Casey Crowned KOD Pro Stock champion
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Brett Hearn added to his legendary dirt Modified stock car racing career at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday, September 16 by winning the biggest event in the track’s 52-year history at the Interstate All Battery Center Vermont 200. The Kinnelon, N.J., star entered as the favorite to win the $10,000 prize, but the race was anything but easy before he tallied the 910th win of his career and his first at Devil’s Bowl since 1994 in front of a monster grandstand crowd.
Driving a crate engine Sportsman Modified for the first time in more than two full years, Hearn didn’t miss a beat. He turned the fastest lap in time trial qualifying, and then won the pole position in a random draw before the main event. Hearn showed the way as the race leader and threatened a runaway, but his car suffered a flat left-front tire on lap 31 during the race’s first caution period and he was forced to make a pit stop. Hearn was relegated to 27th place in the lineup when racing resumed.
Local driver Joey Scarborough of Brandon, Vt., and former track champion Bobby Hackel of Rensselaer, N.Y., squared off at the restart; Hackel led one lap, then Scarborough paced the field for a dozen circuits before Hackel took back over at lap 45. Jessey Mueller made a charge and grabbed the lead at lap 53, holding it through the halfway break and all the way to lap 121 before Hackel made his way to the front again. Hearn, meanwhile, had a few nervous moments in heavy traffic, but reached the top five just before the three-quarter mark of the race.
The race came to a grinding halt with 144 laps complete as 13 cars piled up at the flagstand, drawing a red flag that lasted nearly 30 minutes as cars were lifted off of each other and towed away; no injuries were reported and most drivers were able to continue, though several cars were thoroughly destroyed.
Hackel and Hearn found themselves locked in a battle for the lead for almost 20 laps after the wreckage was cleared, with Hackel holding off the “Jersey Jet” as the crowd grew more anxious. Most of the top drivers got their work done on the outside lane, but Hearn had to use a crossover move to get underneath Hackel and retake the lead at lap 161. From there, he cruised uncontested to the big payday, which included $10,000 cash and a another $3,100 in combined lap leader cash and product certificate bonuses.
Adam Pierson of East Corinth, Vt., put together a strong second-half of the race and was as quick as Hearn in the final 30 laps. He caught and passed Hackel for second place but ran out of time to make a serious run at Hearn and settled for the runner-up spot and $4,000. Hackel’s third-place finish and lap leader bonuses gave him $4,850, unofficially, and Mueller’s total take for fourth place was $4,500 including bonuses.
Visiting Super DIRTcar Series star “Doctor” Danny Johnson of Rochester, N.Y., came to life late in the race and finished fifth after starting 13th, and David Schilling made a strong drive in the final circuits for sixth place after starting 23rd. Scarborough ended up seventh ahead of Connor Cleveland, Kevin Chaffee, and Jack Speshock.
Fifty-six drivers attempted to qualify for 34 starting positions. Qualifying heats were won by Hackel, Tim LaDuc, Jimmy Ryan, Scott Duell, Mueller, and Pierson, while Chad Edwards and Rocky Warner won the last-chance consolation races. Rookie Marty Kelly III of North Bennington, Vt., earned a $250 certificate from Beyea Custom Headers and a $50 certificate from Shiley Fabrication as the “Hard Charger” of the race, driving from 33rd to 15th for a gain of 18 positions. D.J. Robinson and Travis Bruno each collected $500 for splitting wins in the B-Main races for non-qualifiers.
The King of Dirt Racing Pro Stock Series came to Devil’s Bowl Speedway to crown its 2018 season champion in the second annual “Carl Vladyka Memorial” 29-lap race, and Jason Casey of Canaan, Conn., emerged with his first KOD title. Nick Stone of Schenectady, N.Y., won the race in a convincing drive, but Casey’s second-place finish was good enough to net him the championship.
Jason Meltz finished third in the race ahead of Rich Crane and local favorite Eddie Thompson. Jay Casey was sixth, followed by Jon Routhier, Nick Arnold, Darrell Older, and Dave Stickles.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s weekly Mini Stock division turned out 30 cars strong for the $1,000-to-win “Portland Glass 50” event, but a rough-and-tumble race cut the distance in half to 25 laps due to time constraints. Nevertheless, Jason Porter made his 260-mile trip from Freeport, Maine, a success as he won a very competitive race for his fifth win of the season. Glen Ridge Motorsports Park champion P.J. Bleau was the runner-up with Legion Speedway star Erin Aiken third.
Point leader Kaleb Shepard finished fourth after starting 27th, with Shawn Moquin fifth and Zach Wood sixth. Early leader Johnny Bruno rebounded from a wild, airborne flight down the frontstretch and a later spin to finish seventh ahead of Mike Lique, Tim Simonds, and Brett Wood. The Mini Stock results are considered unofficial pending technical inspection review.
The Vermont 200 Weekend was presented by Interstate All Battery Center of Rutland, Fabian Earth Moving, Portland Glass, Kubricky Construction, and Central Vermont Motorcycles.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway closes its 2018 season on Sunday, September 23 with the championship finale for the Sportsman Modified, Limited Sportsman, Super Stock, Mini Stock, and 500cc Mini Sprint divisions, as well as the return of the “Mountain Man” 200-lap Enduro paying $2,000 to win. General admission is $15 on Sunday with kids 12 and under admitted free. Grandstands open at 2:30 p.m. with racing at 4:00 p.m.
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 Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.
OFFICIAL RESULTS – Interstate All Battery Center Vermont 200 Weekend
Devil’s Bowl Speedway – West Haven, Vt.
Sunday, September 16, 2018
Central Vermont Motorcycles Sportsman Modified Feature (200 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (1) Brett Hearn, Kinnelon, N.J.
2. (5) Adam Pierson, East Corinth, Vt.
3. (3) Bobby Hackel, Rensselaer, N.Y.
4. (4) Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, N.Y.
5. (13) Danny Johnson, Rochester, N.Y.
6. (23) David Schilling, East Greenbush, N.Y.
7. (2) Joey Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.
8. (10) Connor Cleveland, Corinth, N.Y.
9. (9) Kevin Chaffee, Bradford, Vt.
10. (11) Jack Speshock, Malta, N.Y.
11. (14) Paolo Pascarella, Brunswick, N.Y.
12. (16) Kenny Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.
13. (25) Alex Bell, Cambridge, N.Y.
14. (8) Tim LaDuc, Orwell, Vt.
15. (33) Marty Kelly III, North Bennington, Vt.
16. (22) Vince Quenneville Jr., Brandon, Vt.
17. (17) Travis Billington, South Glens Falls, N.Y.
18. (15) Neil Stratton, Bennington, Vt.
19. (6) Jimmy Ryan, Shoreham, Vt.
20. (12) John Bellinger, Johnstown, N.Y.
21. (24) Hector Stratton, Bennington, Vt.
22. (7) Scott Duell, Bennington, Vt.
23. (20) Jake Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.
24. (18) Brian Calabrese, Johnstown, N.Y.
25. (30) Josh Sunn, White River Junction, Vt.
26. (26) Allan Hammond, Orange, N.H.
27. (32) James Fadden, Plainfield, N.H.
28. (31) Justin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.
29. (34) Brent Warren, Salisbury, Vt.
30. (27) Chad Edwards, Mayfield, N.Y.
31. (19) Joey Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
32. (21) Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
33. (29) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
34. (28) Rocky Warner, Gloversville, N.Y.
Lap Leaders: Brett Hearn, 1-31; Bobby Hackel, 32; Joey Scarborough, 33-44; Hackel, 45-52; Jessey Mueller, 53-121; Hackel, 122-160; Hearn, 161-200. (6 lead changes among 4 drivers)
Cautions: 14 cautions for 56 laps (laps 27-33, 39-42, 53-55, 61-64,91-94, 97-101, 102-103, 108-112, 116-120, 128-131, 141-143, 145 [red flag], 145-149, 153-154, 157-159).
