Proctor Must Keep Championship Guard Up at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Two races remaining in title chase; Powder Puff race this Friday
WEST HAVEN, VT – Veteran stock car driver Ron Proctor has a little bit of breathing room as the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship nears its final event at Devil’s Bowl Speedway – but only a little bit.
The defending Bond Auto Parts Modified champion from Charlton, NY had the cards fall his way last week, winning the 35-lap feature race as main title rival Vince Quenneville, Jr., suffered an engine failure. Proctor enters Friday’s Green Mountain Water Environment Association/Sunoco Race Fuels event with a 28-point lead on Brandon, VT racer Quenneville. While that advantage is the largest Proctor has seen all season, it is still not enough to let his guard down with only two races left.
Feature races award 50 championship points to win, and second place pays 48 with a two-point declination for each subsequent position. Qualifying heats award five points to win, four for second, three for third, two for fourth, and one point for all others. With 55 points available on both Friday, August 31, and Friday, September 7, a strong finish for Quenneville or an “off” night for Proctor would close the gap.
Proctor has been rock-steady all year, winning three times and finishing seventh or better in all 16 races. Quenneville has four wins and 14 top-tens, but two 13th-place finishes leave him playing catch-up.
In the J&S Steel Late Model division, Fairfax, VT’s Craig Bushey enjoys a 51-point lead on Matt White. Northfield, VT racer White posted two top-five finishes in twin 20-lap features last week, including his third runner-up finish of the season, but Bushey’s seven-win season leaves him in the catbird seat.
The fight for the Renegade division championship continues to be intense, as Robert Gordon of Milton, VT and Ryan Keith of Pittsford, VT sit just 16 points apart. Gordon and Keith, each with five wins, have finished within two positions of each other in each of the last six events.
With an incredible seven wins in his rookie season, Josh Masterson of Bristol, VT leads the entry-level Bomber division. Bobby LaVair of Gabriels, NY has chipped away at Masterson’s lead with seven consecutive podium finishes since June 29 – including last week’s victory – but still trails by 49 points.
Regular general admission for Green Mountain Water Environment Association/Sunoco Race Fuels Night is just $10 for adults, $9 for seniors (62+), and free for children 12 and under. Gates open at 5:00pm with racing beginning at 7:30pm. Also on the card with the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series is a special ladies-only Powder Puff event using four-cylinder Bomber division cars.
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.
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway
PHOTOS: Ron Proctor (#27) has a 28-point lead on Vince Quenneville, Jr. (#78) with two races remaining at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. (Alan Ward photo)