Hoard Wins Devil’s Bowl Title
WEST HAVEN, VT – With double points on the line in the last race of the season Sunday night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, all Ray Hoard wanted to do was stay out of trouble.
Thirty laps later, Hoard had the crown he so badly coveted.
A fourth-place finish was all Hoard needed to secure his first 358 modified point championship ever at Devil’s Bowl. Hoard went into the night with a nine-point lead over Don Scarborough, and knew he had to stay in front of the Brandon Bandit to ensure the title. When Scarborough followed Hoard across the finish line, in sixth place, Hoard finished with a 17-point margin in the race for the title.
With all the attention on the battle for the championship, Ken Tremont Jr.’s fourth victory of the season was almost an afterthought. Tremont finished with a 0.726-second margin of victory over Frank Hoard Sr., who matched his best performance of the season. Tremont led the division in victories, as Ray Hoard finished the year with three wins.
Tim Laduc came across the finish line third, with Ray Hoard fourth and Ron Proctor fifth.
The season ended in frustration for Scarborough, who hasn’t won the track championship at Devil’s Bowl since 1998. Not only did he fail to win the title, but he also failed to win a feature. From 1993 to 2001, Scarborough had won at least one feature every year at Devil’s Bowl, and after sitting out most of the 2002 season, he returned to action full-time with three victories last season.
Don Piper held off Cale Kneer to notch his first career victory in the Amsoil pro-street stock main, which was extended to 17 laps by a late caution. When Piper hit the finish line, he was only 0.196 seconds ahead of Kneer, who was bidding for his second win of the season. Chris Lussier finished third, with Robert Langevin fourth and Mike Bussino fifth. The fourth-place finish allowed Langevin to win the track championship, also giving him the first title of his career. Lori Cary was the only other driver who had a shot at the crown, but she finished 10th, allowing Langevin to secure the crown.
Jamie Buzzell drove to his fourth victory of the season in the 15-lap Rentway Limiteds feature, but it wasn’t enough to prevent Scott Fowler from walking away with the track championship in the division. Buzzell and Fowler had battled for the points lead all year, but Fowler had been more consistent, and when he finished fifth Sunday night, the crown was his.
Following Buzzell across the finish line were Jared McMahon, Pat Cram, Billy Lussier, and Fowler.
John Baldwin was the first car under the checkered flag in the Pro-Built Mini-Stock feature, his second win of the season and first since June. Amanda Clemens crossed the line second, and had the first six-cylinder car to hit the stripe.
Brittany Ladd, who finished fifth overall, was crowned the four-cylinder champion while Elmer Montville, who dominated the competition at the Bowl, finishing with eight wins, had already wrapped up the six-cylinder title before Sunday night’s action.
MODIFIEDS: KEN TREMONT JR., Frank Hoard Sr., Tim Laduc, Ray Hoard, Ron Proctor, Don Scarborough, Jim Ryan, Bob Savoie, Vince Quenneville Jr., C.V. Elms, Chris Donnelly, Pete Kimball, Brian Whittemore, Mike Perrotte, Ken Anatriello, Gene Munger, Lance Harting.
AMSOIL PRO-STREET STOCKS: DON PIPER, Cale Kneer, Chris Lussier, Robert Langevin, Mike Bussino, Jeff Washburn, Scott Duell, Bernie Companion, Ed Thompson, Lori Cary, Jeff Martin, Randy Alger, Dave Wood, Cal Vladyka.
RENTWAY LIMITEDS: JAMIE BUZZELL, Jared McMahon, Pat Cram, Billy Lussier, Scott Fowler, Joey Trudeau, Shannon Donnelly, Arnie Trudeau, Car No. 36, John Sullivan, Bill Burlingame, Tin Brunell, Tony Condon, Bill Vradenburgh, Adam Forbes, Mark Burch, Chris Watson, Russ Farr, Bill Duprey, Bill Martindale, Steve Holcomb, Eric Sbregea, Curtis Condon.
PRO-BUILT MINI-STOCKS: JOHN BALDWIN, Amanda Clemens, Dan Uber, Tim Whitney, Brittany Ladd, Robert Cole, Rick Messina, Jason Bishop, Chris Cary Jr., Charles Burns, Mike Pope.
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway