WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Joey Pole Wins Governor's Cup

Joey Pole Wins Governor's Cup

6/25/09

BARRE, VT - Young Joey "Pole" Polewarczyk, Jr. of Hudson, NH scores his first career win at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in the CARQUEST Governor's Cup 150. Pole got by Jamie Fisher to take the lead shortly after a restart with just under 100 laps to go. Nick Sweet then worked his way to second and setup the battle of the race. Pole and Sweet ran side by side and worked their way through lap traffic before a lap 145 caution staged a shootout for the win. Pole proved to be too much for Sweet as he held onto the lead for the final 5 laps. Cris Michaud passed Sweet with two to go for second to come home with the best finish ever for a Ford crate motor in ACT Late Model competition. Sweet settled for third followed by Jamie Fisher and John Donahue finishing in the top five. Sixth through tenth was filled by Dave Pembroke, Trampas Demers, Phil Scott, Joey Laquerre and Eric Williams.

Pole is a regular of the American Canadian Tour, where he has three career wins. He has already qualified for the ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on September 19^th by winning an ACT Tour race earlier this the season at Oxford Plains Speedway.

NASCAR Sprint Cup point leader Tony Stewart had some trouble getting acclimated to the "Nation's Site of Excitement." Stewart struggled early in his heat and had to settle for a 16^th starting position for the CARQUEST Governor's Cup 150. Stewart spun about 35 laps into the race and never recovered. As the race went on, he appeared to become more comfortable in his Polewarczyk Racing prepared stock car and finished a respectable 16th.

Pete Ainsworth, Jr. of Middlesex, VT captured his first win of the season and 10^th in his career in the first of two NAPA Tiger Sportsman features. Ainsworth held off two time NAPA Tiger Sportsman champion Sean Fleury and Doug Crowningshield who finished second and third respectively. David Finck and Joey Laquerre rounded out the top five while Brian Delphia, Tony Rossi, Josh Demers, Cody Blake and Brendan Moodie completed the top ten.

Williamstown's James Hebert scored his first NAPA Tiger Sportsman win in the second feature of the night. Hebert fought off points leader Derrick O'Donnell to capture the win. O'Donnell held on for second followed by Mike Ziter, Eric Badore and Jeff French rounding out the top five. George May, Joe Steffen, Mark Barnier, Erik Steel, and Tom Therrien finished in the top ten. 

The first of two Allen Lumber Street Stock/Powershift Junkyard Warriors features was won by Williamstown's Tom Smith. Smith had to battle Bruce Melendy and Greg Adams to capture his 18^th career Allen Lumber Street Stock victory. Joe Blais and Troy Gray finished in the top five.  Donnie Yates, Bryan Nykiel, and Lance Donald were the top finishing Powershift Junkyard Warriors.

Dave Whitcomb of Elmore, VT took home the win in the second Allen Lumber Street Stocks/Powershift Junkyard Warriors Feature of the night. Tim Campbell and Michael MacAskill chased Whitcomb to the line to complete the top three, while Ron Gabaree and Gary Mullen finished in the top five. The top finishing Powershift Junkyard Warriors were Kevin Streeter, Kevin Dodge, and Troy Kingsbury.

---COURTESY THUNDER ROAD