Ken Tremont Jr. Is Hot Hot Hot in July!
WEST HAVEN, VT – There’s an old saying that states good things come in threes, but in Ken Tremont Jr’s case, they come in fours.
Tremont, enjoying one of the best seasons of his career, extended his winning streak to four races Sunday night in the 30-lap 358 modified feature at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Although records for the Bowl are somewhat sketchy, it’s believed that Tremont’s four-race winning streak is the best since the early 1970s, when Will Cagle was dominating the competition at the Vermont dirt track. Tremont has had a couple of three-race winning streaks during his career at the Bowl, including a run of three in a row to begin the season last year. The only other modified drivers with three straight wins since 1980 are Don Scarborough, who three-peated in 1996 and 1999, and Hector Stratton, who won three in a row in 1992.
Tremont has become so dominant at the Bowl that CVRA officials have put a bounty out on him. Beginning with the first race in August, any 358 modified driver who can beat Tremont to the finish line in a feature at Devil’s Bowl will receive a $500 bonus.
Tremont didn’t appear to be overpowering Sunday night. Jimmy Ryan came off the pole and led the first eight laps, which were slowed by four caution flags, and Ray Hoard, still looking for his first win of the season, used a restart on lap nine to take over the point.
By lap 10, Tremont had worked his way from 14th to fourth, but needed six more laps to work his way around Scarborough into third.
Tremont easily caught Ryan and took over second on lap 17, as Ryan was beginning to have mechanical problems. Hoard did everything he could to hold off Tremont, but he finally pushed the S&S Paving-sponsored small block into the lead with three laps to go, and beat Hoard by a comfortable margin.
Hoard finished second, his best run of the season at the Bowl, with Scarborough third. They were followed by Vince Quenneville Jr. and Don Ackner, who broke into the top five for just the second time this season.
Veteran Fred Little picked up his first win of the season in the 20-lap pro-street stock feature. Little started fourth and with the help of three early cautions, had the lead after just three laps. Jeff Washburn, who had started sixth, took his turn in the lead for one lap, but Little easily regained the advantage and held off Washburn the rest of the way. The win was Little’s first since the final race of the 2006 season.
Bill Duprey charged past Francis Clark Jr. with four laps to go and went on to record his third win of the year in the 20-lap limited feature. Clark was just a car-length behind at the finish, with Kevin Elliot third.
Richard Edwards was also a repeat winner, coming away with his second win of the year in the mini-stock feature, and Russ Farr was the winner in the Duke stocks.
Devil’s Bowl will return to action on Sunday, Aug. 5. It will be Kids’ Night, which will include kiddie rides, and Devil’s Bowl will also be hosting the second leg of the Twin State Series. Racing will begin at 7 p.m.
MODIFIEDS: KEN TREMONT JR., Ray Hoard, Don Scarborough, Vince Quenneville Jr., Don Ackner, Todd Stone, Rob Langevin, Tim Laduc, Dustin Delaney, Gene Munger, Matt Depew, Ron Proctor, Gardner Stone, Brian Whittemore, Kris Vernold, Frank Hoard Sr., Stan Lemiesz, Jim Ryan, Don Mattison, Eric Mack, Rich Stromberg.
PRO-STREET STOCKS: FRED LITTLE, Jeff Washburn, Carl Vladyka, Lori Cary, William Hull, Cale Kneer, Dan Eastman, Walt Brownell, Justin Perry, Josh Joseph, Ed Thompson, Patrick McLaughlin, Jeremie Younger, Joe Malzac, Chris Fitzgerald, Chuck Towslee, Mike Bussino, Richard Glode.
LIMITEDS: BILL DUPREY, Francis Clark Jr., Kevin Elliot, Brian Ashline, Bill Vradenburg, Merv Blackwell, Jeremy Jones, Bill Decker, Joe Ladd Jr., Justin Parker, Nick Lussier, Joey Trudeau, Adam Forbes, Car No. 6, Tim Brunelle, Rich Holmes, D.J. Brundige.
MINI/DUKE STOCKS: RICHARD EDWARDS, Shane Marks, Cliff White, Jason Rheome, Tim Anagnos, Chris Murray, Ron Zagata, Chris Mattison, Russ Farr, Andy Smith, Justin Parker, Jeremy Hayes, Chris Atwood, Bill Parker, Naomi Gould, Russ Farr Jr.
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway