Scarborough Wins Tri-Track at Devil's Bowl

(From track press release)

WEST HAVEN -- It's only fitting that a Green Mountain Boy won the first Modified feature run on the new asphalt surface at Devil's Bowl Speedway.

Former track champion Don Scarborough of Brandon dominated an impressive field on Sunday afternoon to win the 50-lap Tri-Track Series race, the first Modified event of the 2010 season at the Bowl.

Scarborough made a smooth transition to the new surface at the Bowl and came away with his 31st career Devil's Bowl victory, which pitted competitors from Devil's Bowl, Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., and Airborne Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y. The victory was Scarborough's first at the Bowl since opening night in 2007; he was the track champion in 1998.

Airborne invader Patrick Dupree of Saranac Lake, N.Y., finished second, with Keith Flach third, defending track champion Ken Tremont, Jr., fourth, and Mike Bruno fifth. Tremont kept the fans on their feet for most of the race, coming from 18th at the start.

Don Miller of Wells picked up his second-straight win in the Sportsman division, leading Paul Dunham, Chris Johnson, Alex Bell, and Marc Hughes to the finish line.

David Emigh, a regular competitor at Albany-Saratoga, made the holiday haul to Vermont pay off by picking up the victory in the Renegade feature. Cody Benoit, the opening day winner, had to settle for second, with Jonathan Miller third.

Chad Brown was victorious in the Bomber Warriors feature for the second week in a row, and Andy Smith took the checkered flag in the Duke stock feature.

OFFICIAL RESULTS -- Chittenden Bank 50
Modified Tri-Track Series -- Devil's Bowl Speedway, West Haven, Vt.
Sunday, May 30, 2010

(Pos.-Driver-Hometown)

Modified
1. Don Scarborough, Brandon
2. Patrick Dupree, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
3. Keith Flach, Glemont, N.Y.
4. Ken Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.
5. Mike Bruno, Bomoseen
6. Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, N.Y.
7. Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon
8. Leon Gonyo, Chazy, N.Y.
9. Greg Atkins, AuSable Forks, N.Y.
10. Tim Laduc, Orwell
11. Scott Duell, Ballston Spa, N.Y.
12. Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
13. Derrick McGrew, Ballston Spa, N.Y.
14. Andy Lindemann
15. Jeremy Markle
16. Jason Bruno, Morrisonville, N.Y.
17. Mike Perrotte, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
18. Marc Johnson, Guilderland, N.Y.
19. Jimmy Ryan, Whiting
20. Frank Hoard III, Manchester
21. Jim Introne, Granville, N.Y.

Sportsman
1. Don Miller, Wells
2. Paul Dunham
3. Chris Johnson
4. Alex Bell
5. Marc Hughes
6. Hunter Bates
7. Kevin Wright
8. Jared McMahon
9. Joey Trudeau
10. Kevin Elliott

Renegade
1. Dave Emigh
2. Cody Benoit
3. Jonathan Miller
4. Bill Duprey
5. Frank Monroe

Bomber Warrior
1. Chad Brown
2. Brent Warren
3. Nathan Woodworth
4. Michael Devino, Sr.
5. Justin Lilly

Duke Stock
1. Andy Smith

The Juice: The Sweetness

-by Justin St. Louis
VMM Editor

How sweet it was at Thunder Road's Merchants Bank 150 last weekend. Sweet, yes, to be back in Barre at "The Nation's Site of Excitement", and Sweet, too, in victory lane. As in hometown boy Nick Sweet.

The 24 year-old grabbed his first career American-Canadian Tour victory in entertaining fashion, having driven from 12th starting spot to wage a 40-lap battle for the lead with Thunder Road heavyweight Dave Pembroke and Canadian star Patrick Laperle, then holding off defending ACT champion Brian Hoar in the final frames.

We've told parts of this story before, but what a story it is behind Sweet, who has become something of a cult hero in Central Vermont. In 2003, the high school student built a four-cylinder Street Stock and was an immediate contender for wins and championships. Four years later and ascending the local ladder, he was celebrated as the Tiger Sportsman champion and had won races at tracks like Airborne Speedway in New York, Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire, and the intimidating Sanair Super Speedway tri-oval outside Montreal.

With high-profile backing from Saint J Auto, Sweet tackled the ACT Late Model circuit in 2008, winning Rookie of the Year. He returned to Thunder Road last season to notch his first Late Model win, and ran impressively enough during the year to earn the final starting spot in the inaugural ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He responded in kind with a runner-up finish in front of a NASCAR crowd.

Sunday he etched his name on the ACT win list by beating a few future Hall of Famers. For those that have watched Sweet develop, it seemed like only a matter of time before he broke through.

"He's one of the best to come out of Thunder Road in the Tiger division," said Hoar, a six-time ACT title winner. "He’s a future champion for sure."

"We knew [at Thunder Road] last year that Nick was a great, great driver," said Middlesex racer Pembroke. "It's just no one knew it at this [ACT] level yet."

Sweet, as usual, humbly deflected all praise to his team, noting his father/crew chief, Shayne, "made me look good." He respects the drivers he races against, frequently citing men he beats on the track as his childhood heroes. He has an obvious love for Thunder Road and its fans: "It's my home place in front my home people," he said Sunday. "I'm a native of Barre, Vermont. Winning here is like a dream."

Apparently it was no surprise when Nick Sweet pulled into the ACT winner's circle for the first time last weekend. Therefore, it probably won't be a surprise the next time, either.

***

We asked ACT and Thunder Road prexy Tom Curley about his thoughts on Nick Sweet's breakthrough. Here is Curley, in his own words:

VMM: "What does it mean for you to have a kid like Nick Sweet win his first ACT race at Thunder Road after having come up through the ladder system there?"

TC: "Well the real interesting thing about Nick Sweet is that he has continually surprised me at every step of the way. I don't ever remember a driver that I have been so wrong about. I knew we had a great talent in the Street Stocks [but] I thought he made his move to Tigers too soon. Wrong!

"As soon as he rolled onto the track I knew I was wrong. He was more dominant in that division in just a couple years than some of the all-time best ever like Cooper [MacRitchie], [John] Donahue, Eric Williams, [Dave] Pembroke, etc. He was doing things that bordered on veteran skills in his first year [but] I thought his move to Late Models was too fast. Wrong!

"I knew I was wrong around the fourth race. The character of the entire team bouncing back from the horrible start, when I privately told myself 'I told you so' proved me wrong again. After the [Oxford] 250 performance, I knew he was going to [the ACT Invitational at] NHMS. I never in my wildest imagination thought he would be the star of Loudon that day, on and off the track.

"I think he is the absolute poster boy for why I have done this business for so long.

"His father [Shayne] is one of the most remarkable men I have ever known in the business. A perfectionist, methodical, very grounded, and deals as well as anyone I have ever known with controversy. As an example, he had quietly geared up pretty much for the now infamous 'bump stop' fiasco early last spring. After our decision to get rid of them for economic reasons, Shayne wrote me a very respectful email about his disappointment, and the expensive costs that had been wasted by the #88 team because of our decision last June. We had one quick telephone conversation and they moved on quietly and without all the usual negative stuff that might have adversely affected his team. I now know why Nick is one of the best young drivers to come out of our system in the past 20 years.

"He was on my short list of recommended 'draft picks' for the annual Speed 51 deal. I was pleased to see him join two others I pitched, Joey [Polewarczyk] and Eddie [MacDonald] who made the list from our neck of the woods.

"Nick has earned instant respect from the veteran champions, handles his success with great humility, and I would say he and his overall team effort from the start until now ranks right up there [as] being one of the most worthwhile rewards I have gotten for 33 years of work."

***

The first load of asphalt is being put down at Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven as this column is being written. The first practice is Saturday, May 15.

***

Martin Roy's 2009 championship at Airborne Speedway certainly seems a little bit tainted now, doesn't it?

Roy ran afoul of the DIRTcar rulebook -- specifically, illegally altered cylinder heads -- for the second time in the last two Airborne events on Saturday night. Roy and Modified rival Patrick Dupree were each penalized for the infraction at the 2009 season finale last September, one week after championship points had been finalized. Roy and third-place finisher Richard Tisseur were busted again after Saturday's season opener for similar findings. Ironically, Dupree inherited the Saturday victory after his heads passed inspection.

Airborne officials inspected the parts thoroughly on Saturday night, but sent the heads of all three cars to DIRTcar inspectors, from where the disqualifications come. Any further penalties, including fines, suspensions, etc., will be decided upon by DIRTcar rather than Airborne Speedway.

We've seen Martin Roy race enough times to know that illegal or not, he is one whale of a driver, and the Jean-Claude Fortin team he drives for is as nice and friendly a group of people as you can ask for. But this isn't the 1950s, when Modifieds had no rules. Play with fire, and you're gonna get burned.

***

Congratulations to Thunder Road veteran George May. May scored the Tiger Sportsman win on opening day, sixteen years after his last victory.

***

ACT driver Mark Lamberton joked on Saturday that it took him fifteen years to learn how to get around Thunder Road, but only a couple of years away to forget. After a fifth-place finish in the Merchants Bank 150, it's probably okay to guess that he figured it back out in a hurry.

***

We're trying something new for 2010 by strapping the VMM camera -- a four year-old Olympus FE-340 point-and-shoot that you can find at any electronics store for around $75 -- into some race cars. So far we've done a Tiger Sportsman practice, a Late Model practice, and a Street Stock feature race at Thunder Road, and a Modified heat at Airborne. Not to brag, but in the two races, we've pulled down a win at T-Road with Mike MacAskill and a third at Airborne with Chris Cayea.

We figure it'll be fun until a big ol' glob of clay bounces up and takes the camera out at Bear Ridge some night. Even then, that should be pretty good footage, right?

***

Make sure to pick up a copy of The Barre-Montpelier (VT) Times Argus each Wednesday to check out the new "Rear View Mirror" column, written by yours truly. You can also read it online at http://www.timesargus.com/.

***

AROUND THE REGION:

Time to take a look at the top Vermonters from the past weekend...

ACT Late Model Tour: Barre's Nick Sweet took his frist career win at Thunder Road on Sunday, followed by Williston's Brian Hoar in second. Middlesex racer Dave Pembroke was fourth.

Airborne Speedway (Plattsburgh, N.Y.): Lance Rabtoy of Fairfax scored his first career Renegade victory after a race-long battle with Swanton's Kevin Boutin. Whiting's Jimmy Ryan was the top Vermonter in the Modified feature, placing 13th.

Modified Racing Series: Dwight Jarvis of Ascutney won the Bond Auto Spring Dash 100 at Monadnock Speedway on Saturday night in Winchester, N.H. Joey Jarvis of Ascutney was 17th.

Monadnock Speedway (Winchester, N.H.): Nate Kehoe of Windham finished ninth in the Sportsman Modifieds on Saturday, while Dana Shepard of Putney finished eighth in the Super Stock feature. Ludlow's Joe Rogers was tenth in the Mini Stocks.

NASCAR Nationwide Series: Shelburne's Kevin Lepage was 38th at Richmond Int'l Raceway on Friday night.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: David Stremme finished 29th at Richmond Int'l Raceway on Saturday night for Vermont-based Latitude 43 Motorsports. Marshfield native Dave Rogers earned his first career Sprint Cup Series win as crew chief for Kyle Busch.

PASS North Super Late Models: Scott Dragon of Milton finished 11th in Saturday's event at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Me.

Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl (Barre): Barre's George May won the Tiger Sportsman feature over Williamstown's Mike Ziter and Barre's Cody Blake on Sunday. Mike MacAskill of Williamstown won the first Street Stock feature over Graniteville's Travis Hull and Bunker Hodgdon of Hardwick, while West Topsham's Tim Campbell won the second feature over Hardwick's Greg Adams, Jr., and Ron Gabaree of Barre. Ken Christman of Cabot won the first Junkyard Warrior feature over Williamstown's Kevin Hebert and Tommy Elwood of Morrisville, and Williasmtown's Kevin Wheatley won the second race over Barre's Kevin Dodge and Brock Parrott of Williamstown.

Twin State Speedway (Claremont, N.H.): Dallas Trombley of Rutland finished sixth in the Late Model feature on Friday night, while Robert Hagar of Windsor was fifth in the Modified event. Chris Wilk of Mendon won the Super Street feature over Russ Davis of Cavendish, and David Greenslit of Waitsfield won the Strictly Stock feature. Rob Leitch of Cavendish was second in the Wildcat feature, with Jeremiah Losee of North Springfield third.

***

THIS WEEK:

Friday, May 7
Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Malta, N.Y. -- 6:45pm (Grand Re-Opening)
Canaan Dirt Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 7:00pm (Season Opener)
Twin State Speedway, Claremont, N.H. -- 7:30pm (Regular Event)

Saturday, May 8
Bear Ridge Speedway, Bradford -- 10:00am (Car Show @ Jiffy Mart), 2:00pm (Practice)
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. -- 5:00pm (ACT Late Model Tour)
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Season Opener)
Monadnock Speedway, Winchester, N.H. -- 6:00pm (Regular Event)
Riverside Speedway, Groveton, N.H. -- 11:00am Car Show, 1:00pm (Open Practice)

Sunday, May 9
Big Daddy's Speedbowl, Rumney, N.H. -- 4:00pm (Grand Opening)


TOURING SERIES:

ACT Late Model Tour: Sat., May 8 -- Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. (5:00pm)
NASCAR Nationwide Series: Fri., May 7 -- Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C. (7:00pm)
NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: Sat., May 8 -- Darlington Raceway, Darlington, S.C. (7:30pm)
Pro All Stars Series: Fri., May 7 -- Wake County Speedway, Raleigh, N.C. (7:00pm)

BREAKING NEWS: Dupree Inherits Airborne Win After Inspection

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Patrick Dupree may have crossed the finish line second at Airborne Speedway on Saturday night, but he will ultimately walk away with a victory.

Defending track champion Martin Roy of Napierville, Que., dominated the 50-lap opening event for the Modified division, but was found to be in violation of the DIRTcar rulebook in a lengthy post-race inspection that concluded on Tuesday afternoon. DIRTcar is the sanctioning body that governs Airborne Speedway.

Airborne officials inspected the cylinder heads of the top-three finishers, but were unable to make a definitive decision on the legality of Roy's, Dupree's, and third-place finisher Richard Tisseur's parts. Airborne promoter Mike Perrotte had the heads of all three cars sent to DIRTcar headquarters for further inspection, where Roy and Tisseur's were found illegal.

Roy beat Dupree by 16 points for the Airborne championship in 2009. Both Roy's and Dupree's cars were similarly torn down and found illegal by DIRTcar for cylinder head violations following a non-points event after the championship was final in September, although no penalties were handed down beyond disqualification and loss of purse from the event.

Airborne Speedway spokeswoman Niki Bird said that any penalties levied against Roy or Tisseur beyond disqualification and loss of purse from Saturday's event are "in DIRTcar's hands."

Dupree, of Saranac Lake, N.Y., will inherit the victory for Saturday night's event. As the winner, Dupree also will be given an automatic starting spot in Super DIRT Week's 358 Modified event at Syracuse in October.

Greg Atkins of Clintonville, N.Y., is now be the official runner-up. The rest of the revised top five is completed by George Foley, Andy Heywood and Matt Woodruff.

Roy Wins at Airborne Pending Inspection

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Questions surround the finish of what was an interesting finish at Airborne Speedway on Saturday night. Defending track champion Martin Roy of Napierville, Que., held off the late charges of Patrick Dupree – the man he narrowly beat to win the 2009 title – in the 50-lap opening event, but their fates, along with that of third-place finisher Richard Tisseur, will wait to be decided.

The cylinder heads of each driver’s cars were thoroughly inspected by Airborne officials, but the findings of each were deemed inconclusive. “The finish will be considered unofficial pending further inspection by Brodix (an engine manufacturer),” said promoter Mike Perrotte.

Dupree, of Saranac Lake, N.Y., passed Chateauguay, Que., driver Tisseur after the two collided on the frontstretch on lap 15. After a lengthy rain delay at lap 28, Dupree reeled in Roy over the final ten laps, coming within a car length of making a pass, but fell back in lapped traffic on the final circuit.

Greg Atkins of Clintonville, N.Y., turned in an impressive fourth-place effort, with former track champion George Foley of Saranac Lake, N.Y., fifth. The top ten was completed in order by Andy Heywood, Matt Woodruff, Chris Cayea, Cameron Grady, and Mike Wells.

The eventual winner will earn a guaranteed starting berth in October’s Super DIRT Week at Syracuse.

The 25-lap Sportsman feature was not without controversy, as hometown driver Robin Wood was named the winner nearly an hour after the checkered flag fell.

Wood nipped his uncle, Bucko Branham, at the finish line by inches, but Branham’s car was scored first by electronic transponders. Inspectors ruled that Branham’s transponder was mounted too far forward on the chassis of his car and Wood was given the win. Branham was placed second with no further penalty. Shawn Duquette, Jamy Begor, and Jim Bushey finished third through fifth, respectively.

