Quenneville Claws His Way Back To Devil’s Bowl Victory Lane
Petronis beats Bushey for first Late Model win
WEST HAVEN, VT – Vince Quenneville, Jr., surprised even himself in winning the 35-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bond Auto Parts Modified stock car race at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday night. The Brandon, VT driver posted his fifth win of the season on Green Mountain Water Environment Association/Sunoco Race Fuels Night with a back-up engine, trimming his championship points deficit in the process.
After blowing his primary engine last week – a 600-horsepower, 358 cubic-inch “open” motor – Quenneville used a 350-horsepower “crate” engine borrowed from former track champion Kenny Tremont, Jr., to drive his way into the winner’s circle. Quenneville darted past leader Joe Williams at lap 22 on the outside lane, then survived a pair of restarts on lap 32 to claim the win. Williams, of Scotia, NY, was second, and Middlebury’s Hunter Bates was third. Bates just missed a chance at a rare Triple Crown after winning his qualifying heat and the six-car, six-lap Sunoco Race Fuels Dash For Cash.
Championship leader Ron Proctor of Charlton, NY rallied late to finish fourth after narrowly avoiding a chain reaction mix-up that left top runner Jessey Mueller spun out of contention with three laps left. Proctor gained one point on Quenneville in qualifying to make his lead 29 points, but gave up six points in the feature; his lead is now 23 points on Quenneville entering the championship finale next Friday.
Joey Roberts of Georgia, VT finished fifth in the race, followed by Leon Gonyo, Jeff Haskins, Cody Sargen, Andy Smith, and Mueller.
Dan Petronis of Mechanicville, NY became the third-straight first-time winner in the J&S Steel Late Model division, beating Craig Bushey after a wildly entertaining, non-stop duel that included a few bumps. The pair made serious contact with just five laps remaining when Petronis got out of shape exiting the fourth turn, and Bushey’s car climbed the left-rear corner pitching it briefly into the air. Both drivers regrouped and kept racing each other hard for the win.
Petronis came across the finish line a half-car length ahead of Bushey for the win. After congratulating Petronis in victory lane, Fairfax, VT racer Bushey was announced as having unofficially clinched the Late Model championship at Devil’s Bowl Speedway with one week remaining. Bushey’s 60-point margin over Matt White gives him a mathematical lock on the title.
Sixty-seven-year-old “Stormin’” Norm Andrews of Northfield, VT finished a season-best third in the race, followed by Kevin Elliott of Rutland, VT, and Boomer Morris of Barre, VT.
Richie Turner of Fairfax, VT made his first-ever start at Devil’s Bowl Speedway count in a big way, winning the 15-lap Renegade feature. The former Airborne Speedway champion came from the back for the win. Ryan Keith of Pittsford, VT was the runner-up with Milton, VT’s Robert Gordon third, rookie Stephen Donahue of Graniteville, VT fourth, and East Middlebury, VT’s Kevin Brisson fifth. Unofficially, Gordon holds a 13-point advantage on Keith entering next week’s final championship event.
After separate rollover crashes by Tyson Drown and Harold LaVair in the first two laps, Jake Noble survived the wild 20-lap Bomber feature for his first victory of the year. The Benson, VT racer had been sidelined with a blown engine since July 4 and drove a car borrowed from rookie Mitchell Dundon – who was absent from the race while attending class at the University of Vermont – and held off hard-charging Josh Masterson for the popular victory.
With the runner-up finish, Masterson, of Bristol, VT has an insurmountable 66-point lead and has unofficially clinch the Bomber championship in his rookie season. Another rookie, Gerald LaFlam of Hinesburg, VT, posted his best-ever finish in third place, followed by Mike Whalen, Jr., of Plattsburgh, NY and Dan Collins of Rennselaer, NY. No injuries were reported in either the Drown or LaVair crashes.
Robin Jones won a special Daredevil race for members of the Green Mountain Water Environment Association. Jones defeated Chris Robinson, Greg Haskins, Sr., Dick Brooks, and Paul Russell in the five-lap shootout.
Track promoter Alayne Bruno – in her first-ever start in a stock car – won the eight-lap, ladies-only Powder Puff race. Bruno had a commanding lead when the race was stopped at halfway and the running order was inverted. Undaunted, she quickly drove back into the lead and took the win. Mickele Ferrell of Niskayuna, NY made an exciting pass at the finish line for the runner-up spot, and Heather Ducharme of Castelton, VT was third.
