Bushey Thrills Packed House With Vermont State Championship Win at Devil’s Bowl
Bell wins Modifieds; Duprey with first Renegade win; Masterson takes backwards Bomber race
WEST HAVEN, VT – Stock car driver Craig Bushey defended his home track’s honor by winning the “I Am Vermont Strong 100” – the second round of the four-race Vermont State Late Model Championship Series, postponed one week by rain after qualifying was completed on June 8 – at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday night. Bushey held off a late charge from Brent Dragon, and later Brian Hoar, to take the popular win before a packed grandstand crowd.
Twenty-three of 29 drivers returned following the June 8 postponement to take the green flag in the “I Am Vermont Strong 100.” Fairfax, VT driver Bushey started fourth on the 23-car grid and jumped to the top spot in the early going. He battled with outside polesitter Dragon, of Milton, VT, in the early going but set a blistering pace during a 60-lap green flag run that allowed him to lap all but the top five cars.
Two late caution periods bunched the field and allowed Dragon and Hoar to reel Bushey in. Bushey’s No. 05 Vermont Life Safety/Miller Auto Group Chevrolet was too strong, though, and held on for its third win in five Devil’s Bowl starts in 2012. Hoar, of Williston, VT, slipped by Dragon by a nose for the runner-up spot. Maine’s Ricky Rolfe finished fourth, with Dave Pembroke of Middlesex, VT fifth as the final car on the lead lap. The unofficial top ten was completed by Joey Becker, Phil Scott, Brooks Clark, Bryan Town, and Jamie Fisher.
Alex Bell earned his first win in two years in the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bond Auto Parts Modified feature. The Cambridge, NY youngster’s No. 23 Carmody Ford/Bell Excavating-sponsored mount came from eighth starting position to outduel defending track champion Ron Proctor of Charlton, NY for the win. The race ended under caution as a final-lap crash took out top-five drivers Jessey Mueller and Joey Roberts. Hunter Bates of Middlebury, VT finished third with Vince Quenneville, Jr., fourth and Leon Gonyo fifth.
Bill Duprey of Hydeville, VT earned his first win of the season in the 15-lap Renegade shootout. The division’s defending champion won a tight race over Leicester, VT’s Jeremy Jones, who nipped Ryan Keith of Pittsford, VT at the line for the runner-up spot. Robert Gordon and Frank Monroe completed the top five.
Rookie Josh Masterson of Bristol, VT made it 5-for-7 in the Bomber division, but did so only after running 20 laps in the opposite direction. The Bomber class made right-hand turns for its wacky feature event, but the Masterson was up for the challenge. Garrett Given of Cornwall, VT posted his best finish of the year in second place, followed by Gabriels, NY racer Bobby LaVair. Ray Germain, Jr., and rookie Gerald LaFlam were next in line.
Brothers Gary and Gerald Grant of Addison, VT thrilled the crowd during the special Spectator Races to close the event. After making his way through two preliminary rounds, Gary Grant, a truck driver by trade, drove his 2008 Ford Mustang in a two-lap final round to defeat his brother, a police officer, who drove a 2008 Toyota Tundra pickup. Wallingford, VT’s Kelly Socia of Vermont Backroad Tours won a special match race for full-size buses, narrowly beating Devil’s Bowl Speedway official C.J. Vitagliano in the track’s Interstate Batteries-sponsored “Fun Bus.”
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is back in action on Friday, June 22 at 7:30pm with “Hometown Heroes Night” presented by Whelen Engineering. All fire, police, and rescue workers will be admitted free of charge with valid identification. A full card for NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bond Auto Parts Modifieds, J&S Steel Late Models, Renegades, and Bombers is on tap. Regular general admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors (62+), and free for children 12 and under. Gates open at 6:00pm.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, VT, four miles north of Exit 2 on US Route 4. For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or click www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/devilsbowlspeedway and Twitter at @DevilsBowlSpeed.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – “I Am Vermont Strong 100”
Vermont State Late Model Championship Series
Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, VT
Friday, June 15, 2012
J&S Steel Late Models (100 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (4) Craig Bushey, Fairfax, VT
2. (3) Brian Hoar, Williston, VT
3. (2) Brent Dragon, Milton, VT
4. (7) Ricky Rolfe, Albany Twp., ME
5. (9) Dave Pembroke, Middlesex, VT
6. (8) Joey Becker, Jeffersonville, VT
7. (1) Phil Scott, Berlin, VT
8. (18) Brooks Clark, Fayston, VT
9. (15) Bryan Town, Charlestown, NH
10. (6) Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, VT
11. (11) Matt White, Northfield, VT
12. (19) Joey M. Laquerre, East Montpelier, VT
13. (20) Boomer Morris, Barre, VT
14. (21) Dave Whitcomb, Essex Jct., VT
15. (16) Dan Petronis, II, Mechanicville, NY
16. (12) Jimmy Hebert, Williamstown, VT
17. (10) Chris Wilk, Mendon, VT
18. (23) Norm Andrews, Northfield, VT
19. (5) Nick Sweet, Barre, VT
20. (14) Chip Grenier, Graniteville, VT
21. (17) Trampas Demers, South Burlington, VT
22. (13) Scott Carpenter, Waterbury Center, VT
23. (22) Jamie Aube, North Ferrisburg, VT
Did Not Return After 6/08/12 Postponement: Eric Chase, Milton, VT; Jean-Paul Cyr, Milton, VT; Dennis Demers, Shelburne, VT; Spencer MacPherson, Carleton Place, ON; Cris Michaud, East Montpelier, VT; Emily Packard, East Montpelier, VT.
Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature (35 laps)
Pos.-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. Alex Bell, Cambridge, NY
2. Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY
3. Hunter Bates, Middlebury, VT
4. Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, VT
5. Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY
6. Cody Sargen, Greenfield Center, NY
7. # Jeff Haskins, Wells, VT
8. Jason Bruno, Plattsburgh, NY
9. Mike Bush, Hudson Falls, NY
10. Jamie Proctor, Schuylerville, NY
11. # Andy Smith, South Glens Falls, NY
12. Paul Braymer, Granville, NY
13. # Joey Roberts, Georgia, VT
14. Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, NY
15. Dave Snow, Brandon, VT
Did Not Return After 6/08/12 Postponement: Matt Atwood, Whitehall, NY
Renegade (15 laps)
Pos.-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. Bill Duprey, Hydeville, VT
2. Jeremy Jones, Leicester, VT
3. Ryan Keith, Pittsford, VT
4. Robert Gordon, Milton, VT
5. Frank Monroe, Granville, NY
Did Not Return After 6/08/12 Postponement: # Bob Monroe, Granville, NY
Bomber (20 laps)
Pos.-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. # Josh Masterson, Bristol, VT
2. Garrett Given, Cornwall, VT
3. Bobby LaVair, Gabriels, NY
4. Ray Germain, Jr., Bristol, VT
5. # Gerald LaFlam, Hinesburg, VT
6. Jake Noble, Benson, VT
7. Harold LaVair, Gabriels, NY
8. John McCarron, Rennselaer, NY
9. Anthony Alger, Warrensburg, NY
10. Matt Monaghan, Colchester, VT
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway
PHOTO: Craig Bushey celebrates his “I Am Vermont Strong 100” win in victory lane with legendary announcer Ken Squier on Friday night. (MemorEvents photo)