Sweet Makes Move Late for Record Third Labor Day Classic Victory
Barre, VT – Local racer Nick Sweet made his move on a late restart to become the first three-time winner of the Coca-Cola Labor Day Classic 200 at Barre’s Thunder Road on Sunday, September 6 while Derrick O’Donnell put the finishing touches on his third straight “King of the Road” crown.
Sweet methodically worked his way through the field after pitting for right-side tires on a lap-78 caution and found himself alongside leader Brett Gervais of Island Pond on a restart with 22 laps remaining after O’Donnell shut down while battling for third.
Sweet got the jump and held Gervais off on two more restarts, including one with three laps remaining, for his third win of the season and 17th of his Thunder Road Late Model career. N. Haverhill, NH’s O’Donnell, who came into the event having already clinched his third consecutive Thunder Road track championship, recovered to finish ninth.
Gervais settled for second after leading a race-high 105 laps. Kyle Pembroke took third followed by Cody Blake and Jason Corliss. Scott Dragon, Trampas Demers, Brad Babb, O’Donnell, and Phil Scott completed the top-10.
Graniteville’s Stephen Donahue picked up his third win of the season in Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman feature. The rookie dueled with Barre’s Cameron Ouellette for more than half of the 35-lap feature before finally securing the top spot in the final laps.
Ouellette finished second followed by new father Dylan Payea. Jason Woodard and Shawn Fleury completed the top-five.
Wolcott’s Brendan Moodie rebounded from a flat right-front tire and charged to sixth in the final laps, which was enough to clinch his first Thunder Road Tiger Sportsman Championship by 10 points over Woodard. Mike Martin, Mike Billado, Christopher Pelkey, and David Finck completed the top-10.
Brandon Gray of East Thetford captured his first career Allen Lumber Street Stock win in the 25-lap feature. Gray charged from the 10th starting position to take the lead from polesitter Thomas Merchant just past the halfway point and cruised to the victory. Wolcott’s Jamie Davis finished 11th, which gave him his first Street Stock Championship by 24 points over Jaden Perry.
Richard Gravel finished second with Jennifer Getty recording her third straight podium finish in third. Rookie Matthew Smith, Jaden Perry, Donny Yates, Jamon Perry, Kevin Streeter, Alan Maynard, and Kyle Streeter rounded out the top-10.
The 53rd annual Northfield Savings Bank Vermont Milk Bowl will conclude the 56th season of racing at Thunder Road Saturday and Sunday, October 10 and 11. The unique event will set the field through time trials and Triple 50 qualifying races on Saturday, October 10, with the historic three-segment, 50-lap Milk Bowl on Sunday, October 11. The Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen and Allen Lumber Street Stocks will also hold their annual Mini Milk Bowls. Two-day general admission is $30 for adults and free for children 12 and under.
For more information contact the Thunder Road offices at 802.244.6963, media@acttour.com, or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
37TH COCA-COLA LABOR DAY CLASSIC
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Thunder Road Late Models
Pos Start Pos Driver Hometown Laps
( 13 ) Nick Sweet ( 88VT ) , Barre, VT , 200 Laps
