Scarborough, Stone Split Wins on Wild Night at Devil’s Bowl
Gordon, Bradford, MacMichael repeat; Watrous a first-time winner
WEST HAVEN, VT – An action-packed night of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series stock car racing at Devil’s Bowl Speedway was capped by an unpredictable finale and two first-time feature winners. Johnny Scarborough and Todd Stone split victories in the top-tier Modifieds as Chuck Bradford and Kyle Watrous each won Mini Stock features, and Robert Gordon and Scott MacMichael repeated in the Renegade and SK Light classes, respectively.
Johnny “The Jet” Scarborough of nearby Bomoseen, VT was a convincing winner in the first of two 25-lap feature races for the Bond Auto Parts Modified division. Scarborough took the lead from rookie Jason Reome on the sixth lap and sailed to the victory in a caution-free race. It was Scarborough’s first win at the track since June 20, 1999 and his first in the NASCAR-sanctioned asphalt era. Veteran Leon Gonyo of Chazy, NY finished second with young gun Jason Durgan of Morrisonville, NY third. Joey Roberts and Vince Quenneville, Jr., completed the top five runners.
In the 25-lap nightcap, defending track champion Todd Stone of Middlebury, VT was the unlikely winner of a volatile, crash-marred race. Stone spun through the infield on lap 4 and took part in a three-car jingle on lap 7. He avoided three more wrecks – including one that involved all but four of the cars on the track on lap 14 – to wrestle the lead from Charlton, NY’s Ron Proctor with eight circuits remaining. Proctor stayed close to the leader, but Stone held on for the win. Proctor’s runner-up finish was his best of the year. Roberts, Scarborough, and Gonyo rounded out the top five once the smoke cleared.
The Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock division raced two highly competitive 15-lap events, each with very different outcomes. Point leader Chuck Bradford of Addison, VT held off number-two man Jake Noble in the opening round, with third-place point driver Mike Whalen, Jr. third. The heavy-hitters were stuck in traffic in the finale, however, allowing underdog racers Kyle Watrous and Matt Monaghan to shine. Watrous, of Bomoseen, VT, snuck ahead of Monaghan for the lead on a restart with three laps remaining, then drove to his first-ever victory. John McCarron took the runner-up spot by inches ahead of Monaghan.
Robert Gordon of Milton, VT took his third Renegade win of the season in a 15-lap race, aiding him in a march up the national point standings ladder; Gordon entered the event ranked 15th in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division III national standings. Crosstown Milton neighbor Ray Benoit finished a career-best second, with 16 year-old Stephen Donahue third.
Scott MacMichael of Newbury, NH won his second SK Light Modified race of the year, topping Norm Forest and Bruce Jaycox in a two-segment race.
More than 30 young race fans took part in the highly entertaining Kids Bicycle Races, drawing large cheers and laughs from the crowd. Three lucky young fans also won bicycles in a free raffle, courtesy of Bond Auto Parts and Casella Waste Systems.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is in action on Friday, July 4 at an early 6:00 p.m. start time, with the biggest and loudest Independence Day celebration in Vermont. Coca-Cola presents the annual “Firecracker” event with a 100-lap Late Model race, round two of the wild-and-wacky Enduro Series, events for the Modified, Renegade, Mini Stock, and SK Light divisions, and a 30-minute fireworks extravaganza. General admission for the special event is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors (age 62+), and free for children age 12 and under.
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, call (802) 265-3112 or visit www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com. 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 – Kids Bike Races Night
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, VT
Friday, June 27, 2014
Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature #1 (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (3) Johnny Scarborough, Bomoseen, VT
2. (6) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY
3. (7) Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, NY
4. (9) Joey Roberts, Fletcher, VT
5. (10) Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, VT
6. (12) Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, NY
7. (1) # Jason Reome, Ballston Spa, NY
8. (8) Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT
9. (4) Cody Sargen, Greenfield Center, NY
10. (5) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY
11. (11) Jamie LaFountain, Plattsburgh, NY
12. (2) # Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, VT
Heat Winners: Johnny Scarborough, Jessey Mueller
Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature #2 (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (9) Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT
2. (5) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY
3. (10) Joey Roberts, Fletcher, VT
4. (12) Johnny Scarborough, Bomoseen, VT
5. (7) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY
6. (4) Jamie LaFountain, Plattsburgh, NY
7. (3) Cody Sargen, Greenfield Center, NY
8. (1) # Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, VT
9. (8) Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, NY
10. (6) Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, VT
11. (11) Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, NY
12. (2) # Jason Reome, Ballston Spa, NY
Renegade Feature (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (5) Robert Gordon, Milton, VT
2. (2) Ray Benoit, Milton, VT
3. (6) Stephen Donahue, Graniteville, VT
4. (3) # Scott FitzGerald, West Rutland, VT
5. (4) Randy Howard, Georgia, VT
6. (1) Tony Putzier, Jericho, VT
Heat Winner: Robert Gordon
Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock Feature #1 (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (9) Chuck Bradford, Addison, VT
2. (7) Jake Noble, Benson, VT
3. (8) Mike Whalen, Jr., Plattsburgh, NY
4. (14) John McCarron, Rensselaer, NY
5. (11) Matt Monaghan, Colchester, VT
6. (4) Lance Masterson, Lincoln, VT
7. (3) Kyle Sorensen, Ballston Spa, NY
8. (5) Lacey Hanson, Orwell, VT
9. (12) Bobby LaVair, Saranac Lake, NY
10. (2) Kyle Watrous, Bomoseen, VT
11. (6) Chris LaVair, Gabriels, NY
12. (1) Harold LaVair, Jr., Gabriels, NY
13. (10) # Shaylynn Senecal, West Rutland, VT
14. (13) Jason Gagnon, West Haven, VT
Heat Winners: Kyle Watrous, Jake Noble
Central Vermont Motorcycles Mini Stock Feature #2 (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (2) Kyle Watrous, Bomoseen, VT
2. (10) John McCarron, Rensselaer, NY
3. (4) Matt Monaghan, Colchester, VT
4. (9) Jake Noble, Benson, VT
5. (1) Harold LaVair, Jr., Gabriels, NY
6. (7) Lacey Hanson, Orwell, VT
7. (11) Mike Whalen, Jr., Plattsburgh, NY
8. (8) Chris LaVair, Gabriels, NY
9. (12) Chuck Bradford, Addison, VT
10. (6) Bobby LaVair, Saranac Lake, NY
11. (5) Lance Masterson, Lincoln, VT
12. (3) Kyle Sorensen, Ballston Spa, NY
13. (13) # Shaylynn Senecal, West Rutland, VT
14. (14) Jason Gagnon, West Haven, VT
SK Light Feature (15 laps x 2)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown-Segment Points
(# – denotes rookie)
1. (3) Scott MacMichael, Newbury, NH – 2 pts.
2. (1) Norm Forest, Lebanon, NH – 4 pts.
3. (2) Bruce Jaycox, Hartland, VT – 6 pts.
Segment Winners: Scott MacMichael (2)