By Lou Modestino
The “Outlaw” Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, Massachusetts held off two-time and defending Thunder Road Track Champion Derrick O’Donnell to claim the victory in the 52nd running of the People’s United Bank Milk Bowl at Barre’s Thunder Road on Sunday, October 12. MacDonald put together a combined overall score of 14 points in the three-segment event to become the first winner from outside of Vermont since 2010.
MacDonald qualified with the third fastest time in yesterday’s Booth Bros./H.P. Hood Qualifying Time Trials. Outside pole sitter and 2014 Serie ACT Champion Alex Labbe suffered mechanical issues at the start of the first segment and MacDonald then got around pole sitter Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. to take the first segment win, just ahead of O’Donnell in second and 2009 Milk Bowl Champion John Donahue in third.
MacDonald then worked his way through heavy traffic coming from the 24th starting spot following the inversion for segment two. His day nearly came crashing to a halt as he survived a close encounter with the front stretch wall, known as the widow maker, just after halfway. MacDonald managed a fifth place finish ahead of O’Donnell in seventh and Donahue in eighth.
It was a three-man dance heading into the third and final 50-lap segment. MacDonald held a slim three point lead over O’Donnell and five points over Donahue. The trio again marched their way through the field to reach the top ten. MacDonald got around O’Donnell late in the event and finished eighth to secure the overall win.
O’Donnell and Donahue battled to the finish and wrecked just after the start finish line. O’Donnell took second overall, one point ahead of Donahue in third. Scott Dragon had a solid day to claim fourth overall just ahead of a hometown favorite in Cody Blake rounding out the top five.
Waterbury’s Jason Woodard wrapped up the 2014 Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen Championship with a fourth place overall effort in the Tiger Mini-Milk Bowl. Mike Martin of Craftsbury used a win in the first segment and an 11th place finish in the second to claim the Mini-Milk Bowl win. Dylan Payea and Doug Crowningshield completed the top three overall.
Veteran Allen Lumber Street Stock driver Tommy Smith of Williamstown held on to score the 2014 Championship. His eighth place overall finish in the Street Stock Mini-Milk Bowl was enough to secure him the title. Young Jaden Perry of Hardwick claimed the Mini-Milk Bowl win with a win and fourth in the two segments. Alan Maynard and Kevin Dodge completed the podium.
The 52nd People’s United Bank Milk Bowl was the final event of the 2014 Thunder Road season.
52nd Annual People’s United Bank Milk Bowl Unofficial Results
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Thunder Road – Barre, VT
Pos. (Start) Driver, Hometown, Seg. #1, Seg. #2, Seg. #3, TOTAL
(3) 17MA Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, MA, 1, 5, 8, 14
(4) 60VT Derrick O’Donnell, N. Haverhill, NH, 2, 7, 11, 20
(7) 26VT John Donahue, Graniteville, VT, 3, 8, 10, 21
(13) 16VT Scott Dragon, Colchester, VT, 7, 11, 4, 22
(5) 99VT Cody Blake, Barre, VT, 6, 17, 2, 25
(10) 15VT Brad Babb, Windham, ME, 4, 23, 1, 28
(8) 85VT Trampas Demers, S. Burlington, VT, 10, 6, 15, 31
(16) 9VT Chip Grenier, Graniteville, VT, 16, 9, 7, 32
(14) 44VT Dave Pembroke, Middlesex, VT, 9, 10, 14, 33
(9) 5VT Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg, VT, 8, 20, 6, 34
(28) 58VT Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, VT, 18, 1, 16, 35
