Hodgdon Storms Back for Triple Crown Win While Hunt Scores Inspiring Victory

There was no denying Craftsbury Common’s Joel Hodgdon at Consolidated Communications Night on Thursday, July 12, as he stormed back from a mid-race spin to take the victory in round two of the Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers. The veteran was one of multiple big winners on the night, which included an inspiring triumph by one-armed racer Tim Hunt in the Allen Lumber Street Stocks.

Hodgdon started sixth in the 75-lap Flying Tiger main event and was running third on lap 26 when Morrisville’s Dwayne Lanphear made contact with Grand Isle’s Joe Steffen while fighting for the lead. This led to further contact between Lanphear and Hodgdon, sending Hodgdon around off turn 1 and dispatching both drivers to the rear.

Hodgdon and Lanphear would restart the event in 18th and 19th, respectively. But while Steffen was easily holding off polesitter Matthew Potter on two subsequent restarts, Hodgdon was flying through the field. When the fourth and final caution came out on lap 56 for Kevin Streeter’s spin, Hodgdon was sitting in fourth behind Steffen, Potter, and Brandon Lanphear.

After making quick work of Lanphear and Potter, Hodgdon swung to the outside of Steffen on lap 62. A frantic door-to-door battle ensued, which ended when Hodgdon finally cleared Steffen on lap-66. He then held him off over the final nine laps for his second victory of the season and a remarkable “spin and win”.

Steffen finished second while Potter matched his season’s best effort with a 3rd-place run. Brandon Lanphear, Kyle Streeter, Colin Cornell, Dwayne Lanphear, Cameron Ouellette, Trevor Lyman, and Mike Martin rounded out the top-10. Hodgdon will unofficially assume the point lead in both the season-long standings and the Triple Crown standings.

In the Allen Lumber Street Stocks, Derby’s Tim Hunt showed why you never let anything hold you back in taking his first career victory. The first-year competitor, who lost his left arm in a boating accident in 1991, inherited the lead on lap 19 of the 25-lap feature when Wolcott’s Jamie Davis was penalized for his involvement with J.T. Blanchard’s spin.

The restart put division point leader Matthew Smith alongside Hunt for the restart. Despite a fierce challenge, Hunt was able to hold him off over the final six laps for the win.

Essex Jct.’s Smith settled for second to maintain his advantage in the standings. Craftsbury Common’s Stephen Martin caught rookie Tyler Pepin of Barre at the line for third. Logan Powers, Tommy Smith, Brandon Gray, Dean Switser Jr., Bryan P. Wall, and Jeffrey Martin completed the top-10.

Hometown driver Jim “Boomer” Morris took advantage of a late caution to earn his first Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model win of the season and sixth of his career. Morris had run second to polesitter Kyle Pembroke of Montpelier for much of the event and was losing sight of Pembroke in lapped traffic with time winding down in the 50-lap event.

But as the field came out of turn four on lap-41, Mark Norris drifted up into Morris’s door exiting turn four and found himself facing the frontstretch wall. Stephen Donahue and Matt White had nowhere to go, plowing into Norris and flipping the #22ME on its lid. All drivers were uninjured.

On the restart, Morris worked the outside lane to perfection to snag the top spot. Pembroke tried to get back under him with five laps to go, but ending up sideways off turn four, allowing Morris to scoot away.

Pembroke made a great save to hold onto second while Milton’s Eric Chase finished a season-best third. South Burlington’s Trampas Demers came out on top of a battle with Barre’s Jason Corliss for fifth and will unofficially retake the point lead. Cody Blake, Scott Dragon, Mike Bailey, Christopher Pelkey, and Brendan Moodie all earned top-10 finishes.

Thunder Road returns to the track next Thursday, July 19 at 6:30pm with the 39th Annual VP Racing Fuels Vermont Governor’s Cup. The Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models will go 150 green flag laps in their biggest weekly racing event of the year. The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and Allen Lumber Street Stocks are also on the card. Admission is $20 for adults and free for kids ages 12 and under.

