RPW Exclusive: An Emotional And Exciting Night Sees Loucks Take The Checkered Flag At Thunder Mountain On Saturday
Column By: JOE PHILLIPS / RPW – CENTER LISLE, NY – On July 17, 2025, Race Pro Weekly Founder Bobby Chalmers lost his short battle to cancer. Bobby was a former DIRTcar Sportsman driver at Lebanon Valley Speedway, who created a website that featured all sorts of motorsports content. For 25 years, Race Pro Weekly was a one stop shop for dirt track and asphalt track racing news. Race Pro Weekly will continue, but it will never be the same without our mentor and friend. Rest In Peace Bobby Chalmers, we miss you already!
Thunder Mountain Speedway in Center Lisle, NY roared back to life on Saturday night with the second race of the Joe’s Garage Southern Tier Series for the CRSA Sprint Cars. Joining CRSA were the weekly classes of the Open Modifieds, DIRTcar Sportsman, 600cc Modifieds, 600cc Sprint Cars, as well as the IMCA Modifieds. The Factory Stocks had an off night.
29 CRSA Sprint Cars, 24 Open Modifieds, 25 Sportsman, 22 600cc Mods, 17 IMCA, and 12 600cc Sprint Cars made for an excellent racing program. The track was smooth as always and very fast. Each class had at least three heat races.
The CRSA Sprint Cars had one consolation to fill out the field. The consolation was won by Johnny Scarborough in the #61. The Top 6 finishers all transferred to the A Main.
The A-Main was a barn-burner for the sprints. Mikey Smith in the 4ST car and Port Jervis, NY driver Billy VanInwegen Jr. battled throughout the race for the lead. Only a handful of cautions slowed the event in which Smith and VanInwegen threw multiple sliders on each other in Turns 1 and 2. The end of the race saw Mikey Smith take the checkers.
Johnny Smith in the 4S car finished in the 5th spot. Smith rolled over in his heat race in Turn 1. Smith spent a small amount of time in the care of the track EMS, before being released to compete.
The Open Modified race ran caution free. Brandon Loucks started 8th and worked his way up front to take the checkers. Brett Tonkin, and AJ Potrzebowski II started up front and finished second, and third respectively.
The DIRTcar Sportsman race saw Jordan Millard emerge victorious. Millard started 10th in his 99M machine. Luke Powell and Will Eastman rounded out the podium.
The IMCA modified feature winner was Keith Lamphere, followed by Tyler Belcher and Aaron Benjamin. Lamphere also won the last feature at Thunder Mountain. That race saw Lamphere bounce back after heavy damage to his car during qualifying.
Chelsie Beebe , Adam Doll, and Tyler Talada were the top three finishers for the 600cc Modifeds. The 600cc Sprint Cars top three finishers were Zach Bobbett, Ivan Forney, and Cliff Pierce.
A few drivers had uncharacteristic rough nights. During Open Modified hot laps, Byron Worthing in the 63 car, tangled with Chris Diamond, of Middletown NY. Worthing was able to qualify in his heat race for the feature event.
Doug Windhausen, coming off a feature win, was running strong in his 600cc Modified when he suffered a mechanical failure during a restart in the feature.
Making his second start of the season was Landon Cummings, in his number 13 modified. Cummings is one of the few drivers running a Ford power plant. In a sea of Chevy Bowties, Cummings and his team run a Ford 351 Windsor, punched out to 410 cubic inches. Cummings has visited victory lane in the past, and has been having some good runs. This is great for a team that does not have as much as other teams.
Saturday’s program featured some great racing. The season is getting down to the homestretch. With all the rainouts at the start of the season, the points battle is still neck and neck. Darren Smith and Brandon Loucks are separated by 16 points in the Open Modifieds. Matt Brewer leads Cody Jackson by 75 points for the DIRTcar Sportsman. Theoretically, there may be some shuffling before the years end. This means that all remaining races are important and drivers need good finishes to take the big trophy home for 2025.
This coming Saturday, Thunder Mountain is off for the Broome County Fair. Racing at Thunder Mountain will return on August 2 with Fan Appreciation Night. The DIRTcar 358 Modifieds will also make their return on that day.
Support your local Race Track!
