LaDuc impressive in Sportsman Modified tribute to Gonyo
WEST HAVEN, VT – Danny Douville picked the right night to dominate on The Dirt Track at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, earning more than $3,800 and the biggest victory of his career in the inaugural Fabian Earth Moving “Green Mountain Sprint Car Nationals” event on Saturday, September 26. Douville topped a list of winners that included Tim LaDuc, Bill Duprey, and Brian Bishop on a chilly early autumn night.
Douville, of Bridgewater, NH, carried the banner for the NAPA Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) series against the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints (ESS) tour in a stout 25-car field – the first non-points combination race ever held for the two series. Douville drew the pole position for the 25-lap A-Main feature race and was never headed for the lead in spite of two quick caution periods on laps 8 and 11.
The 2015 SCoNE champion led every step of the way and collected the $3,000 top prize and the coveted Coastal 181 Cup presented by New England Auto Racing Hall of Famer Lew Boyd. Douville earned $325 in lap leader bonuses and also copped a cool $500 for winning the 10-lap Dash race.
“I’m ecstatic,” Douville said in victory lane. “We’ve had a good year, and this just caps it off for us. It’s a pleasure to run with these guys; it’s very satisfying to win with all of these guys here.”
Canadian Lee Ladouceur of Alexandria, ON had a strong showing as the runner-up, with ESS standout Jason Barney of Brewerton, NY third. Tommy Wickham of ESS finished fourth with SCoNE’s Clay Dow fifth. The top 10 was completed by Steve Poirier, Sammy Reakes, Paulie Colagiovanni, Justin Barger, and Chris Donnelly. Heats were won by Donnelly, Colagiovanni, and Wickham; Lacey Hanson won the B-Main.
The Liberty Street Discount Beverage & Deli Sportsman Modified division raced in tribute to competitor Leon Gonyo, who passed away after winning at Devil’s Bowl one week earlier, and Tim LaDuc of Orwell, VT remained perfect for 2015. Making just his second appearance of the season, LaDuc won both his qualifying heat and the main event, matching the results from his first showing in July.
Anthony Alger of Warrensburg, NY had a head-turning performance by leading the first 15 laps from the pole position, then ran in second place until a hard-charging Vince Quenneville Jr. drove by him on the outside lane just before the white flag flew. The entire field then pulled off the track with 34 of the scheduled 35 laps complete, honoring Gonyo’s memory as the checkered flag waved over a silent track.
In victory lane, LaDuc dedicated the win to Gonyo and recognized other late Devil’s Bowl Speedway stars including his own father, Charlie LaDuc, and Vince Quenneville Sr.
Quenneville Jr., of Brandon, VT finished second with Alger third. Alger picked up a $500 cash bonus for leading the fourth lap, honoring Gonyo’s longtime car number 4; the funds were raised by the race teams of Todd Stone and Jamie LaFountain, as well as Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s Mike and Johnny Bruno, and Gonyo’s longtime crew chief Dean LaFountain.
Jackie Brown Jr. and Bobby Hackel completed the top five finishers, followed by Kenny Tremont Jr., Bob Hackel, Billy Lussier, Brian Whittemore, and Trevor Rocke. Tremont, Brown, and LaDuc won heats, Frank Hoard Jr. won the last-chance qualifier, and Cody Hunt won the B-Main for non-qualifiers.
Bill Duprey of Hydeville, VT obliterated the Renegade division in a 20-lap romp. Duprey was the clear winner for his second victory of the season in the Berlin Optical Expressions Dirt Track Series. He easily outdistanced runner-up Aaron Fachini and third place Darrell Older.
Brian Bishop of Bridport, VT grabbed his career-first win in an entertaining 15-lap Portland Glass Mini Stock feature. Bishop came out on top of a four-wide move for the lead, passing all of the other cars still running on the track at once. Chris Cardarelli finished a career-best second, with Justin Bishop third.
The Dirt Track at Devil’s Bowl Speedway will host its season finale presented by The Stove Depot on Sunday, October 4 at 4:00 p.m. The 2015 champions of The Dirt Track will be crowned with a 100-lap season finale for the Sportsman Modifieds, a Renegade feature, and a $500-to-win Mini Stock special. The MFT Sauce & Rub Co. Enduro Series will also run twin 50-lap races – one on Devil’s Bowl’s half-mile asphalt track, and one on the 3/10-mile dirt track – to crown its champion.
