Corliss v. Gray in Classic Thunder Road Shootout for EastRise Labor Day Classic Victory

Alan Ward photos

Barre, VT – The Thunder Road faithful let the podium finishers know their feelings Sunday afternoon with the 48th EastRise Credit Union Labor Day Classic feeling more like the 15th. If you’d heard the crowd, you’d think it was Bobby Dragon and Dave Dion instead of Jason Corliss and Brandon Gray. The Nation’s Site of Excitement went all out Sunday and it showed.

Nick Sweet led the way for the Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour in the opening circuits of the 48th EastRise Credit Union Labor Day Classic. Sweet faced fierce competition from Brandon Gray as the two battled side-by-side before Sweet gave way as they drove toward the lap 50 competition caution for fuel. Milton CAT point leader Gabe Brown experienced brake failure to bring out the lap 61 caution but it was the big-one on lap 67. Cooper Bouchard, Erick Sands and Cole Littlewood all piled into turn one to call the second caution.

Sweet maintained the top spot following the fuel stop but Gray powered back to the head of the pack by lap 75. Various tire strategies came into play throughout the mid-race caution periods and it was going all Justin Prescott’s way until lap 132. Prescott had maintained a top-five run until a blown right front tire sent him hard into the turn two wall and ended is day early.

What came next was a thrilling showdown throughout the final fifty laps between Maplefields/Irving Late Model top dogs putting on a show with the Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour. Jason Corliss picked up the lead on the lap 132 restart with Gray running side-by-side from then on out. Contact between the two in the final ten laps sent them to the boiling point but it was all Jason Corliss out front to take the win ahead of Brandon Gray at the line. Gabe Brown came back from a blown motor in practice and a the midway brake issue to take third.

The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers got feature action underway Sunday afternoon with their 50-lap EastRise Credit Union feature event. Mike MacAskill and Jaiden Del Toro ran side-by-side through the opening laps until Eric ‘Mongo’ Messier took control on lap 7. As Messier ran away, MacAskill fell under attack from Rob Gordon to his inside with Cooper French and Matt Ballard side-by-side behind him in a four-way battle for second.

It was youngsters against the veterans in the rk Miles Street Stocks.  With laps winding down toward the end it was Hayden Morris v. Connor Rueda with Tommy ‘Thunder’ Smith in tow. Morris stood on the skinny pedal as Smith and Rueda ran hard side-by-side for second with point leaders Hayden Bushey and Tyler Wheatley running nose-to-tail on the outside lane just behind them. Hayden Morris made the most of a sunny Labor Day weekend to take the win over Tommy Smith and Connor Rueda just barely edged Bushey at the line for third.

Cayden Green made the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors look like childs play as soon as his #18 Cavalier saw daylight out front. Green, unable to start Thursday’s feature due to mechanical woes, took advantage of the handicap and made it home first with Mike Slingerland and Taylor Sayers rounding out the podium.

Trevor Jaques launched out ahead at the start of the Crown Vic division debut at Thunder Road to round out Sunday’s racing program. The former weekly warrior of the Nation’s Site of Excitement led the 35-lap showcase from the drop of the green while Kamden Robinson and Florida long-hauler Cody Benoit followed in hot pursuit! Robinson’s spin off turn four on lap 14 and his later ruined right front also took down Justin St. Louis sideways across the line on lap 27. When the dust, rust and sparks finally settled it was Jaques that took the win over Crown Vic journeyman Jaret Curtis and former Flying Tiger racer JT Blanchard.

Thunder Road is back in action this Thursday, September 10 for the rain-delayed RUN-WHAT-U-BRUNG night presented by Jet Service Envelope and Accura Printing. Along with the once-a-year spectator drags, the Maplefields/Irving Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and rk Miles Street Stocks continue their 2026 track championship journey alongside the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors with a special 6:30pm Post Time this Thursday, September 10.

For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at (802) 244-6963, media@thunderroadvt.com, or visit www.thunderroadvt.com. You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram at @ThunderRoadVT.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

Sunday, September 6, 2026

Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl – Barre, VT

48th Labor Day Classic 200 presented by EastRise Credit Union

Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour – EastRise Credit Union Labor Day Classic (200 Laps)

1.         91CT    Jason Corliss               Barre, VT

2.         00VT    Brandon Gray              E. Thetford, VT

3.         47NH   Gabe Brown                Center Conway, NH

4.         58VT    Jimmy Hebert              Williamstown, VT

5.         25NH   Jesse Switser               W. Burke, VT

6.         18VT    Kaiden Fisher              Shelburne, VT

7.         64VT    Christopher Pelkey      S. Barre, VT

8.         48VT    Taylor Hoar                 South Hero, VT

9.         41QC   Jonathan Bouvrette    Blainville, QC

10.       88VT    Nick Sweet                  Williamstown, VT

11.       04NH   Shawn Swallow           Groveton, NH

12.       68VT    Brooks Clark                Fayston, VT

13.       16VT    Brandon Lanphear      Morrisville, VT

14.       7ME     Dylan Payea                Hollis, ME

15.       9VT      Chip Grenier               E. Barre, VT

16.       73MA  Cole Littlewood           Orange, MA

17.       33QC   Remi Perreault            St. Paul, QC

18.       71VT    Jesse Laquerre             E. Montpelier, VT

19.       29NH   Aaron Fellows             Croydon, NH

20.       4NH     Jamie Swallow Jr.        Lancaster, VT

21.       86VT    Marcel J. Gravel          Wolcott, VT

22.       04VT    Justin Prescott             Fairfax, VT

23.       02WP   Geoff Rollins               Merrimack, NH

24.       99VT    Cody Blake                  Barre, VT

25.       7VT      Cooper Bouchard        Hinesburg, VT

26.       36NH   Erick Sands                  Derry, NH

27.       0VT      Scott Dragon               Milton, VT      

Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers – (50 Laps)

