Gonyo honored with three awards; LaVair is top four-cylinder driver
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – A select group of asphalt and dirt stock car drivers from Devil’s Bowl Speedway were honored on Monday night, December 28, as Internet news source Vermont Motorsports Magazine announced its annual “Driver of the Year” award winners. The winners in 11 categories were revealed in a live audio broadcast at www.vtmotormag.com; more than 19,000 fan votes were tallied in a two-week span.
Former multi-time Devil’s Bowl Speedway Late Model race winner Nick Sweet took top honors as the 2015 Driver of the Year in the overall voting, topping Modified racer Nick Heywood and multi-division dirt star Kevin Chaffee. Devil’s Bowl champions Vince Quenneville Jr. and Chris LaVair were among the 10 nominees in the top category. The list of past VMM Driver of the Year overall winners includes Devil’s Bowl competitors Todd Stone in 2013 and Don Miller in 2010.
Veteran NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Modified competitor Leon Gonyo was honored posthumously with three awards, winning Driver of the Year laurels in the Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Airborne Park Speedway, and Open Wheel categories. Gonyo, who passed away following a medical emergency during a victory lap at Devil’s Bowl in September, was the overwhelming favorite on all three ballots; he won five races at Devil’s Bowl in 2015.
Asphalt Modified track champion Quenneville finished second to Gonyo in the Devil’s Bowl Speedway category, followed by two-time asphalt Late Model winner Bobby Therrien. Also nominated were dirt Sportsman Modified champion Kenny Tremont Jr. and runner-up Tim Hodge, asphalt Modified runner-up Ron Proctor, asphalt Late Model champion Josh Masterson, asphalt Renegade champion Robert Gordon, and asphalt Mini Stock stars LaVair and Chuck Bradford.
Mini Stock drivers LaVair and Justin Severance finished 1-2 in the Four Cylinder category. LaVair, known for his asphalt success, took down six victories and the asphalt track championship, while rookie driver Severance was a two-time dirt winner at Devil’s Bowl and also took the Bear Ridge Speedway championship. American-Canadian Tour Late Model driver Joey Polewarczyk Jr. was named the Touring Series Driver of the Year after a five-win season that included the People’s United Bank 100 at Devil’s Bowl in June.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway will officially crown its champions and top drivers from the 2015 season at the Holiday Inn Rutland-Killington in Rutland, Vt. on Saturday, January 30, 2016. For tickets, contact Justin St. Louis at (802) 355-3282 or email devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com.
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 and Instagram at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.