coca-Cola Labor Day Classic event.
“That was all luck in that race,” Streeter said in victory lane. “These are way different than a Street Stock with way more geometry.”
The freshman campaigner Streeter started on the pole position and led the first 22 laps uncontested. However, a lap 22 restart put former division champion Joe Steffen to his outside.
The two would battle side-by-side with Steffen leading lap 23. Streeter, however, would pull back ahead to lead lap 24 and continue to remain out front as the two drivers continued their door-to-door race. Streeter would eventually steer clear of Steffen and bring Billado with him to second.
A lap 33 restart would put Billado to Streeter’s outside for the first time. Like Streeter and Steffen, Streeter and Billado would challenge each other on the restart with Billado nosing ahead to lead lap 35. Streeter would reclaim the lead on lap 37 and be the race leader when the caution flew that setup the final restart.
The two drivers would again battle side-by-side with Streeter nosing ahead each lap. Billado nosed ahead off of turn two on the final lap, but slid wide in turns three and four and handed the win for Streeter.
“I came into (turns) three and four and I had been having some good runs on him,” Billado said. I think I just pushed it a little too hard and the right front tire just didn’t do what I wanted it to do.
“But it’s still a good run.”
Mike Martin of Craftsbury Common slipped underneath Billado to grab the second place finish at the line while Billado, of Essex, settled for third. Rookie drivers and brother Jaden and Jamon Perry completed the top-five finishers.
Steffen drifted back to sixth after his battle for the lead while Joel Hodgdon finished seventh. Flying Tiger point leader Jason Woodard stretched his point lead with an eighth place finish while second place point driver Brendan Moodie finished ninth. Dwayne Lanphear completed the top-ten finishers.
Unofficially, Woodard will hold a 24-point advantage headed into the championship finale over Moodie and will need to finish third or better in the final race to secure his second championship no matter what Moodie does.
Mike “Biffer” Gay earned his first career win in the Allen Lumber Street Stocks 25-lap event.
Gay has competed in the Street Stock division since 2010.
“We have some bad luck in the last few weeks getting shoved around here,” Gay said in victory lane. “But, we knew we had a decent car to stay up front if we were able to get longer runs.
“I have a lot of family and friends and a lot of support. I really appreciate it.
“This is wonderful. I’m speechless.”
The South Burlington driver started on the outside pole position and took the lead from the get-go when polesitter Tom Campbell spun in turn two.
Gay would set the pace and hold off Logan Powers and Gary Mullen through late race restarts. After the final restart on lap 20, Powers would charge back and place himself on Gay’s rear bumper, but Gay stayed out front for the win.
Rookie Powers of Middlesex finished second with teenager Kelsea Woodard of Waterbury Center third. Mullen settled for fourth while Jamie Davis unofficially took over the Street Stock point lead with a fifth place finish.
Alan Maynard kept the championship close with a sixth place finish with point leader entering the event, Cooper Bouchard, seventh. Chris LaForest, who hopped a ride in the Kasey Collins car, rookie Stephen Martin, and Kevin Streeter completed the top-ten finishers.
Unofficially, Davis will hold a two-point advantage over Bouchard and a five-point advantage over Maynard entering the final event of the season. Woodard, after her third place finish, cut her deficit from 20 points to 13 points behind Davis.
Edward Bowen Jr. completed the new winners trifecta as he won the Burnett Scrap Metal Road Warriors feature.
The Morrisville driver took the lead early in the 20-lap caution-free event.
Recent race winner Tyler Pepin finished second while Michael Stearns finished third. Eric Young and Julian Gorman completed the top-five finishers.
Thunder Road will complete its 2017 championship season on Friday, September 8 with the Community College of Vermont event. Post time is set for 7:00pm.
VtMotorMag.com will have more from the Coca-Cola Labor Day Classic soon.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — Coca-Cola Labor Day Classic
Thunder Road Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Monday, September 4, 2017
Pos.-Driver-Hometown
(# — denotes rookie)
Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers (40 laps)
1. # Kyle Streeter, Waitsfield
2. Mike Martin, Craftsbury Common
3. Mike Billado, Essex
4. # Jaden Perry, Hardwick
5. # Jamon Perry, Hardwick
6. Joe Steffen, Grand Isle
7. Joel Hodgdon, Craftsbury
8. Jason Woodard, Waterbury Center
9. Brendan Moodie, Wolcott
10. Dwayne Lanphear, Morrisville
Allen Lumber Street Stocks (25 laps)
1. Michael Gay, South Burlington
2. # Logan Powers, Middlesex
3. Kelsea Woodard, Waterbury Center
4. Gary Mullen, Tunbridge
5. Jamie Davis, Wolcott
6. Alan Maynard, Fairfax
7. Cooper Bouchard, Hinesburg
8. Chris LaForest, Barre
9. # Stephen Martin, Craftsbury Common
10. Kevin Streeter, Waitsfield
Burnett Scrap Metal Road Warriors (20 laps)
1. Edward Bowen Jr., Morrisville
2. Tyler Pepin, Barre
3. Michael Stearns, Johnson
4. Eric Young, Barre
5. Julian Gorman, Randolph
PHOTOS:
1 – Kyle Streeter (left), Michael Gay (center), and Edward Bowen Jr. (right) celebrate their first career wins on Monday afternoon at Thunder Road. (Alan Ward photo)
2 – Kyle Streeter earned his first checkered flag of his Flying Tiger career on Monday at Thunder Road. (Alan Ward photo)
3 – Michael Gay earned his first career Street Stock win after competing in the division since 2010. (Alan Ward photo)
4 – Edward Bowen Jr. grabbed his first Road Warrior win at Thunder Road. (Alan Ward photo)
