Ryan Gets First Win on Asphalt at Devil’s Bowl
WEST HAVEN, VT – Jim Ryan took advantage of a front-row starting position and a caution-less feature to record his first modified win of the season Sunday night in the double-points, Mid-Season Championships at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
The front row was the place to be, as Seth Roberts, who started next to Ryan, came across the line second, the best run of his young career.
While Ryan and Roberts were opening up a little breathing room, Don Mattison, Mike Bruno and Tim Laduc hooked up in their own little battle a couple of car lengths back. Early in the feature, Bruno and Laduc were running side-by-side, but on lap 13, Laduc got his left front on the rumble strips, letting Bruno to get around him on the high side on the front stretch.
Roberts stayed within striking distance of Ryan, but couldn’t find the grip on the outside to make the pass.
Ken Tremont Jr. made a late charge, getting by Laduc for fifth with seven to go. Two laps later, Andy Durie got a flat tire, but he was able to duck into the pits without bringing out the yellow.
Tremont kept battling, and finally worked his way around Bruno late in the feature. When the checkered flag fell, Mattison, Tremont, and Bruno chased Ryan and Roberts across the finish line.
Don Miller continued to dominate the sportsman division, picking up his fifth win of the season. Jack Swinton set the early pace, but Miller, who started seventh, got the lead on lap eight.
At about the same time, Josh Joseph went flying off the backstretch.
The grounds were so saturated that Joseph sent off a high rooster tail of water, and the race had to be red-flagged for 15 minutes while crews pulled his car out of the muck.
Once the race resumed, the field strung out quickly. Hunter Bates made a late charge and tried to close the gap on Miller, but he again proved to be too tough, and came away with the victory. Bates, Swinton, Fred Proctor, and John Reome completed the top five. Swinton would later be disqualified during a tech inspection.
Brandon Emigh came away with his first win of the year in the Renegade feature, and Robert Leitch also made his first visit of the year to victory lane, taking the checkered flag in the Bomber Warriors feature.
Devil’s Bowl will return to action on Sunday, Aug. 1, with all the regular CVRA divisions, as well as the third race in the Pro Stock/Super Street Challenge, making up the racing card.
MODIFIEDS: JIM RYAN, Seth Roberts, Don Mattison, Ken Tremont Jr., Mike Bruno, Tim Laduc, Don Scarborough, Vince Quenneville Jr., Matt Depew, Leon Gonyo, Andy Durie.
SPORTSMAN: DON MILLER, Hunter Bates, Fred Proctor, John Reome, Kevin Wright, Paul Braymer, Carl Vladyka, Tom Lilly, Matt Atwood, Josh Joseph, Ron Wanamaker. DQ: Jack Swinton
RENEGADES: BRANDON EMIGH, Jon Miller, Frank Monroe, Bill Duprey, David Emigh, Randy Alger, Dan Older, Josh Coonradt, Chris Murray, Jeremy Jones, Tim Anagnos, Jonathan Hayes, Joe Ladd, Rowdy Birch.
BOMBER WARRIORS: ROBERT LEITCH, Chad Brown, Nate Woodworth, Kaleb Gagnon, Tyler Lescord, Eddie Bruno, No. 82, Mark Lindblade, Justin Lilly, Matt Monahan, No. 117, Keith Fortier, Mike Devino.
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway