PHOTO: The ground-pounding Bond Auto Parts Modifieds of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will again headline the stock car racing action at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 2013. (MemorEvents photo)
Sixteen stock car racing events for “Vermont’s Fastest Family Fun”
WEST HAVEN, VT – Devil’s Bowl Speedway has announced its most exciting asphalt stock car racing schedule to date for the 2013 season. Sixteen action-packed events will feature a different headline race at each outing, creating a summer full of dramatic door-to-door competition for the local stars of the weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series at the West Haven, VT half-mile oval.
The season opens on Sunday, May 5 at 1:30pm with the historic “Spring Green 113” for the American-Canadian Tour (ACT) Late Models. The 39th running of the Spring Green marks the third consecutive year that the event will be held at Devil’s Bowl; Wayne Helliwell, Jr., of Dover, NH posted the first victory of his ACT championship season in the 2012 event. The race also opens the championship schedule for the open-wheel Bond Auto Parts Modifieds, the American-made, V8-powered Renegades, and the entry-level four-cylinder Mini Stocks of the weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
Summer officially arrives as the Friday night season begins with the People’s United Bank Memorial Day Special on Friday, May 24 at the new earlier weekly start time of 7:00pm. Twin 25-lap features for the ground-pounding Modifieds and the championship opener for the J&S Steel Late Models are scheduled along with the Renegades, Mini Stocks, and a holiday fireworks show. The Modifieds will also have Twin 25 doubleheaders on Friday, June 21 and Friday, August 16. Ron Proctor of Charlton, NY will try for his third consecutive Modified championship in 2013.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series will make its first-ever appearance in Vermont on Friday, June 7 with the “Slate Valley 100” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. The second-year tour will bring cars similar in construction and appearance to the weekly Devil’s Bowl Late Model class, but with wider tires and bigger horsepower. Weekly competitors are encouraged to race in the event by making minor and relatively inexpensive modifications. Past winners on the Granite State tour include NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Matt Frahm of New Salem, NH and regular Devil’s Bowl competitor Chris Wilk of Mendon, VT.
Three big events in July will make the racing action as hot as the weather – the Coca-Cola Firecracker returns on Friday, July 5 with 44-lap features for Modifieds and Late Models, plus Renegades, Mini Stocks, and a massive Independence Day fireworks celebration. One week later, The Rutland Herald presents the double-points, double-pressure Mid-Season Championships on Friday, July 12. A nine-day summer break will let teams regroup before the American-Canadian Tour returns for the season’s second event – a 150-lap marathon on Sunday, July 28 at 1:30pm.
The Modified division will be put to the test in the ultimate stretch drive toward the championship, as August features two extra-distance races and a Twin 25 card. The second annual Carrara Masonry & Concrete C.J. Richards Memorial event will be held on Friday, August 2, as the Modifieds race 67 laps in honor of late Devil’s Bowl Speedway founder Richards, who opened the facility in 1967. The Modifieds will run a regular event on August 9 before the exciting Twin 25s return on Brown’s Quarried Slate/Brown’s Orchard & Farm Stand Night on August 16, and the weekly summer season closes on Friday, August 23 with a 50-lap grind presented by the Sugar & Spice restaurant and gift shop.
The Vermont 200 Weekend will crown the 2013 track champions in all four weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions on September 14-15. Last year’s two-day spectacular event featured extra-distance races that saw close racing and exciting finishes in all four classes; details regarding the Vermont 200 Weekend will be released soon.
The 2013 season draws to a close with the wild-and-crazy “Vermonster 150” Enduro on Saturday, October 19. Enduro races are caution-free, survival-of-the-fittest marathons for strictly stock vehicles and novice drivers. The Vermonster 150 will be the final event of a four-race Enduro schedule at Devil’s Bowl Speedway; Enduros will also be held in conjunction with weekly Friday night events on May 31, June 28, and August 16. The Vermonster 150 will highlight a card that includes the always-unpredictable Spectator Races and special non-championship races for the Renegades and Mini Stocks.
General Admission 2013 season passes are now available. Adult season passes are only $190 for a total savings of nearly 15% from the race-day ticket price, and will be accepted at all 16 stock car racing events. Senior (age 62+) season passes are just $160 for a savings of nearly 20%.
The Devil’s Bowl Speedway 2012 Banquet of Champions will be held on Saturday, February 2, 2013 at the Holiday Inn Rutland-Killington in Rutland, VT. To order a season pass or tickets for the Banquet of Champion, call (802) 265-3112 or click www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/DevilsBowlSpeedway and on Twitter at @DevilsBowlSpeed.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway 2013 Schedule of Events (as of Monday, January 14, 2013)
NWAAS = NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
No. — Day/Date — Event (Start Time)
1. Sun., May 5 — 39th Annual Spring Green 113 (1:30pm) — NWAAS + American-Canadian Tour
2. Fri., May 24 — People’s United Bank Memorial Day Modified Twin 25s (7:00pm) — NWAAS + Fireworks
3. Fri., May 31 — Carrara Masonry & Concrete Night (7:00pm) — NWAAS + Enduro
4. Fri., June 7 — Slate Valley 100 (7:00pm) — NWAAS + Granite State Pro Stock Series
5. Fri., June 14 — Late Model Twin 25s (7:00pm) — NWAAS + Spectator Races
6. Fri., June 21 — Whelen Engineering Hometown Heroes Modified Twin 25s (7:00pm) — NWAAS
7. Fri., June 28 — NASCAR Whelen All-American Series (7:00pm) — NWAAS + Enduro
8. Fri., July 5 — Coca-Cola Firecracker Modified & Late Model 44s (6:00pm) — NWAAS + Fireworks
9. Fri., July 12 — Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championships (7:00pm) — NWAAS – Double points all divisions
— Fri., July 19 — Summer Break — No Racing
10. Sun., July 28 — ACT Late Model Tour 150 (1:30pm) — NWAAS + American-Canadian Tour
11. Fri., Aug. 2 — Carrara Masonry & Concrete C.J. Richards Memorial 67 (7:00pm) — NWAAS
12. Fri., Aug. 9 — Mini Stock Special (7:00pm) — NWAAS + Spectator Races
13. Fri., Aug. 16 — Brown’s Quarried Slate/Orchard & Farm Stand Modified Twin 25s (7:00pm) — NWAAS + Enduro
14. Fri., Aug. 23 — Sugar & Spice Modified 50 & Late Model Twin 25s (7:00pm) — NWAAS + North American Pancake Eating Championship
15. Sat., Sept. 14 — Vermont 200 Weekend — Qualifying & Shootout Day (1:30pm) — NWAAS
Sun., Sept. 15 — Vermont 200 Weekend — Main Events (1:30pm) — NWAAS
16. Sat., Oct. 19 — Vermonster 150 Enduro (1:00pm) — Plus Renegades, Mini Stocks, Spectator Races
PHOTO: The J&S Steel Late Model division will see more special events on the 2013 Devil’s Bowl Speedway schedule. (Leif Tillotson photo)