After yet another washout last week, drivers and fans returned to Beech Ridge Motor Speedway for the third week of Thursday Night Thunder.
With perfect blue skies and warm temperatures, it was the perfect day for racing in Scarborough.
The Beetle Bug Varsity division was first on the agenda, with Ed Johnson taking the early lead in the 15-lap feature. Ben Krauter took a spin on lap 3 in turn 2, but the field remained green as he straightened the #82 machine out.
Jeff Walker was on fire early, making his way around Johnson for the lead on lap 5. Drivers were 3-wide for third place on lap 8, with Jon Talbot taking the spot. Talbot and Ed Johnson made contact on lap 12 in turn 1 while battling for the runner-up spot. Both drivers managed to save their cars and Talbot took away the spot the following lap.
Jeff Walker cruised into victory, taking home his second consecutive win in the division. Jon Talbot, Ed Johnson, Brandon Varney and Dave Stone, Jr. followed, rounding out the top five.
Dale Alley, Jr. took the early lead in the 25-lap Mad Bombers Varsity feature. Brandon Johnson and Paul Johnson made contact on lap 3 on the backstretch, but the field remained green.
The #40 of Jason Kennedy broke the top 5 as Naughty 40 Racing team member, Lyman McKeage, took the lead on lap 5. Michael Dearden and Chad Reynolds got into each other on lap 11 in turn 2, leading to the first caution of the feature.
Drivers were 3-wide for the runner-up spot on lap 12, with Jason Gammon advancing position. He then challenged Lyman McKeage for the lead on lap 14, stealing away the top spot the following lap. The #40 of Jason Kennedy took a spin on lap 18 in turn 2, leading to another caution.
Todd Libby powered into the lead on the restart, powering from first to third in one single lap. The #28 of Chad Reynolds took a spin on lap 20 in turn 3, leading to a late-race caution.
The #8 of Betty Nelson took a spin after the restart in turn 2, leading to a yellow-checkered end to the race. Todd Libby took home the win, followed by Jason Gammon, Tom Lovejoy, Sr., Jason Hannon and Johnny Wolfe.
The Mighty Truck feature marked the return of 3-time Mighty Trucks Varsity champion, Jeff Gillette, who started the feature from the rear. Will Potter led the initial lap, with Kris Knox quickly making his way into the runner-up spot. Andre Gailloux made hard contact with Jeff Gillette on lap 2 in turn 4, sending Gillette into the wall and ultimately ending his night.
Drivers were 3-wide for the lead on the restart, with Keith Petrin taking over the top spot. Jared Kimball and Kris Knox made contact on lap 7 in turn 3, leading to Knox taking a hard spin into the dirt. This led to yet another caution.
In a suspected payback move, Kris Knox got hard into Kimball on the front stretch on lap 9, ending the race under caution. Keith Petrin took home his third consecutive victory of the season, followed by Dave Lamson, Mark Grantham, Brad Weismann and Will Potter.
As Donna Coffin took the early lead in the 20-lap Ladies feature, Desiree LaChance made hard contact with the wall on the initial start, leading to the first caution of the feature.
Sara Libby was on the move after the caution, powering her way into the lead on lap 5. Holly Gain faced troubles on the same lap, taking a spin in turn 2. This resulted in the second caution of the feature.
Sara Libby took off with the lead on the restart once more, with Jenna Webster quickly making her way into the runner-up spot behind her. Betty Nelson joined the battle at the front of the field on lap 6, searching for the lead. Laura Webster decided she wanted in too, powering into the lead on lap 9 as Betty Nelson moved into the runner-up spot.
Jenna Webster, Taylor Graffam and Mary Price got into each other on lap 11 in turn 4, leading to a late-race caution. During this caution, race control added 5 laps onto the lap count.
Betty Nelson and Laura McKeage made contact on the restart while battling for the top spot, powering Sara Libby into the lead. Libby stole the victory, making it her first win of the 2018 season. Laura McKeage, Jenna Webster, Betty Nelson and Taylor Graffam followed, rounding out the top five.
Rob Flaherty took the early lead in the 15-lap Street Devils feature as Paul Goodrich quickly made his way into the runner-up spot. The #18 of Dore took a spin on lap 5 in turn 3, leading to the first caution of the feature.
Darryl Quinlan and Ashley Nicholson had a bit of a lover’s quarrel on lap 7 in turn 2, as Darryl sent Ashley for a spin into the dirt. This led to Quinlan taking a spin himself exiting the turn, making for another caution.
Young gun, Meagan Lavoie, was on a roll on the restart, powering into the runner-up spot. Dan Shaffer and Blake Berry both went around on lap 9 in turn 4, but the field remained green. Rob Flaherty narrowly beat Meagan Lavoie to the line, taking home the victory. They were followed by Paul Goodrich, Darryl Quinlan and Dan Shaffer.
The 25-lap Legends feature marked the return of former Legends champion and Pro Series competitor, Evan Beaulieu. Beaulieu made an appearance in Ivan Kaffel’s #78 machine for the night, excited to return to his roots.
