Laduc Holds Off Quenneville to Notch His Second Win of 2005
WEST HAVEN, VT – Two of Vermont’s best open-wheel drivers resumed an old backyard feud Sunday night, with Tim Laduc holding off Vince Quenneville Jr. to win the 30-lap 358 modified feature on Mountain Man Weekend at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Laduc, who had struggled to get back in the top 10 since posting his first win of the season on July 10, started eighth Sunday night and took advantage of early cautions to quickly get to the front.
The race got off to a slow start, as Frank Hoard Sr. and Ron Proctor, who had started side-by-side in the third row, tangled on the first lap, with Hoard being sidelined for the rest of the night.
Lance Harting, who had started on the outside pole, grabbed the lead away from pole-sitter Matt Depew on lap four, and the second caution came out the next time around for Todd Stone.
Laduc moved into second on the subsequent restart, and the yellow flew again on lap seven when Kevin Perry and Paul Dunham Jr. came together.
Laduc used that restart to take the lead, and he stayed out on the point for the rest of the feature.
But Laduc never had time to take a break. Quenneville, who had started ninth, was having a little more trouble getting to the front, but after another restart on lap 12, he was up to second and began closing the gap on the leader.
Quenneville was able to move right up on Laduc’s rear bumper on lap 20, when Ken Tremont Jr., who was on a two-race CVRA winning streak, spun and brought out the caution. But Laduc held his line and never gave Quenneville the opening he needed. At the checkered flag, Laduc had his seventh career 358 modified victory at the Bowl, while Quenneville had his third runner-up finish of the season.
Mike Perrotte finished third, with defending track champion Ray Hoard fourth and Don Scarborough fifth. Completing the top 10 were Gene Munger, Jim Ryan, Stan Lemiesz, Denny Young and Proctor.
Cale Kneer and Jeff Washburn put on a good show in the 20-lap pro-street stock feature, with Kneer coming away with his first win of the season.
Washburn, who was also looking for his first win, set the pace for the first nine laps, but Kneer moved out on the point on lap 10.
The two leaders swapped the lead on laps 13 and 14, and Washburn went out in front for the third time on lap 17.
But Kneer kept the hammer down, regained the advantage on lap 18, and pulled away to win by a couple of car lengths, with Washburn second, Jeff Martin third, John Harrison fourth, and Scott Fowler fifth.
Tim Shaw held off Curtis Condon to record his first win of the year in the 15-lap Rentway Limited feature. Shaw started on the outside pole and led every lap and Condon, who had started third, hounded the leader for the duration of the feature, but could never find room to make a pass for the lead.
William Duprey crossed the line third, with Pat Cram fourth and Randy Alger fifth.
Randy Manhey picked up his fourth win of the year in the Pro-Built mini-stock feature, and Henry Grandchamp took the checkered flag in the Duke stocks. Mountain Man Weekend ended with an enduro, with Tim Reed of Poultney, Vt., winning the 50-lapper.
Devil’s Bowl will swing back into action on Sunday, Aug. 14, with all divisions. Racing begins at 7 p.m.
MODIFIEDS: TIM LADUC, Vince Quenneville Jr., Mike Perrotte, Ray Hoard, Don Scarborough, Gene Munger, Jim Ryan, Stan Lemiesz, Denny Young, Ron Proctor, Todd Stone, Gardner Stone, Matt Depew, Kevin Perry, Dennis Pennock, Shawn Cassidy, Ken Tremont Jr., Rick Denis, Lance Harting, Mike Bruno, Brian Whittemore, Rick Davis, Paul Dunham Jr., Mark Provost, C.V. Elms, Frank Hoard Sr.
PRO-STREET STOCKS: CALE KNEER, Jeff Washburn, Jeff Martin, John Harrison, Scott Fowler, Don Piper, Billy Lussier, Jon Bates, Scott Duell, Dan Bernard, Rob Langevin.
RENTWAY LIMITEDS: TIM SHAW, Curtis Condon, William Duprey, Pat Cram, Randy Alger, John Sullivan, Adam Piper, Fran Lloyd, Stephen Taran, Adam Forbes, Joe Ladd, Shannon Donnelly, William Vradenburg, Tim Brunelle, Tracy Ash, Tony Condon.
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway