Reeves goes 3-for-4 in month of July
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – A packed house saw a wild show at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, July 31, and the crowd cheered three first-time winners, two veteran racers, and a rising young star in victory lane. Jimmy Ryan and Mark Norris held serve for the graybeards, 15-year-old Beau Reeves continued his hot streak, and inaugural wins were scored by Adam Mahoney, John Smith, and Matt Wade.
Shoreham, Vt., racer Ryan, 59, ended a two-year winless drought in the 30-lap Sportsman Modified feature after an early tussle with Gene Pierson and a sensational mid-race battle with Demetrios Drellos. Ryan escaped damage on lap 7 when he nudged leader Pierson while the pair raced three-wide up front with Joey Scarborough. Pierson’s car got pushed into the wall nose-first, ending his bid for an upset win.
Ryan emerged unscathed and was in the lead when Drellos came calling just after the halfway point. The pair thrilled the crowd as they traded slide jobs before Drellos and Scarborough took each other out at lap 20 while chasing Ryan into Turn 1. Ryan ran away in the final 10 laps to score a popular win – the 16th of his long career at Devil’s Bowl. Justin Comes rallied late in the race for the runner-up finish – his best of the year – while Tim LaDuc was third for the third consecutive race.
James Hanson ran his best race of the summer with a fourth-place effort, and Justin Stone came from 18th at the start to finish fifth. The top 10 was completed in order by Don Mattison, Adam Pierson, Tanner Siemons, rookie Anthony Warren, and Mike Palmer. Qualifying heat wins went to Elmo Reckner, Hanson, and Ryan, and Siemons won the consolation race.
Following the race, a scary incident in the pit area resulted in a disqualification and indefinite suspension for Joey Scarborough and several members of his team, and Scarborough has been stripped of all points accumulated in the 2021 season. Drellos was also penalized to last place in the finish order and suspended for one event. (Further details are available by clicking here.)
Plattsburgh, N.Y.’s Beau Reeves continued his impressive run in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman division, streaking to his third win out of the four races held in the month of July. Bryon Linendoll and Bill Duprey each took turns leading long stretches of the 25-lap feature before Reeves made a daring three-wide pass on lap 23 to take over.
A pair of late restarts pushed the race to 26 laps after two attempts at a green-white-checkered finish, but Reeves held on. Duprey finished second for his best result in an open-wheel Modified car, and point leader Austin Comes came from 18th to finish third. Troy Audet was fourth and Steve Pope made a big drive from 23rd to fifth. Gary English was sixth, followed by Evan Roberts, Anthony Ryan, Alex Layn, and Melvin Pierson.
English, Linendoll, and Duprey won the heats. Justin Lilly took the consi and Timmy Aldrighetti won the B-Main to transfer into the feature. Thirty-six cars attempted to qualify for 24 starting positions.
Mark Norris one-upped Jimmy Ryan in the Super Stock division’s special, extra-distance 25-lap race. The 63-year-old Maine native – who has called nearby Benson, Vt., home for several years – passed early leader Josh Bussino and held on for the final 20 circuits, though he never had more than a two car-length lead on rookie Chuck Bradford.
Bradford made several side-by-side attempts at the lead before finishing a tight second. Point leader Chris Murray was third ahead of Andrew FitzGerald and Paul Braymer. The father-son duo of Mike and Josh Bussino were next in line, followed by Chris Brown, Tony Salerno, and Jessie Rule.
The Summit Up Construction Mini Stock division saw its field of 31 cars whittled down by attrition, though none made an exit more spectacular than point leader Chris Sumner, whose car tumbled down the frontstretch in an end-over-end flip; he was uninjured. Several more incidents and lengthy cleanup periods caused the race to be cut from its scheduled 20-lap distance to 11 laps.
When the dust cleared, rookies Adam Mahoney and Daryl Gebo crossed the line side-by-side, with Rutland, Vt.’s Mahoney scoring his first-ever win. T.J. Knight finished third, followed by Lynn Denton and rookie Damian Olden. Austin McKirryher was next, ahead of Scott Chandler, Derrick Counter, Jake Mallory, and Jake Barrows.
Poultney, Vt.’s John Smith scored a momentous career-first win in the Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint division, leading all but the first tour of the 15-lap feature. Smith’s win marked the first in recent memory for a Honda-powered machine, defeating a field of Kawasaki power.
The top five finishers ran the gamut in age: Winner Smith is 50; runner-up Kaidin White turned 12 two weeks ago; third-place Gage Provencher, a rookie, is 11; fourth-place Roger LaDuc is 65, and fifth-place finisher, point leader Ray Hanson, is 32. Scott Bachand, Kevin Smith, Kamden Duffy, Tommy Kasuba, and Kris Severance rounded out the top 10. White and Duffy won the heats.
Local boy Matt Wade of Fair Haven, Vt., redeemed himself from previous transgressions in the 50-lap Enduro Series race. Wade was disqualified on July 4 for spinning the leader coming to the finish, but he more than made up for it on July 31 by leading all 50 laps and winning in dominant style. Four red flags stopped the race including one for a rollover by Dakota Shattuck on the second lap; he was not injured.