(12) 42VT Matt White, Northfield, VT, 11, 14, 13, 38
(30) 50ME Jeff White, Winthrop, ME, 24, 3, 12, 39
(29) 4VT #Eric Badore, Milton, VT, 22, 4, 18, 44
(2) 48QC Alex Labbe, St-Albert, QC, 29, 13, 3, 45
(18) 40VT Eric Chase, Milton, VT, 21, 15, 9, 45
(6) 32VT Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT, 14, 12, 19, 45
(20) 38VT Tyler Cahoon, St. Johnsbury, VT, 23, 2, 22, 47
(27) 1VT Shawn Fleury, Middlesex, VT, 26, 24, 5, 55
(22) 88VT Nick Sweet, Barre, VT, 17, 18, 21, 56
(15) 14VT Phil Scott, Middlesex, VT, 13, 19, 27, 59
(24) 68VT Brooks Clark, Fayston, VT, 15, 27, 20, 62
(26) 21QC Jean-Francois Dery, Quebec, QC, 20, 16, 26, 62
(1) 97NH Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Hudson, NH, 5, 29, 28, 62
(25) 3VT Ricky Roberts, E. Barre, VT, 25, 26, 17, 68
(17) 00VT Mike Bailey, Barre, VT, 19, 25, 24, 68
(11) 4NY #Brandon Atkins, AuSable Forks, NY, 12, 28, 28, 68
(23) 96QC Elie Arseneau, Morin-Height, QC, 28, 22, 23, 73
(21) 10NH Stacy Cahoon, St. Johnsbury, VT, 27, 21, 25, 73
(19) 66VT Jason Corliss, Barre, VT, 30, 30, 28, 88
Bond Auto Tiger Sportsmen Mini-Milk Bowl Unofficial Results
Pos. Driver, Hometown, Seg. #1, Seg. #2, TOTAL
Mike Martin, Craftsbury Cmn, VT, 1, 11, 12
Dylan Payea, Milton, VT, 5, 8, 13
Doug Crowningshield, Barre, VT, 3, 10, 13
Jason Woodard, Waterbury Ctr., VT, 12, 3, 15
Brendan Moodie, Wolcott, VT, 2, 13, 15
#Caleb Nelson, Moretown, VT, 9, 7, 16
Christopher Pelkey, S. Barre, VT, 7, 9, 16
David Finck, Barre, VT, 4, 15, 19
Joe Steffen, Grand Isle, VT, 18, 2, 20
#Stephen Donahue, Graniteville, VT, 16, 4, 20
Jeff Bousquet, Worcester, VT, 6, 16, 22
Eric Johnson, Randolph Ctr. VT, 23, 1, 24
Cameron Ouellette, Barre, VT, 11, 14, 25
Mike Billado, Essex, VT, 8, 17, 25
Steve Hodgdon, Danville, VT, 15, 12, 27
Lucas Wheeler, Bradford, VT, 22, 6, 28
Mark Barnier, Essex Jct., VT, 10, 18, 28
Mike MacAskill, Williamstown, VT, 25, 5, 30
Darrell Morin, Burlington, VT, 13, 19, 32
Joel Hodgdon, Craftsbury, VT, 14, 22, 36
Ty Gagne, Georgia, VT, 17, 21, 38
Derrick Barker, Post Mills, VT, 20, 20, 40
Clem Despault, Waterbury, VT, 19, 25, 44
Tyler Farnham, Fairlee, VT, 24, 23, 47
#Derrick Calkins, Milton, VT, 21, 26, 47
Josh Harrington, Topsham, VT, 26, 24, 50
Allen Lumber Street Stocks Mini-Milk Bowl Unofficial Results
Pos. Driver, Hometown, Seg. #1, Seg. #2, TOTAL
Jaden Perry, Hardwick, VT, 1, 4, 5
Alan Maynard, Fairfax, VT, 11, 2, 13
Kevin Dodge, Barre, VT, 9, 5, 14
Kyle Streeter, Waitsfield, VT, 8, 6, 14
Dave Whitcomb, Morrisville, VT, 15, 1, 16
Jeremy Colson, S. Royalton, VT, 12, 8, 20
Chris LaForest, Barre, VT, 10, 13, 23
Tommy Smith, Williamstown, VT, 2, 21, 23
Keith Fortier, Hinesburg, VT, 14, 10, 24
Jamon Perry, Hardwick, VT, 6, 18, 24
Garry Bashaw, Lincoln, VT, 16, 9, 25
Bunker Hodgdon, Hardwick, VT, 5, 23, 28
Nick Pilotte, Jefferson, NH, 4, 24, 28
Paul Grant, E. Calais, VT, 22, 7, 29
Jamie Davis, Wolcott, VT, 17, 14, 31
Tyler Austin, E. Calais, VT, 7, 25, 32
Marcel J. Gravel, Wolcott, VT, 30, 3, 33
Gary Mullen, Tunbridge, VT, 19, 16, 35
Lloyd Blakely, Graniteville, VT, 24, 12, 36
#Thomas Merchant, Eden Mills, VT, 20, 19, 39
Kyle Chapin, Hardwick, VT, 29, 11, 40
Justin Blakely, Barre, VT, 26, 15, 41
Lance Masterson, Lincoln, VT, 13, 28, 41
Kyle Gravel, Wolcott, VT, 28, 17, 45
Ken Stridsberg, Berlin, VT, 25, 20, 45
Jennifer Getty, Cambridge, VT, 18, 27, 45
Derrick Mann, Waterbury, VT, 23, 26, 49
Scott Maynard, Burlington, VT, 21, 29, 50
Will Hennequin, Morrisville, VT, 32, 22, 54
Mike Gay, So. Burlington, VT, 27, 28, 55
Kelly Miller, Johnson, VT, 31, 30, 61