Backpack Giveaway Night @ Airborne Park Speedway August 13th 2026

Cook Captures First Career 358 Modified Win on Backpack Giveaway Night at Airborne
first career win
Photo By: 
Dave Szatkowski

Thomas Cook (24) captures his first career Hartson Total Opening 358 Modifieds win. The calendar may have flipped to August, but the action at Airborne Park Speedway remained as hot as ever as the track hosted Round 10 of the season along with its annual Backpack Giveaway Night. With 88 cars filling the pit area across six divisions, fans were treated to a full night of racing as Airborne helped send local kids back to school in style. The feature action began with the return of the Crown Vic division, where 12 drivers took the green for a 15-lap showdown. After an impressive drive from eighth on the starting grid, Richie Turner worked his way to the front and took control of the race. Turner was forced to withstand late pressure from Andrew Lopes and Beau Reeves, but the veteran driver stayed smooth and consistent to capture his fourth victory of the season. Lopes and Reeves completed the podium while Scott Richner's fifth-place effort allowed him to cut the championship gap to just six points. The spotlight then shifted to the Hartson Total Opening 358 Modifieds for their 30-lap main event. Fifteen cars rolled onto the speedway with Thomas Cook quickly asserting himself at the front of the field. Racing on a tacky track surface, Cook built a comfortable advantage and appeared poised for a breakthrough win. Late in the race, however, the pressure mounted as Felix Roy and Tim Fuller closed in. Despite the challenge, Cook never faltered, holding off the hard-charging veterans to score his first career 358 Modified victory. Roy crossed the line second while Mike Mahaney came home fourth, allowing Roy to trim the championship deficit to just 10 points. The Renegades delivered another chapter in what has become one of the best championship battles of the season. Eleven cars took the green flag for their 20-lap feature, with points rivals Billy Thwaits and Duquette once again battling for supremacy. This time it was Thwaits who got the upper hand, driving to his fifth victory of the season. Duquette settled for second while Brad Bushey completed the top three. With the victory, Thwaits tightened the points race to just two markers with only a handful of races remaining. A strong 16-car field answered the call for the JS Steel Sportsman Modified feature. Vince Quenneville led the opening laps while Keith Pelkey and Nick Heywood remained within striking distance. The story of the race, however, belonged to Evan Roberts. Starting at the tail of the field, Roberts methodically worked his way through traffic before mounting a late charge to the front. Roberts grabbed the lead in the closing laps and drove away for his second win of the season. Pelkey and Heywood rounded out the top three. The championship battle saw another shakeup as Heywood's third-place finish was enough to reclaim the points lead by three points, while Roberts moved into third in the standings. The Rain Pro of Vermont Limited Sportsman Modifieds featured eight entries for their 15-lap contest. The race up front came down to reigning champion and current points leader Kobe Hernandez and Gary English. On this night, English proved to be the class of the field, racing to victory while extending his championship lead to 15 points over Brogan Roberts. David Johnson completed the podium with a third-place finish. Closing out the evening were the always entertaining Mini Stocks, which brought a stout field of 25 cars to the speedway. The battle for the win centered on Josh Laporte and Glenn Engstrom, who spent much of the race trading the top spot. When the checkered flag finally waved, it was Engstrom standing in Victory Lane. Jake Fountain finished third, and with points contender JP Corrow ending the night in sixth, Fountain gained valuable ground in the championship battle by cutting the deficit by 15 points. Airborne Park Speedway roars back to life next Thursday night for another edition of Thursday Night Thunder, highlighted by the Mini Stock Special. The division will compete in an extended-distance feature with a hefty $1,000 payday awaiting the winner in what promises to be another exciting night of action at the North Country oval. Gallery

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