Hoar, Gappens, Cyr Honored at ACT/Thunder Road Banquet

NHMS' Gappens "humbled" by MacTavish Award

SOUTH BURLINGTON -- A crowd of some 500 honored Brian Hoar of Williston on Saturday night at the Sheraton-Burlington Hotel & Conference Center, celebrating Hoar's sixth American-Canadian Tour championship.

Hoar, 37, captured his first championship on the series since 2000, driving for RPM Motorsports and car owner/crew chief Rick Paya. Paya previously won seven ACT championships with driver Jean-Paul Cyr; Cyr left the team after 2008 to drive for Joey Laquerrre and challenge for the track championship at Barre's Thunder Road, which he did successfully.

"The irony behind it all is that probably if [Cyr] hadn't decided to go with [Laquerre], I might not have the opportunity to be where I'm standing right now," Hoar said during his championship speech.

Jerry Gappens, Executive Vice President of New Hampshire Motor Speedway, was presented the prestigious Don MacTavish Award by ACT President Tom Curley, for the speedway's contributions to ACT racing.

Dover, Mass. native MacTavish, the 1966 NASCAR National Sportsman (present-day Nationwide Series) Champion, was killed in a crash at Daytona Int'l Speedway in 1969. MacTavish won his national title racing weekly at places like Catamount Stadium in Milton, and New York tracks including Airborne Speedway and Albany-Saratoga Speedway. Past recipients of the award include NASCAR founder Bill France, Sr., Thunder Road founder Ken Squier, Curley, and drivers Robbie Crouch, Jean-Paul Cabana, Hoar, and Cyr.

NHMS hosted the first-ever ACT Invitational in September during Sylvania 300 weekend for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. As a result, NHMS saw an increased Saturday crowd of 40,000 spectators, and ACT and its drivers gained national attention throughout the year.

"(The ACT Invitational) was a win-win for both parties," said Gappens, who grew up around the short tracks of Indiana. "Any time you get an award with Bill France, Sr.'s name on it, and all the other great people that have contributed to the success of short track racing, is quite an honor. I appreciate short track racing and haven't forgotten where I learned the sport from the grassroots up, so to get what I consider the highest honor, other than being the champion of the series, is very humbling and very much appreciated."

Shawn Duquette of Morrisonville, N.Y., was crowned with his first ACT Tiger Sportsman Series championship. Duquette earned the title after a tie-breaker with St. Albans driver Jason Bonnett.

John Doiron of Berwick, Me., was given the ACT Crew Chief of the Year Award; Doiron coached his son, 16 year-old Joey, to the ACT Rookie of the Year title.

Tucker Williams of Hyde Park won the Dr. G.R. Nielsen Rookie Achievement Award as the top-performing freshman driver across all ACT/Thunder Road divisions; Williams, 18, was a four-time Street Stock winner at Thunder Road in 2009.

Cyr, of Milton, was honored with his first Thunder Road Late Model "King of the Road" championship in the track's 50th season. Thunder Road's support division champions were also honored: Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown (Tiger Sportsman), Gary Mullen of Tunbridge (Street Stock), and Donny Yates of North Montpelier (Junkyard Warrior). Rookies of the Year were Dylan Smith of Randolph (Late Model), Erik Steel of Barre (Tiger Sportsman), and Williams.

ACT/Thunder Road announcer Troy Germain was given the Ken Squier Award for his decade-long contributions to the sport.

Seth Leavitt of WCAX-TV Channel 3 was named the winner of the first-ever Pete Hartt Memorial Media Award. Mike McCune, Leavitt's colleague, accepted the award on his behalf. Hartt, the Sports Editor at the Barre-Montpelier Times Argus, passed away in March.

Sportsmanship and "Most Improved Driver" awards were also given out in each division. Sportsmanship award winners were Chip Grenier (ACT Late Model Tour), Brooks Clark (TR Late Model), Brendan Moodie, Jr. (TR Tiger Sportsman), Mike Martin (TR Street Stock), and Ken Christman (TR Junkyard Warrior). Most Improved awards went to John Donahue (ACT Late Model Tour), Craig Bushey (TR Late Model), and Derrick O'Donnell (TR Tiger Sportsman).

Donahue in Good Company with Milk Bowl Win

Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl coverage presented by RPM Racing Engines

BARRE -- Three years ago, John Donahue's name was often little more than a footnote in American-Canadian Tour race finishes or year-end point standings. And three short years later, the Graniteville driver has firmly established himself as a driver that will be remembered long after his final lap.

With a win in the 47th running of the Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl at Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, Donahue became just the tenth driver in history to win each of the track's "big three" events -- he won the Memorial Day Classic in 2008, the Labor Day Classic, the site of his first ACT Late Model Tour win, in 2007, and now Sunday's Milk Bowl. The victory means his name will be now etched in all three granite monuments at the Barre track honoring past winners of the events, alongside pioneers Larry Demar and Russell Ingerson, Hall of Famers Jean-Paul Cabana, Bobby Dragon, Dave Dion, and Robbie Crouch, and modern-day heroes Jean-Paul Cyr, Dave Pembroke, and Brent Dragon.

It's something Donahue spent a lot of time thinking about, too.

"This'll put the third one on there now," Donahue said after his Milk Bowl victory. "[It means] a lot. A month ago, Tom (Curley, ACT president) brought us all up there, the drivers, and I'm looking on down through and I'm on two of [the monuments], and I said, 'Boy, I'd really like to be on that Milk Bowl one, that way my name is on all three of them.' I've been thinking about it since then."

And perhaps appropriately, it was one of those names already carved into each piece of the rock -- Milton's Brent Dragon -- that Donahue had to outduel to win the Milk Bowl.

Dragon won the opening 50-lap round of the three-segment, cumulatively scored race, with Donahue third. Donahue finished ninth in the middle leg, one spot better than Dragon, and trailed Dragon by one point entering the final 50 laps. And that's when Donahue turned up the wick.

Both drivers raced three-wide through traffic, along with Scott Payea, Brian Hoar, and Brad Leighton, who each would be within striking distance under the right circumstances, near the one-third mark of the final segment. Dragon and Donahue traded jabs on the track, knowing their mid-pack battle was almost certainly for the overall victory.

Dragon pushed three-wide under Donahue and Glen Luce on lap 17, then swapped lanes on the next lap. Donahue seized the opportunity, returning the three-wide favor. In the intense action, Dragon's car was shoved momentarily off the backstretch, while Donahue was able to squeeze by. Two laps later, Payea spun off the track with Dave Whitcomb and Eric Chase to bring out the caution flag.

Donahue and Dragon realigned in 13th and 14th for the restart on lap 20, which proved to be the decisive moment of the race. Traffic in Donahue's inside lane moved faster than Dragon's high side group, and Donahue picked his way through the field to finish fifth in the segment. But Dragon, his car knocked out of alignment from the contact on lap 18, was only able to muster a tenth-place finish in segment. With the final tally added up, Donahue's 17 segment points secured him his first Milk Bowl win, four points better than Dragon's 21, and nine better than Eric Williams of Hyde Park.

Donahue began his career as a Flying Tiger/Sportsman racer at Thunder Road in the mid-nineties, winning more than his share of races and championships, but had little in the way of headline-grabbing success in the top-tier Late Model class -- and certainly with the touring ACT division -- until recently. His Milk Bowl victory and planting the traditional kiss on a "trophy queen" cow, he says, is the crowning achievement of his racing career.

"It's right at the top. I've had a lot of good races, I won a [Labor Day] 200 here, but this is different," he said. "You've got three different segments, you stop, you have to think about it, re-do your car. This is one I've been wanting for a long time. I'm just going to soak this one in and be happy."

Williams' third-place finish went virtually unnoticed, overshadowed by the Donahue-Dragon saga, but his segment finishes of seventh, fifteenth, and fourth were good enough for the podium spot. Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson, N.H. (28 points) and Brian Hoar of Williston (29 points) finished fourth and fifth overall. The top-ten was completed by Dave Pembroke, Jamie Fisher, Nick Sweet, Joey Laquerre, and Chip Grenier. Track champion Jean-Paul Cyr, who won the third segment finished 11th overall, while second-segment winner Wayne Helliwell, Jr. finished 18th overall in his first start at Thunder Road.

***

Eighteen year-old Jimmy Hebert of Williamstown became the youngest driver in history to win a championship in Thunder Road's famed Tiger Sportsman division on Sunday, taking a four-point victory over Tony Rossi of Barre. Hebert overcame a tense moment on lap 17 of the 50-lap finale when hard contact with Mark Barnier cut Hebert's left-rear tire, sending him into a spin down the frontstretch. After pitting under the caution period, Hebert recovered for a 13th-place finish.

"It's ten times better that I ever thought it would be," said Hebert. "Ever since I was little, I dreamed of this. I never thought I would race at 16, say nothing about winning a championship at 18. The first year we really struggled and everybody seemed discouraged, but last year we put together some good runs. This year we worked on consistency and it really paid off for us."

Shawn Fleury of Middlesex took the lead from upstart Jason Corliss on lap 28, then cruised to his second win of the season. Mike Ziter followed Fleury past Corliss, but was penalized with under ten laps remaining for spinning a lapped car off the backstretch. Ziter was placed last in the 28-car field. Danville driver Corliss, the 2008 Street Stock champion making only his fourth appearance in the Tiger Sportsman division, finished second officially, with Bradford's Derrick O'Donnell third, Rossi fourth, and Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg in fifth.

Pete Ainsworth, who entered the final weekend with an eight-point lead in the division, failed to qualify for the main event. He slumped to a fourth-place championship finish behind Hebert, Rossi, and Brendan Moodie.

Tommy "Thunder" Smith of Williamstown moved into sole possession of first-place all-time in the Street Stock division with his 20th career win, his third of the season. Mike Martin of Craftsbury Common was the runner-up, with rookie Danny Doyle of Hancock third, Garry Bashaw of Lincoln fourth, and Randolph's Markus Farnham fifth. Veteran driver Gary Mullen of Tunbridge captured his first championship with a ninth-place finish, beating Martin for the title by 26 points.

Like Ainsworth, Junkyard Warrior point leader Donny Yates of North Montpelier failed to qualify for the Milk Bowl finale, but was still able to clinch his division's championship on the strength of six wins during the season. Ken Christman of Cabot took his third victory, over Keith Fortier of Hinesburg, Kevin Streeter of Waitsfield, Northfield's John Prentice, and Tommy Elwood of Morrisville.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- 47th Annual Chittenden Bank Milk Bowl
Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Sunday, October 4, 2009

Pos.-Driver-Hometown-(Segment Finishes/Total Score)
1. John Donahue, Graniteville (3+9+5=17)
2. Brent Dragon, Milton (1+10+10=21)
3. Eric Williams, Hyde Park (7+15+4=26)
4. Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, N.H. (4+22+2=28)
5. Brian Hoar, Williston (16+4+9=29)
6. Dave Pembroke, Middlesex (5+19+7=31)
7. Jamie Fisher, Shelburne (10+13+8=31)
8. Nick Sweet, Barre (2+17+12=31)
9. Joey Laquerre, East Montpelier (11+8+15=34)
10. Chip Grenier, Graniteville (9+25+3=37)
11. Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton (8+29+1=38)
12. Phil Scott, Montpelier (6+27+6=39)
13. Scott Payea, Milton (12+5+23=40)
14. Brad Leighton, Center Harbor, N.H. (13+6+22=41)
15. Tyler Cahoon, St. Johnsbury (22+2+20=44)
16. Glen Luce, Turner, Me. (18+16+11=45)
17. Tony Andrews, Northfield (24+3+18=45)
18. Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Dracut, Mass. (27+1+19=47)
19. Joey Doiron, Berwick, Me. (14+7+26=47)
20. Quinny Welch, Lancaster, N.H. (21+12+17=50)
21. Matt White, Northfield (15+28+16=59)
22. Chad Wheeler, Waterbury Center (19+30+13=62)
23. Mark Hayward, Unity, N.H. (25+11+27=63)
24. Mike Olsen, North Haverhill, N.H. (17+18+28=63)
25. Eric Chase, Milton (20+14+29=63)
26. Joey Becker, Jeffersonville (23+21+21=65)
27. Pete Potvin, III, Graniteville (28+24+14=66)
28. Rich Lowrey, Charlotte (26+20+25=71)
29. Mike Bailey, South Barre (30+23+24=77)
30. Dave Whitcomb, Essex Junction (29+26+30=85)

NAPA Tiger Sportsman (# - denotes rookie)
1. Shawn Fleury, Middlesex
2. #Jason Corliss, Danville
3. Derrick O'Donnell, Bradford
4. Tony Rossi, Barre
5. Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg
6. Ray Stearns, East Corinth
7. Brendan Moodie, North Wolcott
8. Tommy Therrien, Hinesburg
9. Josh Demers, Middlesex
10. Lance Allen, Barre

Allen Lumber Street Stock/Power Shift Online Junkyard Warrior (# - denotes rookie)
Pos.-Driver-Hometown (# - denotes rookie)
1. Tommy Smith, Williamstown (SS)
2. Mike Martin, Craftsbury Common (SS)
3. #Danny Doyle, Hancock (SS)
4. Garry Bashaw, Lincoln (SS)
5. Markus Farnham, Randolph (SS)

20. Ken Christman, Cabot (JW)
21. Keith Fortier, Hinesburg (JW)
22. Kevin Streeter, Waitsfield (JW)
23. John Prentice, Northfield (JW)
24. Tommy Elwood, Morrisville (JW)

(PHOTOS: 1. John Donahue hoists the Milk Bowl trophy after his first win in the classic event; 2. Donahue smooches Larolupine, the Milk Bowl trophy queen, as Governor Jim Douglas looks on; 3. Tiger Sportsman champion Jimmy Hebert; 4. Street Stock champion Gary Mullen. Photos by Justin St. Louis/VMM)

Scott Wins Battle, Cyr Wins War at Thunder Road

BARRE -- Phil Scott knew his only chance to steal the 2009 championship at Barre's Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl was to win the Vt. State Employees Credit Union 100 on Thursday night.

So, true to his plan, he went out and won the race. But the Vermont State Senator from Montpelier also needed Jean-Paul Cyr to falter, and that never happened.

Scott started 17th on the 28-car grid and survived -- although not totally unscathed -- a massive, 16-car pileup on the backstretch, which was triggered when Grant Folsom spun second-place runner Doug Murphy on lap 4. Four more early incidents, including another chain reaction crash on lap 14 that again briefly involved Scott, slowed the pace, but he was able to bounce his way through, continue without pitting, and pick off positions at a rapid rate.

Scott was outside leader Trampas Demers of South Burlington on the fifth and final restart on lap 39, but was initally unable to complete a pass and take command. A second attempt was made on the outside lane on lap 52 before Scott finally moved ahead four circuits later. From there, Scott stretched his legs, leading by as much as a half-lap distance over the balance of the event, which ran the final 61 laps without interruption.

The win was Scott's first since August 16, 2007.

"It does feel good to finally pull off a win here," Scott said. "We didn't have one last year and it was looking like we might not have one this year, at least in the regular season."

Cyr, the seven-time ACT Late Model Tour champion, entered the event 52 points ahead of Scott, himself a former ACT champion and three-time "King of the Road." Scott held up his end of the bargain with the victory, but his only hope for the title was to have Cyr finish worse than 24th. Cyr instead finished third, locking up his first Thunder Road title.

"We put a little pressure on ourselves, and I knew that [in order to win the championship] the only way our approach could be tonight was to try and win," said Scott. "Not that we don't try and win every other night, but it just put a little bit more emphasis on it that we had to do our part; in order to win a championship we had to win a race and see what happens from there, control our own destiny. Jean would have had to have a terrible night and we would have to win, so we can only do our part, and we did."

Like Scott, Cyr started deep in the field, in 23rd place. Cyr was never involved in any of the crashes in the early going, and was able to reach the top-five eight laps before halfway. A six-lap door-to-door battle with Brooks Clark eventually went Cyr's way on lap 54, moving him into fourth place and setting up an entertaining, position-swapping race for the runner-up position between he, Demers, Rich Lowrey, and Dave Pembroke for the rest of the event.

Slower lapped traffic took Pembroke out of the equation with 15 laps remaining, moments after he nosed ahead of Demers for second. Demers eventually held on behind Scott, with Cyr getting by Lowrey for third place on lap 98. Lowrey faded on the final lap, finishing sixth behind Cris Michaud and Clark. Eric Williams, Pembroke, Jamie Fisher, and NASCAR driver David Ragan, driving a car owned by Scott, completed the top ten finishers.

Milton racer Cyr was elated to have won the "King of the Road" title in his first full season at the track.

"[The championship ranks] right up there," Cyr said, comparing it to his previous ACT titles. "Right up there with probably the first one that I won, which was big for me. You know, it's the 50th year at Thunder Road with all the things they planned this year, and it's our first attempt at it. It definitely rates way up there."

During the winter, Cyr left the powerhouse RPM Motorsports team that he won his final five ACT championships with in order to form a new partnership to chase the Thunder Road title with owner Joey Laquerre and multi-time champion crew chief Jeff Laquerre, Joey's son. Skeptics doubted the combination, citing a team unfamiliar with itself racing a brand new car. To make matters worse, chassis construction was completed in mid-April, only weeks before the season began. Cyr and Jeff Laquerre's personalities jelled almost immediately, and after a few on-track growing pains, the team became a force.

"We got the car, like, right before the season started, so tensions were high," said Cyr. "But Joey and Jeff giving me the opportunity was really good. I really appreciate that. I'm really gratified by it. Jeff and I have had really good communication, we have mutual respect for each other. We seemed to click pretty well, I think we have a really good working relationship."

"It means a lot," said Jeff Laquerre. "New car, new team, and a great guy to work with. It came hard, and we started off the year very slow. We earned it, very much so. You couldn't ask for a better guy, too."

Unofficially, Cyr won the championship by 41 points over Scott, 908-867, with Michaud, Pembroke, and Fisher rounding out the top five point men.

