WEST HAVEN, V.t.— Oneida, N.y.’s Matt Janczuk became the first qualified driver for the Fabian Earth Moving Vermont 200 by virtue of his win in the Mike’s Fuels ‘Prelude’ back on August 6th, but after the dust settles and the lights go down in West Haven this Saturday, someone else will join him.
The Sunoco Modifieds will leave the handicapping behind this week in favor of a draw-for-starting-position format to set heat race lineups, the top finishers going on to re-draw for their feature starting positions. From there, they’ll duke it out for 40 laps around New England’s Fastest Dirt Track, the winner scoring $1200 and a guaranteed starting spot in the Vermont 200, which is just eight days away. Last year, it was Middlebury’s Todd Stone scoring the win and punching his ticket into the 100-mile race. Strictly going off the last few extra-distance races run at Devil’s Bowl, including those in 2022, favorites for Saturday’s contest include Tim LaDuc, Frank Hoard, III, Justin Comes and Walter J Hammond.
The race will be the 16th event of the 2023 schedule and will include all regular divisions plus another 50-lap “Wild and Crazy” Five Star Roofing Enduro, the fifth one this season.
The 9th State Crown Vic class is off this week. The budding new division has two more events scheduled in 2023, one on CCV Night, Saturday, September 2nd and one on Championship Finale night on September 16th.
A number of tight points battles continue to keep teams on their “A” game as the season winds down. Fair Haven’s Justin Comes used the August 20th double features to knock Tim LaDuc off the top of the Sunoco Modified standings and put a 14-point gap between them. Kevin Chaffee remains in the hunt, 52 points back from the lead while Tanner Siemons and Frank Hoard, III dwell in the “needing a miracle” zone, back 81 and 86 points, respectively with three points races left.
Speaking of miracles, Gary English is 94 points back of Randy Ryan in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited class with four points-paying races left. Tyler Travis is still the Hoosier Daddy Racing Novice Modified points leader by 44 markers over a hard-charging Adam Lafountain. Donald Williams is 62 points back in 3rd.
In the Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprints, Logan Denis is clutching a 24-point lead over a red-hot Ray Hanson. Hanson, the 2021 Champion went nearly undefeated before taking much of 2022 off and has turned up the wick in recent weeks, but the smaller class size and Denis’ consistency has made it difficult for Hanson to close the gap.
Perhaps the wildest, most wide-open battle is in the Mini Stock class. The massive car count makes it possible to gain or lose many spots in a single race. Mark Mahoney is the points leader by 16 over Cornwall’s Brian Blake. Austin McKirryher is 3rd, only 23 markers back. Craig Kirby is 4th, 30 points back and Chase Allen holds an outside shot at the title from 5th, 62 points back.
Rob Steele has virtually sewn up the inaugural 9th State Cannabis Crown Vic Championship, 16 points ahead of Norm Morill.
Eric Leno holds a 6-point lead in the Five Star Roofing Enduro series with two races left in 2023. Brent Wilbur and Kevin Pearsall are tied for 2nd place, Andrew Lopes and Kenny Torrey are 16 points back tied for 4th.
In the event of a rainout Saturday, racing will commence Sunday at 5:00 p.m.
General admission is $15 and Infield Drive-In parking is available for $20. Kids 12 and under are free. Pit pass fees are $28 for members and $38 for non-members.
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 Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.