( 3 ) Brett Gervais ( 11NH ) , Island Pond, VT , 200 Laps
( 8 ) Kyle Pembroke ( 27VT ) , Montpelier, VT , 200 Laps
( 12 ) Cody Blake ( 99VT ) , Barre, VT , 200 Laps
( 10 ) Jason Corliss ( 66VT ) , Barre, VT , 200 Laps
( 29 ) Scott Dragon ( 16VT ) , Milton, VT , 200 Laps
( 9 ) Trampas Demers ( 85VT ) , S. Burlington, VT , 200 Laps
( 19 ) Brad Babb ( 15NH ) , Windham, ME , 200 Laps
( 14 ) Derrick O’Donnell ( 60VT ) , N. Haverhill, NH , 200 Laps
( 7 ) Phil Scott ( 14VT ) , Middlesex, VT , 200 Laps
( 20 ) Brooks Clark ( 68VT ) , Fayston, VT , 200 Laps
( 16 ) Mike Bailey ( 00VT ) , S. Barre, VT , 199 Laps
( 26 ) #Darrell Morin ( 17VT ) , Westford, VT , 199 Laps
( 30 ) Jean-Paul Cyr ( 32VT ) , Milton, VT , 199 Laps
( 17 ) Emily Packard ( 9ME ) , E. Montpelier, VT , 199 Laps
( 5 ) Boomer Morris ( 13VT ) , Barre, VT , 196 Laps
( 1 ) Eric Badore ( 4VT ) , Milton, VT , 196 Laps
( 18 ) Chip Grenier ( 9VT ) , Graniteville, VT , 196 Laps
( 28 ) Chad White ( 8NY ) , Fort Ann, NY , 195 Laps
( 21 ) Mike Ziter ( 54VT ) , Barre Town, VT , 187 Laps
( 22 ) Scott Coburn ( 72VT ) , Barre, VT , 179 Laps
( 31 ) Brad Bushey ( 51VT ) , Cambridge, VT , 178 Laps
( 11 ) John Donahue ( 26VT ) , Graniteville, VT , 164 Laps
( 25 ) Matt White ( 42VT ) , Northfield, VT , 149 Laps
( 2 ) Josh Demers ( 10VT ) , Montpelier, VT , 132 Laps
( 6 ) Jason Allen ( 29VT ) , Barre, VT , 130 Laps
( 27 ) Arthur Heino Jr. ( 07ME ) , Newport, NH , 125 Laps
( 4 ) David Whitcomb ( 25VT ) , Essex Jct., VT , 60 Laps
( 23 ) Ricky Roberts ( 3VT ) , E. Barre, VT , 49 Laps
( 15 ) Tyler Cahoon ( 38VT ) , St. Johnsbury, VT , 28 Laps
Lap Leaders: Eric Badore, 1-3; Josh Demers, 4-25; Brett Gervais, 26-79; Kyle Pembroke, 80-127; Gervais, 128-178; Nick Sweet, 179-200. (5 lead changes among 5 drivers)
Time of Race: 1:28:36 Margin of Victory: 0.862 seconds
Cautions: 9 (laps 22, 25, 28, 78, 127, 132, 178, 180, 197)
Heat Winners: Eric Badore, Boomer Morris, Brett Gervais
Consi Winners: Cody Blake, Derrick O’Donnell
BOND AUTO TIGER SPORTSMEN
Pos., Driver, Car #, Hometown
Stephen Donahue ( 26 ) Graniteville, VT
Cameron Ouellette ( 90 ) Barre, VT
Dylan Payea ( 7 ) Milton, VT
Jason Woodard ( 68 ) Waterbury Ctr., VT
Shawn Fleury ( 31 ) Middlesex, VT
Brendan Moodie ( 94 ) Wolcott, VT
Mike Martin ( 01 ) Craftsbury, VT
Mike Billado ( 8 ) Essex, VT
Tommy Smith ( 50 ) Williamstown, VT
Christopher Pelkey ( 64 ) S. Barre, VT
Joe Steffen ( 00 ) Grand Isle, VT
Brent Currier ( 1 ) Johnson, VT
Adam Maynard ( 25 ) Milton, VT
David Finck ( 37 ) Barre, VT
Caleb Nelson ( 07 ) Moretown, VT
Brian Delphia ( 27 ) Duxbury, VT
M.C. Ingram ( 02 ) Essex Jct., VT
ALLEN LUMBER STREET STOCKS
Pos., Car #, Driver, Hometown
Brandon Gray ( 00 ) E. Thetford, VT
Richard Gravel ( 68 ) Wolcott, VT
Jennifer Getty ( 25 ) Cambridge, VT
#Matthew Smith ( 04 ) Essex Jct., VT
Jaden Perry ( 92 ) Hardwick, VT
Donny Yates ( 05 ) N. Montpelier, VT
Jamon Perry ( 62 ) Hardwick, VT
Kevin Streeter ( 67 ) Waitsfield, VT
Alan Maynard ( 10 ) Fairfax, VT
Kyle Streeter ( 37 ) Waitsfield, VT
Jamie Davis ( 43 ) Wolcott, VT
Marcel J. Gravel ( 86 ) Wolcott, VT
Kevin Dodge ( 8 ) Barre, VT
Bunker Hodgdon ( 83 ) Hardwick, VT
Gary Mullen ( 29 ) Tunbridge, VT
Justin Town ( 53 ) East Barre, VT
Thomas Merchant ( 38 ) Eden Mills, VT
#Reilly Lanphear ( 21 ) Duxbury, VT
Kelly Miller Jr. ( 0 ) Johnson, VT
#Chris LaForest ( 56 ) Barre, VT
Tyler Austin ( 5 ) E. Calais, VT
DNS Will Hennequin ( 47 ) Morrisville, VT