Stewart spun out at T-Road
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Above, Tony Stewart, No. 14, is 'helped around' by Dennis Demers in the white car on the right, as Eric Chase, No. 40, moves by on lap 36 of Thursday's Governor's Cup at Thunder Road. KYLE MARTEL/TIMES ARGUS |
Toolbox
By TOM HERZIG CORRESPONDENT - Published: June 26, 2009
BARRE – Twenty year-old Joey Polewarczyk won the Carquest Governor's Cup 150 before eight thousand-plus Thunder Road faithful assembled to watch NASCAR Sprint Cup points leader Tony Stewart try his hand at navigating the Barre high banks. Stewart drove a car prepared by Joey Pole's team and settled, unofficially, for 20th, one lap down, while a battle royal ensued at the front between Polewarczyk, Nick Sweet and Cris Michaud.
Polewarczyk started eighth, just behind Sweet, who started sixth. They spent the final 50 laps racing a few feet apart. Polewarczyk preferred the top groove and Sweet chose the bottom although he had to leave it often to clear lapped traffic. When a caution was thrown with five laps remaining, Michaud, who was running a distant third place, was ushered into contention, and he caught Sweet with two laps to go to take second. Jamie Fisher and Dave Pembroke finished fourth and fifth respectively.
The race was red-flagged on lap 13 for Robbie Crouch, who hit the wall and slid off turn one and down pit road on his roof. Crouch emerged uninjured and Fisher the pole sitter retained the lead temporarily. Stewart was running 15th when he took a hit and spun to a stop on lap 36. He passed several cars as the race went on, but never got as far as 15th again. When Polewarczyk and Sweet came up on him on lap 95, he dropped to the low lane and let the leaders fight it out.
"I want to thank Nick Sweet for racing me so clean," Polewarczyk said in victory lane. "The whole week has been awesome. I tried running the bottom for a while, but the car would push up and I'd lose momentum so I went out there and stayed there. There's no better place to win than here. I've been trying to win one here for a long time."
Michaud, last year's Governor's Cup winner, said his Ford-powered Merchants Bank No. 6 was "very free" early in the race. "I wanted to come in to fix it, but they talked me out of it and after a while the field was coming back to me. That was a helluva race up front, that's for sure. When Sweet washed up a bit, I pulled it down and went for it."
Stewart told the crowd earlier, "I scared myself a little out there in practice. The wall comes up quick. This is certainly a beautiful place for a race track. When you look at the drivers here to be introduced you could be looking at a future Cup star. I know there's a lot of hard-working, talented drivers here."
John Donahue, Trampas Demers and Phil Scott also had strong showings placing unofficially 6th, 7th and 8th.
Recent Williamstown High graduate Jimmy Hebert won a thriller over NAPA Tiger Sportsman point leader Derrick O'Donnell in the second of twin 40-lap Tiger features. Mike Ziter was nearby in third. Eric Badore and Jeff French completed the top five. Pete Ainsworth of Middlesex won the Tiger Sportsman opener besting Shawn Fleury and Doug Crowningshield.
Tommy "Thunder" Smith won the Street Stock feature, several car-lengths ahead of runner-up Bruce Melendy. Donny Yates of North Montpelier won his second straight Junkyard Warrior feature.
"Thanks for coming to our track," Cris Michaud said shaking hands with Stewart at the finish line. "This is a great place," Stewart answered. "I don't get to do this enough."