Lance Rabtoy of Fairfax grabbed his first career Renegade win after a 25-lap duel with Swanton driver Kevin Boutin. Ken St. Germaine was third over Ketih Pelkey and Keith O’Neil. Rick Doner of AuSable Forks, N.Y., won the 15-lap Mini-Modified feature over teammate Steven Bressette, and Plattsburgh’s Bill Joyal won the 15-lap Bomber event.

Big Field Expected for Airborne Speedway Opener

(From track press release)

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. – Airborne Speedway begins its 58th stock car racing season this Saturday, May 1, at 5:00pm, and promoter Mike Perrotte expects over 130 competitors across five divisions.

“We had 90 race teams for practice [last] Saturday,” Perrotte said. “Our opener this Saturday is a Syracuse qualifier for the DIRTcar Modifieds [and] I think that will draw some extra cars that haven’t had much of a chance to race yet this year. Plus our own local divisions are looking strong.”

The headliner on Saturday’s race card, presented by Valcour Imaging of Plattsburgh and Hamilton Funeral Home of Peru, is a 50-lap event that opens 2009 Modified champion Martin Roy’s title defense. The Napierville, Qué., driver of the Gamache Truck Center No. 90 ran well at Syracuse last fall and seeks a guaranteed starting spot in 2010.

Roy is seeking to become the first Ernie’s Tools DIRTcar Modified driver to repeat as track champion. His opening night challengers will include each of the four previous champions: Leon Gonyo of West Chazy, N.Y., Mike Bruno of Castleton, and George Foley and Patrick Dupree of Saranac Lake, N.Y.

The J&S Steel Sportsman, Versatile Trailer Sales Renegades, NAPA Mini-Modifieds and Monster Energy Bombers will also be action. Gates open Saturday at 3 p.m.

LOSING

It sucks. It's the worst part of racing, and for some it never stops. But there can only be one winner.

The question is: How good a loser are you?

***

"It's a little frustrating when you don't win, but oh well, that's racing. That's why they call it 'racing' and not just 'winning.' " --Patrick Dupree

"We're trying to figure out how to even get the car in the trailer." --Patrick Laperle after wrecking at New Smyrna Speedway

"It's a bummer not having sponsors." --Eric Williams

"I'm over it. Last year is last year. It could have been a hundred points and it wouldn't have mattered. We finished second the year before, too." --Scott Payea on losing the 2008 ACT championship by one point

"They're playing their cards, you know what I mean? Come on, they didn't start racing yesterday. They're better than they showed, and they were good." --Eric Williams on Cris Michaud's team while testing the new ACT-approved Ford 'spec' crate engine

"I don't like struggling to qualify, and I don't like struggling to keep up." --Trampas Demers

"I wasn't thinking about the trophy or going to Loudon. I wanted that chair. I wanted it last year, too. Maybe Scott [Payea] will let me sit in it." --Randy Potter, after finishing second in the Furniture World of Vermont Spring Green 100 at Airborne Speedway two years in a row

"I go from hero to zero in a one-hour drive over the mountain." --Ben Rowe on struggling in ACT events at Thunder Road, less than 24 hours after winning a PASS event at White Mountain Motorsports Park

"I'm pissed off now. I want to win here. I want to win at this place more than anything in the world." --Joey Polewarczyk after spinning out of the lead at Thunder Road, 18 laps shy of the checkered flag

---Overheard in the Bear Ridge Speedway pits following Brent Dragon's dirt racing debut---
Brent Dragon: "I'll never complain about Ste-Croix being a rough track ever again."
Gary Siemons: "What? That ain't even rough. That wasn't bad at all."
Brent Dragon: (Expletive deleted)

"Um, a little bit... maybe... not really... kinda, yeah." --Joey Polewarczyk on whether or not losing at Thunder Road to Tony Stewart -- in one of his own cars -- would bother him

"I have had to do a lot of fixing this year." --Junkyard Warrior driver Ken Christman on the Street Stock/Warrior divisional merge at Thunder Road

"We can't afford it this year from a money and risk standpoint." --Scott Payea on having to skip racing the TD Bank 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway

"Right now I'm sad, but at the RV we're going to have a party." --Patrick Laperle on finishing second in the TD Bank 250

"I think he learned the hard way that racing up here in the north is nothing like what he's used to down south." -- Joe Polewarczyk, Sr., on Georgia driver Michael Pope, who wrecked out of a PASS event at Lee USA Speedway in his own Super Late Model, then wrecked in one of Polewarczyk's cars at the TD Bank 250 one week later

"He just came over and said, 'I overdrove.' I said, 'Yup, you did, but if you don't try it, you don't learn.' " --Tony Andrews after beating Brooks Clark for a win at Thunder Road

"Everybody was pretty crazy tonight. I don't know, the whole place was going nuts." --Chris Donnelly, after finishing second in a race that featured one flip and two other major wrecks at Bear Ridge Speedway

"Sometimes I get a little impatient and I run out of talent, it just happens." --Nick Sweet

"This is the funniest thing I've ever said in my life, but Brad Leighton thought I drove him rough. That's bullsh-t. And that's a direct quote. Write that down. He got his hand caught in the candy jar." --Brian Hoar after winning a controversial ACT Late Model Tour event at Waterford Speedbowl, in which Leighton crashed out of the lead coming to the final lap

"He blatantly drove over my nose. I'm not taking his crap any more. It's happened to me too many times." --Joey Polewarczyk on an incident with Brian Hoar at Waterford Speedbowl

"I guess it's sort of my fault that Jason lost the title. 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 this is why we race." --Ron Bonnett after helping to repair point leader Shawn Duquette's car following a crash in the ACT Tiger Sportsman Series finale at Thunder Road; Duquette beat Jason Bonnett, Ron's son, for the championship in a tie-breaker

"I'm good at doing vinyl. I'm getting fantastic at that." --Nick Sweet on making constant repairs to his car

"I gave that one away. Maybe not the championship, but tonight's race I gave away, like a f---ing moron." --Patrick Dupree after finishing second to Martin Roy in both the Charlie Trombley Memorial 100 and Modified championship points at Airborne Speedway

