Thirty-nine drivers nominated for Sportsmanship, Most Improved honors
RUTLAND, Vt. – Devil’s Bowl Speedway has revealed a list of nominees on its voting ballot for the annual Sportsmanship and Most Improved Driver awards. Thirty-nine drivers from five divisions at the half-mile dirt track are eligible for the honors, with the winners to be announced at the Banquet of Champions on Saturday, January 26 at the Holiday Inn Rutland-Killington in Rutland, Vermont.
Up to six drivers in each racing division are initially nominated by track officials, with the winners decided by a vote of drivers. The Sportsmanship Award goes each year to the driver in each weekly racing division who displays a consistent commitment to competitiveness, fairness, and respect. The Most Improved Driver Award is given to someone in each class who has made noticeable progress in their on-track competitiveness.
Fifteen of the 39 drivers are nominated in both categories for their respective divisions including Central Vermont Motorcycles Sportsman Modified veteran Billy Lussier of Fair Haven, Vt., and 2018 Rookie of the Year Marty Kelly III of North Bennington, Vermont.
Also appearing on the ballot for both awards are O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman racers Matt Bilodeau and Adam Piper; Super Stock drivers Andrew FitzGerald and Lou Gancarz; Portland Glass Mini Stock pilots Jake Barrows, Johnny Bruno, Lynn Denton, and Craig Kirby; and Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint runners Joel Belanger, twin brothers John and Shawn McPhee, Samantha Mulready, and champion Cody O’Brien.
In addition to the Sportsmanship and Most Improved trophies, special award recipients to be named at the Banquet of Champions include Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s highest honors: The Dedication Award, the Award of Excellence, and the John Bruno Award, presented to someone who has made significant lifetime contributions to racing while maintaining high standards of conduct and respect on and off the track. Track champions and rookies of the year will also be officially crowned in all divisions.
Tickets for the Banquet of Champions are available at $50 for adults and $30 for kids age 13 and under; drivers must purchase a ticket and be present in order to receive awards and point fund checks. To order tickets or to submit voting ballots, contact devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com no later than Friday, January 18. The Holiday Inn Rutland-Killington is located at 476 Holiday Drive in Rutland, Vt.; contact the Holiday Inn toll-free directly at 1 (800) 462-4810 to make overnight room reservations.
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.
Central Vermont Motorcycles Sportsman Modified Division Special Award Nominees:
SPORTSMANSHIP: Marty Kelly III, Billy Lussier, Ron Proctor, Vince Quenneville Jr., John St. Germain Jr., Josh Sunn
MOST IMPROVED: Allan Hammond, Marty Kelly III, Billy Lussier, Joey Scarborough, Jeff Washburn, Brian Whittemore
O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman Division Special Award Nominees:
SPORTSMANSHIP: Jason Baker, Matt Bilodeau, Paolo Pascarella, Adam Piper, Brent Warren
MOST IMPROVED: Matt Bilodeau, Tanner Forbes, Mike Parodi, Adam Piper, Joey Roberts, Montgomery Tremont
Super Stock Division Special Award Nominees:
SPORTSMANSHIP: Curtis Condon, Andrew FitzGerald, Scott FitzGerald, Lou Gancarz
MOST IMPROVED: Ronnie Alger, Andrew FitzGerald, Lou Gancarz, Trevor Hurlburt
Portland Glass Mini Stock Division Special Award Nominees:
SPORTSMANSHIP: Jake Barrows, Johnny Bruno, Lynn Denton, Craig Kirby, Willie Rice
MOST IMPROVED: Jake Barrows, Johnny Bruno, Lynn Denton, Craig Kirby, Shawn Rogers, Kaleb Shepard
Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint Division Special Award Nominees:
SPORTSMANSHIP: Joel Belanger, John McPhee Jr., Shawn McPhee, Samantha Mulready, Cody O’Brien, Tye Vaillancourt
MOST IMPROVED: Joel Belanger, John McPhee Jr., Shawn McPhee, Samantha Mulready, Cody O’Brien, Kevin Smith
Photo: Rookie Marty Kelly III (#21) of North Bennington, Vt., is nominated for both the Sportsmanship and Most Improved Driver awards at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. (DBS Media photo)