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.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Fabian Earth Moving Night
Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, VT
Berlin Optical Expressions Dirt Track Series
Saturday, September 26, 2015
Green Mountain Sprint Cars Nationals A-Main Feature (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (1) Dan Douville, Bridgewater, NH
2. (2) Lee Ladouceur, Alexandria, ON
3. (3) Jason Barney, Brewerton, NY
4. (4) Tommy Wickham, Constantia, NY
5. (7) Clay Dow, Hampstead, NH
6. (8) Steve Poirier, St-Mathieu-de-Beloeil, QC
7. (10) Sammy Reakes IV, Fulton, NY
8. (5) Paulie Colagiovanni, Marcellus, NY
9. (14) Justin Barger, Montrose, NY
10. (6) Chris Donnelly, Piermont, NH
11. (12) Matt Tanner, Stephentown, NY
12. (17) Mark Smith, Sunbury, PA
13. (9) Scott Holcomb, North Granby, CT
14. (15) Luke Greenwood, Hudson, NH
15. (11) Jacob Williams, Center Tuftonboro, NH
16. (13) Patrick Smith, East Andover, NH
17. (18) Allison Journey, Springfield, OR
18. (20) Will Hull, Plainfield, VT
19. (21) Stephen Hutchinson, Goffstown, NH
20. (19) Lacey Hanson, Orwell, VT
21. (16) Tyler Austin, West Fairlee, VT
Did Not Qualify: Christine Boesch; Chris Clark; Will Eggimann; Dennis McLeod.
Heat Winners: Chris Donnelly; Paulie Colagiovanni; Tommy Wickham
Dash Winner: Danny Douville
B-Main Winner: Lacey Hanson
Liberty Street Discount Beverage & Deli Sportsman Modified Feature (35 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (6) Tim LaDuc, Orwell, VT
2. (11) Vince Quenneville Jr., Brandon, VT
3. (1) Anthony Alger, Warrensburg, NY
4. (4) Jackie Brown Jr., Hurley, NY
5. (10) Bobby Hackel, Rensselaer, NY
6. (8) Kenny Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, NY
7. (5) Bob Hackel, Rensselaer, NY
8. (9) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, VT
9. (17) Brian Whittemore, Pittsford, VT
10. (19) Trevor Rocke, Canaan, NH
11. (13) Ryan Avery, Campton, NH
12. (20) Chris Cayea, Mooers, NY
13. (2) Codie Aubin, Plattsburgh, NY
14. (7) Neal Provost, Plattsburgh, NY
15. (18) Chris Murray, Fair Haven, VT
16. (14) Jack Gentile, Cohoes, NY
17. (3) Jason Sanville, Grafton, NH
18. (15) Justin Comes, Middlebury, VT
19. (12) Chad Miller, White River Junction, VT
20. (16) Frank Hoard Jr., Whitehall, NY
Did Not Qualify: Mike Block Sr.; Reggie Bonner; Cody Hunt; Trevor Hurlburt; Jim Introne Jr.; Jim Kraus; Jimmy Ryan; Rick Sanville; Greg Snyder; Wade Steele.
Heat Winners: Kenny Tremont Jr.; Jackie Brown Jr.; Tim LaDuc
Consi Winner: Frank Hoard Jr.
B-Main Winner: Cody Hunt
Renegade Feature (20 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (4) Bill Duprey, Hydeville, VT
2. (3) Aaron Fachini, North Adams, MA
3. (2) Darrell Older, Ballston Spa, NY
4. (5) Lou Gancarz, North Adams, MA
5. (1) Matt Mosher, Queensbury, NY
Did Not Start: Curtis Condon
Heat Winner: Bill Duprey
Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (4) Brian Bishop, Bridport, VT
2. (1) Chris Cardarelli, St. George, VT
3. (2) Justin Bishop, North Ferrisburgh, VT
4. (5) Jason Porter, Freeport, ME
5. (3) Chris LaVair, Gabriels, NY
Heat Winner: Jason Porter