Tremont tops the Valley; two Devil’s Bowl racers head south
(NOTE: The Devil’s Bowl Speedway “Regional Racing Report” is a semi-regular feature highlighting affiliated drivers and series competing at other race tracks.)
The 50th season of stock car racing at Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s opens in just under four weeks, with NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action on the half-mile asphalt oval on Saturday, May 21 and racing on the 3/10-mile dirt track on Sunday, May 22. A handful of Devil’s Bowl drivers are already getting their seasons started by traveling around the country to other tracks. Here’s a look at how they performed:
DIRT RACING REPORT:
Albany-Saratoga Speedway – Malta, N.Y.
- Defending Devil’s Bowl Sportsman champion Kenny Tremont Jr. finished third in the season opening Modified event at Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., on Friday night, April 22, behind Peter Britten and Matt DeLorenzo. Devil’s Bowl competitor Brian Whittemore finished 23rd with Bobby Hackel 27th.
- Jim Introne Jr. finished 21st in the Sportsman feature with Hunter Bates in 29th and Jackie Brown Jr. in 30th.
- Rookie Justin Severance grabbed a strong runner-up finish in his first open-wheel race in the Limited Sportsman class.
- Defending Devil’s Bowl Renegade champion Darrell Older finished fifth in the Street Stock feature.
Lebanon Valley Speedway – West Lebanon, N.Y.
- Kenny Tremont Jr. kept a solid weekend going by winning the first Modified feature of the 2016 season at Lebanon Valley Speedway on Saturday, April 23. Brett Hearn was second with Keith Flach third.
Lucas Oil Southern States Midget Series
Sumter Speedway – Sumter, S.C.
- Josh Sunn of White River Junction, Vt., finished second in the Lucas Oil Southern States Midget Series event at South Carolina’s Sumter Speedway on Saturday night. Sunn is expected to return as a regular in the Sportsman Modified class at Devil’s Bowl.
ASPHALT RACING REPORT:
American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models
Lee USA Speedway – Lee, N.H.
- Scott Payea of Milton, Vt., proved on Sunday, April 24, that he hasn’t lost his touch by winning the ACT Late Model Tour’s New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway. It was just the second start of Payea’s comeback season after two years away from racing; he is driving the No. 37 RPM Motorsports entry formerly run by eight-time ACT champion Brian Hoar.
- Wayne Helliwell Jr. – a three-time ACT winner at Devil’s Bowl – finished second ahead of Ray Parent, Alex Labbé, and Quinny Welch. Former Devil’s Bowl Speedway regular Emily Packard took a sixth-place finish, one spot better than two-time Devil’s Bowl winner Bobby Therrien.
- The American-Canadian Tour heads to Thunder Road in nearby Barre, Vt., this Sunday afternoon, and returns to Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday night, June 4, for the People’s United Bank 100.
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Greenville-Pickens Speedway – Easley, S.C.
- Defending Portland Glass Mini Stock champion Chris LaVair of Gabriels, N.Y., began his NASCAR Whelen All-American Series season at South Carolina’s Greenville-Pickens Speedway on Saturday, April 23; his brother Bobby, a former Devil’s Bowl regular, is now living and racing in the area. The story started off well as Chris LaVair drove his new car to victory lane in his first start at the historic track, but unfortunately his exhaust was out of spec with the track’s rulebook and he was stripped of the win. LaVair reports that he is searching for the approved part and will return to race this weekend if the correct piece is located in time.
Oxford Plains Speedway – Oxford, Maine
- Devil’s Bowl Dirt Track regular and Vermont native Jason Porter, now living in Freeport, Maine, finished 10th in the Bandit class on the asphalt at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, April 24.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s 50th season is scheduled to open with an all-new schedule and format in 2016. The track’s half-mile asphalt oval has a new date of Saturday nights at 6:00 p.m., beginning on Saturday, May 21, and the 3/10-mile dirt track has expanded to a full 13-race schedule on Sunday nights at 6:00 p.m., starting on Sunday, May 22. Regular general admission at most events will continue to be $12.00 for adults, while kids age 12 and under will get in for free at all stock car racing events in 2016.
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, 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.
PHOTO: Dirt Sportsman Modified regular Josh Sunn picked up a runner-up finish in the Lucas Oil Southern States Midget Series at Sumter (S.C.) Speedway over the weekend. (Photo via Facebook)