Hoard, Cram and Grenier Get First Career Wins
WEST HAVEN, VT. – Ray Hoard may never want to put the roof back on his modified.
With Devil’s Bowl Speedway running its first-ever Topless Night Sunday, Hoard finally broke through and notched his first career victory in the 358 modified feature.
Hoard wasn’t the only first-time winner. Mike Haines picked up his first win of the season in the pro-street stock feature, and Pat Cram drove to his first career victory in the hobby stock feature.
But Hoard’s victory was easily the most impressive, and the most crowd-pleasing, of the night. Don Mattison, who has been plagued by a run of bad luck at the Bowl this season, again started the race from the pole, but his lead only lasted five laps, before Hoard took control.
But that wasn’t the end of the action for the night, as three of the track’s heavy hitters, Dave Camara, Vince Quenneville Jr., and Ken Tremont Jr. were battling their way from the rear of the field.
On lap 10, Tremont had moved his car into the No. 3 position, with Camara, who was looking for his third straight victory, hanging right on his rear bumper.
The next time around, Tremont and Camara moved their lightning-quick two-car train up another position, with Tremont taking over second, and Camara following him into third.
Hoard kept trying to hold his line, but the constant pressure from Tremont was getting on his nerves. With 10 laps left in the feature, Hoard finally made one little mistake, drifting high in turns three and four, giving Tremont what looked like just enough room to grab the lead.
But Hoard quickly corrected his mistake, slammed the door on Tremont, and went on to post his first career win at the Champlain Valley Racing Association’s Vermont track.
In victory lane, Hoard lived up to a long-standing promise, singing “She’s A Lady” for the crowd.
Tremont finished second, with Quenneville making a late move to get by Camara for third. Mike Perrotte came across the line in the No. 5 position.
Haines, who took the 2002 season off, was also impressive in his victory, outrunning Henry Tanner and Dean Charbonneau in the 20-lap pro-street stock feature.
Cram dominated the 15-lap hobby stock event, winning by more than two seconds over Tim Shaw, who was bidding for his second win of the season. John Morris Jr., a regular at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, made the trip to Vermont and came away with a third-place finish. He was followed by Russ Farr and Donny Williams.
Also making his way to victory lane was Ron Zagata, who was the first six-cylinder in the cruiser division across the line. Scott Brace was the first four-cylinder across the line.
The first-ever Duke Stock-only feature was won by Kevin Grenier, a hometown favorite from Fair Haven, Vermont. This was also Kevin’s first career victory in 34 years of trying.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway will be holding its annual Summer Sendoff Sunday night. The racing card will include an enduro.
MODIFIEDS: RAY HOARD, Ken Tremont Jr., Vince Quenneville Jr., Dave Camara, Mike Perrotte, Jim Ryan, Matt DeLorenzo, Ron Proctor, Randy Howe, Paul Parker, Brian Whittemore, Lance Harting, Frank Hoard Jr., Pete Kimball, Frank Hoard Sr., Gene Munger, Bill Cody, Tim Laduc, Chad Miller, Don Scarborough, Richard Strombel, Don Mattison, John Harrison, Neal Erickson, Chris Vernold.
PRO-STREET STOCKS: MIKE HAINES, Henry Tanner, Dean Charbonneau, Lori Cary, Jay Fitzgerald, Robert Langevin, Ed Thompson, Randy Brownell, Cale Kneer, Carl Vladyka, Brian Holbritter, Roy Fifield, Dave Wood, Jeff Washburn, Denny Martin.
HOBBY STOCKS: PAT CRAM, Tim Shaw, John Morris Jr., Russ Farr, Donny Williams, Keith Norton, Joey Trudeau, Billy Lussier, Scott Fowler, Bob Smith, Kevin Sawyer, David Emigh, Shannon Donnelly, Robert Ross, Tim Whitney, Nathan Chaves.
CRUISERS: RON ZAGATA, SCOTT BRACE, John Sullivan, Todd Williams, Harold Gauthier, Brittany Ladd, Dave Emigh, Jeremy Brownell, Todd Burch, Keith Wright, Mike Clark.
DUKE STOCKS: KEVIN GRENIER, Brian Rogers, Darrell Williams DQ.
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway