Ken Tremont Jr. Wins Mid-season Championships
WEST HAVEN, VT – Ken Tremont Jr. took a major step toward his third straight 358-modified point championship at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday night by winning the double-point Midseason Championships.
The victory, the 49th of Tremont’s career at the Bowl, gave the West Sand Lake NY driver a sweep of the Bowl’s double-point titles, as he also won the Spring Championships.
Don Mattison, who has had more than his share of bad luck at the Bowl this season, started on the pole and set the early pace, but Tremont, who started seventh, was quickly on the move and was up to third when the first caution flew on lap nine.
Tremont needed just four more laps to get the lead, and now, all eyes were on Tim Laduc.
Laduc had started 14th, but midway through the 30-lap feature, he had his small block cranked up. Using a restart on lap 17 to his advantage, Laduc rocketed past Mattison into second and set out after Tremont.
Laduc hung right with Tremont for the last 10 laps, but Tremont used a lapped car to get a little breathing room in the closing laps, and beat Laduc to the finish line by 0.442 seconds.
Tremont became the first two-time 358 modified winner at the Bowl this season. Laduc, still looking for his first win since the 2005 campaign, finished second for the second time this season. Ironically, both seconds were to Tremont.
Mattison hung on for third, his first top-five finish of the season. Vince Quenneville Jr. came across the line fourth, with Tony Kawalchuk coming from his 19th starting position to finish fifth.
Mike Bussino ended a long victory drought, coming away with his first win of the season in the 20-lap pro street stock feature. The last time Bussino sat in victory lane was Aug. 20, 2000.
Bussino took the lead midway through the 20-lap feature and held off Carl Vladyka to get the victory. They were followed by Lori Cary, Richard Glode, and Fred Little.
The budget sportsman were back in town Sunday, with Fred Proctor coming away with his second win of the season. Proctor, who started eighth, took the lead away from Mike Visconti on lap 20 and left Visconti, Kale Groff, and Paul Dunham to battle for second. Groff eventually won that battle, holding off Visconti for second. Robert Bublak Jr. got up for fourth, with Dunham fifth.
There were no surprises in the mini-stock division, as Tim Anagnos drove to his third win of the year, easily outrunning Cliff White and Shane Marks.
Devil’s Bowl will return to action on Sunday, July 15, with the Central New York Mini-Sprints joining the regular Champlain Valley Racing Association divisions. Racing will begin at 7 p.m.
MODIFIEDS: KEN TREMONT JR., Tim Laduc, Don Mattison, Vince Quenneville Jr., Tony Kawalchuk, Todd Stone, Ray Hoard, Rob Langevin, Gardner Stone, Don Ackner, Matt Depew, Tyler Curtis, Stan Lemiesz, Kris Vernold, Jim Ryan, Rich Salisbury, Dustin Delaney, John Proctor, Frank Hoard Sr., Don Scarborough, Ron Proctor, Gene Munger.
PRO STREET STOCKS: MIKE BUSSINO, Carl Vladyka, Lori Cary, Richard Glode, Fred Little, Dan Eastman, Ed Thompson, Chuck Towslee, Jon Bates, Cale Kneer, William Hull, Don Piper, Justin Perry, Josh Joseph, Patrick McLaughlin, Walt Brownell, Mike Lussier, Jim Groncki, Jonah Rule, Jeremie Younger, Rusty Bissell.
BUDGET SPORTSMAN: FRED PROCTOR, Kale Groff, Mike Visconti, Robert Bublak Jr., Paul Dunham Sr., Angela Hoard, Kris Bradbury, Ralph Denison, Frank Hoard III, Robert Allen, Jared McMahon, Stephen Williams, Alex Bell.
LIMITEDS: JOEY TRUDEAU, D.J. Brundige, Mike Ostrander, Kevin Elliot, Randy Alger, Adam Forbes, John Miller, Justin Parker, Shannon Donnelly, C.J. Vitagliano, Jeremy Jones, Bill Vradenburgh, Tony Condon, Francis Clark Jr., Bill Duprey, Joe Ladd Jr., Bill Decker.
MINI/DUKE STOCKS: TIM ANAGNOS, Cliff White, Shane Marks, Justin Reome, Richard Edwards, Ron Zagata, Chris Murray, Russ Farr Jr., Justin Parker, Naomi Gould, Jeremy Hayes, Russ Farr, Bill Parker.
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway