WEST HAVEN, Vt. – AJ Munger and Tim LaDuc each won Sunoco Sportsman Modified Features on Friend Construction Night. Kyle and Jason Kerr each captured their first-career wins. Scott Towslee, Logan Denis, Ashleigh Kulzer and Chad Merrill, among others, all landed in the winners’ circle.
Munger and Bruce Loomis had the front row for the first Sunoco Sportsman Modified Feature, which was filled with trouble in the first 3 laps. Finally, the race got going after a multitude of early yellows and Loomis jumped out to the lead. From lap three to lap 26, no yellows were thrown, and it looked like Loomis may be on his way to a big, first-ever Sunoco Sportsman Modified win, but as he neared lapped traffic, he was reeled in by Munger, who went by for the lead. Loomis had a chance on the lap 26 restart to take the top spot back but wasn’t able to. Munger went on to win, grabbing his first win since moving up to the headline class this year. Chaffee crossed the line 2nd with Loomis 3rd, Marty Kelly 4th and Vince Quenneville, Jr., 5th. Dave Camara finished 6th. Loomis did not make weight after the race, bumping Kelly, Quenneville and Camara up one spot each.
The second sportsman feature got off to a rough start, as a lap one, turn one melee collected Bubba McPhee, Troy Audet, Kelly and Munger. More cautions followed, but Tim LaDuc jumped from 5th to the lead almost immediately. The race went green-to-checkered from lap 6 onward, and LaDuc proved to be the class of the field, picking up his first feature win since 2022. Tanner Siemons was 2nd with Camara 3rd. Joey Scarborough and Travis Green completed the top five.
For LaDuc and Quenneville, not much changed in the championship standings Saturday night. LaDuc still leads Quenneville by four points. Travis Green is 3rd, 24 points back.
The O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman kicked off their night of features on a fresh, fast racetrack, beginning their first 20-lap contest with a 18-lap green flag run that saw Hartland’s Tyler Travis amass a four second lead over Kyle Kerr. But the yellow had to fly on lap 18 when Mike Clark went off the backstretch, setting up a green-white-checkered restart. Kerr and Travis fired near simultaneously with Travis choosing the bottom lane. Kerr was able to drive hard into turn one and exit turn two on the cushion, using momentum to power into the lead. For the final lap and a half, Travis drove hard on the bottom while Kerr ripped the top, and Kerr earned his first ever win. Travis was 2nd with Bob Kilburn 3rd, Eric Shaw 4th and Adam Lafountain 5th.
The second limited feature was won by Scott Towslee, rebounding from a tough stretch in the previous two races. Towslee’s pole start was a rarity for him, the result of the random invert from the first feature, but he used it to his advantage, collecting his third win of the year over Alex Layn, Marty Hutchins, Justin Lilly and Shaw, in that order.
The double features were not kind to limited points leader Gary English. Layn and Towslee gained nearly 40 points on English. Layn is now just 14 points out of the lead in 2nd. Towslee is 3rd, 20 points back. Billy Duprey is still in the hunt with a 49-point deficit and four remaining points-paying races.
Kyle Kerr’s brother Jason won his first Hoosier Racing Tire Novice Sportsman Feature just about 15 minutes after Kyle won the night-opening limited bout. Kerr started on the pole for the caution-free event and drove with purpose, driving hard, yet smooth on the bottom, scooting away by a wide margin. The ever-impressive Logan Denis started 9th and worked his way through the field, taking 2nd away from Matt Wade with five laps to go. Denis reduced Kerr’s lead from 2.8 seconds to just .8 in the final laps, but ran out of time as Kerr rode away with his first win, sharing a special night with his brother. Denis got redemption later on, scoring the win in feature No. 2 over Wade and Keegan Tabor.
Ray Hanson and Gage Provencher just cannot leave each other be. The duo is quietly putting on one of the best championship battles possible, trading the points lead every other week it seems. After Ashleigh Kulzer collected her first-career Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint Feature win in the first race over Hanson and Tucker Jones with Provencher 4th, the kid called “Pig Boy” won the second feature with Hanson 2nd and Jenna Zakrzewski 3rd. That turn of events puts Hanson and Provencher tied for the point lead. Quinn Quenneville is 3rd in the standings, but a wreck Saturday virtually ensures the war will be between Provencher and Hanson, two of the most proficient drivers to ever pilot a mini sprint.
