Streeter earns third Street Stock win of season; Martin claims first Road Warrior win

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

BARRE — Jason Corliss became the first Late Model repeat winner of 2017 on Thursday night at Thunder Road.

The hometown driver drove from an 11th place starting spot to the lead following a lap 27 restart to claim his second win of the season.

“That car was phenomenal,” Corliss said. “Andrew Hill, the crew chief on this car, he’s a wizard when it comes to these things.

“Andrew delivered an excellent race car tonight. We made some adjustments right before the feature and we nailed it. The car was just on rails.”

Corliss made quick work through the field to sit inside the top-five on a lap eight restart. From there, Corliss slowly worked his way to the third spot before the halfway point in the 50-lap Fairpoint Communications Night event.

Just before the lap 27 caution flag, Corliss moved past Cody Blake for the second spot, and would restart outside of race leader Boomer Morris when Blake and top-five runner Ricky Roberts would make contact and spin.

Corliss would take the lead on the ensuing restart and hold on through a lap 35 restart — that saw Morris to his outside and point leader Bobby Therrien on his rear bumper. Corliss would zoom away when the green flag fell to claim the win.

“We’ve tried some things, quite honestly, the last couple of years together and we’ve hit on some things and we’ve struggled with some things,” Corliss said. “(Hill) and my communication, along with my car owner and spotter Chris Burnett, we’ve got a good, little group here.

“Andrew comes up with the adjustments and usually he’s right. I just give him good information and try to drive the wheels off of it.”

The win for Corliss comes on the heels of a sixth place finish one week ago in the Vermont Govenror’s Cup 150 and a runner-up finish in the ACT Late Model Tour event at Seekonk Speedway.

“It feels really good,” Corliss said. “It’s good confidence for the team and it feels good as a driver knowing that I’m doing the right things. But mostly, they’re just giving me great race cars. It’s easy for the guy behind the wheel to drive the thing when they’ve been driving as well as they have been.

“We’ve been working really hard lately, and this is the time of summer when teams get pretty tired and worn out. And I’m putting my guys through a lot by doing both the (ACT Late Model) Tour and weekly. But I’m really proud. Instead of slowing down, we’re going the other way and getting faster. The guys are just working their tails off and I can’t thank them enough for the effort they’re putting in.”

Therrien, of Hinesburg, ran from a 15th place starting spot to finish second to extend his points leader entering the double point counting Times Argus Mid-season Championships next week after his wins in his heat race and semi-feature. Vermont Governor’s Cup 150 winnier Trampas Demers raced from one spot in front of Therrien to finish third. Morris finished fourth with Marcel J. Gravel completing the top-five finishers.

Defending champion Scott Dragon bounced back from hard contact with the frontstretch wall in his heat race to finish sixth with Eric Badore seventh. Darrell Morin and Tyler Cahoon finished eighth and ninth, respectively, while Eric Chase battled back from multiple pit stops to complete the top-ten finishers.

Kevin Streeter took his third Allen Lumber Street Stock feature win of the season in their 25-lap event.

The Waitsfield driver started on the outside pole position and quickly moved into the top spot over Tom Campbell. Streeter held on through a lap 10 restart to claim his fourth career win.

Peyton Lanphear of Duxbury finished second with former division champion Gary Mullen third. Brandon Lanphear inherited the fourth position when apparent fourth place finish Matthew Smith was disqualified in post-race technical inspection. Jamie Davis claimed the final spot inside the top-five due to Smith’s disqualification.

Dean Switser Jr., Alan Maynard, Reilly Lanphear, Cooper Bouchard, and last week’s feature winner Logan Powers completed the top-ten finishers.

Jeffrey Martin of Barre earned the win in the first Burnett Scrap Metal Road Warrior event.

Tyler Pepin second with Ryan Ware third. Doug Duffy Jr. and Edward Bowen Jr. completed the top-five finishers.

Thunder Road continues their 2017 season on Thursday, July 27 with Times Argus Mid-season championships. Each race will count for double points for Thunder Road’s three weekly divisions. Post time is set for 7:00pm.

The Road Warriors will run again on Thursday, August 3.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Fairpoint Communications Night
Thunder Road Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Thursday, July 20, 2017

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

Late Models (50 laps)
1. Jason Corliss, Barre
2. Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg
3. Trampas Demers, South Burlington
4. Boomer Morris, Barre
5. Marcel J. Gravel, Wolcott
6. Scott Dragon, Milton
7. Eric Badore, Milton
8. Darrell Morin, Westford
9. Tyler Cahoon, St. Johnsbury
10. Eric Chase, Milton

Allen Lumber Street Stocks (25 laps)
1. Kevin Streeter, Waitsfield
2. Peyton Lanphear, Duxbury
3. Gary Mullen, Tunbridge
4. Brandon Lanphear, Morrisville
5. Jamie Davis, Wolcott
6. Dean Switser Jr., Lyndonville
7. Alan Maynard, Fairfax
8. Reilly Lanphear, Duxbury
9. Cooper Bouchard, Hinesburg
10. Logan Powers, Middlesex
DQ – Matthew Smith, Essex Junction

Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors (20 laps)
1. Jeffrey Martin, Barre
2. Tyler Pepin, Barre
3. Ryan Ware, Littleton, N.H.
4. Doug Duffy Jr., Milton
5. Edward Bowen Jr., Morrisville

PHOTO: Jason Corliss and his Burnett Scrap Metals team celebrate their second Thunder Road Late Model win of the year on Thursday night. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)