To make things a bit sweeter, Joey Laquerre drove to victory in the 35-lap Tiger Sportsman feature. The East Montpelier driver's win was the 44th Thunder Road victory of his five-decade career, stretching his lead as the track's all-time win leader. Jeff Bousquet of Montpelier finished a career-best second, with Williamstown's Jimmy Hebert third. David Finck was fourth with Matt Potter fifth.

Hebert became the third different point leader in as many weeks in the division after his third-place finish, coupled with struggling performances by point leaders Tony Rossi, Pete Ainsworth, and Cody Blake.

Street Stock veteran Lloyd Blakely of Barre won the Street Stock/Junkyard Warrior main event over North Troy's David Allen and Billy "Weiner" Hennequin of Morrisville. Barre's Kevin Dodge was a first-time Warrior winner, finishing 21st overall in the race. Kevin Streeter and Bryan Nykiel were second and third, respectively.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Vt. State Employees Credit Union Night
Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Thursday, August 27, 2009

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

ACT Late Model (100 laps)
1. Phil Scott, Montpelier
2. Trampas Demers, South Burlington
3. Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton -- 2009 Thunder Road Track Champion
4. Cris Michaud, Northfield
5. Brooks Clark, Fayston
6. Rich Lowrey, Charlotte
7. Eric Williams, Hyde Park
8. Dave Pembroke, Middlesex
9. Jamie Fisher, Shelburne
10. David Ragan, Unadilla, Ga.

NAPA Tiger Sportsman (35 laps)
1. Joey Laquerre, East Montpelier
2. Jeff Bousquett, Montpelier
3. Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown
4. David Finck, Barre
5. Matt Potter, Marshfield
6. Brendan Moodie, North Wolcott
7. Tommy Therrien, Hinesburg
8. #Neal Foster, Waterbury
9. Joel Hodgdon, Craftsbury
10. Mike Ziter, Williamstown

Allen Lumber Street Stock/Power Shift Online Junkyard Warrior (25 laps)
1. Lloyd Blakely, Barre (SS)
2. David Allen, North Troy (SS)
3. Billy Hennequin, Morrisville (SS)
4. Bruce Melendy, Danville (SS)
5. Gary Mullen, Tunbridge (SS)

21. Kevin Dodge, Barre (JW)
22. Kevin Streeter, Waitsfield (JW)
23. Bryan Nykiel, Berlin (JW)
24. Donny Yates, North Montpelier (JW)
25. Buddy Chapman, Concord (JW)




(PHOTOS: 1. Phil Scott got a two year-old monkey off his back by winning the VSECU 100 at Thunder Road on Thursday night; 2. Like most of the Late Models at Thunder Road, Scott's car was torn up a bit after Thursday night's race; 3. Jean-Paul Cyr (bottom, center) and crew celebrate their Thunder Road track championship. Photos by Justin St. Louis/VMM)

Against All Odds, Duquette Wins Tri-State Title

Fleury wins 100, New Yorker wins tie-breaker over Bonnett for championship


BARRE -- Sometimes all you need is a little luck, and Shawn Duquette got it. That, and a lot of help from some friends.

Duquette came to Barre's Thunder Road for the ACT Tiger Sportsman Tri-State Series championship finale on Thursday night. The Morrisonville, N.Y. driver won the opening round of the series at his Airborne Speedway home base in July, copped the second round at Canaan Fair Speedway two weeks ago, and held a 22-point lead over fellow New Yorker Toby Ebersole, with St. Albans driver Jason Bonnett 32 points back.

At Thunder Road, a track he'd seen for the first time just seven days earlier, Duquette moved forward in his qualifying heat, enough to earn him a '+2' handicap rating and give him the seventh starting spot in the ACE Hardware 100 finale. Ebersole quickly went a lap down, effectively eliminating him from title contention. While running in the top-ten two laps before halfway, Duquette looked strong against hometown stars Shawn Fleury, Brendan Moodie, and Jimmy Hebert. Bonnett, who needed to finish 15 positions ahead of Duquette to take the championship away, was on his rival's front bumper. Things looked to be under control for Duquette.

But as soon as it looked like he would be celebrating a championship, it was just as soon gone. Contact from rookie Erik Steel on lap 48 sent Duquette hard into the frontstretch wall. The sliver, black, and green #18 Toyota sat on the track motionless, its driver an emotional mess.

"I was almost in tears," admitted Duquette. "I said, 'There it goes.' I knew it was going to happen here."

During a caution period ten laps later, it was announced that, given the misfortunes of Duquette and Ebersole, Bonnett would need to finish ninth or better to win the championship. A pretty easy task, all things considered, for the two-time Airborne champion and past feature winner at Thunder Road, who in June had an outstanding Late Model debut at the track.