Dustin Tierney finished second ahead of brothers Keith and Ryan Benoit, who were the last two drivers on the lead lap. Dan Desforges was fifth, one lap behind, with Eddie Mason sixth on the same lap. Scott Richner, Blaike Condon, Josh Cutler, and Colton Leno completed the top 10.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway has a huge two-event weekend ahead on August 7-8. Friend Construction presents “Fan Appreciation Night” on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. Spectators will be admitted to the grandstands for just $5 and to the infield drive-in for just $15 each. Kids aged 12 and under will be free in both the grandstands and the infield, and the annual “Kids Racecar Rides” will take place at intermission. Pit passes are $25 for members and $35 for non-members, and all five weekly divisions will be in action.
On Sunday at 5:00 p.m., the biggest stars in Northeastern dirt Modified racing will be in town for the third annual “Battle at the Bowl” event for Big Block and Small Block Modifieds. Twin 25-lap features each paying $1,500 to win will determine the starting field for 50-lap Main Event, which pays $10,000 to the winner. The weekly Sportsman Modified, Limited Sportsman, and Mini Stock divisions will also be in action. Grandstand admission is $30 for adults and $5 for kids; infield admission is $40 for adults and free for kids 12 and under. Pit passes are $45 for all persons aged 10 and up, with no one under 10 allowed in the pits, per Vermont State Law.
Pre-sale tickets for both events are available online at https://buytickets.at/devilsbowlspeedway and will be available at the speedway on race day.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of U.S. Route 4, Exit 2, 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 Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Devil’s Bowl Speedway – West Haven, Vt.
Saturday, July 31, 2021
Sportsman Modified Feature (30 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (4) Jimmy Ryan, Shoreham, Vt.
2. (14) Justin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.
3. (17) Tim LaDuc, Orwell, Vt.
4. (3) James Hanson, Orwell, Vt.
5. (18) Justin Stone, Middlebury, Vt.
6. (26) Don Mattison, Wells, Vt.
7. (15) Adam Pierson, East Corinth, Vt.
8. (19) Tanner Siemons, Orford, N.H.
9. (25) # Anthony Warren, Shoreham, Vt.
10. (12) Mike Palmer, Salisbury, Vt.
11. (24) # Shawn McPhee, Rutland, Vt.
12. (20) Adam Piper, Leicester, Vt.
13. (23) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
14. (21) Kevin Chaffee, Bradford, Vt.
15. (22) # Johnny Bruno, Castleton, Vt.
16. (10) Brian Whittemore, Pittsford, Vt.
17. (11) Vince Quenneville, Brandon, Vt.
18. (13) Marty Kelly III, North Bennington, Vt.
19. (6) Mike Fisher, Castleton, Vt.
20. (1) Jason Bruno, Morrisonville, N.Y.
21. (5) Josh Masterson, Bristol, Vt.
22. (7) Elmo Reckner, Ballston Lake, N.Y.
23. (2) Gene Pierson Jr., East Corinth, Vt.
24. (9) Frank Hoard III, Manchester Center, Vt.
25. (16) Demetrios Drellos, Queensbury, N.Y.
Disqualified: (8) Joey Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.
Lap Leaders: Jason Bruno, pole; Gene Pierson Jr. 1-6; Jim Ryan, 7-30. (2 lead changes among 3 drivers)
Cautions (9): Laps 4, 6, 7, 8, 8, 18, 19, 19, 20.
Heat Winners: Elmo Reckner, James Hanson, Jim Ryan
Consi Winner: Tanner Siemons
O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman Feature (25 laps – extended to 26 laps by green-white-checkered finish)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (17) Beau Reeves, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
2. (3) Bill Duprey, Hydeville, Vt.
3. (18) Austin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.
4. (14) Troy Audet, Bridport, Vt.
5. (23) Steve Pope, Shoreham, Vt.
6. (4) Gary English, Salisbury, Vt.
7. (15) Evan Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
8. (9) Anthony Ryan, Benson, Vt.
9. (22) Alex Layn, New Haven, Vt.
10. (21) Melvin Pierson, East Corinth, Vt.
11. (20) Bob Kilburn, Fair Haven, Vt.
12. (16) Dakota Green, Cambridge, N.Y.
13. (6) Hunter Nutter, Orford, N.H.
14. (10) Josh LeClaire, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
15. (5) Katrina Bean, Benson, Vt.
16. (1) Matt Jordan, Cambridge, N.Y.
17. (11) John Gosselin, Shoreham, Vt.
18. (7) Mike McGinn, Elizabethtown, N.Y.
19. (24) Timmy Aldrighetti, Bethel, Vt.
20. (8) Cody O’Brien, Springfield, Vt.
21. (2) Bryon Linendoll, West Pawlet, Vt.
22. (19) Justin Lilly, Castleton, Vt.
23. (13) Scott FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt.
24. (12) Randy Ryan, Orwell, Vt.