Time Trial Winner: Brett Hearn (18.847 seconds)
Heat Winners: Bobby Hackel, Tim LaDuc, Jimmy Ryan, Scott Duell, Jessey Mueller, Adam Pierson
Consi Winners: Chad Edwards, Rocky Warner
Beyea Custom Headers/Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Marty Kelly III (+18 positions)
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Josh Sunn
B-Main Winners: D.J. Robinson, Travis Bruno
Did Not Qualify: Ray Hoard, Brian Whittemore, James Meehan, Jason Reome, Mike Parodi, Justin Barber, Joe Williams, Adam Piper, Walter J. Hammond, Fred Proctor, John St. Germain Jr., D.J. Robinson, Elmo Reckner, Chris Lynch, Wayland Childs, Travis Bruno, Chris Murray, Jason Baker, Billy Eggers, R.J. Germain, Montgomery Tremont, Derek Bornt.
King of Dirt Racing Pro Stock Series Feature (29 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (1) Nick Stone, Schenectady, N.Y.
2. (6) Jason Casey, Canaan, Conn.
3. (2) Jason Meltz, Ghent, N.Y.
4. (3) Rich Crane, Canaan, N.Y.
5. (7) Eddie Thompson, Rutland, Vt.
6. (4) Jay Casey, Canaan, Conn.
7. (5) Jon Routhier, Canaan, N.Y.
8. (8) Nick Arnold, Brunswick, N.Y.
9. (12) Darrell Older, Ballston Spa, N.Y.
10. (9) Dave Stickles, Valatie, N.Y.
11. (11) Scott Towslee, Manchester, Vt.
12. (14) Justin Severance, Pittsford, Vt.
13. (13) Chris Murray, Fair Haven, Vt.
14. (10) Nick Reilly, Amenia, N.Y.
Time Trial Winner: Jon Routhier (20.606 seconds)
Heat Winners: Jay Casey, Rich Crane
Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature (50 laps – shortened to 25 laps by time constraints)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
RESULTS UNOFFICIAL PENDING TECHNICAL INSPECTION REVIEW
1. (16) Jason Porter, Freeport, Maine
2. (10) P.J. Bleau, Latham, N.Y.
3. (15) Erin Aiken, Claremont, N.H.
4. (27) Kaleb Shepard, Vergennes, Vt.
5. (8) Shawn Moquin, Milton, Vt.
6. (13) Zach Wood, Georgia, Vt.
7. (6) Johnny Bruno, Castleton, Vt.
8. (5) Mike Lique, West Lebanon, N.H.
9. (4) Tim Simonds, Clarendon, Vt.
10. (12) Brett Wood, Georgia, Vt.
11. (3) Willie Rice, Poultney, Vt.
12. (25) # Craig Kirby, Winooski, Vt.
13. (23) Dakota Desabrais, Hampton, N.Y.
14. (14) Justin Bolster, Fair Haven, Vt.
15. (9) Derrick Counter, Leicester, Vt.
16. (7) Mike Preston, Panton, Vt.
17. (1) # Shawn Rogers, Fair Haven, Vt.
18. (21) Owen Carbee, Groton, Vt.
19. (19) Chris Guyette, North Clarendon, Vt.
20. (11) Kyle Rogers, Fair Haven, Vt.
21. (30) # Tanner Lunt, Fort Ann, N.Y.
22. (2) # Lynn Denton, Milton, Vt.
23. (29) Kelly Miller Jr., Johnson, Vt.
24. (17) Chris Charbonneau, Rutland, Vt.
25. (18) Josh Kennedy, Rochester, Vt.
26. (20) Jill Simonds, Clarendon, Vt.
27. (24) Cameron Kennedy, Rochester, Vt.
28. (26) Jake Barrows, Cornwall, Vt.
29. (28) Dave LaBarge, Queensbury, N.Y.
Did Not Start: Hunter Given, Orwell, Vt.
Heat Winners: Johnny Bruno, Jason Porter
(Photos by Alan Ward)