Durgan Wins Devil’s Bowl Speedway Asphalt Championship in a Tiebreaker

By admin September 12, 2016 Devil's Bowl, NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series

Masterson, McKiernan, Messier take season titles

WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Jason Durgan and Vince Quenneville Jr. put on the most dramatic stock car show of the year at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday, September 11.  The two veteran drivers were the stars of the half-mile Asphalt Track during the Rutland County facility’s 50th season of racing and needed a tiebreaker to determine the track champion at the Vermont 200 Weekend.  Durgan, of Morrisonville, N.Y., became a first-time Devil’s Bowl titleholder in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series and will share the championship stage this winter with Josh Masterson, Jim McKiernan, and rookie Eric Messier.

Durgan and Quenneville entered the two-day Asphalt Track finale tied in point standings, but Morrisonville, N.Y., racer Durgan pulled ahead by two points after a 50-lap race on Saturday afternoon.  In Sunday’s “Leon Gonyo Memorial” 50-lapper, defending champion Quenneville, of Brandon, Vt., did all he could by winning the race – his fourth score of the year – as Durgan’s car struggled in traffic.

Durgan, however, caught some lucky breaks and benefitted from a late-race throttle linkage failure on the car of Saturday race winner Ron Proctor.  With nine laps left he found his No. 17 Valley View Firewood/Taylor Rental car in second place behind Quenneville and rode there until the end of the race to create a mathematical tie in the point standings.  Durgan got the tiebreaker based on total victories for the season and his five wins gave him the championship, sparking a raucous “Durga-Mania” celebration in victory lane.

Billy Lussier finished third in the race to complete his breakout season.  Jackie Brown Jr. finished fourth with Jamy Begor fifth.  The top 10 was completed, in order, by Joey Roberts, Travis Bruno, Codie Aubin, Chad White, and Rookie of the Year Chuck Bradford.

In the Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model division, American-Canadian Tour regular Bobby Therrien of Hinesburg, Vt., invaded Devil’s Bowl to win the 100-lap finale, doing so only after an exciting late battle for the lead with Josh Masterson.  Championship contender Robert Bryant Jr. looked like a potential winner as he led lead laps in the first half of the race, but a broken rear axle took him out of the running at lap 41.

When Bryant exited the race, Therrien inherited the lead and Masterson turned the wick up.  The two traded paint on several occasions and were challenged at various points by veterans Chris Bergeron, Jamie Aube, and Steve Miller.  Therrien finally cleared out to the lead with less than 15 laps left and cruised to the win as Bristol, Vt., racer Masterson finished second to clinch the championship, becoming the first multi-time Late Model champion in the seven-year history of the Asphalt Track at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.

Aube finished third in the race, followed by Bergeron and Miller.  Luke Hinkley was sixth ahead of Dallas Trombley, Rich Lowrey Jr., first-time Late Model racer Dylan Payea, and early leader Seth Bridge.

Former Thunder Road Speedbowl champion Jason Woodard of Waterbury Center, Vt., took a surprise trip to victory lane in the 50-lap feature for the Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Renegade division, winning in his first-ever race at Devil’s Bowl.  Jim McKiernan of Moriah Center, N.Y., gave Woodard a run for his money but settled for the runner-up finish, one spot ahead of Scott FitzGerald; that one on-track position was all that McKiernan needed, as he edged FitzGerald by just two points for the championship.

Fourteen year-old rookie Alexis Aiken earned her best Devil’s Bowl finish in fourth with Matt Monaghan fifth; Monaghan led more than half of the race before fading late.

Brad Bertrand of Ferrisburgh, Vt., won the 25-lap finale for the Portland Glass Mini Stock division to take his third victory of the year, but it was Eric “Mongo” Messier of Hinesburg, Vt., who will hoist the big hardware.  Messier clinched both the championship and the Rookie of the Year titles with his runner-up finish.  Brett Wood finished third in the race ahead of Garrett Given and Dale O’Neil.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s Asphalt Track season is now complete, and the focus shifts to the 3/10-mile Dirt Track with events on September 18, September 25, and October 1.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of Exit 2 off of U.S. Route 4 and just 20 minutes from Rutland, Vt.  For more information, visitwww.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 – Vermont 200 Weekend Asphalt Championship Finale
Devil’s Bowl Speedway Asphalt Track – West Haven, VT
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Sunday, September 11, 2016
Bond Auto Parts Sportsman Modified Feature/Leon Gonyo Memorial (50 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie

  1. (8) Vince Quenneville Jr., Brandon, Vt.
  2. (7) Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, N.Y.
  3. (6) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
  4. (5) Jackie Brown Jr., Hurley, N.Y.
  5. (16) Jamy Begor, Mooers Forks, N.Y.
  6. (2) Joey Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
  7. (4) Travis Bruno, Morrisonville, N.Y.
  8. (15) Codie Aubin, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
  9. (1) Chad White, Fort Ann, N.Y.
  10. (11) # Chuck Bradford, Addison, Vt.
  11. (9) Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
  12. (12) Bobby Hackel, Rensselaer, N.Y.
  13. (3) Jimmy Ryan, Whiting, Vt.
  14. (10) # Matt Bilodeau, Pittsford, Vt.
  15. (14) Ryan McLean, Au Sable Forks, N.Y.
  16. (13) Jason Bruno, Morrisonville, N.Y.

Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Jamy Begor

Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Ron Proctor

TRACK CHAMPION: Jason Durgan 

Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model Feature (100 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(8) Bobby Therrien, Hinesburg, Vt.

  1. (4) Josh Masterson, Bristol, Vt.
  2. (5) Jamie Aube, North Ferrisburgh, Vt.
  3. (6) Chris Bergeron, Claremont, N.H.
  4. (11) Steve Miller, Vergennes, Vt.
  5. (9) Luke Hinkley, Claremont, N.H.
  6. (1) Dallas Trombley, Rutland, Vt.
  7. (12) Rich Lowrey Jr., Charlotte, Vt.
  8. (14) Dylan Payea, Henniker, N.H.
  9. (2) Seth Bridge, Mendon, Vt.
  10. (10) Jesse Carris, Rutland, Vt.
  11. (13) Trampas Demers, South Burlington, Vt.
  12. (7) Todd Stone, Middlebury, Vt.
  13. (3) Robert Bryant Jr., Brooklyn, Conn.

Heat Winners: Dallas Trombley, Josh Masterson

TRACK CHAMPION: Josh Masterson 

Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Renegade Feature (50 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie

  1. (9) Jason Woodard, Waterbury Center, Vt.
  2. (6) Jim McKiernan, Moriah Center, N.Y.
  3. (5) Scott FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt.
  4. (2) # Alexis Aiken, Claremont, N.H.
  5. (3) Matt Monaghan, Colchester, Vt.
  6. (4) R.J. Germain, Bristol, Vt.
  7. (1) Tony Salerno, Mineville, N.Y.
  8. (7) # Austin McKiernan, Moriah Center, N.Y.
  9. (8) # Bill Burlingame, Gansevoort, N.Y.

Bond Auto Parts Hard Charger Award: Jason Woodard

TRACK CHAMPION: Jim McKiernan 

Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie

  1. (6) Brad Bertrand, Ferrisburgh, Vt.
  2. (7) # Eric Messier, Hinesburg, Vt.
  3. (5) # Brett Wood, Georgia, Vt.
  4. (4) Garrett Given Sr., Cornwall, Vt.
  5. (17) Dale O’Neil, Mooers, N.Y.
  6. (8) # Zach Wood, Georgia, Vt.
  7. (2) # Kaleb Shepard, New Haven, Vt.
  8. (1) # Roo Forrest, West Rutland, Vt.
  9. (11) Kodi Sabins, Windsor, Vt.
  10. (12) Cooper Bouchard, Hinesburg, Vt.
  11. (13) Kelsea Woodard, Waterbury Center, Vt.
  12. (18) Nick Little, Claremont, N.H.
  13. (14) Beanie Masterson, Lincoln, Vt.
  14. (15) Donny Yates, North Montpelier, Vt.
  15. (16) Chris Conroy, Newport, N.H.
  16. (9) # Josh Swahn, Pittsford, Vt.
  17. (10) Johnny Bruno, Castleton, Vt.
  18. (3) Andrew FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt.

Bond Auto Parts Hard Charger Award: Dale O’Neil

TRACK CHAMPION: Eric Messier

Sources: Justin St. Louis/Devil’s Bowl Speedway PR