In the pits, however, a swarm of bodies surrounded the battered car. Crew members representing no less than nine Airborne-based teams -- and even Airborne Speedway promoter Mike Perrotte, who attended the race to cheer on his drivers -- repaired the car's broken suspension in just 19 laps' time. Duquette returned on lap 67, and soldiered on to finish 20th.

And in a magical twist of fate for Duquette, Bonnett finished sixth, only 14 positions better. The result left them tied with 204 points each, and Duquette's pair of victories earned him the tie-breaker, sending the championship trophy to the western side of Lake Champlain for only the second time in history.

"I can't thank everybody enough," said Duquette. "There were a lot of people helping. My crew, Jamy Begor (an Airborne driver not in competition at Thunder Road) was there, I don't really know who else was over there because there were so many people. It's awesome. They got me back out on the track.

"It's wonderful. I didn't think it was going to happen there, I was sweating bullets. We got lucky, it was just a tie rod and a couple of rims, and we got back out and finished the race. It's the best feeling I've had so far in racing."

Ironically, one of the volunteers helping make repairs was Bonnett's father, Ron, a former racer. "I guess it's sort of my fault that Jason lost the title," laughed Ron Bonnett. "[Duquette] would have helped us out. We've lost titles before, and we've won them, too. It would have been nice to win, but it's no big deal. Stuff like [tonight] is why we race."

Two-time Thunder Road champion Fleury, of Middlesex, turned his dismal season around with the second 100-lap Sportsman victory of his career; his first came in 2005.

"I definitely had to get up on the wheel tonight," said Fleury, who started 21st in the 27-car field. "We just had a bad start to the night and I really wanted to win it for the guys. They busted their butts tonight putting that thing together. We were overheating earlier and they changed the radiator, changed the water pump, we had a bad start but it all worked out for us. We've had a terrible year, and if I was going to win one, this is the one I wanted to win. I'm glad we got it, and whatever happens happens from here on out."

Fleury's National Guard Chevrolet stalked young Derrick O'Donnell of Bradford for the lead from lap 80 until making his move on the outside; Fleury took the lead on lap 91, then held O'Donnell and teenager Hebert off for the victory.

"[O'Donnell] had a real good car, he ran me clean, and it was just an awesome race," said Fleury. "They're pretty tough, no doubt. We've been doing this a long time and there's a lot of good drivers. The division has really evened out. Any car can win on any given night. [The young drivers] are tough to beat. Honestly, I didn't think I was gonna get him, and luckily we did."

O'Donnell inherited the lead on lap 45 after top runners Mark Barnier and Eric Badore crashed as Barnier blew a tire on a restart. After surrendering the point to Fleury with nine laps to go, O'Donnell held on to second over Hebert, Moodie, Scott Coburn, and Bonnett. David Finck, Joey Laquerre, Ray Stearns, and Josh Demers completed the unofficial top ten.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- ACE Hardware 100
ACT Tiger Sportsman Tri-State Series -- Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Thursday, August 13, 2009

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

1. Shawn Fleury, Middlesex
2. Derrick O'Donnell, Bradford
3. Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown
4. Brendan Moodie, North Wolcott
5. Scott Coburn, Barre
6. Jason Bonnett, St. Albans
7. David Finck, Barre
8. Joey Laquerre, East Montpelier
9. Ray Stearns, East Corinth
10. Josh Demers, Middlesex
11. Eric Badore, Milton
12. #Erik Steel, Barre
13. Joel Hodgdon, Craftsbury
14. #Mike Billado, Essex Junction
15. #Neal Foster, Waterbury
16. Howard Stoner, Altona, N.Y.
17. Toby Ebersole, Peru, N.Y.
18. Joey Becker, Jeffersonville
19. #Kevin Godfrey, Wentworth, N.H.
20. Shawn Duquette, Morrisonville, N.Y.
21. Mark Barnier, Essex Junction
22. Joe Steffen, Essex Junction
23. George May, Barre
24. Lance Allen, Barre
25. Skip Liberty, Peru, N.Y.
26. Brian Delphia, Waterbury
27. Richie LaFond, Colchester


(PHOTOS: 1. Shawn Duquette (2nd from right) and a small representation of the team that repaired his car on Thursday night celebrate their Tri-State Series championship. 2. Shawn Fleury won the ACE Hardware 100. Photos by Justin St. Louis/VMM)

VIDEO: The Port-A-"Petty" Grand Prix?

"The King" Richard Petty, seven-time NASCAR champion, came to Barre's Thunder Road on Thursday night for the annual WDEV Radio/Calkins Portable Toilets "Port-A-Potty Grand Prix." In case you're out of the loop, the annual race is more than a decade old, and pits the point leaders from each division against each other in potty-themed push carts down the frontstretch.