CONSOLIDATED COMMUNICATIONS NIGHT

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

LENNY’S SHOE & APPAREL FLYING TIGERS

MYERS CONTAINER SERVICE TRIPLE CROWN ROUND #2

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Joel Hodgdon ( 36 ) Craftsbury Common, VT

2. Joe Steffen ( 00 ) Grand Isle, VT

3. Matthew Potter ( 23 ) Marshfield, VT

4. #Brandon Lanphear ( 11 ) Morrisville, VT

5. Kyle Streeter ( 37 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT

6. Colin Cornell ( 54 ) E. Burke, VT

7. Dwayne Lanphear ( 40 ) Morrisville, VT

8. Cameron Ouellette ( 90 ) Barre, VT

9. Trevor Lyman ( 17 ) Hinesburg, VT

10. Michael Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury Common, VT

11. #Kelsea Woodard ( 55 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT

12. Robert Gordon ( 20 ) Milton, VT

13. Adam Maynard ( 57 ) Milton, VT

14. Mark Barnier ( 0 ) Essex Jct., VT

15. Mike Billado ( 8 ) Essex, VT

16. #Cooper Bouchard ( 7 ) Hinesburg, VT

17. Chris Chambers ( 14 ) Brookfield, VT

18. #Kevin Streeter ( 67 ) Waitsfield, VT

19. Michael MacAskill ( 33 ) Williamstown, VT

20. Jason Pelkey ( 64 ) Barre, VT

21. #Jeff Murray ( 35 ) Georgia, VT

22. Brett Wood ( 29 ) Georgia, VT

23. Tyler Austin ( 5 ) East Calias, VT

24. Brian Delphia ( 25 ) Duxbury, VT

MAPLEWOOD/IRVING OIL LATE MODELS

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) Barre, VT

2. Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) Montpelier, VT

3. Eric Chase ( 40VT ) Milton, VT

4. Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) Shelburne, VT

5. Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) Barre, VT

6. Cody Blake ( 99VT ) Barre, VT

7. Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) Milton, VT

8. Mike Bailey ( 00VT ) S. Barre, VT

9. Christopher Pelkey ( 64VT ) Barre, VT

10. #Brendan Moodie ( 94VT ) Wolcott, VT

11. #Evan Hallstrom ( 1VT ) Northfield, VT

12. Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) Richmond, VT

13. Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) Washington, VT

14. Josh Masterson ( 11NY ) Bristol, VT

15. Marcel Gravel ( 86VT ) Wolcott, VT

16. Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) Danville, VT

17. Mike Foster ( 7VT ) Montpelier, VT

18. Scott Coburn ( 72VT ) Barre, VT

19. Stephen Donahue ( 2VT ) Graniteville, VT

20. Matt White ( 42VT ) Northfield, VT

21. Mark Norris ( 22ME ) Benson, VT

ALLEN LUMBER STREET STOCKS

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Tim Hunt ( 93 ) Derby, VT

2. Matthew Smith ( 44 ) Essex Jct., VT

3. Stephen Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury Common, VT

4. #Tyler Pepin ( 78 ) Barre, VT

5. Logan Powers ( 31 ) Middlesex, VT

6. Tom Smith ( 50 ) Williamstown, VT

7. Brandon Gray ( 00 ) E. Thetford, VT

8. Dean Switser Jr. ( 16 ) Lyndonville, VT

9. #Bryan P. Wall ( 77 ) E. Kingston, NH

10. Jeffrey Martin ( 8 ) Barre, VT

11. Kasey Beattie ( 45 ) St. Johnsbury, VT

12. Gary Mullen ( 29 ) Tunbridge, VT

13. Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT

14. Scott Weston ( 04 ) Berlin, VT

15. #Juan Marshall ( 79 ) Pittsfield, VT

16. Justin Blakely ( 17 ) Graniteville, VT

17. Patrick Tibbetts ( 48 ) Barre, VT

18. #J.T. Blanchard ( 66 ) Graniteville, VT

Blake, First-Time Winners Reign on Renewable Energies Night

Hometown racer Cody Blake made his post-holiday celebration count by taking his second Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model win of the season at Renewable Energies Night on Thursday, July 5. Blake motored to the lead halfway through the 50-lap feature and never looked back on a night where four other main events on the Thunder Road high banks saw first-time winners.

