PHOTO: Modified rookie Joey Roberts celebrates his first career open-wheel victory at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday night. (Alan Ward photo)
Bushey takes eighth Late Model win in three-wide thriller
WEST HAVEN, VT – Rookie open-wheel stock car driver Joey Roberts broke through for the first NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Bond Auto Parts Modified victory of his career on “Family Fun Friday” at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday, August 3. Roberts, of Georgia, VT, won the first of two 20-lap sprint-style feature races for the win.
Roberts, in his first year of Modified racing after a successful full-fender stock car career, started fourth in his Vermont Life Safety/Mansfield Heliflight-sponsored No. 50x Bicknell and quickly jumped out to a large lead. Seventeen year-old Jessey Mueller of Olmstedville, NY made an impressive late-race drive from ninth to reach Roberts’ rear bumper at the finish, but settled for second. Another 17 year-old, Cody Sargen of Greenfield Center, NY, started his two-car team’s outstanding night with a Devil’s Bowl Speedway career-best third-place finish, with teammate Joe Williams fourth. Ron Proctor finished fifth.
Alex Bell of Cambridge, NY picked up his third win of the season in the nightcap, pending inspection of his car’s engine, racing his Carmody Ford/Bell Excavating No. 23 Bicknell from seventh at the start to pass Sargen for the lead on the outside lane with only three laps remaining. Williams, of Scotia, NY made a breathtaking pass of Sargen for the runner-up spot with two laps to go, and Sargen held on for his second third-place finish of the night. Proctor was fourth and Roberts came from 11th to finish fifth.
Craig Bushey of Fairfax, VT ran to his eighth win of the year in the 25-lap J&S Steel Late Model feature, but for the second week in a row was unsure of his victory until after the checkered flag fell. Bushey was in a thrilling three-wide battle with Kevin Elliott and Bryan Town when contact between the three cars on lap 22 sent Town spinning and brought out the caution flag. Bushey and Elliott restarted on the front row, but Elliott faded late, allowing Bushey to take the win. Jamie Fisher of Shelburne, VT finished second, and rookie Johnny Chesnut of Grantham, NH – who was celebrating his 18th birthday – snuck into a career-best third place on the final corner. Chris Curtis and Dan Petronis were next in line.
Robert Gordon of Milton, VT grabbed his fifth Renegade victory of the season in a photo finish over Hydeville, VT’s Bill Duprey. Duprey made a charge on the outside over the final two laps but fell just eight-thousandths of a second (.008) short at the finish line – less than six inches. Ryan Keith was third, followed by Frank Monroe and Jeremy Jones.
Tyson Drown of Morrisonville, NY won the special 30-lap Bomber feature after an entertaining mid-race battle with freshman racer Mitchell Dundon of Orwell, VT. Drown cruised to the win, with Garrett Given of Cornwall, VT a season-best second and Bobby LaVair of Gabriels, NY third. Dundon held on for fourth place, and Chris LaVair was fifth.
“Family Fun Friday” featured interactive rides for spectators young and old, including kids’ racecar rides, Pace Car rides, and two race track and pit area tours on the Interstate Batteries-sponsored Fun Bus.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is closed for a mid-summer break on Friday, August 10, but the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series is back in action on Green Mountain Water Environment Association Night on Friday, August 17. The jam-packed card features twin 20-lap Late Model features, Modifieds, Renegades, Bombers, and a 4&6-cylinder Enduro. General admission is $10 for adults, $9 for seniors (62+), and free for children 12 and under. Gates open at 5:00pm, green flag racing begins at 7:30pm.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, VT, four miles north of Exit 2 on US Route 4. For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or click www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/devilsbowlspeedway and Twitter at @DevilsBowlSpeed.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Family Fun Friday Night
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, VT
Friday, August 3, 2012
Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature #1 (20 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (4) # Joey Roberts, Georgia, VT
2. (9) Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, NY
3. (2) Cody Sargen, Greenfield Center, NY
4. (6) Joe Williams, Scotia, NY
5. (8) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY
6. (12) Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, VT
7. (7) Hunter Bates, Middlebury, VT
8. (11) Alex Bell, Cambridge, NY
9. (10) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY
10. (13) Jamie Proctor, Schuylerville, NY
11. (3) # Jeff Haskins, Wells, VT
12. (5) Jason Bruno, Plattsburgh, NY
13. (14) Paul Braymer, Granville, NY
14. (2) # Andy Smith, South Glens Falls, NY
15. (15) Matt Atwood, Whitehall, NY
Heat Winners: Hunter Bates, Ron Proctor
Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature #2 (20 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (7) Alex Bell, Cambridge, NY
2. (6) Joe Williams, Scotia, NY
3. (3) Cody Sargen, Greenfield Center, NY
4. (9) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY
5. (11) # Joey Roberts, Georgia, VT
6. (8) Hunter Bates, Middlebury, VT
7. (13) Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, NY
8. (12) Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, VT
9. (10) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY
10. (1) Jamie Proctor, Schuylerville, NY
11. (2) # Jeff Haskins, Wells, VT
12. (5) Jason Bruno, Plattsburgh, NY
13. (4) Paul Braymer, Granville, NY
14. (14) Matt Atwood, Whitehall, NY
15. (15) # Andy Smith, South Glens Falls, NY
J&S Steel Late Model Feature (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (8) Craig Bushey, Fairfax, VT
2. (11) Jamie Fisher, Shelburne, VT
3. (9) # Johnny Chesnut, Grantham, NH
4. (10) Chris Curtis, Rutland, MA
5. (4) Dan Petronis, Mechanicville, NY
6. (12) # Danny Sullivan, Morrisonville, NY
7. (2) Kevin Elliott, Rutland, VT
8. (7) Bryan Town, Charlestown, NH
9. (3) Norm Andrews, Northfield, VT
10. (1) # Robert Bryant, Jr., Brooklyn, CT
11. (6) Matt White, Northfield, VT
12. (9) # Jesse Carris, Rutland, VT
Heat Winners: Craig Bushey, Dan Petronis
Renegade Feature (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (2) Robert Gordon, Milton, VT
2. (3) Bill Duprey, Hydeville, VT
3. (4) Ryan Keith, Pittsford, VT
4. (5) Frank Monroe, Granville, NY
5. (1) Jeremy Jones, Leicester, VT
Heat Winner: Robert Gordon
Bomber Feature (30 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (5) Tyson Drown, Morrisonville, NY
2. (4) Garrett Given, Cornwall, VT
3. (10) Bobby LaVair, Gabriels, NY
4. (2) Mitchell Dundon, Orwell, VT
5. (6) Chris LaVair, Gabriels, NY
6. (11) # Josh Masterson, Bristol, VT
7. (3) # Gerald LaFlam, Hinesburg, VT
8. (9) Ray Germain, Jr., Bristol, VT
9. (8) Harold LaVair, Gabriels, NY
10. (12) Eddie Bruno, Jr., Fair Haven, VT
11. (1) # Kyle Watrous, Bomoseen, VT
12. (7) Dan Collins, Rennselaer, NY
13. (14) # Bruce Schwab, Jr., Whitehall, NY
14. (13) Seth Bridge, Mendon, VT
15. (15) Matt Monaghan, Colchester, VT
16. (16) Cody Grossbeck, Fair Haven, VT
Heat Winners: Mitchell Dundon, Tyson Drown