PHOTO: Kenny Tremont, Jr., celebrates his Subway Fresh Fit 50 victory in the Northern Modified Challenge Series event at Canaan Fair Speedway. (www.vtmotormag.com photo)
Veteran leads 49 of 50 laps; point standings tighten
CANAAN, NH – Multi-time Modified stock car racing champion Kenny Tremont, Jr., earned his first-ever victory on the Northern Modified Challenge Series on Sunday, August 11, taking a convincing win in the Subway Fresh Fit 50 at Canaan Fair Speedway. The win was the 303rd feature event victory of the West Sand Lake, NY veteran’s celebrated career.
Tremont was strong in his qualifying heat at the fast 1/3-mile asphalt oval, finishing second to point leader Jessey Mueller. By virtue of a blind draw, Tremont started on the outside of the front row in the 50-lap main event, lining up next to Brandon, VT’s Vince Quenneville, Jr., who also won a qualifying heat.
The opening laps took their toll, drawing four caution periods in the first eight circuits. The restarts set up an entertaining faceoff between Quenneville and Tremont, however, and Tremont surprised even himself in using the tricky outside lane to grab the lead each time. Quenneville was able to lead only the second lap of the race before Tremont pulled out to a comfortable advantage.
The final 42 laps of the race went off without incident, allowing for several battles for position. As Tremont navigated lapped traffic in the late stages of the race, Quenneville and Ron Proctor of Charlton, NY – who had a race-long fight for the runner-up spot – caught Tremont at the front. Tremont held on for the win, though, followed in order by Quenneville, Proctor, Leon Gonyo, and Todd Stone.
Gonyo, of Chazy, NY, fought off a constant challenge from Stone for virtually the whole race distance. Stone, who won the Carrara Masonry & Concrete C.J. Richards Memorial 67 event for the Northern Modified Challenge Series at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on August 2, recovered from a qualifying crash that saw his car fly off the track and require substantial repairs to score the finish.
Mueller, of Olmstedville, NY, finished sixth to retain a slim four-point lead on Gonyo with two races remaining. Jason Durgan of Morrisonville, NY finished seventh in his NMCS debut, followed by Joe Williams of Scotia, NY, Hunter Bates of Middlebury, VT, and first-time Challenge competitor Lonnie Rivers of Plattsburgh, NY.
The Northern Modified Challenge Series is a five-race championship for dirt-style, center-seat, open-wheel Modified stock cars, with races at four tracks on both asphalt and dirt surfaces. The NMCS returns to action at its home track at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, a half-mile asphalt oval in West Haven, VT, on September 14-15 for the Vermont 200 Weekend. The Challenge schedule wraps up on Saturday, October 19 at the quarter-mile Canaan Dirt Speedway at the annual OctoberFAST event.
For more information on the Northern Modified Challenge Series, call (802) 265-3112 or visit www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com. Follow the Northern Modified Challenge Series on Twitter at @NorthernModCS.
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UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Subway Fresh Fit 50
Northern Modified Challenge Series
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, NH
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown-Laps Completed
1. (2) Kenny Tremont, Jr., West Sand Lake, NY – 50 laps
2. (1) Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, VT – 50 laps
3. (4) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY – 50 laps
4. (3) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY – 50 laps
5. (15) Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT – 50 laps
6. (8) Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, NY – 50 laps
7. (5) Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, NY – 50 laps
8. (6) Joe Williams, Scotia, NY – 50 laps
9. (7) Hunter Bates, Middlebury, VT – 50 laps
10. (11) Lonnie Rivers, Plattsburgh, NY – 50 laps
11. (9) Cody Sargen, Greenfield Center, NY – 50 laps
12. (12) Jamie LaFountain, Keeseville, NY – 49 laps
13. (13) Dave Snow, Brandon, VT – 28 laps
14. (10) Travis Bruno, Morrisonville, NY – 9 laps
15. (14) Jim Introne, Jr., Queensbury, NY – 2 laps
Heat Winners: Jessey Mueller, Vince Quenneville, Jr.
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UNOFFICIAL POINT STANDINGS – Following Subway Fresh Fit 50 – Event #3 of 5
Northern Modified Challenge Series
Canaan Fair Speedway, Canaan, NH
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Points
1. (19) Jessey Mueller – 151 points
2. (4) Leon Gonyo – 147 points
3. (78) Vince Quenneville, Jr. – 141 points
4. (69) Hunter Bates – 128 points
5. (1X) Todd Stone – 125 points
6. (55L) Joe Williams – 123 points
7. (27) Ron Proctor – 120 points
8. (115) Kenny Tremont, Jr. – 105 points
9. (55) Cody Sargen – 98 points
10. (5VT) Dave Snow – 92 points
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REMAINING SCHEDULE OF EVENTS – Northern Modified Challenge Series
• Sat.-Sun., September 14-15 – Devil’s Bowl Speedway – West Haven, VT
• Sat., October 19 – Canaan Dirt Speedway – Canaan, NH