Unbuckled: Getting to Know Mike Martin

Unbuckled: Getting to Know Mike Martin

Hometown: Craftsbury Common, VT

Division: Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers

Car: Martin Motorsports #01 Chevy Monte Carlo

2017 Season: Myers Container Service Triple Crown Series Champion; Finished 5th in Flying Tiger points (1 win)

 

What are your favorite non-racing hobbies?

Hunting, fishing, and working in my sugaring place. I think this is my seventh year sugaring. Everybody’s involved in that. My Gram, my mother, my wife, and my kids…we’re all in it together. We started out kind of small with 2,500 taps, and I think this year we’re going to be around 12,000. My hobby has turned into a full-time second job.

 What do you do for work?

I have my own auto repair business. (Fellow Tiger driver) Brendan Moodie works for me full-time as well. I started it in 2001, and I’ve been going at it since. It’s a small two-bay shop, and we do general automotive and whatever else we need to do to get things done.

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PASS, NEMST to Headline “Milk Bowl Friday” at Thunder Road

PASS, NEMST to Headline “Milk Bowl Friday” at Thunder Road

Thunder Road officials announced today that both the Pro All Star Series (PASS) Super Late Models and the North East Mini Stock Tour (NEMST) have been added to the 56th Vermont Milk Bowl Weekend presented by Northfield Savings Bank in 2018. The two series will be part of a special “Milk Bowl Friday” event to be held on Friday, September 28.

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Unbuckled: Getting to Know Marcel J. Gravel

Unbuckled: Getting to Know Marcel J. Gravel

Hometown: Wolcott, VT

Division: Thunder Road Late Models

Car: Lucky’s Plumbing & Heating #86VT Toyota Camry

2017 Season: Finished 7th in Late Model points

 

What are your favorite non-racing hobbies?

I actually stay pretty busy with racing during the offseason, seeing as how the team is mainly just me and my dad. In the offseason, my hobbies are usually putting the race car back together for the following season, but I do get out and hunt some – I try to hunt as often as I can. Other than that, I hang out with my friends that I don’t get to see a lot during the summer, but otherwise I don’t do much.

 What do you do for work?

I work at Hannaford’s in Morrisville; I’m a Produce Associate there. I’m mainly there because I really haven’t figured out what I’m going to pursue as a serious career yet. But it’s been something good that’s kept me pretty busy, and I like the people there and they cope with my racing schedule, so it’s good. I do graphics designs as well (through Three Wide Designs) from time to time. So many people do design that it’s hard to stay super-busy with it, because everybody has their own guy, but I still do quite a bit of that when I can.

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Unbuckled: Getting to Know Cooper Bouchard

Unbuckled: Getting to Know Cooper Bouchard

Hometown: Hinesburg, VT

Division: Allen Lumber Street Stocks

Car: Larry & Son Heating #7 Ford Mustang

2017 Season: Finished 2nd in Street Stock points (1 feature win)

 

What are your favorite non-racing hobbies?

I really don’t do much other than work on a race car, but I like to watch hockey when it’s on TV or if I’m going to an actual game. I like watching UVM play a lot, and I’m actually a Buffalo Sabres fan, so I watch them every now and then. One of my sisters lives in Buffalo, and she’s made plenty of trips up to see me, and I guess I somehow became a Buffalo fan because she lives there. She kind of forced me, I guess. (Laughs)

 What do you do for work?

I work on dirt equipment (for Wood’s CRW Corp.). I’m kind of a preventative maintenance guy. We rent out stuff for people to use, so when they’re done with it, I basically go through it and check fluids and make sure everything’s alright. I’m getting dirty regardless of whether I’m working on a race car or if I’m actually working my 9-to-5 job.

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ACT, Thunder Road Announce Supply Agreement Extension with American Racer

ACT, Thunder Road Announce Supply Agreement Extension with American Racer

Officials at the American-Canadian Tour (ACT), Thunder Road, and American Racer Tires announced today they have reached a new agreement for American Racer to continue supplying racing tires to both the touring series and race track. The extension of their previous agreement ensures that American Racer will remain the ACT and Thunder Road tire supplier through the 2021 season.

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Unbuckled: Getting to Know Jason Corliss

Unbuckled: Getting to Know Jason Corliss

Hometown: Barre, VT

Division: Thunder Road Late Models

Car: Burnett Scrap Metals #66VT Ford Fusion

2017 Season: Finished 3rd in Late Model points (4 wins)

 

What are your favorite non-racing hobbies?

Hanging out with friends and family, watching sports, and just kind of taking it easy. I don’t have a lot of hobbies outside of racing, actually. Outside of work and working on the race car, I just like kicking back with friends, family, and my dog. I know it sounds lame, but those are probably my hobbies outside of racing.

 What do you do for work?

I supervise the parts department at Milton CAT. They’re a heavy equipment dealer for Caterpillar in Richmond, VT. I’ve been there for going on seven years.

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Unbuckled: Getting to Know Brandon Lanphear

Unbuckled: Getting to Know Brandon Lanphear

Hometown: Morrisville, VT

Division: Allen Lumber Street Stocks/Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers

Car: L&L Farm #11 Ford Mustang

2017 Season: Finished 6th in Street Stock points

 

What are your favorite non-racing hobbies?

I enjoy hunting and fishing, and I drive four-wheelers. I don’t do that much for other hobbies though, because I’m usually busy with work or racing.

 

What do you do for work?

We have a family farm (L&L Farm) that milks 120 cows using robotic milkers. I tend to the cows, and during the summer I do a lot of field work – haying and such. Of course there’s a lot of barn chores to do as well.

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