Here, the crowd chooses the Best Appearing Potty from the four entries: Jean-Paul Cyr and the Late Model push team, Jimmy Hebert and the Tiger Sportsman group, Gary Mullen's Street Stock team, and Donny Yates and the Junkyard Warriors (sounds like an '80s garage band, no?).

Mullen's racing outhouse -- complete with sink! -- was chosen the winner by applause, and Petty clearly had fun presenting the "Golden Plunger" award.

And, of course, what kind of news outlet would this be without a video of the actual race? Hebert's snazzy orange and black tiger-striped crapper was the first to cross the T.P. finish line (we think that's crewman Jared Hart pushing at 100mph), for what is undoubtedly the most important victory of Hebert's young racing career. Unofficially, Yates was a close second, Mullen third, and Cyr -- in a ride that more closely resembles Santa's sleigh and a team of four dilapidated reindeer-bicyclists -- a distant fourth.

PHOTOS: CARQUEST Vermont Governor's Cup 150

A 51-photo gallery of Thursday's CARQUEST Vermont Governor's Cup 150 at Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl in Barre. All photos by Justin St. Louis/VMM. Click here to view photos.

Polewarczyk Finally Gets One At The Road

BARRE -- Maybe it was a bit late, but that made Joey Polewarczyk, Jr.'s first win in the CARQUEST Vermont Governor's Cup 150 at Thunder Road on Thursday night all that much sweeter. The Hudson, N.H. driver, who turned 20 years old less than a month ago, crashed off the backstretch and out of an almost certain victory at the Barre track on Memorial Day weekend. He'd lost a couple of shots at winning the season-ending Milk Bowl. He'd been wrecked there countless times.

But now that's all behind him.

You couldn't ask for a better setting: Spectacular weather with a twilight start to a big event, a visiting NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion in Tony Stewart, a packed house -- maybe an all-time record crowd -- jamming the hillside seats at the track. And Polewarczyk, despite what he might have said earlier, was still seething over his latest loss at Thunder Road.

The youngster wasted no time in getting to the front; after starting in eighth place on the 30-car grid, he was fifth by the end of lap 5. By lap 18, he was third. On lap 57, he was in the lead, a position he would never relinquish. But although he was never passed for the top spot, Polewarczyk was never really comfortably out front until lap 148.

A 45-lap duel with sophomore hometown favorite Nick Sweet, beginning at lap 101, kept the crowd holding its breath -- Sweet hugging the low lane trying to nose ahead, Polewarczyk rim-riding the high side, leading the race by a matter of only a foot at times -- and could likely be thought of as one of the finest battles for a victory in recent Thunder Road memory. A late caution period, followed by a surprise visit to the front by defending Governor's Cup winner Cris Michaud only hightened the tension.

After all, Polewarczyk was running the same high line on Memorial Day when he crashed. Sweet had never won in Late Model competition and was hungry to break through, and both he and Michaud were itching to earn a possible qualifying berth for the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, one of the prizes awarded to the winner of the Governor's Cup 150. And with the caution and impending restart bunching the field with just five laps to go, who knew what was going to happen?

Green flag: Sweet gets the jump in the outside lane, a place he hasn't seen -- other than in lapped traffic -- since the 1/3-mark of the race. Sweet tries his best to hold his advantage, but Polewarczyk is too strong and leads the lap. Suddenly -- and everyone saw it coming, it seems -- the pair swap lanes, trying to get back to familiar territory. It works, but only for a moment, as Sweet opens the door and Michaud ducks underneath him, taking away second place. As the two-to-go signal comes from the flagstand, Polewarczyk eases into a two car-length lead.

White flag, almost there. What could go wrong now?

Turn 1: Tore the whole nose off on Labor Day here last year.

Turn 2: Popped a radiator here in 2005.

Backstretch: Remember Memorial Day?

Turn 3: Got into it with Karl Allard here at the Milk Bowl last year and got black-flagged.

Turn 4: Ouch, that first trip in 2004. A chunk of the wall ended up inside the car that night.

Frontstretch: And none of that matters anymore. Checkered flag. It's over.

The victory lane interview with Ken Squier was barely audible over the thousands of cheering fans that had not only come to see Tony Stewart, but to see if this kid Polewarczyk had what it took to win at one of the toughest race tracks around. He was drained, physically, emotionally, mentally. In 85-degree heat, he had raced his tail off for the win, and all the memories had undoubtedly haunted him to no end.

