Track, state, NASCAR championship and rookie titles on the line
WEST HAVEN, VT – Devil’s Bowl Speedway hosts a pressure-packed weekend of racing action at the Mekkelsen RV Vermont 200 Championship Weekend on September 13-14, as nearly a dozen championship and rookie titles are decided during the two-day show. Battles for the track’s weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions will wrap up, along with the Vermont State Late Model Championship Series.
Todd Stone of Middlebury, VT seeks his second-straight Bond Auto Parts Modified division crown. While his 2013 title was clinched in a 10-win runaway, Stone has been kept in check this year by Joey Roberts and Leon Gonyo. Roberts trails by 35 points (846-811) while Gonyo is another five markers back. Twin 50-lap features and a maximum available total of 105 points mean that the title is far from a lock for Stone.
Stone also leads Roberts in the race for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Vermont State title, though his advantage is just six points (334-328). The winner of each of the Modified division’s track and state titles will be honored at a black-tie gala held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC in December.
The Late Model division enjoys a tight three-way battle as veteran Jamie Fisher of Shelburne, VT paces youngsters Josh Masterson and Emily Packard entering the 100-lap finale on Sunday. Fisher leads Masterson by just 13 points (660-647), with Packard only two more points behind. The Vermont State Late Model Championship will also be decided; Nick Sweet of Barre, VT leads Jason Corliss by 29 points (248-219).
Robert Gordon of Milton, VT has a large 96-point lead on young Stephen Donahue in the intermediate Renegade class (660-564), and second-year driver Chuck Bradford of Addison, VT leads the entry-level Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock division with a 57-point edge on defending champion Jake Noble.
Hometown driver Billy Lussier leads the weekly Modified Rookie of the Year standings over Jason Reome, while Jason Durgan tops the NASCAR Vermont State rookie chase. Dan St. Hilaire leads the Late Model freshman race, and the father-son team of Scott and Andrew FitzGerald is looking for a two-division Rookie of the Year title sweep in the Renegades and Mini Stocks, respectively.
The Mekkelsen RV Vermont 200 Weekend opens on Saturday, September 13 with qualifying, Non-Winner Shootouts, and a feature race for the North East Mini Stock Tour. Main events are Sunday, September 14. Grandstands open at 11:00 a.m. both days with racing at 1:30 p.m. Two-day admission is $25 for adults and free for kids 12 and under; one-day admission is also available for $10 on Saturday and $20 on Sunday.
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 and #VT200 hashtags.
PHOTO: Todd Stone (#1x) and Joey Roberts (#50x) will decide the Bond Auto Parts Modified and NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Vermont State championships between themselves at the Mekkelsen RV Vermont 200 Weekend at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. (MemorEvents photo)