PHOTO: The second annual “Great North American Pancake Eating Championship” presented by Sugar & Spice Restaurant is Friday, August 23 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. (MemorEvents photo)
Double features, spectator racing, Pancake Eating Championship on tap
WEST HAVEN, VT – The summer Friday night stock car racing season will draw to a close with a jam-packed program full of family friendly entertainment at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday, August 23 at 7:00pm. Sugar & Spice Restaurant of Mendon, VT presents double features for four NASCAR Whelen All-American Series classes, the rescheduled Spectator Races for fans driving street-legal vehicles, and the highly-anticipated second annual Great North American Pancake Eating Championship.
The Great North American Pancake Eating Championship will see racing’s hungriest fans devour as many pancakes slathered in real Vermont maple syrup from Sugar & Spice Restaurant as they can in five minutes. Inaugural winner Allen Jones of Rutland, VT pounded down a gut-busting ten-and-a-half pancakes in 2012 and said last week that he has been preparing all summer for a second-straight victory.
On the track, eight championship main events are scheduled for the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series, with double features for the Bond Auto Parts Modified, Late Model, Renegade, and Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock divisions. Todd Stone has a comfortable lead in the Modifieds, but Jessey Mueller, Hunter Bates, Vince Quenneville, Jr., and Ron Proctor are all still well within striking distance.
The largest lead in any of the other divisions is a scant 11 points, as Mini Stock driver Jake Noble leads rookie Chuck Bradford and veteran Chris LaVair, who are tied in second place. Chris Bergeron has a slim four-point lead over rookie Josh Masterson in the Late Model division, while Richie Turner, Robert Gordon, and rookie Brad Bushey are just three points apart at the top of the Renegade class.
Feature events award 50 championship points to each winner, 48 points for the runner-up, and a two-point drop for each subsequent position. With two sets of races on the line for all drivers, the standings have the potential to be completely shaken up. Only one event – the Vermont 200 Championship Weekend on September 14-15 – remains on the schedule following Sugar & Spice Night.
Sugar & Spice Night is the final Friday night event of the summer at Devil’s Bowl Speedway and begins at 7:00pm on Friday, August 23. Regular general admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and free for children 12 and under. Attractions include the free Interstate Batteries Fun Bus tour, the Daredevil community racing division, and the Devil’s Den lounge.
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 at @DevilsBowlSpeed.
OFFICIAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS – through August 16, 2013
Devil’s Bowl Speedway – West Haven, VT – NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Bond Auto Parts Modified (Div. I)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown-Points
# – denotes rookie
1. (1X) Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT – 854 pts. (7 wins)
2. (19) Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, NY – 787 pts. (3 wins)
3. (69) Hunter Bates, Middlebury, VT – 769 pts. (1 win)
4. (78) Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, VT – 767 pts.
5. (27) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY – 764 pts.
6. (4) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY – 730 pts.
7. (55L) Joe Williams, Scotia, NY – 688 pts.
8. (95) Jeff Haskins, Wells, VT – 537 pts.
9. (55) Cody Sargen, Greenfield Ctr., NY – 522 pts.
10. (5VT) Dave Snow, Brandon, VT – 520 pts.
Late Model (Div. II)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown-Points
# – denotes rookie
1. (27) Chris Bergeron, Claremont, NH – 470 pts. (3 wins)
2. (11X) # Josh Masterson, Bristol, VT – 466 pts. (2 wins)
3. (4NY) # Brandon Atkins, AuSable Forks, NY – 433 pts. (1 win)
4. (9NY) Hunter Bates, Middlebury, VT – 416 pts. (1 win)
5. (3RB) Robert Bryant, Jr., Brooklyn, CT – 408 pts.
6. (87) Dan Petronis, II, Mechanicville, NY – 365 pts. (1 win)
7. (25) Chris Curtis, Rutland, MA – 334 pts.
8. (61S) # Johnny Scarborough, Bomoseen, VT – 291 pts.
9. (26) # Seth Bridge, Mendon, VT – 265 pts.
10. (2NH) Norm Andrews, Northfield, VT – 243 pts.
(tie) (05NH) Ricky Bly, Sunapee, NH – 243 pts.
Renegade (Div. III)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown-Points
# – denotes rookie
1. (17) Richie Turner, Fairfax, VT – 340 pts. (1 win)
2. (H20) Robert Gordon, Milton, VT – 339 pts. (3 wins)
3. (51) # Brad Bushey, Cambridge, VT – 337 pts. (2 wins)
4. (19) # Ray Germain, Jr., Bristol, VT – 287 pts.
5. (99) # Richard Lowrey, III, Charlotte, VT – 267 pts.
6. (26VT) # Stephen Donahue, Graniteville, VT – 261 pts.
7. (11) Jimmy Bushey, Mooers Forks, NY – 150 pts.
8. (9) Robin Cummings, Milton, VT – 116 pts.
9. (7) Ray Benoit, Milton, VT – 108 pts.
10. (23) Jon Boutin, St. Albans, VT – 42 pts.
Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock (Div. IV)
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown-Points
# – denotes rookie
1. (8) Jake Noble, Benson, VT – 520 pts. (1 win)
2. (18) # Chuck Bradford, Addison, VT – 509 pts. (1 win)
(tie) (4) Chris LaVair, Gabriels, NY – 509 pts. (4 wins)
4. (11) Mike Whalen, Jr., Plattsburgh, NY – 484 pts. (1 win)
5. (5) Bobby LaVair, Gabriels, NY – 460 pts. (2 wins)
6. (51) John McCarron, Rensselaer, NY – 455 pts.
7. (92) Garry Bashaw, Lincoln, VT – 424 pts.
8. (71) Matt Monaghan, Colchester, VT – 403 pts.
9. (73) Kyle Watrous, Bomoseen, VT – 352 pts.
10. (9) Harold LaVair, Jr., Gabriels, NY – 338 pts.
PHOTO: The ground-pounding, open-wheel cars of the Bond Auto Parts Modified division will run twin features at the final Friday night event of the season at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. (MemorEvents photo)
PHOTO: Late Models Chris Bergeron (#27), Ricky Bly (middle) and Brandon Atkins (#4) race three-wide at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. They’ll be in action for double features on Sugar & Spice Night on Friday. (MemorEvents photo)