HERMON – Winterport’s Patrick Thibodeau has been close to winning a pro stock race this season.
He finished second at Unity Raceway last weekend and had a fourth at Hermon’s Speedway 95.
Sunday turned out to be his day.
Thibodeau pulled away from Surry’s Dwayne Overlock on the lap-12 restart in the 35-lap feature and cruised to a 13 car-length victory over Brewer’s Aaron St. Peter, who had started 12th in the 14-car field. Overlock finished third.
“The car has been hooked up real well this year,” said Thibodeau, who started second behind pole-sitter Overlock. “The crew worked really hard on it this winter. It has been real fast. We’ve been racing at Unity and it’s been the fastest car down there.
“The car was perfect all day. In the heat race, there was a little small push. The sway bar was too tight so we loosened it up and came back out,” added the 27-year-old Thibodeau, who has a 2002 Ford Taurus.
St. Peter’s performance was equally impressive because he climbed 10 places in just 35 laps.
“Yeah, it’s an accomplishment,” said points leader St. Peter. “The inside [groove] worked pretty good for us. We’re very happy with our second, especially starting 12th and not having many cautions to help us move up through.”
Overlock was satisfied with his third since car problems prevented him from finishing in the top three in the first two races.
“It has been a long struggle. But we’re going good now,” said Overlock.
In the 25-lap limited feature, Levant’s Al Griffin survived a first-lap spin caused by a Scott Modery bump to triumph by 15 car lengths over Frankfort’s Dana Wilbur. Corinna’s Paul White was third. There were 14 cars in the field.
Hermon’s Modery was black-flagged for rough driving. The bump triggered a four-car chain reaction accident that required a red flag. Points leader Wayne Parritt limped over to the ambulance, was treated for a sore leg and returned later in the race.
It took three tries to complete the first lap.
Griffin took the lead for good on a lap-10 restart as he got around race leader Ryan Deane of Winterport on the outside.
“It was the first time racing at this track for me this season so we had to get acclimated to the top groove again. Once we got that, we was all set,” said Griffin.
Wilbur said Griffin’s Dodge was “hooked up” from the start.
“We didn’t have anything for him,” said Wilbur.
Bradley’s Deane Smart won the seven-car super street feature by 12 car lengths over Stockton Springs’ Duane Seekins. Matt Eaton of Little Deer Isle was third.
“The car [Monte Carlo] was real good. It seems to go better on old tires,” said Smart. “The car didn’t do nothing on the new tires in the heat race [so we put the old ones back on].”
Seekins, Olamon’s Milton Ketch and Eaton were in a fierce battle for second and third. Eaton was stuck behind Seekins and Ketch, who were running side by side. Ketch got loose and Eaton squeezed by him for third.
“I got boxed in until there were only five laps left. The same thing happened last week,” said Eaton. “The main thing is I didn’t hit nobody. I was happy with third.”
Tim Richardson Jr. of Hermon won the 18-car sport fours feature when leaders Jason Lancaster of Carmel and Jeff Overlock of Hermon got tangled up with three laps to go.
“I got lucky, I guess,” said Richardson. “I dropped to the bottom to avoid the accident, they didn’t throw the yellow like I thought they were going to, so I stepped on her.”
Lancaster finished second and Greeville’s Colin Arey was third.
Overlock bumped into the back of Lancaster’s car after the race to express his displeasure.
“He’s my best friend. I wouldn’t do that on purpose. This is my first year in sport fours,” said Lancaster. “He cut up high, I went low under him to get a run for him. He came down and I drifted up and hit him. I got right off it [the gas pedal].”
Jeff Bean of Corinth breezed to a 25 car-length win in the 15- car strictly street class ahead of Hudson’s Mike Thayer and Eddington’s Jim Giguere.
Levant’s Kenny McGraw won the four-truck mini-truck feature, his second in a row, with Orrington’s Jay Robichaud and Milbridge’s Roger Chipman finishing second and third.
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