Airborne Park Speedway

Lussier locks-in to Vermont 200 with 50-lap win

8/26/2024

Airborne Park Speedway

Lussier locks-in to Vermont 200 with 50-lap win

PLATTSBURGH, Ny. -- St. Denis, Quebec’s Donovan Lussier has been one of the top J&S Steel Sportsman drivers at Airborne Park Speedway in 2024. Beginning the year with back-to-back wins put the entire place on notice in the month of May, and Lussier has remained a steady competitor since, racking up three more wins and a total of eight top five runs in 12 races. Thursday night, Lussier made the year even sweeter, winning the 50-lap J&S Steel Sportsman Vermont 200 Qualifier, and advancing to 2nd place in the points.

Lussier started 8th after finishing 2nd in his heat race, putting him in the redraw. He advanced to 6th after one lap and up to 5th the next. Up at the front, Bradford’s Jordan Fornwalt was showing the way. Running the top side early, getting around Rick Frenyea and Michael Wright in the early going.

Wright gave good chase to Fornwalt, they both sailed around the top side, but Lussier was on the charge forward, making it up to 3rd by lap 10. In slower traffic on lap 29, Fornwalt went to the bottom lane, giving the lead up to Wright on the outside. The Alburgh driver looked good up there, but surrendered the lead to Lussier a few laps later and then was forced pit-side with a mechanical issue not long after.

Lussier survived a few late restarts with Travis Bruno and points leader Joey Scarborough hot on his tail, but Lussier was strong out front, collecting his fifth win of 2024. He joins Nick Heywood (Mohawk International), Brian Calabrese and Zach Sobotka (Devil’s Bowl) as the other winners of Vermont 200 qualifiers for 2024. Those drivers are locked in to the Vermont 200 at Devil’s Bowl this weekend.

Scarborough was 2nd with Bruno 3rd. Fire Swamp was 4th and Shane Pecore was 5th. Tanner Forbes, Nick Heywood, Fornwalt, Bucko Branham and Calabrese completed the top-10 in that order.

The 9th State Cannabis Renegade feature was won by Essex, NY’s Josh Terry. Terry was battling with Nate Guay and Shawn Duquette for 34d, 4th and 5th with six laps to go when leaders Richie Turner and Tylor Terry made contact in turn three, bringing out the caution and sending them both to the tail. Josh Terry chose the top lane on the restart, and Nate Guay went to work on the bottom, drawing even with him with two laps to go, until another yellow slowed the race. Josh Terry again chose the top and held off Guay for the win by just a few feet. Billy Thwaits was 3rd with Tylor Terry rebounding to finish 4th. Shawn Duquette was 5th. Turner came back up to 2nd.

The Moore Recycling Mini Stocks ran a 20-lap A-main that saw Kris Clark pick up another win after passing race leader JP Corrow late in the going. Corrow and Ed Goddeau had the front row for the race and Corrow took advantage nicely, leading from lap four until lap 10, amassing a large advantage over the field until Clark got to 2nd, at which point the deficit began to shrink rapidly. The first few laps were marred by caution flags, with Nick Harnden, Joe Warren, Greg Zindler and Brett Manor all retiring before lap one was in the books. Matt Parker, Josh LaPorte, Sr., and Goddeau all fell victim to an incident on lap two. Once Clark took the lead on lap 11, he checked out, crossing the line more than three seconds ahead of Doner. Corrow was 3rd with Speedy Bresette 4th and Jamie Whitney, Jr., nabbing his best A-main result of the year in 5th.

Young Jeremiah King from Peru won the B-feature with a last-lap pass on the outside of Tyler Bell, who finished 2nd. Makaela Goddeau was 3rd with Kenny Tourville 4th and Kyle Botala 5th.

Airborne Park Speedway returns with more “Thursday Night Thunder” on Thursday, August 29th for back-to-school night! FREE backpacks, many stuffed with school supplies and goodies, donated by race teams, fans and sponsors will be given away to kids. The 358 Modifieds are back in action, along with the sportsman, renegades and mini stocks. General admission is $15 with kids 12 and under get in free. Pit passes are $28 for members and $38 for non-members. Pit gates open at 4PM with the grandstands opening at 5:30.

OFFICIAL RESULTS - Airborne Park Speedway

August 22, 2024 - Hulbert Supply Night

J&S Steel Sportsman Vermont 200 Qualifier (50-laps)