The 9th State Cannabis Crown Vics also ran double features, with Chad Merrill and Eric Friend each winning one. Merrill collected his second win at the beginning of the night with Friend running 2nd and Rob Steele 3rd. Later in the night, Friend made another appearance in victory lane, scoring the win on the night bearing the name of his company, Friend Construction, a long-time supporter of local racing. Norman Morrill was 2nd and Brad Cram was 3rd. Ten cars were on hand.
The Fisher Auto Parts Mini Stocks, due to their large car count, ran split features again instead of doubles. Kris Clark, who has been on a tear at Airborne in the past 4 weeks, went from 13th to win feature No. 1. Jarrod Colburn was 2nd with Jeremy Brownell 3rd, Willie Rice 4th and Cody Vanguilder earning his best run of the year in 5th. In the second feature, Rutland’s Ryan Patch, last year’s rookie of the year, earned his 2nd win of 2024, charging from 8th to win it over Brian Blake and Griff Mahoney. Ronnie Alger was 4th and Damian Olden was 5th.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway opens up once again on Saturday, August 24 at 6PM for the return of the Charlie LaDuc Memorial 54 for the Sunoco Sportsman Modifieds. The race will guarantee its winner a starting spot in this year’s Fabian Earth Moving Vermont 200. General Admission is $15, kids 12 and under get in for free. Infield tailgating is available for $20. Pit passes are $28 for members and $38 for non-members.
OFFICIAL RESULTS
Devil’s Bowl Speedway
8/17/24 – Friend Construction Night
Sunoco Sportsman Modified Feature #1 (30 laps)
1. AJ Munger, Benson Landing, Vt.
2. Kevin Chaffee, Bradford, Vt.
3. Marty Kelly III, North Bennington, Vt.
4. Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, Vt.
5. Dave Camara, Poultney, Vt.
6. Travis Green, Wallkill, N.Y.
7. Troy Audet, Bridport, Vt.
8. Brent Warren, Benson, Vt.
9. Jimmy Ryan, Whiting, Vt.
10. Tim LaDuc, Orwell, Vt.
11. Bubba McPhee, Rutland, Vt.
12. Tanner Siemons, Claremont, N.H.
13. Adam Piper, Leicester, Vt.
14. Pat Miner, Monkton, Vt.
15. Jim Nagle, Scotia, N.Y.
16. Joey Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.
17. Frank Hoard, III, Manchester, Vt.
18. Josh Jock, Hogansburg, N.Y.
19. Justin Comes, Fair Haven, Vt.
20. Randy Ryan, Orwell, Vt.
21. Josh Masterson, Bristol, Vt.
22. Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
23. Evan Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
24. Cory Castell, Fort Covington, N.Y.
25. Brian Whittemore, Pittsford, Vt.
26. Shawn McPhee, Rutland, Vt.
27. Austin Comes, South Burlington, Vt.
28. Fire Swamp, Akwesasne, N.Y.
29. Josh Leclaire, Bomoseen, Vt.
30. James Hanson, Orwell, Vt.
Disqualified: Bruce Loomis
Sunoco Sportsman Modified Feature #2 (30 laps)
1. Tim LaDuc, Orwell, Vt.
2. Tanner Siemons, Claremont, N.H.
3. Dave Camara, Poultney, Vt.
4. Joey Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.
5. Travis Green, Wallkill, N.Y.
6. Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, Vt.