The #77 of Ryan Doucette took the early lead, but trouble was brewing behind the leaders. Ryan Rice slid into the turn 4 tires on lap 2, leading to an early-race caution.
Kevin Girard, Jr. made his way into the lead on the restart with birthday boy, Charlie Buxton, quickly challenging him for the top spot. Evan Beaulieu was on the move, climbing into the top 5 on lap 5. Charlie Buxton briefly took the lead away from Girard, but Girard had regained control of the lead on lap 6.
The leaders were 3-wide for the lead on lap 15, with Austin Teras quickly making it a 4-way dog fight for the top spot. The #20 of Danny Wear took a spin on lap 17 in turn 2, leading to another caution.
Matt Bourgoine and Charlie Buxton restarted on the front row, with Buxton capturing the top spot as Bourgoine faded back to fifth. By lap 19, Bourgoine had quickly fought his way back into the runner-up spot. Kevin Girard faced troubles on lap 20, falling back to the middle of the pack.
By lap 22, there was a 3-car breakaway at the front of the field. After two weeks of bad luck, things came together for Charlie Buxton, who took home his first victory of the season. Matt Bourgoine, Austin Teras, Chris Burgess and Kevin Girard, Jr. followed, rounding out the top five.
Jim Emmons took a spin on the initial start of the 20-lap Beetle Bug Junior Varsity feature, making contact with the #82 of Kara Krauter. The field remained green as Darryl Quinlan powered his way to the front of the field. Alex Parechanian got sideways on the backstretch on lap 3, falling to the back of the pack.
Robert Taylor was making moves early, making his way into the runner-up spot on lap 4. Chris Case was also on a mission, breaking into the top 5 on lap 6 and advancing to fourth the following lap. Max “Mad Max” Dolliver showed strength early, powering into the runner-up spot on lap 8. Jim Emmons took a hard right into the pits on lap 9, facing troubles mid-race. A competitive caution was brought out that lap, bringing the field back together.
As Dolliver made his way into the top spot on the restart, Chris Case quickly made his way up to third in his #45 “Dream Machine”. Robert Taylor took a spin on lap 10, erupting chaos at the tail-end of the field. Miraculously, the field remained green as the drivers involved were able to sort it out.
Chris Case was all over Max Dolliver for the lead on lap 12, later clearing him for the lead on lap 15. In an unfortunate chain of events, Chris Case lost power on lap 18, sending Dolliver back into the lead. Max Dolliver took home his first victory of the season as Brandon Lizotte merely edged out Darryl Quinlan for the runner-up spot behind him. Derek McKeen and Mark Brulotte followed, rounding out the top five.
Dan Collins made major improvements during the off week, allowing him to take off with the early lead in the 25-lap Mad Bombers Junior Varsity feature. The #27 of Scott Eck also showed strength early, making his way into the runner-up spot on lap 3 as Tom Lovejoy, Jr. powered into the top 3. Dylan Shores took a spin on lap 12 in turn 2 as the field remained green.
Tom Lovejoy, Jr. was on a mission, making his way into the lead on lap 15 in turn 1. Justin Gailloux faced troubles on lap 14, taking a spin in turn 2. He was able to correct himself as the green stayed out. Garrett Lamb showed strength in the late stage of the race, making his way into third place on lap 20 after starting the feature from the rear. Cam Jones took a spin on the front stretch on lap 21, leading to a late-race caution.
A number of cars took spins on the restart, including Cam Jones and Richard Varney. But, the field stayed green as Tom Lovejoy, Jr. rolled into his first victory of the season. Scott Eck, Mike Sanford, Garrett Lamb and Devon McConologue followed, rounding out the top five.
The win was very emotional for Tom Lovejoy, Jr. and the entire Lovejoy family, as they recently lost two important family members. As tribute, Lovejoy posed with a special checkered flag in his victory photo, which is a flag with the names of his late Great Aunt and Grandmother.
“The win is dedicated to the two most dedicated ladies that ever went to cheer us all on. My grandmother, who passed mid October would be in the pits every Thursday to wish us good luck and scream so loud over the fence, you could almost hear her on the track. My great aunt who passed about two weeks prior of the Thunder season would be in turn 5 waving to us as we would roll out onto the track. It’s hard to not see them there anymore, but I know they’re still there, cheering us on. This will forever be a win to remember and I hope they’re as pumped as I am,” Lovejoy shared with me in our post-race interview.
Week 3 was full of emotion-packed and action-packed racing. Thursday Night Thunder returns this Thursday, July 12th, with the season’s first Autograph Night. Admission is just $7 for adults and free for children 12 and under.
Get out there and support your local short track.
We hope to see you there!
Thank you again to Drown Excavation and Four Season Synthetic for their endless support for Chasing the Checkered. Contact Drown Excavation for all of your demolition and excavation needs and Four Season Synthetic for all of your oil, lube and filter needs!
