Ryan Opens Vermont 200 Weekend with Victory at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Championship finales ready for Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
WEST HAVEN, VT – Jimmy Ryan kicked off the Mekkelsen RV Vermont 200 Championship Weekend with a long-awaited checkered flag on “Shootout Saturday” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Ryan led a parade of stock car drivers through victory lane in a series of bonus races following first-round qualifying for the annual year-end asphalt championship event. The main events will be run on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
Ryan’s win came in a special 10-lap shootout for non-feature winners in the Bond Auto Parts Modified division. The veteran from Whiting, VT fought off an early challenge from Billy Lussier before stretching out his lead and taking the win, which came just two weeks after getting his car upside down.
“After the year we’ve had, I’ll take a win any way I can get it,” Ryan said in victory lane. Lussier finished second ahead of Jason Furman, Bob Kilburn, and Dave Snow.
The championship battle tightened during qualifying for Sunday’s twin 50-lap main events. Title rivals Ron Proctor and Vince Quenneville Jr. each earned five bonus points after winning their respective heat races, but Quenneville inched one point closer to Proctor in the semi-feature. The two drivers are now separated by just four points – the equivalent of two on-track positions – entering the Sunday afternoon finales.
Proctor, Quenneville, and Leon Gonyo each collected $100 bonuses from Bond Auto Parts after winning their heats; Todd Stone won the semi-feature.
Seth Bridge of Mendon, VT carried his first-ever checkered flag after taking the non-winner shootout in the Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model division. Rookie Tony Salerno of Mineville, NY got his first win in the Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade shootout, and rookie Bradley Bertrand of Ferrisburgh, VT did the same in the Portland Glass Mini Stocks.
Robert Gordon and Scott FitzGerald collected $50 bonuses from Sugar & Spice Restaurant and Jones’ Donuts for winning Renegade heat races, and Gordon also won the semi-feature. Harold LaVair and Chuck Bradford won $50 Portland Glass bonuses with Mini Stock heat wins, and Chris LaVair won the semi-feature.
Anthony Warren of Shoreham, VT won the Mechanics Race for the Modified division driving Ryan’s car, and Adam Maynard of Milton, VT took the Renegade Mechanics Race in Matt Monaghan’s machine. Lindsey Wells of Gabriels, NY won the ladies-only “Powder Puff” race driving her fiancée Chris LaVair’s Mini Stock.
Sunday, September 13 marks the championship season finale for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series presented by Yandow Sales & Service and John Deere at Devil’s Bowl. The Late Model division will run qualifying races and a 100-lap main event beginning at 1:30 p.m., along with twin 50-lap features for the Modifieds, a 50-lap Renegade race, and twin 15-lap races for the Mini Stocks. The MFT Sauce & Rub Co. Enduro Series will also be in action with a metal-crunching 50-lap race.
General admission for the Mekkelsen RV Vermont 200 is $20 on Sunday, September 13; kids age 12 and under will be admitted free. Grandstands open at 11:00 a.m. and racing is at 1:30 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, visit www.DevilsBowlSpeedwayVT.com or call (802) 265-3112. 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.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Mekkelsen RV Vermont 200 Weekend “Shootout Saturday”
Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, VT
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series presented by Yandow Sales & Service and John Deere
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Bond Auto Parts Modified Non-Winners Shootout (10 laps)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (60) Jimmy Ryan, Whiting, VT
2. (25) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, VT
3. (34) Jason Furman, Ballston Spa, NY
4. (77J) # Bob Kilburn, Fair Haven, VT
5. (5VT) Dave Snow, Brandon, VT
Bond Auto Parts Modified Heat Winners: Vince Quenneville Jr.; Leon Gonyo; Ron Proctor
Bond Auto Parts Modified Semi-Feature Winner: Todd Stone
Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model Non-Winners Shootout (10 laps)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (26) Seth Bridge, Mendon, VT
2. (97ME) Walter J. Hammond, Canaan, NH
3. (00) Steve Miller, Vergennes, VT
Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade Non-Winners Shootout (10 laps)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (58) # Tony Salerno, Mineville, NY
2. (71GB) # Matt Monaghan, Colchester, VT
3. (9) Jared Blake, North Hero, VT
Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade Heat Winners: Robert Gordon; Scott FitzGerald
Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade Semi-Feature Winner: Robert Gordon
Portland Glass Mini Stock Non-Winners Shootout (10 laps)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (29) # Bradley Bertrand, Ferrisburgh, VT
2. (51) John McCarron, Rensselaer, NY
3. (4) Harold LaVair Jr., Gabriels, NY
4. (68) Kyle Sorensen, Ballston Spa, NY
5. (55) Andrew FitzGerald, West Rutland, VT
6. (73) Kyle Sorensen, Bomoseen, VT
7. (94) # Tanner Crary, Saranac Lake, NY
8. (31) Dan Collins, Rensselaer, NY
Portland Glass Mini Stock Heat Winners: Harold LaVair Jr.; Chuck Bradford
Portland Glass Mini Stock Semi-Feature Winner: Chris LaVair
Bond Auto Parts Modified Mechanics Race (6 laps)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown
1. (60) Anthony Warren, Shoreham, VT
2. (20) Dave O’Neil, Plattsburgh, NY
Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade Mechanics Race (8 laps)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown
1. (71GB) Adam Maynard, Milton, VT
2. (22X) Ray Benoit, Milton, VT
3. (17) Mike Lague, Fairfax, VT
4. (5) Tom Lacz, West Rutland, VT
Portland Glass Mini Stock “Powder Puff” Race (6 laps)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown
1. (4) Lindsey Wells, Gabriels, NY
2. (55) Katelyn FitzGerald, West Rutland, VT
3. (18) Kara Bradford, Addison, VT
Sources: Justin St. Louis/Devil’s Bowl Speedway PR