BARRE, Vt. – Trampas Demers continued his climb up the all-time winner’s list at Thunder Road with his 13th career Maplewood/Irving Oil Late Model victory at Community College of Vermont Night on Thursday.
Demers led much of the 50-lap event before inheriting the victory following post-race technical inspection.
The veteran had crossed the finish line second after defending track champion Jason Corliss got around Demers on a restart with 10 laps to go to take the checkered flag. However, both Corliss and apparent third-place finisher Eric Chase were disqualified after their cars measured too wide, handing the victory to Demers.
The results remain unofficial pending an appeal.
Demers was strong all night, charging from his seventh starting position with the help of two early cautions to take the lead from polesitter Brendan Moodie on lap 15. Chase followed Demers around Moodie for second, and soon, both Corliss and Christopher Pelkey came knocking as Moodie faded on a long green-flag run.
As Demers pulled away, Corliss got around Pelkey for third and eventually took the second spot from Chase on lap 32. Corliss was eating into Demers’ lead when Pelkey and last week’s winner Marcel J. Gravel tangled fighting for the fourth spot with 10 laps to go, bringing out the third caution of the race. Corliss drove around the outside of Demers on the restart to cross the line first on the racetrack. However, it would be Demers taking home the first-place trophy following tech inspection.
Darrell Morin moved from fourth to second in the finishing order following the disqualifications while rookie Matthew Smith inherited the third spot. Kyle Pembroke, Jim Morris, Tyler Cahoon, Bobby Therrien, Gravel, Pelkey and Moodie completed the top-10.
Mike Martin held off a late charge from Sam Caron to grab his 10th career victory in the Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tiger feature. Martin quickly came from eighth on the starting grid to swipe the lead from Danny Doyle on lap 11 of the 40-lap feature. He had driven out to a straightaway advantage when Bunker Hodgdon spun on the front stretch to bring out the yellow flag with 11 laps remaining, putting Caron at Martin’s door for the restart.
When the green flag flew, Caron held off a challenge from Doyle, then set his sights on Martin. But although Caron followed him like a shadow in the closing circuits, Martin had enough to capture the victory.
Doyle fended off Cameron Ouellette and Cooper Bouchard to get his first career podium finish. Ouellette nipped Bouchard by just .001 seconds for fourth. Logan Powers, Jason Pelkey, Jaden Perry, Jason Woodard, and Derrick Calkins rounded out the top-10.
Sophomore Tanner Woodard had enough in more ways than one to take his first ever Allen Lumber Street Stock victory. The 15-year-old jumped to the lead over polesitter Juan Marshall at the drop of the green flag and pulled out to a big initial lead. Halfway through the 25-lap event, though, fellow sophomore Cooper French reeled him in.
As Woodard fought to hold off French in the caution-free event, veteran Brandon Gray broke through the pack and chased both youngsters down. Then, with just a few laps to go, smoke started flowing from the engine of the Woodard machine. But both the powerplant and Woodard’s nerves held on just long enough to get across the line with the win.
French and Gray finished second and third with Marshall hold off a snarling pack for fourth. J.T. Blanchard, Jamie Davis, Tim Hunt, Jeffrey Martin, rookie Kyler Davis, and Justin Blakely also earned top-10 finishes.
Chris Davis made it back-to-back with his second straight win in the Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors. Davis started 14th in the 20-lap feature and was already up to fifth when the first caution flew on lap seven. On the restart, frontrunners Steven Reno and Dan Garrett got tangled up in turn four, triggering a multi-car scrum and moving Davis up to third for the next restart.
When the green flag flew again, Davis completed his march, swinging around the outside of polesitter Tyler Whittemore for the lead. Brian Putney followed him through on the high groove and gave chase in the closing laps but couldn’t catch Davis as he rolled to the victory.
Whittemore survived a slugfest with Sean McCarthy on the final lap to take third. Josh Vilbrin, Nate Brien, Frank Putney, Fred Fleury, Jamie York and Reno finished fifth through 10th.