Forty-six drivers on voting ballot for Sportsmanship, Most Improved honors
RUTLAND, Vt. – Devil’s Bowl Speedway has released the annual voting ballot for its annual special awards, with a total of 46 drivers nominated. The winners of the Sportsmanship and Most Improved Driver trophies, will be announced at the Banquet of Champions on Saturday, January 27 at the Holiday Inn Rutland-Killington in Rutland, Vermont.
Up to six drivers in each racing division are initially nominated by track officials, with the winners decided by a vote of drivers. The Sportsmanship Award goes each year to the driver in each class who display a consistent commitment to competitiveness, fairness, and respect. The Most Improved Driver Award is given to someone who has made noticeable progress in their on-track competitiveness.
Twenty-one of the drivers appear in multiple categories, and for the third consecutive year Sportsman Modified driver Billy Lussier of Fair Haven, Vt., has the most nominations. Lussier appears on the Sportsmanship ballot for both the 1/2-mile Asphalt Track at Devil’s Bowl and the 3/10-mile Dirt Track, as well as the Most Improved ballot for the dirt.
Others with multiple nods include Sportsman Modified rookie James Fadden; Super Stock drivers Ronnie Alger, Jared Blake, Lou Gancarz, R.J. Germain, Dylan Rabtoy, Tony Salerno, and Brett Wood; Mini Stock racers Jake Barrows, Johnny Bruno, Chris Charbonneau, Dakota Desabrais, Andrew FitzGerald, Roo Forrest, Shawn Moquin, Mike Preston, Willie Rice, and Kaleb Shepard; and 500cc Mini Sprint drivers Colby Beinhaur and Cody O’Brien.
Additional special award recipients to be announced at the Banquet of Champions include Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s highest honors: The Award of Excellence, the Dedication Award, and the John Bruno Award, presented to someone who has made significant lifetime contributions to racing while maintaining high standards of conduct and respect on and off the track.
Tickets for the Banquet of Champions are available at $48 for adults and $28 for kids age 13 and under; drivers must purchase a ticket and be present to receive awards. CLICK HERE to order tickets or to submit voting ballots, or contact Devil’s Bowl Speedway media director Justin St. Louis at devilsbowlspeedway@gmail.com no later than Friday, January 19, 2018. The Holiday Inn Rutland-Killington is located at 476 Holiday Drive in Rutland, Vt.; CLICK HERE to make overnight room reservations or contact the Holiday Inn toll-free directly at 1 (800) 462-4810.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of Exit 2 off of U.S. Route 4 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 Twitter and Instagram at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway 2017 Special Award Candidates:
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES – ASPHALT SPORTSMAN MODIFIED
Billy Lussier, Ron Proctor, Vince Quenneville Jr., Joey Roberts
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES – DIRT SPORTSMAN MODIFIED
Justin Comes, James Fadden, Randy Howe, Billy Lussier, Lenny Pillsbury, Jimmy Ryan
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES – ASPHALT SUPER STOCK
Jared Blake, Bill Burlingame, R.J. Germain, Dylan Rabtoy, Tony Salerno, Brett Wood
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES – DIRT SUPER STOCK
Ronnie Alger, Larry Bristol, Curtis Condon, Lou Gancarz, Matt Mosher, Chris Murray
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES – ASPHALT MINI STOCK
Andrew FitzGerald, Roo Forrest, Cam Gadue, Shawn Moquin, Mike Preston, Kaleb Shepard
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES – DIRT MINI STOCK
Jake Barrows, Chris Charbonneau, Chris Conroy, Dakota Desabrais, Cameron Kennedy, Willie Rice
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES – DIRT 500cc MINI SPRINT
Colby Beinhaur, Austin Chaves, Nadine Coates, Robert Griffin, Cody O’Brien
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD NOMINEES – DIRT SPORTSMAN MODIFIED
Codie Aubin, James Fadden, Tomas Kimball, Billy Lussier, Brian Whittemore
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD NOMINEES – ASPHALT SUPER STOCK
Jared Blake, R.J. Germain, Dylan Rabtoy, Tony Salerno, Brett Wood
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD NOMINEES – DIRT SUPER STOCK
Ronnie Alger, Josh Bussino, Lou Gancarz, Brian Rogers
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD NOMINEES – ASPHALT MINI STOCK
Johnny Bruno, Andrew FitzGerald, Roo Forrest, Shawn Moquin, Mike Preston, Kaleb Shepard
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD NOMINEES – DIRT MINI STOCK
Jake Barrows, Johnny Bruno, Chris Charbonneau, Dakota Desabrais, Willie Rice
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD NOMINEES – DIRT 500cc MINI SPRINT
Colby Beinhaur, Josh Griffin, Erick Mulready, Cody O’Brien
PHOTO: Asphalt Super Stock driver Brett Wood is one of 21 drivers nominated for multiple post-season awards at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway Banquet of Champions. (Barry Snelling/Devil’s Bowl Speedway photo)