"I wish he would have stopped hitting me and just let us race." --John Donahue on Patrick Laperle

"I beat him in the race -- I was third and he was fifth -- but he won his heat and we were even after it was over. It all comes down to heat points. It sucks." --Scott Payea on battling for the ACT championship with Brian Hoar

"He's a pain in the ass." --Patrick Laperle on rival Donald Theetge

"Everything went black." --Joey Polewarczyk after a hard crash at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

"It's clearly obvious to anybody but Laperle fans what the situation was ... Laperle had a lot of options. If option number one works and option number two works, but option number three doesn't, why do it? They chose option number three. I can't explain that." --ACT president Tom Curley, following a Série ACT-Castrol controversy at Autodrome St-Eustache that penalized Patrick Laperle for allegedly mainpulating the outcome of the season's final race and the series' championship

"I don't know what it is, but I think he likes Theetge and not me." --Patrick Laperle, suggesting he was unfairly targeted by Tom Curley

"I'm afraid I might do something stupid if I go race there." --Patrick Laperle on skipping the Milk Bowl at Thunder Road, and therefore a chance at becoming the race's only three-peat winner

"We're not a bunch of idiots, we're not just a piece of meat to throw around. I'm done, I've had enough for now. I don't think I'll be racing ACT for a while, maybe like two years I'll come back. I say that I'm done, but I might have regret and come back next year. But then I'll probably want to smash my head off a wall if I do." --Patrick Laperle

"It's the second time it's happened this year. I'll be good with it, and I'll keep it in my memory bank. That's part of the deal. We'll see what happens next week." --Brent Dragon after being on the losing end of a rough battle with John Donahue

"We ran good at Thunder Road for a long time before the win. The win gives us confidence and it got the monkey off our back, but you can't ever go to Thunder Road thinking you're going to win there. It's such a tough place, and it'll bite you at any second. You can come out of Turn 4 and think you're just going to brush the wall a little bit, and the next thing you know you're upside down. You have to respect it, because something will always go wrong that will bring you back to reality." --Joey Polewarczyk

Roy Beats Dupree for Trombley 100 Win, Championship

Roy is first Canadian to win track title since 1971

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Martin Roy's car owner, Jean-Claude Fortin, issued some unsolicited advice to Airborne Speedway champion Patrick Dupree at the 2008 awards banquet: Enjoy your reign as king now, because 2009 will belong to us. After a win on opening day in May, Roy backed up Fortin's claim, saying, "It's my year." On Saturday night, both men were proven correct.

Roy dominated the second half of the Charlie Trombley Memorial 100-lap championship finale for the headline Modified division on Saturday night at the Plattsburgh, N.Y. track, holding off Dupree for the win and the championship, unofficially, by 14 points.

Roy started 13th on the 30-car field and quickly worked his way through traffic, passing Dupree for eighth place on lap 2. Roy reaching third place by passing Chris Cayea on lap 10, then moved under Cameron Grady to take second away on lap 24. Pierre Berthiaume led the first 46 laps from the pole position, but his car shut down following a restart, allowing Roy to slip by and inherit the lead. Dupree, who started 11th, used a tire-saving strategy for the first half of the race, content to ride in the back half of the top-five while racing with Andy Heywood and Mike Bruno before taking second place form Heywood on the 57th lap.

After a restart on lap 65, Dupree turned the wick up a bit, running Roy down in lapped traffic. However, a red flag for a nasty crash on lap 79 involving Heywood, George Foley, and Michel Viens effectively put a stop to Dupree's charge. Roy was faster than Dupree immediately following each late-race restart, while Dupree was much faster after about three laps of green flag racing (Dupree turned a 16.007-second lap -- the fastest lap of the year in any feature race, on lap 94, three laps after a restart), but late cautions kept Dupree stuck behind Roy.

The victory was Roy's seventh of the year in 15 events -- jus shy of 47% of the races run -- and solidified him as the champion, unofficially, by 14 points over Dupree, who won three times. During the season, the pair finished within one position of each other on eight occasions; on four of those nights, Roy beat Dupree for a victory, and twice Dupree beat Roy to win.

"I'm very happy. The competition is very hard at this place and it's very special for me to win in the U.S.A.," said Roy, with help from interpreter Steve Morin. Roy, of Napierville, Qué., is the first Canadian driver since Denis Giroux in 1971 to win a headline division championship at Airborne.

Dupree was extremely frustrated with his runner-up finish in the race -- although not necessarily the championship -- and placed the blame on himself. "I was thinking I was going to save tires [for the longer distance race], but I should have went right for the front. I was a much faster car. I gave that one away. Maybe not the championship, but tonight's race I gave away, like a (expletive) moron. Yup, just gave it away, watched [Roy] drive right by. Oh well, thought we had to save the tires, but they were fine."

The Saranac Lake, N.Y. racer thought that less caution periods could have helped his chances to pass Roy at the end of the race. "Yeah, I'd say at that point a longer green flag run would have helped us because I would have got him, but he's got a lot of motor in his starts and everything. He's got so much freaking motor, it pulls pretty good on the starts, it takes three or four laps to get back settled in, and the freaking caution comes out. If we had some green flag I would have got him, but it was my fault letting him go in the first place, he went right to the front."

Roy was appreciative of his season-long title fight with Dupree, which remained clean and respectful throughout the year. "It was very tight, very tight. Every race, it's like it's me and Patrick finish before [one another], finish after, finish before, finish after, and [it happened again] tonight. I was very, very nervous. In my life, I've lost three championships at the last [race]. In 2007 at this place, at Granby in '07, and Granby in '06. At Granby in '06 we ran at the rear in the feature, and we got in a wreck in '07 while leading the feature. That could have given us enough points to win the championship, so we were nervous about [something similar tonight]. You always think about the bad times instead of the good times, like when we won in '05 at Drummond. But tonight nothing bad happened. It's a happy time."

Dupree liked the idea of a close point battle, but felt as though Roy's team was better overall. "You know, it was close, but we were nowhere near as good as those guys," he said. "I mean, we had a little bit of bad luck, but we didn't 'get it' nearly as much as they did as far as the setups. We worked at it a lot, but with the new [progressively banked track surface constructed in April] we were struggling a little bit more. It was pretty good, like, tonight was probably the best it's been, but the track is so weird, it loosens up now [at night]. The later it goes, the looser the track seems to get, and everyone's got to deal with the same thing."

Behind Roy and Dupree on the track, Castleton racer Bruno finished third. Leon Gonyo of Chazy, N.Y. finished fourth, with Richard Tisseur of Chateauguay, Qué. fifth. Matt Woodruff, Cayea, Mike Reyell, Jason Durgan, and Mike Phinney completed the unofficial top ten.

Robin Wood of Plattsburgh posted his sixth Sportsman feature win of the season in a rough 25-lap event. Bucko Branham was the runner-up, with Travis Bruno inheriting third place after apparent finisher Tylor Terry faield post-race inspection. Jamy Begor and Jim Bushey completed the unofficial top five. Rob Gordon of Milton won the 25-lap Renegade feature over point leader Nick Heywood, Kevin Boutin, Lance Rabtoy, and Randy LaDue. Randy Martin of Keeseville, N.Y. won the Mini-Modified feature, and Bill Joyal of AuSable Forks, N.Y. was the Bomber winner.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Charlie Trombley Memorial Night presented by Cold Spring Granite and Bimbo Bakeries
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009

Pos.-Driver-Hometown

Ernie's Discount Tools Modified (100 laps)
1. Martin Roy, Napierville, Qué.
2. Patrick Dupree, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
3. Mike Bruno, Castleton
4. Leon Gonyo, Chazy, N.Y.
5. Richard Tisseur, Chateauguay, Qué.
6. Matt Woodruff, Bloomingdale, N.Y.
7. Chris Cayea, Mooers, N.Y.
8. Mike Reyell, West Chazy, N.Y.
9. Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, N.Y.
10. Mike Phinney, Keeseville, N.Y.

J&S Steel Sportsman (25 laps)
1. Robin Wood, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
2. Bucko Branham, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
3. Travis Bruno, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
4. Jamy Begor, Mooers, N.Y.
5. Jim Bushey, Mooers Forks, N.Y.

Versatile Trailer Sales Renegade (25 laps)
1. Rob Gordon, Milton
2. Nick Heywood, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
3. Kevin Boutin, Jr., Swanton
4. Lance Rabtoy, Fairfax
5. Randy LaDue, West Chazy, N.Y.

Keeseville NAPA Mini-Modified (15 laps)
1. Randy Martin, Keeseville, N.Y.
2. Billy Thwaits, Clintonville, N.Y.
3. Justin Doner, Keeseville, N.Y.
4. Rick Doner, AuSable Forks, N.Y.
5. Dustin Duvall, Keeseville, N.Y.

Monster Energy Bomber (15 laps)
1. Bill Joyal, AuSable Forks, N.Y.
2. Jayson Blondo, Champlain, N.Y.
3. Chad Collins, Morrisonville, N.Y.
4. Josh LeClaire, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
5. Curtis Seymour, Jr., Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Roy Capitalizes at Airborne, Takes Point Lead

Dupree recovers for fifth place

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Martin Roy did exactly what he needed to do on Saturday night at Airborne Speedway: Win.

The Napierville, Qué. driver, who entered the Aird Dorrance/Monster Energy/Taylor Rental event in a tie atop the Modified point standings with defending track champion Patrick Dupree, posted his sixth victory of the season, taking advantage of some troubles suffered by his title rival.

Dupree was involved in minor incident in his qualifying heat race to begin the evening, breaking a tie rod end on his car's steering. Having finished outside the top-four in the heat, Dupree was unable to use his handicapped starting position in the feature race and was forced to start 32nd on the 33-car grid for the 40-lap main event. Roy, however, won his heat and was given his handicapped spot in 11th place.

The results for the evening were almost set into place at that point.

Roy took the lead on a lap 15 restart, passing Richard Tisseur for the top spot. The caution flag had previously come out after Pierre Berthiaume crashed himself out of the lead while attempting to put Chris Cayea and Neal Provost a lap down. Dupree, meanwhile, had to fight his way through heavy traffic, running almost exclusively two- and three-wide through the field. He ran as high as fourth place on the final lap, but was passed just before the finish line by Mike Bruno.

Roy's win, combined with Dupree's fifth-place run -- his first finish not on the podium since May 30 -- gives Roy a 12-point advantage, unofficially, 658-646, with two point-counting races remaining.

Roy knows the championship battle is far from over.

"No, no, no," he said. "The winner (will be decided) on the last lap of the last race. It's very tight with me and Patrick Dupree."

Dupree took his misfortune in stride. "Throughout the whole race I probably melted the right-front and the right-rear (tires) off," said the Saranac Lake, N.Y. driver "That last lap when the 22 (Bruno) got by me, I figured I'd try to get one more spot and I drove in really hard but those guys checked up. I tried to check up but it just dropped the nose and pushed the car right up. So that was a bonehead, last-ditch attempt at a move, but I think it was the only spot I lost all day. We only lost 12 points, I think, so it wasn't a terrible night. I was a little mad at myself for that last lap and doing something stupid, but all in all it worked out pretty good."

Roy had a run to the front similar to Durpee's on July 11. "I had my bad night a couple of (weeks) ago. I had the pole (for a restart) and had a flat tire. I started 30th with three laps to go and I finished (11th). It's the game."

Tisseur, of Chateauguay, Qué. held on for the runner-up finish, with Chazy, N.Y. driver Leon Gonyo in third place. Bruno, of Castleton, was fourth ahead of Dupree. The top-ten was completed by Andy Heywood, Mike Reyell, Bryant Trim, Matt Woodruff, and Mike Wells. NASCAR driver Kenny Schrader finished 16th, one lap down, with an ill-handling car.

Bucko Branham of Plattsburgh, N.Y. took his third Sportsman victory of the year after passing leader Chris Reeves with four laps remaining. Branham worked his way under second-place runner Rick Frenyea on lap 16, then dueled door-to-door with Reeves for three laps before taking over. Reeves of Plattsburgh, finished second with Saranac, N.Y.'s Frenyea third, Bill Sawyer of Milton fourth, and Shawn Duquette or Morrisonville, N.Y. fifth.

Robin Wood entered the night with a 10-point lead over Branham, but suffered a flat tire late in the race and finished 18th, several laps off the pace. Branham now leads Wood, his nephew, by 19 points, unofficially, 588-569, with foru Sportsman championship events remaining.

Rob Gordon of Milton took the lead from West Chazy, N.Y. driver Randy LaDue with a lap-and-a-half remaining in the 25-lap Renegade feature, and held on for his first win of the season. LaDue finished second, with Swanton's Dave Rabtoy third. Rabtoy led the majority of the race before surrendering to LaDue on lap 19. Josh Terry and Nick Heywood completed the top five.

Billy Thwaits of Clintonville, N.Y. took his fourth Mini-Modified win of the year over Randy Martin and Rick Doner. Josh LeClaire of Plattsbugrh notched his second Bomber win of the year, with Josh LaPorte second and Jayson Blondo third.

Billy VanInwegen, Jr. of Sparrow Bush, N.Y. won a special 20-lap event for the SpeedSTR Midgets. VanInwegen took the lead from Paul Lotier on lap 16 and held on for the win. Carl Labonte passed Lotier for second place two laps later.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Aird Dorrance/Monster Energy/Taylor Rental Night
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Saturday, August 22, 2009

Pos.-Driver-Hometown

Ernie's Discount Tools Modified (40 laps)
1. Martin Roy, Napierville, Qué.
2. Ricahrd Tisseur, Chateauguay, Qué.
3. Leon Gonyo, Chazy, N.Y.
4. Mike Bruno, Castleton
5. Patrick Dupree, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
6. Andy Heywood, Morrisonville, N.Y.
7. Mike Reyell, West Chazy, N.Y.
8. Bryant Trim, Morrisonville, N.Y.
9. Matt Woodruff, Bloomingdale, N.Y.
10. Mike Wells, West Chazy, N.Y.

J&S Steel Sportsman (25 laps)
1. Bucko Branham, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
2. Chris Reeves, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
3. Rick Frenyea, Saranac, N.Y.
4. Bill Sawyer, Milton
5. Shawn Duquette, Morrisonville, N.Y.
6. Tylor Terry, Morrisonville, N.Y.
7. Howard Stoner, Altona, N.Y.
8. Jamy Begor, Mooers, N.Y.
9. Toby Ebersole, Peru, N.Y.
10. Travis Bruno, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Versatile Trailer Sales Renegade (25 laps)
1. Rob Gordon, Milton
2. Randy LaDue, West Chazy, N.Y.
3. Dave Rabtoy, Swanton
4. Josh Terry, Morrisonville, N.Y.
5. Nick Heywood, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Keeseville NAPA Mini-Modified (20 laps)
1. Billy Thwaits, Clintonville, N.Y.
2. Randy Martin, Keeseville, N.Y.
3. Rick Doner, AuSable Forks, N.Y.
4. Justin Doner, Keeseville, N.Y.
5. Dustin Duvall, Keeseville, N.Y.

Monster Energy Bomber (20 laps)
1. Josh LeClaire, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
2. Josh LaPorte, Peru, N.Y.
3. Jayson Blondo, Champlain, N.Y.
4. Curtis Seymour, Jr., Plattsburgh, N.Y.
5. Curtis LaGrave, Jr., Plattsburgh, N.Y.

SpeedSTR Midget (20 laps)
1. Billy VanInwegen, Jr., Sparrow Bush, N.Y.
2. Carl Labonte, Dummondville, Qué.
3. Paul Lotier, Jr., Lebanon, Penn.
4. Patrick Vigneault, Trois Rivières, Qué.
5. Richie Tobias, Jr., Hershey, Penn.

(PHOTO: Martin Roy of Napierville, Qué. sttod in Airborne Speedway victory lane for the sixth time in 2009 after winning Saturday's 40-lap Modified event. Photo by Justin St. Louis/VMM)

VIDEO: School is in session at Airborne

Patrick Dupree (#24) had a bad heat race at Airborne Speedway on Saturday evening, one that eventually forced him to start 32nd in the feature later in the night. In the following video, he shows just exactly why he is a championship contender as a session of Dr. Dupree's Passing Clinic is in session. Here, he passes Jim McComb, Kenny Schrader, Neal Provost, Spencer Rushlaw, Dan Brown, Craig Reyell, Greg Atkins, Andy Kane, Todd Ormsby, Jimmy Davis, and Michel Viens -- that's 11 cars, if you're counting at home -- in just four laps' time, plus some others after we pan the shot away. Meanwhile, Martin Roy (#90) runs fast up front on his way to his sixth feature win of the year. VMM will have a full recap of the event on Sunday morning.

Also, as a bonus, here's a tutorial by Pierre Bethiaume on how NOT to win a race. This is a video of a video, run twice through in instant replay with commentary from Airborne Speedway announcer Rob Knowles. Berthiaume (#1) was leading by a country mile on lap 15 when he pulled the bonehead move of the night by trying to split the lapped cars of Neal Provost (#74) and Chris Cayea (#18) in Turn 3. Rather than use a bit of patience, Berthiaume drove into a closing hole, slamming into Cayea and spinning off the track. He eventaully finished 21st. Original video by Gene Gagne/OutsideGroove.com.

(Videos by Justin St. Louis/VMM)

It's 'The Roy & Dupree Show' at Airborne

PLATTSBURGH, N.Y. -- Don't expect things to change at Airborne Speedway for the rest of the year, at least not with the Modified point battle. It'll be Martin Roy vs. Patrick Dupree all the way.

From his 12th starting position, Napierville, Qué. driver Roy made a pair of three-wide passes to slice through the field, then passed Mike Phinney for the lead on lap 8. From there, he walked away, needing only to negotiate lapped traffic, for his fifth victory of the year.

"It was easy tonight," Roy said. "On other nights it's more tough, but the car is very good."

Dupree, from Saranac Lake, N.Y., lost the point lead to Roy by two points, unofficially; Dupree passed Phinney on the final corner of the 30-lap Aaron's Leasing/Bunker Orchards/Vermont Life Safety feature to finish third.

Through 11 events in 2009, only George Foley -- who finished second between Roy and Dupree on Saturday -- Jason Durgan, and Aaron Bartemy have been able to beat both point leaders. Dupree has three wins to his credit, and in fields averaging 30 starters, has yet to finish a race outside the top-five. With the win on Saturday night, Roy earned his ninth top-five finish.

"It's exciting for the fans, but I hope [it stops]," laughed Dupree, the defending track champion. "I hope we get out front and just stay there. [Roy is] pretty fast though in that 90 car, they've really got their act together. It's gonna be, I'd say, probably back-and-forth for the rest of the season."

"Is it a good show for [the fans]?" asked Roy. "That's very important. It's very fun, and it will be a tight battle through the year."

"We're having fun," echoed Dupree. "It's a little frustrating when you don't win, but oh well, that's racing. That's why they call it 'racing' and not just 'winning'."

Phinney's fourth-place finish was his best effort of the season, and Maxime Viens' fifth-place run matched his best result. Don Scarborough finished sixth, followed by Mike Wells, Leon Gonyo, Chris Cayea, and Matt Woodruff.

Bucko Branham of Plattsburgh turned a rough night around with his second Sportsman victory of the year. Branham was involved in multiple incidents in his qualifying heat, and entered the 25-lap feature minus the entire front-end bodywork on his car. Branham took the lead from Toby Ebersole on lap 13, one lap after leader Larry Underwood was disqualified for not heeding the instructions of officials. Branham and Ebersole traded the lead again on lap 14, then Branham took over for good three laps later.

"The heat race was a lot my fault. I went four-wide, didn't know I was four-wide, and had a lot of carnage there," said Branham. "I kind of felt bad, I was mad at myself for a while, but we had a little redemption there in the feature. Overall [the night rates] about an 8 [out of 10]. It could be a little better, but I've got to spend the money I won fixing the car. Other than that, it's pretty good."

Jamy Begor was able to sneak under Ebersole on lap 17 as Branham took the lead, and held on for the runner-up finish. Ebersole was third, followed by Chris Reeves and Tylor Terry.

Joe Warren of West Chazy, N.Y. earned his first career Renegade victory after a restart with three laps to go in the division's 25-lap feature. Rob Gordon of Milton made a late charge, but settled for second place. Josh Terry, Keith Pelkey, and Nick Heywood completed the top five. Billy Thwaits of Clintonville, N.Y. dominated the 15-lap Mini-Modified feature, and Josh LeClaire of Plattsburgh won the 15-lap Bomber race.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Aaron's Leasing/Bunker Orchards/Vermont Life Safety Night
Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
Saturday, August 8, 2009

Pos.-Driver-Hometown

Ernie's Discount Tools Modified (30 laps)
1. Martin Roy, Napierville, Qué.
2. George Foley, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
3. Patrick Dupree, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
4. Mike Phinney, Keeseville, N.Y.
5. Maxime Viens, St-Cesaire, Qué.
6. Don Scarborough, Brandon
7. Mike Wells, West Chazy, N.Y.
8. Leon Gonyo, Chazy, N.Y.
9. Chris Cayea, Mooers, N.Y.
10. Matt Woodruff, Bloomingdale, N.Y.

J&S Steel Sportsman (25 laps)
1. Bucko Branham, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
2. Jamy Begor, Mooers, N.Y.
3. Toby Ebersole, Peru, N.Y.
4. Chris Reeves, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
5. Tylor Terry, Morrisonville, N.Y.
6. Robin Wood, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
7. Jim Bushey, Mooers Forks, N.Y.
8. Rick Frenyea, Saranac, N.Y.
9. Travis Bruno, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
10. Danny Sullivan, Morrisonville, N.Y.

Versatile Trailer Sales Renegade (25 laps)
1. Joe Warren, West Chazy, N.Y.
2. Rob Gordon, Milton
3. Josh Terry, Morrisonville, N.Y.
4. Keith Pelkey, Clintonville, N.Y.
5. Nick Heywood, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

NAPA Mini-Modified (15 laps)
1. Billy Thwatis, Clintonville, N.Y.
2. Rick Doner, AuSable Forks, N.Y.
3. Dustin Duvall, Keeseville, N.Y.
4. Justin Doner, Keeseville, N.Y.
5. Chris LaVair, Gabriels, N.Y.

Monster Energy Bomber (15 laps)
1. Josh LeClaire, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
2. Bill Joyal, AuSable Forks, N.Y.
3. Josh LaPorte, Peru, N.Y.
4. Jayson Blondo, Champlain, N.Y.
5. Josh Lavarnway, Morrisonville, N.Y.


(PHOTOS: 1. Martin Roy celebrates his fifth Modified win of the season; 2. Bucko Branham -- sans bodywork -- in Sportsman victory lane. Photos by Justin St. Louis/VMM)