No Victory Guaranteed as Summer Winds Down at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Parity prevailing in weekly NASCAR divisions; NEAR antique racers to visit Friday
WEST HAVEN, VT – Devil’s Bowl Speedway has been the site of more surprise moments during the summer of 2014 than at perhaps any other point in its 48-year history. While past seasons have seen one or two drivers dominate a particular division, nothing seems to be guaranteed this year.
Parity has ruled the Rutland County track during weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series events. Through 13 feature races for the headline Bond Auto Parts Modified division, nine different drivers have carried the checkered flag. Twenty-year-old Cody Sargen broke into the winner’s circle last Friday, joining Jason Durgan and Johnny Scarborough as first-time winners during the year. Veterans Todd Stone, Ron Proctor, Leon Gonyo, and Vince Quenneville, Jr., have won, as have up-and-comers Jessey Mueller and Joey Roberts.
The Late Model division’s championship fight sees veteran Jamie Fisher, sophomore Josh Masterson, and 17-year-old Emily Packard just a dozen points apart at the top. Each has won through the first nine races, along with Robert Bryant, Jr., Bucko Branham, and Nick Sweet; Packard and Branham were first-time winners.
In the Renegade class, point leader Robert Gordon last week snapped a three-race streak of first-time winners after Richard Lowrey, III, Jamy Begor, and Shawn Duquette added their names to the record book; sophomore Stephen Donahue has also won. Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock point leader Chuck Bradford has three wins, but has been beaten during the year by brothers Bobby and Chris LaVair, Mike Whalen, Jr., defending champion Jake Noble, and first-timers Kyle Watrous and John McCarron.
While the summer season is winding down, there are still several chances for more new winners, beginning with the annual Brown’s Quarried Slate/Brown’s Orchard & Farm Stand Night on Friday, August 15 at 7:00 p.m. Modified racers Jamie LaFountain, Billy Lussier, and Jason Reome are looking to score a first-ever Devil’s Bowl win, as are Late Model drivers Jamie Aube and Dan St. Hilare, Renegades Scott FitzGerald, Randy Howard, and Ray Benoit, and Mini Stocks Matt Monaghan, Harold LaVair, and Kyle Sorensen.
General admission for Brown’s Quarried Slate/Brown’s Orchard & Farm Stand Night – which includes a special appearance by the popular New England Antique Racers club – is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (age 62+), and free for kids age 12 and under. The “Fans First” program offers free admission to all Castleton, VT residents (zip code 05735) who present valid identification. Gates open at 5:00 p.m., with racing at 7:00 p.m.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, VT four miles north of Exit 2 on U.S. Route 4. For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or visit www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/DevilsBowlSpeedway and on Twitter and Instagram at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.
Sources: Devil’s Bowl Speedway
PHOTO: Among the Late Model division winners at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 2014 are Emily Packard (#9), Robert Bryant, Jr. (#3), Josh Masterson (#11), Jamie Fisher (#18), and Bucko Branham (#20), while Jamie Aube (#41) has a pair of podium finishes. (Photo by MemorEvents)