CHARLOTTE, NC — Stock car driver Ron Proctor of Charlton, NY was honored as one of the country’s most decorated short track competitors on Friday, as nearly 800 champions and supporters from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series gathered for a black tie awards gala at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC.
Proctor won the NASCAR Modified Track Championship at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT, collecting two victories and top-five finishes in all nine feature races in 2011; he also won the NASCAR Modified title at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in his native New York. Despite a checkered history dating back 30 years, as a first-time NASCAR license holder, Proctor was eligible for and won the Rookie of the Year prize in both Vermont and New York.
Proctor’s highest honor came as the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Vermont State Champion, which he won as a result of his efforts at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. Proctor was joined on stage by champions from all of NASCAR’s competing U.S. states and Canadian provinces including Virginia State Champion Philip Morris, who was also crowned the 2011 NASCAR National Champion.
Proctor received a personalized letter framed and signed by NASCAR CEO Brian France, a myriad of trophies from Jostens, and a personalized Vermont State Championship firesuit and helmet from CV Products. Total prize money approached 
$11,000. Proctor was also part of an private champions-only group that toured the facilities of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series powerhouse Hendrick Motorsports.
“This is bigger than anything I’ve ever experienced in racing,” Proctor said Friday night. “NASCAR really took care of us in Charlotte, and I would love to come back as the champion and do it all again next year.”
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will again sanction weekly racing at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 2012. The track was recently purchased by successful business owners and former racers Mike and Alayne Bruno of Castleton. The 2012 racing schedule and divisional rulebooks are being finalized and will be released in the coming days.
For more information call (802) 773-0146, email devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com, or visit www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com.
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PHOTOS:
1. Devil’s Bowl Speedway Track Champion Ron Proctor (bottom row, center) with the 2011 Track Champions of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. (Getty Images for NASCAR photo)
2. (L-R) George Proctor, car owners Deborah Eddy & Ron White, Ron Proctor, and Marcy Proctor with trophies from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series 2011 Awards Banquet, held at the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, NC last Friday. (Devil’s Bowl Speedway photo)