7. Kevin Chafee, Bradford, Vt.
8. Justin Comes, Fair Haven, Vt.
9. Josh Jock, Hogansburg, N.Y.
10. Josh Masterson, Bristol, Vt.
11. Adam Piper, Leicester, Vt.
12. Frank Hoard, III, Manchester, Vt.
13. Evan Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
14. Josh Leclaire, Bomoseen, Vt.
15. Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
16. Bubba McPhee, Rutland, Vt.
17. Randy Ryan, Orwell, Vt.
18. Brian Whittemore, Pittsford, Vt.
19. Jimmy Ryan, Whiting, Vt.
20. Fire Swamp, Akwesasne, N.Y.
21. James Hanson, Orwell, Vt.
22. Cory Castell, Fort Covington, N.Y.
23. Pat Miner, Monkton, Vt.
24. Marty Kelly, III, North Bennington, Vt.
25. Brent Warren, Benson, Vt.
26. AJ Munger, Benson Landing, Vt.
27. Bruce Loomis, Salem, N.Y.
28. Troy Audet, Bridport, Vt.
Did not start: Jim Nagle, Austin Comes, Shawn McPhee
O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman Feature #1 (20 laps)
1. Kyle Kerr, Shoreham, Vt.
2. Tyler Travis, Hartland, Vt.
3. Bob Kilburn, Fair Haven, Vt.
4. Eric Shaw, Wells, Vt.
5. Adam Lafountain, Starksboro, Vt.
6. Billy Duprey, Hydeville, Vt.
7. Marty Hutchins, Poultney, Vt.
8. Alex Layn, New Haven, Vt.
9. Justin Lilly, Castleton, Vt.
10. Scott Towslee, Manchester, Vt.
11. William Lussier, Jr., Fair Haven, Vt.
12. Steve Miller, Vergennes, Vt.
13. Fred Little, Salisbury, Vt.
14. Ed Bell, Queensbury, N.Y.
15. Jason Quenneville, Queechee, Vt.
16. Kamden Duffy, Richmond, N.H.
17. Gary English, Salisbury, Vt.
18. Nick Brudnige, Round Lake, N.Y.
19. Cody O’Brien, Springfield, Vt.
20. Boomer Patterson, Milton, Vt.
21. Mike Clark, Jr., Salisbury, Vt.
22. Katrina Leclaire, Bomoseen, Vt.’
23. Derrick Counter, Leicester, Vt.
O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman Feature #2 (20 laps)
- Scott Twoslee, Manchester, Vt.
- Alex Layn, New Haven, Vt.
- Marty Hutchins, Poultney, Vt.
- Justin Lilly, Castleton, Vt.
- Eric Shaw, Wells, Vt.
- Billy Duprey, Hydeville, Vt.
- Nick Brundige, Round Lake, N.Y.
- Bob Kilburn, Fair Haven, Vt.
- Steve Miller, Vergennes, Vt.
- Tyler Travis, Hartland, Vt.
- William Lussier, Jr., Fair Haven, Vt.
- Gary English, Salisbury, Vt.
- Mike Clark, Jr., Salisbury, Vt.
- Kyle Kerr, Shoreham, Vt.
- Kamden Duffy, Richmond, N.H.
- Fred Little, Salisbury, Vt.
- Boomer Patterson, Milton, Vt.
- Cody O’Brien, Springfield, Vt.
- Derrick Counter, Leicester, Vt.
- Adam Lafountain, Starksboro, Vt.
- Ed Bell, Queensbury, N.Y.
- Jason Quenneville, Queechee, Vt.
Did not start: Katrina Leclaire
Hoosier Racing Tire Novice Sportsman Feature #1 (15 laps)
- Jason Kerr, Shoreham, Vt.
- Logan Denis, Whiting, Vt.
- Matt Wade, Fair Haven, Vt.
- Raelin Dunham, Queensbury, N.Y.
- Matt Cram, Leicester, Vt.
- Keegan Tabor, Randolph, Vt.
- Aiden Benoure, Salisbury, Vt.
- Bobbi Hults, Castleton, Vt.
- Josh Bussino, Fair Haven, Vt.
- Nick Austin-Neil, Salisbury, Vt.
- Robert Steves, Castleton, Vt.
- Russ Farr, Granville, N.Y.
Did not start: William Bushee
Hoosier Racing Tire Novice Sportsman Feature #2 (15 laps)
- Logan Denis, Whiting, Vt.
- Matt Wade, Fair Haven, Vt.
- Keegan Tabor, Randolph, Vt.
- Nick Austin-Neil, Salisbury, Vt.
- Raelin Dunham, Queensbury, N.Y.
- Aiden Benoure, Salisbury, Vt.
- Bobbi Hults, Castleton, Vt.
- Josh Bussino, Fair Haven, Vt.
- Matt Cram, Leicester, Vt.
- Jasin Kerr, Shoreham, Vt.
- Russ Farr, Granville, N.Y.
Did not start: Robert Steves, William Bushee
Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint Feature #1 (10 laps)
- Ashleigh Kulzer, Johnstown, N.Y.