In the inspection area a few minutes later, he'd had a bit more time to let it sink in. So Joey, you've won at Thunder Road, how does it feel? Sweat-soaked, beat red, and wearing a winner's medal around his neck with the CARQUEST logo on it, a big grin comes across his face: "Pretty friggin' good."

And that's all he needed to say.

***

In support action, Pete Ainsworth and Jimmy Hebert celebrated split Tiger Sportsman feature victories in two very different ways. Middlesex racer Ainsworth was more or less uncontested as he notched the 10th win of his career in the division, boosting him into elite status among the all-time winners of Thunder Road's oldest class of race car. For him, it was just another day at the office. However, 18 year-old Hebert, of Williamstown, battled another youngster, Bradford's Derrick O'Donnell, and earned his first-ever win. He paused during his victory lap for a impromptu smoke show and donut on the backstretch.

"I bent my steering shaft down punching [the steering wheel] I was so excited," laughed Hebert. "I couldn't hardly turn doing the burnout."

Ainsworth was trailed across the finish line by Shawn Fleury and Doug Crowningshield, and a razor-close finish between David Finck and Joey Laquerre; Finck got the position. Following Hebert and O'Donnell were Mike Ziter, Eric Badore, and Jeff French.

Tommy "Thunder" Smith of Williamstown drove his Thunder Road 50th Anniversary-themed car to his first win of the year in the first of two Street Stock/Junkyard Warrior features after starting 19th. Bruce Melendy finished second after contact with David Greenslit approachign the final lap sent Greenslit spinning into the infield; Greg Adams, Jr. was third over Joe Blais and Troy Gray. David Whitcomb of Elmore earned his first Street Stock main event win in the nightcap, over Tim Campbell, Mike MacAskill, Ron Gabaree, and Gary Mullen.

Donny Yates of North Montpelier and Kevin Streeter of Waitsfield were the top Junkyard Warrior drivers in the respective features; each driver took his third win of the season.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- CARQUEST Vermont Governor's Cup 150
Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl, Barre, Vt.
Thursday, June 25, 2009

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

Late Model
1. Joey Polewarczyk, Jr., Hudson, N.H.
2. Cris Michaud, Northfield
3. Nick Sweet, Barre
4. Jamie Fisher, Shelburne
5. John Donahue, Graniteville
6. Dave Pembroke, Middlesex
7. Trampas Demers, South Burlington
8. Phil Scott, Montpelier
9. Joey Laquerre, East Montpelier
10. Eric Williams, Hyde Park
11. Rich Lowrey, Williston
12. Brent Dragon, Milton
13. Tony Andrews, Northfield
14. Jason Bonnett, St. Albans
15. Eric Chase, Milton
16. Tony Stewart, Rushville, Ind.
17. Craig Bushey, Cambridge
18. Dennis Demers, Shelburne
19. Mike Bailey, South Barre
20. Joey Becker, Jeffersonville
21. Dave Paya, Milton
22. Reno Gervais, Island Pond
23. Steve Fisher, Shelburne
24. Brooks Clark, Fayston
25. Doug Murphy, Tunbridge
26. Cal Poulin, Braintree
27. Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton
28. Matt White, Northfield
29. Patrick Laperle, St-Denis-sur-Richelieu, Qué.
30. Robbie Crouch, Tampa, Fla.

Tiger Sportsman Feature #1
1. Pete Ainsworth, Middlesex
2. Shawn Fleury, Middlesex
3. Doug Crowningshield, Barre
4. David Finck, Barre
5. Joey Laquerre, East Montpelier

Tiger Sportsman Feature #2
1. Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown
2. Derrick O'Donnell, Bradford
3. Mike Ziter, Williamstown
4. Eric Badore, Georgia
5. Jeff French, Northfield

Street Stock/Junkyard Warrior Feature #1
1. Tommy Smith, Williamstown (SS winner)
2. Bruce Melendy, Danville (SS)
3. Greg Adams, Jr., Hardwick (SS)
4. Joe Blais, East Barre (SS)
5. Troy Gray, Fairlee (SS)

12. Donny Yates, North Montpelier (JW winner)

Street Stock/Junkyard Warrior Feature #2
1. David Whitcomb, Elmore (SS winner)
2. Tim Campbell, West Topsham (SS)
3. Mike MacAskill, Williamstown (SS)
4. Ron Gabaree, Barre (SS)
5. Gary Mullen, Tunbridge (SS)

14. Kevin Streeter, Watisfield (JW winner)


(PHOTOS: 1. An exhausted Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. (right) is joined in victory lane by Vt. Governor Jim Douglas after Polewarczyk's win at Thunder Road on Thursday night; 2. Tiger Sportsman winner Pete Ainsworth. Photos by Justin St. Louis/VMM)