Steve Cote of Ile Bizard QC held off Maxime Pelletier and Bucko Branham to win the Furniture World of VT USA/Canada Masters Late Model 50-lap main event Saturday, July 7
Cote had a sizeable lead evaporate when the race was red-flagged for a seven-car wreck with 10 laps to go. Pelletier was alongside Cote for the restart, but couldn’t keep pace.McGrail shot the gap between Andy Heywood and Todd Ormsby on lap 12 to move into striking position and put the Fastenal No. 10 on the point for keeps two laps later. While the other early contenders began to fade, Maxime Viens held his ground to claim runner-up honors.
Branham’s third-place run was a valiant comeback from an early incident that put him at the rear of the field. He had won his qualifying heat but pulled a redraw number that set him 12th on the grid. One lap later he was turned around by Martin Lacombe, but passed 23 cars to finish third.
Pat McGrail of Candiac, QC kept his hot streak going with a decisive win in the Culligan Water/TDI Repair Modified 30-lap feature. Counting a Modified Series win in Lancaster, NY, McGrail has won his last three starts, including two in a row at Airborne.
McGrail stalked early leader Pierre Berthiaume for several laps before taking the lead after restart on lap 12. As McGrail drew away, Berthiaume, Aaron Bartemy, Vince Quenneville and Adam Bartemy diced for second. A half a lap after contact with Aaron Bartemy, which landed Bartemy a two-spot penalty on a subsequent restart, Berthiaume and Adam Bartemy collided in turn one knocking Bartemy’s No. X out of the race.
Quenneville, Patrick Dupree Chris Cayea and Todd Stone benefitted but Aaron Bartemy rallied back to finish third at Quenneville’s bumper. Dupree and Cayea finished 4-5.
Jason McClatchie ran away with Renegade feature in the Dee’s Pit Stop/TDI Repair No. 70. It was win number three for the Plattsburgh driver. Rick Doner outlasted point leader Kevin Boutin for third. Joe Warren and Lance Rabtoy were next in line.
