PHOTO: Driver Autographs and Kids’ Racecar Rides are part of the double-points Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championships at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday night. Kids Rides start at 6:15pm. (MemorEvents photo)
Mid-Season Championships are make-or-break; Kids rides, driver autographs on schedule
WEST HAVEN, VT – NASCAR Whelen All-American Series stock car drivers will have to bring their “A-game” to Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday, July 12 at 7:00pm for the Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championships. With double championship points up for grabs in all preliminary and feature races, the event can make or break a driver’s title hopes and places even greater emphasis on performance.
All four weekly divisions will see point values increase twofold for each finishing position at the Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championships. Qualifying heats are bumped up from five points to win to a healthy 10 points – the difference of five finishing positions in a regular 35-lap main event. The Sunoco Race Fuels Semi-Feature for the Bond Auto Parts Modified division is also doubled, jumping from 10 points for a win to a whopping 20 markers. Feature races are stuffed with points, with the victory ballooning from 50 points to a mammoth 100 tallies.
Despite four victories in eight starts, Todd Stone of Middlebury, VT leads the Modified standings by just 29 points. With a 56-point swing between first and 15th place at the Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championships, however, Stone’s lead on two-time Devil’s Bowl champion Ron Proctor is far from safe. Vince Quenneville, Jr., Hunter Bates, and Jessey Mueller are also well within striking distance.
On the strength on consecutive third-place finishes, rookie Josh Masterson of Bristol, VT tops a tight battle in the Late Model division, leading Chris Curtis, Chris Bergeron, rookie Brandon Atkins, and Coca-Cola Firecracker winner Dan Petronis under a 24-point blanket. Things are even closer in the Renegade division, where Richie Turner, defending champion Robert Gordon and rookie Brad Bushey are only 11 points apart. Jake Noble paces the Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock division by a slim 15 points with rookie Chuck Bradford on his heels.
In the midst of the pressure-packed event, race fans young and old will have two chances to meet and greet their favorite local NASCAR stars, as both Kids’ Racecar Rides and the annual Rutland Herald Driver Autograph Session are scheduled for Friday’s event. Racecar Rides are scheduled for a 30-minute session beginning at 6:15pm, with the autograph session at intermission.
Regular general admission for the Rutland Herald Mid-Season Championships event on Friday, July 12 is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, and free for children 12 and under. Racing action is at 7:00pm.
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.