1.         19VT    Eric Messier                Hinesburg, VT

2.         33VT    Matt Ballard               Williamstown, VT

3.         3VT      Michael MacAskill      Williamstown, VT

4.         20VT    Robert Gordon            Milton, VT

5.         4VT      Cooper French             Northfield, VT

6.         13VT    Ty Delphia                   Waterbury, VT

7.         94VT    Brendan Moodie         Wolcott, VT

8.         56VT    Chris Laforest              Barre, VT

9.         26VT    Luke Peters                 Groton, VT

10.       15VT    Derrick Calkins             Hinesburg, VT

11.       31VT    Logan Powers              Middlesex, VT

12.       8NH     #Jaiden Del Toro         Graniteville, VT

13.       42VT    Kevin Streeter             Waitsfield, VT

14.       17VT    Brodie Frazier             E. Montpelier, VT

15.       64VT    Jason Pelkey                Barre, VT

16.       8VT      Mike Billado                Grand Isle, VT

17.       39VT    Derek Farnham           Bethel, VT

18.       55VT    Parker Gagne              Fairfax, VT

*Sub Driver for Karsen Murphy         

rk Miles Street Stocks – (30 Laps)

1.         13VT    Hayden Morris            Barre, VT

2.         22VT    Thomas Smith             Williamstown, VT

3.         17VT    Connor Rueda             Barre, VT

4.         15VT    Hayden Bushey           Fairfax, VT

5.         48VT    #Owen Dupuis             Washington, VT

6.         31VT    Tyler Wheatley            Brookfield, VT

7.         18VT    Walker Fitch                Marshfield, VT

8.         74VT    Tyler Whittemore       Barre, VT

9.         32HD   Erik Steel                     Colchester, VT

10.       13ME   Riley Morris                Barre, VT

11.       93VT    Jackson Hunt               Derby Line, VT

12.       43VT    Jamie Davis                 Johnson, VT

13.       47NH   Paige Whittemore       Graniteville, VT

14.       00VT    Howard Stockwell       Randolph, VT

15.       27VT    #Derrick Mann            Graniteville, VT

16.       04VT    Scott Weston               Berlin, VT

17.       8VT      Paul Rocheleau           Georgia, VT

18.       75VT    TJ Haggett                   Waterford, VT

19.       71VT    Jason Kirby                  Milton, VT

20.       99VT    Fred Fleury                  Graniteville, VT

21.       7VT      Kyle MacAskill             Williamstown, VT

22.       16VT    Nate Brien                   Williamstown, VT

23.       06VT    Donat Premont           Johnson, VT

24.       77VT    #Zachary Garvey         Milton, VT

25.       08VT    Zach Audet                  Morrisville, VT

26.       25VT    *Kevin Mahoney         Westford, VT

27.       33VT    Curtis Franks               Topsham, VT

28.       13NY    Travis Gay                   S. Burlington, VT

DNS     70VT    Bert Duffy                    Milton, VT

DNS     24VT    Todd Raymo                Swanton, VT   

*Sub Driver for Jen Getty

Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors – (20 Laps)

1.         18        Cayden Green             Marshfield, VT

2.         81        Mike Slingerland         Milton, VT

3.         95        Taylor Sayers               Barre, VT

4.         97        Eddie Thompson         Colchester, VT

5.         70        Mason Frazier             E. Montpelier, VT

6.         96        Bill O'Connor               S. Washington, VT

7.         51        Caleb Cramer              Georgia, VT

8.         6          Connor Charbonneau  Groveton, NH

9.         33        Brayden Murphy         Barre, VT

10.       53        Kevin Utton                 Graniteville, VT

11.       5          Sierra Wilds                 W. Topsham, VT

12.       50        Nick Copping               Barre, VT

13.       2          Eugene Quintin           Barre, VT

14.       05        Brandon Premont       Johnson, VT

15.       43        Anderson Boyd            Berlin, VT       

Crown Vics – (35 Laps)

1.         57        Trevor Jaques              Milton, VT

2.         33        Jaret Curtis                  Rutland, MA

3.         38        JT Blanchard               Milton, VT

4.         06        Josh Muir                    Enosburg Falls, VT      

5.         68        Steve Miller                Grantham, NH

6.         79        Steve Miller, Jr.           Grantham, NH

7.         67        JJ Goodbout                 N. Woodstock, NH

8.         59        Richie Turner              Highgate, VT

9.         23        Chad Merrill               Shelburne, VT

10.       18        Matt Hurteau              Newmarket, NH

11.       09        Kamden Robinson       Raymond, NH

12.       64        Aaron Thompson         Alstead, NH

13.       74        Cody Benoit                 Fort Myers, FL

14.       88        Chase Curtis                Rutland, MA

15.       45        Justin St. Louis             Bridport, VT

DNS     81        Mike Slingerland         Fairfax, VT

DNS     57NH   Todd Derrington         Whitefield, NH