Blake started eighth on the grid and steadily worked his way through the field, which was interrupted only briefly by a hard duel with Stephen Donahue for third. He was running second when the second and final caution flew for Chris Pelkey’s spin on lap 15, which put him alongside fellow Barre driver Jim “Boomer” Morris on the restart.

After several unsuccessful bids, Blake finally made the outside work, surging to the lead as the field completed lap 25. He seemingly got stronger as the race went on, pulling away in the closing circuits for his fifth career Late Model victory. Blake also unofficially took over the points lead in the process.

Donahue tried several times to get around Morris for second, but was unable to do so, as Morris earned the runner-up spot. Brendan Moodie and Trampas Demers both made strong moves early in the event before settling for fourth and fifth. Eric Chase, Kyle Pembroke, Evan Hallstrom, Darrell Morin, and Scott Dragon rounded out the top-10. Jason Corliss, who entered the event as the co-point leader, was forced out early to a steering problem.

Rookie Cooper Bouchard of Hinesburg bounced back from a rough stretch of wrecked race cars to take his first Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger victory. The former Street Stock ace started on the outside pole and easily held off charges from E. Calais’ Tyler Austin in the middle stages of the event. But the second and final caution, which flew on lap 32 when third-place runner Kelsea Woodard got tangled up during a three-wide scramble around lapped traffic, put fellow rookie and previous winner Brandon Lanphear on Bouchard’s bumper.

Morrisville’s Lanphear quickly went to second on the restart, and when he swung to the outside, it looked like curtains for Bouchard. But Lanphear’s father Dwayne filled the hole on the inside, and the resulting battle between father and son let Bouchard get just enough breathing room for the win.

Dwayne nipped Brandon for second in a photo finish. Craftsbury Common’s Joel Hodgdon finished fourth to keep the championship battle razor-close. Austin, Matt Potter, Cameron Ouellette, Mike Billado, Robert Gordon, and Trevor Lyman completed the top-10.

St. Johnsbury’s Kasey Beattie became the youngest winner in Thunder Road history by taking the Allen Lumber Street Stock feature. The 14-year-old started on the pole, but faced heavy pressure from teammate Dean Switser Jr. of Lyndonville for the entire 25-lap feature.

Williamstown’s Tommy Smith, the winningest driver In Street Stock history, entered the fray as well following the event’s only caution on lap 16. But the young Beattie fended them both off with a veteran’s poise to take the victory.

Smith edged Switser at the line for second. Point leader Matthew Smith and sophomore Logan Powers completed the top-5. Jeffrey Martin, rookie Juan Marshall, Scott Weston, Jamie Davis, and Tim Hunt also earned top-10 finishes.

Johnson’s Michael Stearns was the victor in the first Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warrior Twin 25. “Captain America” worked his way up from the 10th starting position to grab the lead from Todd Raymo at the halfway point. He then motored off into the sunset for his first career win.

Tuesday’s winner Frank Putney of Graniteville tried to chase down Stearns in the closing laps but settled for second. S. Royalton’s Derek Farnham completed the podium. Sean McCarthy, Jayme Lee, James Dopp, Kyle MacAskill, Fred Fleury, Todd Raymo, and Brodie Frazier rounded out the top-10.

