photos by Nichole/Hooligan Motorsports
Bourgoine Takes Round One of Thursday Thunder
VIP Thursday Night Thunder at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway is the most popular series in all of New England for Legends Car racing. With grandstand tickets costing just $4, a full card of racing that is finished in just two hours, and some of the most intense Legends Car racing that will bring out the best, or worse of the drivers. On any given night, half the field of the competitive Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour field can win, and it’s never predictable on what the outcome may bring. As the 21 car field drove onto the track as the final feature of the evening, it was set to be a very interesting opener to VIP Thursday Thunder.
The field was set by a random draw in the drivers meeting, just as it is every week in the Thursday Thunder Series, and Nelcar point’s leader Matt Bourgoine started on the pole with the 84 of rookie Matt Grant started on the outside. On the start, Bourgoine got the jump as the field bunched up behind him trying to make up ground before the field got strung out too early. Grant fell into the second spot while defending VIP Thursday Thunder Champion Evan Beaulieu moved his way into third with his main competition for all of last season, Kevin Hutchens closely behind. Early on, Beaulieu and the 05 of Modified driver Jacob Dore were able to work the outside and move their way into second and third, with the two swapping positions a few times before Beaulieu drove up to challenge Bourgoine for the lead. The two drivers ran bumper to bumper the entire race, and at the finish, Bourgoine was able to get the win in the opening round of Thursday Thunder, his third Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour victory of the season. Beaulieu finished second for the fifth straight race, and former track and tour champion Bob Weymouth rounded out the top three.
With Bourgoine, Beaulieu and Weymouth all having to come from the rear next week, it will be an interesting as ever as the field is as competitive as it’s ever been, and coming from the rear of the field is never an easy task. With a host of both young talent and experienced veterans, the VIP Thursday Thunder is a must see event each week. Next Thursday night the racing will start at 7PM and you will not want to miss it. The next race for the Amsoil Nelcar Legends Tour is at New Hampshire Motor Speedway for Father’s Day, on the 1.6 mile Road Course. For more news, info and how you can get into a Legends Car, visit Nelcar.net.