Did Not Qualify (12 drivers): Jason Quenneville, Quechee, Vt.; Craig Wholey, Bolton Landing, N.Y.; Bryan Bigue, North Haverhill, N.H.; William Lussier Jr., Fair Haven, Vt.; Brent Bouplon, Eagle Bridge, N.Y.; A.J. Munger, Benson Landing, N.Y.; Wesley Sutliff, South Glens Falls, N.Y.; Kyle Kerr, Shoreham, Vt.; Josh Nelson, Bristol, Vt.; Russ Farr, Granville, N.Y.; Gus Kamburelis, Fort Ann, N.Y.
Lap Leaders: Matt Jordan, pole; Bryon Linendoll, 1-10; Bill Duprey, 11-22; Beau Reeves, 23-25. (3 lead changes among 4 drivers)
Cautions (6): Laps 1, 7, 9, 13, 24, 24.
Heat Winners: Gary English, Bryon Linendoll, Bill Duprey
Consi Winner: Justin Lilly
B-Main Winner: Timmy Aldrighetti
Super Stock Feature (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (3) Mark Norris, Benson, Vt.
2. (5) # Chuck Bradford, Addison, Vt.
3. (10) Chris Murray, Fair Haven, Vt.
4. (9) Andrew FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt.
5. (8) Paul Braymer, Granville, N.Y.
6. (6) Mike Bussino, Mount Holly, Vt.
7. (1) Josh Bussino, Fair Haven, Vt.
8. (12) # Chris Brown, Shrewsbury, Vt.
9. (3) Tony Salerno, Mineville, N.Y.
10. (11) Jessie Rule, Middlebury, Vt.
11. (7) Jim McKiernan, Moriah Center, N.Y.
12. (4) Wayne Gaige, Fultonville, N.Y.
Lap Leaders: Josh Bussino, 1-5; Mark Norris, 6-25. (1 lead change among 2 drivers)
Cautions (3): Laps 3, 11, 11.
Heat Winners: n/a
Summit Up Construction Mini Stock Feature (20 laps – shortened to 11 laps by time constraints)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (7) # Adam Mahoney, Rutland, Vt.
2. (20) # Daryl Gebo, Orwell, Vt.
3. (10) T.J. Knight, Wells, Vt.
4. (9) Lynn Denton, Milton, Vt.
5. (12) # Damian Olden, Poultney, Vt.
6. (11) # Austin McKirryher, Proctor, Vt.
7. (23) # Scott Chandler, Pittsford, Vt.
8. (17) Derrick Counter, Leicester, Vt.
9. (4) # Jake Mallory, Granville, N.Y.
10. (16) Jake Barrows, Middlebury, Vt.
11. (27) Michael Daniels, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
12. (18) Tom Severance, Fair Haven, Vt.
13. (6) Griff Mahoney, Bristol, Vt.
14. (22) Brian Blake, Cornwall, Vt.
15. (14) # Chase Allen, Fair Haven, Vt.
16. (24) Craig Kirby, St. Albans, Vt.
17. (26) # Donald Olden, Poultney, Vt.
18. (5) # Jakobee Alger, Orwell, Vt.
19. (13) Freddy Burch, Middle Granville, N.Y.
20. (29) Chris Hewitt, Pittsford, Vt.
21. (8) # Cody Dion, Rutland, Vt.
22. (1) # Hunter Clark, Salisbury, Vt.
23. (3) # Kaydan Rice, Poultney, Vt.
24. (2) # Jason Kerr, Shoreham, Vt.
25. (31) Adam Stickle, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
26. (19) Chris Conroy, Newport, N.H.
27. (15) Jarrod Colburn, Rutland, Vt.
28. (25) Chris Sumner, Ripton, Vt.
29. (21) Willie Rice, Poultney, Vt.
30. (28) Mark Mahoney, Brandon, Vt.
31. (30) Trevor Jaques, Milton, Vt.
Lap Leaders: Hunter Clark, pole; Kaydan Rice, 1-2; Griff Mahoney, 3-4; Adam Mahoney, 5-11. (3 lead changes among 4 drivers)
Cautions (4): Laps 2, 2 [red], 3, 11 [red].
Heat Winners: n/a
Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint Feature (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (4) John Smith, Poultney, Vt.
2. (7) Kaidin White, Monkton, Vt.
3. (11) # Gage Provencher, Bridport, Vt.
4. (2) Roger LaDuc, Orwell, Vt.
5. (10) Ray Hanson, Orwell, Vt.
6. (3) Scott Bachand, St. Albans, Vt.
7. (5) Kevin Smith, Brandon, Vt.
8. (6) Kamden Duffy, Richmond, N.H.
9. (8) # Tommy Kasuba, Castleton, Vt.
10. (9) # Kris Severance, Fair Haven, Vt.
11. (1) # Kyle Bruno, Proctor, Vt.
Did Not Start (2 drivers): # Vern Woodard, Fair Haven, Vt.; John McPhee Jr., Rutland, Vt.
Lap Leaders: Kyle Bruno, pole; Roger LaDuc, 1; John Smith, 2-15. (2 lead changes among 3 drivers)
Cautions (1): Lap 1.
Heat Winners: Kaidin White, Kamden Duffy
(Photos by Barry Snelling)