Williamstown’s McCarthy benefitted from some unexpected luck on the way to the win in the second Twin 25. McCarthy was challenging Wolcott’s Issac Spaulding for the top spot when the caution flew on lap 18 for Farnham’s stopped vehicle entering turn one. During the yellow, Spaulding suddenly went to the pits, handing the lead to McCarthy. He then pulled away from fellow Williamstown driver Jayme Lee down the stretch for the win. Eric Chase rounded out the podium and was followed by Stearns, MacAskill, Raymo, Dopp, Fleury, Frazier, and Putney.

Hometown driver Tyler Pepin became the fourth first-time winner of the night in the Marvin Johnson Memorial. Pepin dominated the caution-free 19-lap event, but nearly lost the lead to Bryan P. Wall after encountering a lapped car in the closing circuits. Wall made a bid for the lead in the final corner before Pepin was able to shut the door. J.T. Blanchard, Juan Marshall, and Justin Blakely completed the top-5.

The month of July marches on at Thunder Road next Thursday, July 12 at 7:00pm with Consolidated Communications Night. Round two of the Myers Container Services Triple Crown Series for the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers is on the card along with the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Models and Allen Lumber Street Stocks. Admission is $12 for adults, $3 for kids ages 6-12, and $25 for a family of four (2 adults, 2 kids).

RENEWABLE ENERGIES NIGHT

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

MAPLEWOOD/IRVING OIL LATE MODELS

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Cody Blake ( 99VT ) Barre, VT

2. Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) Barre, VT

3. Stephen Donahue ( 2VT ) Graniteville, VT

4. #Brendan Moodie ( 94VT ) Wolcott, VT

5. Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) Shelburne, VT

6. Eric Chase ( 40VT ) Milton, VT

7. Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) Montpelier, VT

8. #Evan Hallstrom ( 1VT ) Northfield, VT

9. Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) Richmond, VT

10. Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) Milton, VT

11. Mike Bailey ( 00VT ) S. Barre, VT

12. Phil Scott ( 14VT ) Middlesex, VT

13. Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) Danville, VT

14. Marcel Gravel ( 86VT ) Wolcott, VT

15. Christopher Pelkey ( 64VT ) Barre, VT

16. Scott Coburn ( 72VT ) Barre, VT

17. Mike Foster ( 7VT ) Montpelier, VT

18. Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) Washington, VT

19. Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) Barre, VT

LENNY’S SHOE & APPAREL FLYING TIGERS

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. #Cooper Bouchard ( 7 ) Hinesburg, VT

2. Dwayne Lanphear ( 40 ) Morrisville, VT

3. #Brandon Lanphear ( 11 ) Morrisville, VT

4. Joel Hodgdon ( 36 ) Craftsbury Common, VT

5. Tyler Austin ( 5 ) East Calias, VT

6. Matthew Potter ( 23 ) Marshfield, VT

7. Cameron Ouellette ( 90 ) Barre, VT

8. Mike Billado ( 8 ) Essex, VT

9. Robert Gordon ( 20 ) Milton, VT

10. Trevor Lyman ( 17 ) Hinesburg, VT

11. Joe Steffen ( 00 ) Grand Isle, VT

12. Michael Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury Common, VT

13. Michael MacAskill ( 33 ) Williamstown, VT

14. #Kelsea Woodard ( 55 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT

15. Brett Wood ( 29 ) Georgia, VT

16. Colin Cornell ( 54 ) E. Burke, VT

17. Jason Pelkey ( 64 ) Barre, VT

18. Kyle Streeter ( 37 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT

19. #Jeff Murray ( 35 ) Georgia, VT

20. John Drinkwine ( 98 ) Barre, VT

21. #Kevin Streeter ( 67 ) Waitsfield, VT

22. Chris Chambers ( 14 ) Brookfield, VT

ALLEN LUMBER STREET STOCKS

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Kasey Beattie ( 45 ) St. Johnsbury, VT

