Tremont Gets First Win, Double Points
WEST HAVEN, VT. – Full moons have been blamed for a lot of strange occurrences in Vermont, but there was nothing strange about Ken Tremont Jr.’s performance in the 30-lap 358 modified feature Sunday night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Coming from deep in the field, Tremont worked his way to the front and then held off Don Scarborough and Lance Harting to notch his first 358 modified victory of the season in the Midseason Championships at the fastest dirt track in Vermont.
The win could prove to be extremely important at the end of the season, as it awarded double points, and kept Tremont right in the thick of the battle for the track championship. Tremont became the fifth different modified winner at the Bowl this season. The only driver with more than one win is points leader Dave Camara, and he wasn’t even around at the finish Sunday night, as he did extensive damage to the front end of the Camara Slate small block after a skirmish with Chris Vernold in front of the main grandstand on the ninth lap of the feature.
Harting, who has never won a 358 modified feature at Devil’s Bowl, led the most laps after 26 cars took the green flag, but he wasn’t able to hold off Tremont, who used a number of caution flags to work his way to the front.
Tremont beat Scarborough to the finish line by just 0.107 seconds, as they came to the checkered flag side-by-side, keeping the crowd on its feet. Harting hit the line third, his best performance of the season.
Oddly enough, Tremont didn’t even have the fastest car on the track. That distinction belonged to Vernold, who turned a lap of 18.322 seconds on the third lap of the feature. In comparison, Tremont’s fastest lap was 18.649. Tremont had started 18th in the feature after struggling during his heat race. In the eight-lap qualifier, Tremont finished eighth in a nine-car field, trailing winner Don Mattison by over nine seconds. But the proper adjustments were obviously made before the feature.
Mike Perrotte finished fourth, and Randy Howe finished fifth, but he was later disqualified, which moved Vince Quenneville Jr. into the top five. Completing the top 10 were Gene Munger Jim Ryan, Ron Proctor, Frank Hoard Sr., who was coming off a Friday night victory at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, and Erik Mack.
The racing action also saw the Devil’s Bowl debut of Tremont’s son, Cale, who ran 13 laps before being sidelined.
Roy Fifield drove to his second victory of the season in the 20-lap pro-street stock feature. Fifield had his hands full with Mike Haines and Fred Little, who was behind the wheel of the 96 normally driven by Lori Cary, but Fifield was able to hold off all challengers and come away with his third overall CVRA victory of the year. Haines finished just over a second back in the runner-up position, beating Little to the start-finish line by less than a half-car length. Carl Vladyka, looking for his third victory of the season, could only get up to fourth, while Henry Tanner finished fifth.
Tim Shaw finally got back on track and came up with his second win of the season in the 15-lap hobby stock feature. Shaw had won the opening-day feature on June 1, but has had nothing but bad luck since then.
But the second-generation driver was up to the task Sunday night, as he had both Billy Lussier and Donny Williams hanging all over his car at the end of the feature. Pat Cram finished fourth, while Russ Farr, who came into the night with a two-race winning streak, had to settle for fifth.
Keith Wright held off Scott Brace to win the 15-lap cruiser feature. The win was the third of the season for Wright, who has dominated the six-cylinder division. Brace, driving a four-cylinder car, was awarded the win in that class. John Sullivan, driving a six-cylinder, came across the finish line third.
Devil’s Bowl will be back in action on Sunday night with its popular Kids’ Night promotion, which will feature kiddie rides, and all divisions in action.
Track officials are already gearing up for the spectacular Aug. 3 show, which will feature the only appearance of the season of the Empire Super Sprints on the smooth, lightning-fast Devil’s Bowl racing surface.
MODIFIEDS: KEN TREMONT JR., Don Scarborough, Lance Harting, Mike Perrotte, Vince Quenneville Jr., Gene Munger, Jim Ryan, Ron Proctor, Frank Hoard Sr., Erik Mack, Frank Hoard Jr., Chad Miller, Neal Erickson, John Harrison, Don Mattison, Craig Hanson, Bill Cody, Tim Laduc, Stan Lemiesz, Cale Tremont, Richard Stromberg, Chris Vernold, Dave Camara, Brian Whittemore, Bill Bushee. DQ: Randy Howe.
PRO-STREET STOCKS: ROY FIFIELD, Mike Haines, Fred Little, Carl Vladyka, Henry Tanner, Jonah Rule, Kim Duell, Ed Thompson, Jay Fitzgerald, Cale Kneer, Robert Langevin, Jim Groncki.
HOBBY STOCKS: TIM SHAW, Billy Lussier, Donny Williams, Pat Cram, Russ Farr, Scott Fowler, Joe Ladd, Tim Whitney, Robert Ross, Jessie Ruhle, Bob Smith, Tony Condon, Curtis Condon, Bill Burlingame, Shannon Donnelly, Mike Scorzelli, Pat Putnam, Joey Trudeau.
CRUISERS: KEITH WRIGHT, SCOTT BRACE, John Sullivan, Jason Bishop, Todd Williams, Harold Clothier, Mike Clark, Chris Carrie, Mike Pope, Brittany Ladd.
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway