BARRE, Vt. — Brandon Gray won the battle and Jason Corliss claimed his fifth late model championship during the regular season finale Thursday night at Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl.
Rookie Matt Sonnhalter led the Maplefields/Irving Late Models to the green flag but fell victim to the onslaught of Brandon Lanphear, Stephen Donahue and Bobby Therrien in the opening laps.
A lap 17 melee stalled the day for several cars, notably Therrien, Donahue, Stephen Martin and point leader Corliss. Corliss’ Kinney Drugs Ford Mustang was forced pit-side for a new radiator with the 66VT team working frantically during caution laps to swap the leaker with a fresh water-cooler.
The field returned to green and put Corliss a lap down before debris off the Justin Prescott-machine called out the caution once again. By the end of the caution period, Corliss and Prescott returned to the field.
At the front, Darrell Morin set the pace while Lanphear, Taylor Hoar, Scott Dragon, Boomer Morris and championship hopeful Gray ran side-by-side under a blanket in positions two through six. Dragon’s spin on 27 into the infield grass saved the day for Jason Corliss, earning him the Lucky Dog back to lead lap position. In the end, Gray did everything he could to steal back the championship but it was not to be.
Gray took the 67-lap Lenny’s Shoe & Apparel feature event over Darrell Morin and Taylor Hoar but it was Corliss back in seventh who made history as the 2026 Maplefields/Irving Late Model King of the Road.
Corliss and team became the first five-time premier division champion at Thunder Road.
Logan Powers won the Flying Tiger feature, while Brendan Moodie secured the track championship in the division.
Owen Dupuis topped the street stock finale with Hayden Bushey getting the title.
Brandon Premont topped the Road Warrior race.
