Triple Crown night nets $4,160 for point leader
BRADFORD, Vermont (September 1, 2025) – Matt Tanner set a new benchmark for himself at Bear Ridge Speedway on Saturday, August 30, earning the richest payday of his career in one of the deepest race purses ever seen by the McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England Tour (SCoNE). Tanner earned $4,160 – the lion’s share of a total purse of $18,260, which is the largest payout for a standalone event in SCoNE’s 22-year history.
Tanner was undefeated in all three races that he ran, netting himself a rare Triple Crown for the night. He capitalized on a wide-open lane to win his qualifying heat, he blasted out front to nail down the Pole Dash, and he led all 30 laps of the A-Main Feature race without a threat. The race went caution-free and was completed in just seven minutes and 17 seconds.
The A-Main purse was boosted significantly by the SCoNE teams themselves; following a challenge issued in mid-July by Bear Ridge Speedway promoter C.V. “Butch” Elms III to the SCoNE roster, the race featured a lap money bonus program that was crowdsourced entirely by the competitors. Race teams sold lap sponsorships at $30 each, with the entire pool to be spread out through the field following the race.
Fifteen of the 16 teams that entered the race participated in the program and sold a whopping 472 laps’ worth of funding to add $14,160 to the pot. SCoNE Officials collected the money and divided it up to be distributed based on running position in each lap, with every eligible driver receiving a bonus each lap. First place was worth $102 each lap, second was set to $50, third was $40, fourth was $30, fifth place through 10th place were $25 each position, and 11th place through the balance of the field were worth $20 each.
Tanner led all 30 laps at $102 per, giving him $3,060 on top of the $1,000 race winners’ purse. Jake Williams ran in second place and earned $1,500 in lap money, and Matt Hoyt’s third-place effort was good for $1,200 in bonus money. Rookie Tyler Chartrand was fourth and Caiden Herbert earned his fourth top-five finish in four Bear Ridge starts. Floyd Billington was sixth, followed by Will Hull, Kadyn Berry, Troy Comeau, and Tunk Berry.
RACE NOTES:
• A field of 16 cars attended the Bear Ridge Speedway event. One driver, Derek O’Hearn, made his first-ever SCoNE appearance aboard the J.P. Vaillancourt-owned No. 1D car.
• Matt Tanner’s victory was his third of the season, his second at Bear Ridge in 2025, and the 14th of his SCoNE career, giving him sole possession of fifth place on the all-time win list.
• Troy Comeau, who raised the most lap money contributions with 89 laps ($2,670), had an engine failure while leading his qualifying heat race. Nick Kruger, trying to avoid Comeau’s stalled car, collided with an infield barrier tire and sustained damage that knocked him out of competition. Comeau arranged to borrow the car of former SCoNE champion Shawn Lawler for the A-Main and drove it from 14th at the start to finish ninth.
• The two eight-lap qualifying heat races were won by Jake Williams and Matt Tanner; Tanner also won the six-lap Pole Dash.
• Chris Downs Motorsports presented the Hard Charger Award, with a $50 bonus going to Tyler Chartrand, who started 10th and finished fourth to gain a race-high six positions.
• Tyler Chartrand won a $50 bonus from Dave Bowser Motorsports as the top-finishing rookie in fourth place; Mark Reynolds finished 12th.
• The Hoyt Racing No. 07 team posted a $100 bonus for the leader of lap 20 in memory of Evan Donna, which went to Matt Tanner and raised his total winnings for the event to $4,160.
• Through the first 10 events of the McGee Automotive Family SCoNE Tour schedule, Matt Tanner holds the championship lead with 441 points. Jake Williams jumped up to second place with 392 points, ahead of Matt Hoyt (377), Travis Billington (371), and Caiden Herbert (360).
• Caiden Herbert leads the Bear Ridge Speedway track championship standings through four of five events. Herbert’s 202 points lead Matt Tanner (189), Jake Williams (177), Troy Comeau (170), and Matt Hoyt (158).
The McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England Tour enjoys an off-weekend before returning to Bear Ridge Speedway on Saturday, September 13, to crown the 2025 Bear Ridge SCoNE Track Champion. To learn more about the Sprint Cars of New England, visit www.nesprintcars.com or find “SCoNE – Sprint Cars of New England” on Facebook. For more information about McGee Mazda Claremont, NH, McGee Toyota of Claremont, NH, and McGee Toyota of Epping, NH, visit their award-winning dealerships or click on McGeeCars.com.
OFFICIAL RESULTS – McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England
Bear Ridge Speedway – Bradford, VT
Saturday, August 30, 2025
A-Main Feature (30 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
- (1) Matt Tanner, Stephentown, NY; 2. (2) Jake Williams, Tuftonboro, NH; 3. (3) Matt Hoyt, Campton, NH; 4. (10) # Tyler Chartrand, Johnsonville, NY; 5. (8) Caiden Herbert, New Hampton, NH; 6. (4) Floyd Billington, South Glens Falls, NY; 7. (5) Will Hull, Plainfield, VT; 8. (7) Kadyn Berry, Goffstown, NH; 9. (14) Troy Comeau, Wentworth, NH; 10. (12) Tunk Berry, North Conway, NH; 11. (6) Travis Billington, South Glens Falls, NY; 12. (9) # Mark Reynolds, Hudson Falls, NY; 13. (11) Donald Ottati, Rumney, NH; 14. (13) Derek O’Hearn, Campton, NH
Did Not Start: Nick Kruger, Rupert, VT; Shawn Lawler, Nashua, NH
Lap Leaders (0 lead changes): Matt Tanner, 1-25.
Cautions: None.
Contingency Award Winners:
• Heat Winners: Jake Williams, Matt Tanner
• Pole Dash Winner: Matt Tanner
• Chris Downs Motorsports “Hard Charger” Award: Tyler Chartrand (+6 positions)
• Dave Bowser Motorsports Rookie of the Race: Tyler Chartrand (4th)
• Evan Donna Memorial Lap 20 Leader Bonus: Matt Tanner
Upcoming Events:
• Saturday, September 13 – Bear Ridge Speedway – Bradford, VT
• Friday, September 19 – The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway – Loudon, NH
(Photos by Alan Ward & Don MacIntosh)