Stockwell Comes Home to Thunder Roads Victory Lane

For Immediate Release                            TR-070307-1

    BARRE, VT Veteran stock car racer Kip Stockwell of Braintree arrived back home in victory lane
at Barres Thunder Road in the 50-lap Pepsi Independence Day Fireworks Spectacular on Tuesday night. 
Stockwell took the fifth Late Model division win of his career, but it was his first trip to the winners
circle since 1997.
After a successful stint at Thunder Road in the 1990s, Stockwell competed on the NASCAR Busch East Series
for nearly a decade, and raced at places as far away as California.  The 2007 season marked Stockwells
return to Thunder Road, and the Pepsi victory puts a stamp on his arrival.
    Theres no place like home, said a jubilant Stockwell following his win.  Ive raced all over
this country against all kinds of people, and Thunder Road has the most respectable drivers and the best
competition anywhere.  Being in victory lane at Thunder Road has always been my dream.  This is better than
Daytona.
    Stockwell passed early leader Mike Bailey of Barre for the top spot on lap 29 and never looked
back.  Former NAPA Tiger Sportsman division champion Shawn Fleury of Middlesex passed Bailey for second
place on lap 42, followed closely by Trampas Demers of South Burlington and Phil Scott of Middlesex.
As Fleury pulled away, Demers and Scott put on a battle royal for third place.  The pair was involved in a
vicious crash three weeks ago, but ran clean to the finish in the Pepsi dash.  Demers edged Scott by inches
at the finish line for the spot.  Bailey finished fifth.  Dennis Demers, Dave Pembroke, John Donahue, Marc
Curtis, Jr., and Eric Williams completed the unofficial top ten in order.
Nick Sweet of Barre took his second win of the season in the 35-lap Pepsi feature for the NAPA Sportsman
division.  Sweet, who entered the night as the point leader bounced back in a big way after failing to
qualify in last weeks Sanel Parts Plus event.  Rookie Shawn Sicard of Barre recovered from a spin with two
laps remaining to finish in second place.  Sicard spun to avoid a crash involving David Finck and Lance
Allen, and was ruled as not being involved in the incident.  Matt Potter of Plainfield was third ahead of
Williamstowns Chuck Beede, Sicards father-in-law.  Rookie Eric Badore of Milton rounded out the
unofficial top five finishers in order.
Point leader Mike Martin of Craftsbury Common won the Allen Lumber Street Stock divisions 25-lap event. 
Lloyd Blakely of Barre and Maynard Bartlett, Sr. of Wolcott were awarded the second and third positions,
respectively, after original podium finishers Bruce Melendy and Chad Stewart were disqualified in technical
inspection.  Melendy was found to have an illegal sway bar, while Stewart had out-of-stock control arms on
his car.
Scott Weston of Barre was named the unofficial winner of the Power Shift Junkyard Warrior feature.
Thunder Roads 48th season of exciting stock car racing continues on Thursday, July 5 as Charter
Communications presents a full card of racing.  Post time is 7:00pm, with preliminary qualifying races
beginning at 6:30pm.  General admission is $9 for adults, $3 for children, and just $18 for a family of
four.  For more information, call (802) 244-6963 or visit www.thunderroadspeedbowl.com.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS Pepsi Independence Day Fireworks Spectacular
Thunder Road Intl Speedbowl Barre, VT Tuesday, July 3, 2007

Late Models (50 laps)
1. Kip Stockwell, Braintree
2. Shawn Fleury, Middlesex
3. Trampas Demers, South Burlington
4. Phil Scott, Middlesex
5. Mike Bailey, Barre
6. Dennis Demers, Shelburne
7. Dave Pembroke, Montpelier
8. John Donahue, Graniteville
9. Marc Curtis, Jr., Worcester, MA
10. Eric Williams, Hyde Park

NAPA Tiger Sportsmen (35 laps)
1. Nick Sweet, Barre
2. Shawn Sicard, Barre
3. Matt Potter, Plainfield
4. Chuck Beede, Williamstown
5. Eric Badore, Milton

Allen Lumber Street Stocks (25 laps)
1. Mike Martin, Craftsbury Common
2. Lloyd Blakely, Barre
3. Maynard Bartlett, Sr., Wolcott

Power Shift Junkyard Warriors (15 laps)
1. Scott Weston, Barre
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Contact: Justin St. Louis                    Phone: (802) 244-6963
Email: media@acttour.com                    Fax: (802) 244-1616