PHOTO: Bond Auto Parts Modified champion Ron Proctor (left) celebrates his People’s United Bank Memorial Day Special victory with Sharon Kendall (right) of People’s United Bank in Fair Haven, VT at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in 2012. (MemorEvents photo)
People’s United Bank opens Friday summer racing schedule at Vermont speedway
WEST HAVEN, VT – People’s United Bank will usher in the summer stock car racing season at Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT for the second year in a row. The 171 year-old, New England-based financial institution will present the People’s United Bank Memorial Day Special to begin the 2013 Friday night NASCAR Whelen All-American Series schedule on Friday, May 24 at 7:00pm. The headline Bond Auto Parts Modified division will run twin 25-lap features as part of a full card of racing that also includes a holiday fireworks show.
Veteran New York state drivers Leon Gonyo and Ron Proctor each scored in last year’s People’s United Bank Memorial Day Special twin Modified features. Proctor’s victory was the first of a three-win campaign that led to his second-straight Devil’s Bowl Speedway and NASCAR Vermont State Championships. Proctor will return in search of a three-peat, but is expected to be challenged by the likes of Brandon, VT’s Vince Quenneville, Jr., Hunter Bates of Middlebury, VT, Alex Bell of Cambridge, NY, and 2012 Rookie of the Year Joey Roberts of Georgia, VT.
The People’s United Bank date is the first championship point event for the Late Model division, which has a wide-open title chase ahead of it; with his family expanding, 2012 champion Craig Bushey will not return to full-time competition. Rutland, VT-area drivers Kevin Elliott, Jesse Carris, and Rookie of the Year Robert Bryant, Jr., are expected to contend for the championship against Charlestown, NH’s Bryan Town and Dan Petronis of Mechanicville, NY. Several new full-time competitors are also expected including Pete Yetman of Peru, MA and multi-time champion Chris Bergeron of Claremont, NH.
The intermediate Renegade division has seen growth during the off-season, as has the entry-level Mini Stock class; both divisions will be in action at the People’s United Bank Memorial Day Special on Friday, May 24, along with a massive Memorial Day weekend fireworks display.
People’s United Bank has more than 400 retail locations in Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Maine, and Connecticut, including Fair Haven, VT, Rutland, VT, and Middlebury, VT. For more information, visit www.peoples.com.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s 2013 racing season kicks off on Sunday, May 5 with the 39th annual Spring Green event for the American-Canadian Tour Late Models and Devil’s Bowl’s weekly NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions. General admission season passes are available by visiting www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com or calling (802) 265-3112. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is also on Facebook at facebook.com/DevilsBowlSpeedway and on Twitter at @DevilsBowlSpeed.