2. Tom Smith ( 50 ) Williamstown, VT

3. Dean Switser Jr. ( 16 ) Lyndonville, VT

4. Matthew Smith ( 44 ) Essex Jct., VT

5. Logan Powers ( 31 ) Middlesex, VT

6. Jeffrey Martin ( 8 ) Barre, VT

7. #Juan Marshall ( 79 ) Pittsfield, VT

8. Scott Weston ( 04 ) Berlin, VT

9. Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT

10. Tim Hunt ( 93 ) Derby, VT

11. Stephen Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury Common, VT

12. Gary Mullen ( 29 ) Tunbridge, VT

13. #Bryan P. Wall ( 77 ) E. Kingston, NH

14. #Tyler Pepin ( 78 ) Barre, VT

15. Patrick Tibbetts ( 48 ) Barre, VT

16. #Royce Lussier ( 95 ) Berlin, VT

17. Justin Blakely ( 17 ) Graniteville, VT

18. #J.T. Blanchard ( 66 ) Graniteville, VT

19. Brandon Gray ( 00 ) E. Thetford, VT

20. Jeff Oeschger ( 83 ) Dover, FL

MARVIN JOHNSON MEMORIAL

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. #Tyler Pepin ( 78 ) Barre, VT

2. #Bryan P. Wall ( 77 ) E. Kingston, NH

3. #J.T. Blanchard ( 66 ) Graniteville, VT

4. #Juan Marshall ( 79 ) Pittsfield, VT

5. Justin Blakely ( 17 ) Graniteville, VT

6. #Royce Lussier ( 95 ) Berlin, VT

7. Tim Hunt ( 93 ) Derby, VT

BURNETT SCRAP METALS ROAD WARRIOR FEATURE #1

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Michael Stearns ( 3 ) Johnson, VT

2. Frank Putney ( 88 ) Graniteville, VT

3. Derek Farnham ( 5 ) S. Royalton, VT

4. Sean McCarthy ( 86 ) Williamstown, VT

5. Jayme Lee ( 18 ) Williamstown, VT

6. James Dopp ( 0 ) Northfield, VT

7. Kyle MacAskill ( 07 ) Williamstown, VT

8. Fred Fleury ( 98 ) Graniteville, VT

9. Todd Raymo ( 26 ) Swanton, VT

10. Brodie Frazier ( 17 ) E. Montpelier, VT

11. Mindy Bartlett ( 8 ) Barre, VT

12. Chris Davis ( 69 ) Berlin, VT

13. Rodney Campbell ( 10 ) Worcester, VT

14. Haidyn Pearce ( 4 ) Berlin, VT

15. Ethan Howes ( 24 ) Fayston, VT

16. Mike Mitchell ( 81 ) Essex, VT

17. Eric Chase ( 13 ) Berlin, VT

18. Issac Spaulding ( 96 ) Wolcott, VT

19. Nate Brien ( 16 ) Brookfield, VT

BURNETT SCRAP METALS ROAD WARRIOR FEATURE #2

Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown

1. Sean McCarthy ( 86 ) Williamstown, VT

2. Jayme Lee ( 18 ) Williamstown, VT

3. Eric Chase ( 13 ) Berlin, VT

4. Michael Stearns ( 3 ) Johnson, VT

5. Kyle MacAskill ( 07 ) Williamstown, VT

6. Todd Raymo ( 26 ) Swanton, VT

7. James Dopp ( 0 ) Northfield, VT

8. Fred Fleury ( 98 ) Graniteville, VT

9. Brodie Frazier ( 17 ) E. Montpelier, VT

10. Frank Putney ( 88 ) Graniteville, VT

11. Issac Spaulding ( 96 ) Wolcott, VT

12. Haidyn Pearce ( 4 ) Berlin, VT

13. Ethan Howes ( 24 ) Fayston, VT

14. Nate Brien ( 16 ) Brookfield, VT

15. Rodney Campbell ( 10 ) Worcester, VT

16. Derek Farnham ( 5 ) S. Royalton, VT

17. Mindy Bartlett ( 8 ) Barre, VT