- Ray Hanson, Orwell, Vt.
- Tucker Jones, Fort Plain, N.Y.
- Gage Provencher, Bridport, Vt.
- Chris Pierce, Orford, N.H.
- Vern Woodard, Fair Haven, Vt.
- Brandon Emerson, Williamstown, Vt.
- Jenna Zakrzewski, Schuylerville, N.Y.
- Tommy Kasuba, Caslteton, Vt.
- John Smith, Poultney, Vt.
- Kevin Smith, Brandon, Vt.
- Quinn Quenneville, Vt.
- Alex Reed, Proctor, Vt.
- Destin St. Clair, Peru, N.Y.
Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint Feature #2 (10 laps)
- Gage Provencher, Bridport, Vt.
- Ray Hanson, Orwell, Vt.
- Jenna Zakrzewski, Schuylerville, N.Y.
- Vern Woodard, Fair Haven, Vt.
- Tucker Jones, Fort Plain, N.Y.
- Quinn Quenneville, Brandon, Vt.
- Ashleigh Kulzer, Johnstown, N.Y.
- Brandon Emerson, Williamstown, Vt,
- Tommy Kasuba, Castleton, Vt.
- John Smith, Poultney, Vt.
- Alex Reed, Proctor, Vt.
- Kevin Smith, Brandon, Vt.
- Chris Pierce, Orford, N.H.
- Destin St. Clair, Peru, N.Y.
Fisher Auto Parts Mini Stock Feature #1 (15 laps)
- Kris Clark, Keeseville, N.Y.
- Jarrod Colburn, Rutland, Vt.
- Jeremy Brownell, Greenwich, N.Y.
- Willie Rice, Poultney, Vt.
- Cody Vanguilder, Rutland, Vt.
- Jake Mallory, Granville, N.Y.
- Adam Mahoney, Whitehall, N.Y.
- James Murray, Proctor, Vt.
- Chris Charbonneau, Rutland, Vt.
- Cody Dion, Rutland, Vt.
- Carl Lapoint, Wells, Vt.
- Kyle Jordan, Benson, Vt.
- Dawson Thompson, Hoosick Falls, N.Y.
- Jake Barrows, Middlebury, Vt.
Did not start: Chris Hewitt, Nick Melotti
Disqualified: Bob Lavair
Fisher Auto Parts Mini Stock Feature # 2 (15 laps)
- Ryan Patch, Rutland, Vt.
- Brian Blake, Cornwall, Vt.
- Griff Mahoney, Benson, Vt.
- Ron Alger, Orwell, Vt.
- Damian Olden, Rutland, Vt.
- Jeremiah King, Peru, N.Y.
- Adam Stewart, Benson, Vt.
- Levi Cram, Leicester, Vt.
- Craig Kirby, St. Albans, Vt.
- Luke Marcheski, Quincy, M.A.
- Jakobee Alger, Orwell, Vt.
- Quinton Bishop, Whiting, Vt.
- Mary Gardner, Middle Granville, N.Y.
- Jayde Pope, Fair Haven, Vt.
- Mark Mahoney, Brandon, Vt.
- Anthony Johnson, Sandgate, Vt.
9th State Cannabis Crown Vic Feature #1 (10 laps)
- Chad Merrill, Londonderry, Vt.
- Eric Friend, Bristol, Vt.
- Rob Steele, Bomoseen, Vt.
- Norm Morrill, North Ferrisburgh, Vt.
- Ron Tollner, Johnstown, N.Y.
- Brad Cram, Rutland, Vt.
- Elisabeth Dupont, Monkton, Vt.
- Scott Cram, Rutland, Vt.
- Hellen Steele, Bomoseen, Vt.
- Matt Decker, Castleton, Vt.
9th State Cannabis Crown Vic Feature #2 (10 laps)
- Eric Friend, Bristol, Vt.
- Norm Morrill, North Ferrisburgh, Vt.
- Brad Cram, Rutland, Vt.
- Rob Steele, Bomoseen, Vt.
- Ron Tollner, Johnstown, N.Y.
- Chad Merrill, Londonderry, Vt.
- Elisabeth Dupont, Monkton, Vt.
- Scott Cram, Rutland, Vt.
- Hellen Steele, Bomoseen, Vt.
Did not start: Matt Decker