BARRE, Vt. — Setting the stage for Sunday’s 45th Labor Day Classic 200, the rain-delayed Jet Service Envelope/Accura Printing Night program went off with a bang on Friday. Tight, competitive racing throughout the divisions wowed the crowd, as did the annual Run-What-U-Brung spectator drags which brought the rabid fanbase to their feet on more than one occasion.
Leading off the evening to give them as much time as possible to prepare for Sunday’s American-Canadian Tour invasion, Keegan Lamson and Stephen Martin lead the Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model field to the green flag. Lamson got the early bite on the inside groove as Martin shuffled back giving Darrell Morin free-range of the outside lane.
The lone caution flag flew early as rookie Cody Schoolcraft got the shove from Chip Grenier in turn three to spin around in turn four. Lamson and Morin remained side-by-side following the restart until Morin poked out to lead lap eight.
Behind the leaders, top point chasers Stephen Donahue, Scott Dragon and Kaiden Fisher remained nose-to-tail blazing through traffic and bouncing off one another in their pursuit of a top-five run.
Rookie Justin Prescott powered up the outside of Morin to lead lap 21 as Donahue jumped to the bottom before battling hard with Dragon among the top three. Dragon overtook the lead on lap 26 before powering away from Donahue and Prescott as fellow championship chasers Marcel Gravel, Nick Sweet, Cody Blake and Fisher remained mired in traffic out back.
Dragon took down his fourth win of the season with Stephen Donahue and Justin Prescott completing the podium.
Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers feature was won by Kevin Streeter, while Tyler Whittemore won the 25-lap rk Miles Street Stocks event. Neal Foster won the 20-lap Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors feature.