BARRE, Vt. — The Times Argus Midseason Championships started off without a hitch at Thunder Road on Thursday with rains moving in mid-program to postpone both the Late Model and Road Warrior features to next Thursday’s racing action. Following the qualifying rounds for all four divisions, the rk Miles Street Stocks kicked-off the Times Argus Midseason Championship action. Paige Whittemore and Curtis Franks led the 26-car field to green with Whittemore taking the impressive lead over the pack. Two-by-two the field ran six-car-lengths behind the leaders as traffic reshuffled with the first caution on lap 13 for the infield-spinning Walker Fitch and Derek Farnham.
With 10 laps remaining, Kyle MacAskill launched into the outside lane and sped around Whittemore, leaving her with a rearview mirror full of Parker Gagne. Todd Raymo would send Kylee Potter into the spin cycle as they motored into turn on to bring out the final caution on lap 32 for a three-lap shootout between MacAskill and Gagne at the head of the pack. It would be Kyle MacAskill winning the war as the Times Argus Midseason Champion for the rk Miles Street Stocks followed by Parker Gagne and Ryan Foster on the podium.
The Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers took the field, led to point by Rookie of the Year chaser Logan Farrell and longtime veteran Mike Billado. Farrell took charge early, growing his lead by car lengths over Billado and Cam Gadue. Gadue would make headway and begin to successfully chase down Farrell as Adam Maynard and Kevin Streeter broke away from the pack, as well. Gadue would stalk Farrell within a six-inch gap before the halfway point and kept pace behind the rookie as both looked to nab their first career victory in the division.
After being caught in Maynard and Streeter’s battle for third, Brandon Gray broke free with 20 laps remaining to begin his own chase to the front. Gray would grab second under Gadue with six laps remaining and steal the lead on lap 46 around the top of Farrell to motor on to his first Times Argus Midseason Championship with Cam Gadue taking second and Logan Farrell taking his first podium in third.
The annual Driver’s Autograph Session went off following the Flying Tiger with weather quickly moving into the area. A heavy, sideways flying rain came over Thunder Road and stuck around to soak out the highbanks with no end in sight. The rains, and lack of a satisfactory racing surface, prompted officials to close the night’s racing action early, pushing the Times Argus Midseason Championship event for the Late Models and Road Warriors to begin next Thursday’s event.
The Nation’s Site of Excitement is back next Thursday, Aug. 1 with WDEV Radio/Calkins Portable Toilets Night headlined by the World Famous Port-a-Potty Grand Prix. Alongside the Ken Squier Original Event, the rk Miles Street Stocks begin their three-in-a-row Triple Crown plus continued action from the Maplefield/Irving Oil Late Models, Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel Flying Tigers and Burnett Scrap Metals Road Warriors. WDEV Radio/Calkins Portable Toilets Night will begin with the rain-postponed Times Argus Midseason Championship event for both the Late Models and Road Warriors.
For more information, contact the Thunder Road offices at 802-244-6963, [email protected] or visit thunderroadvt.com.