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series wraps up its championship season at Devil’s Bowl Speedway with Brown’s Quarried Slate/Brown’s Orchard & Farm Stand Championship Night on Friday, September 7. The event includes a 50-lap race for the Modifieds, 40 laps for the Late Models, as well as Renegade and Bomber races. Special general admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (62+), and free for children 12 and under; fans will save $2 on admission by bringing a ticket stub from the Vermont State Fair. Gates open at 5:00pm, racing begins early at 7:00pm.
The 2012 racing season concludes on Saturday, September 15 and Sunday, September 16 with the Vermont 200 weekend. Qualifying for Modifieds, Renegades, and Bombers will be held on Saturday at 1:30pm. Sunday is packed with a 100-lap Modified feature, special events for Renegades and Bombers, and qualifying and the 100-lap finale for the Vermont State Late Model Championship Series.
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 – Green Mountain Water Environment Association/Sunoco Race Fuels Night
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, VT
Friday, August 31, 2012
Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature (35 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (5) Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, VT
2. (4) Joe Williams, Scotia, NY
3. (7) Hunter Bates, Middlebury, VT
4. (10) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY
5. (8) # Joey Roberts, Georgia, VT
6. (6) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY
7. (3) # Jeff Haskins, Wells, VT
8. (12) Cody Sargen, Greenfield Center, NY
9. (1) # Andy Smith, South Glens Falls, NY
10. (9) Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, NY
11. (2) Jamie Proctor, Schuylerville, NY
12. (13) Josh Joseph, South Glens Falls, NY
13. (14) Alex Bell, Cambridge, NY
14. (11) Jason Bruno, Plattsburgh, NY
15. (15) Mike Bush, Hudson Falls, NY
Heat Winners: Hunter Bates, Leon Gonyo
Sunoco Race Fuels Dash For Cash Winner: Hunter Bates
J&S Steel Late Model Feature (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (6) Dan Petronis, Mechanicville, NY
2. (8) Craig Bushey, Fairfax, VT
3. (2) Norm Andrews, Northfield, VT
4. (7) Kevin Elliott, Rutland, VT
5. (10) Boomer Morris, Barre, VT
6. (4) Matt White, Northfield, VT
7. (3) Bryan Town, Charlestown, NH
8. (5) Chad White, Fort Ann, NY
9. (9) # Robert Bryant, Jr., Brooklyn, CT
10. (1) # Jesse Carris, Rutland, VT
Heat Winners: Bryan Town, Craig Bushey
Renegade Feature (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (5) Richie Turner, Fairfax, VT
2. (1) Ryan Keith, Pittsford, VT
3. (2) Robert Gordon, Milton, VT
4. (4) # Stephen Donahue, Graniteville, VT
5. (3) Kevin Brisson, East Middlebury, VT
Heat Winner: Ryan Keith
Bomber Feature (20 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (10) Jake Noble, Benson, VT
2. (6) # Josh Masterson, Bristol, VT
3. (2) # Gerald LaFlam, Hinesburg, VT
4. (9) Mike Whalen, Jr., Plattsburgh, NY
5. (1) Dan Collins, Rennselaer, NY
6. (12) John McCarron, Rennselaer, NY
7. (11) # Bruce Schwab, Jr., Whitehall, NY
8. (3) Garrett Given, Cornwall, VT
9. (4) Harold LaVair, Gabriels, NY
10. (5) Ray Germain, Jr., Bristol, VT
11. (8) Tyson Drown, Morrisonville, NY
12. (7) Bobby LaVair, Gabriels, NY
Heat Winners: Bobby LaVair, Ray Germain, Jr.
Daredevil Feature (5 laps)
1. Robin Jones
2. Chris Robinson
3. Greg Haskins, Sr.
4. Dick Brooks
5. Paul Russell
Powder Puff (8 laps)
1. Alayne Bruno, Castleton, VT
2. Mickele Ferrell, Niskayuna, NY
3. Heather Ducharme, Castleton, VT
4. Chris Metivier, Bristol, VT
5. Chip Alexander, Whitehall, NY
6. Debbie Schwab, Whitehall, NY
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway
PHOTO: Late Model winner Dan Petronis and team celebrate his first career Devil’s Bowl Speedway victory. (MemorEvents photo)
PHOTO: Vince Quennville, Jr. (center) posted his fifth Modified win of the season using a back-up engine, with Joe Williams (right) second and Hunter Bates (left) third. (MemorEvents photo)