The weather was picture-perfect for Heritage Family Credit Union Night, featuring the annual kids’ bicycle races and kids’ bicycle giveaway at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday. The large crowd on hand was treated to an entertaining night of racing highlighted by three drivers winning for the first time this season, and four others adding to their growing list of trips to victory lane.
The first main event of the night was the 30-lap showdown for the Sunoco Sportsman Modifieds, with Randy Ryan dominating the field for his second win in the last three weeks. Alex Palmer-Sawyer and Marty Hutchins led the field to the green flag, with Palmer leading the first lap by a half a car length. Hutchins seized control off of turn two on the second lap and controlled the early stages. Ryan launched from the fourth spot on the grid, and there were indications right away that he would be tough to beat as his 60R machine was on rails once again. By the halfway point Ryan had taken charge. Ryan had to hold off Hutchins on several restarts, but Hutchins had his hands full in a fierce battle for the runner-up spot with Justin Comes. Further back, Joey Scarborough was barreling up through the pack from the 19th starting spot to close in on a top five finish, but came up just a sliver short. Ryan withstood every challenge from Hutchins to take the checkered flag. Hutchins fended off Comes for second. Adam Pierson and Billy Lussier joined the others in the top five. Scarborough earned the Elmo’s Pit Stop Hard Charger $100 bonus by gaining 13 spots.
Mother Nature attempted to impose her will on the racing card on Saturday night, but the management, staff, drivers and fans at Devil’s Bowl Speedway refused to lose. After a brief storm rolled through West Haven right before intermission, the track crew’s determined effort, followed by the modified driver’s help working the racing surface in, allowed the kids’ race car rides and the remainder of the Inspired Minds Childcare night’s events to be completed. With the track’s characteristics vastly different after the rain shower concluded, drivers were challenged to adjust, making for an entertaining show.
In the 30-lap Sunoco Sportsman Modified feature, Scott Towslee, usually known as a “High Plains Drifter,” suddenly became a “Bottom Feeder,” as he hugged the inside line for a convincing victory, ending a two-year drought. Adam Piper set the early pace, but a mechanical issue ended his night on lap eight. Towslee took control on the ensuing restart and never gave it back. Last week’s winner, Randy Ryan, appeared to be primed to contend for another win, but he also suffered a mechanical issue. Frank Hoard III charged from ninth on the grid to take over the second spot and challenge Towslee. After failing to be able to overtake the leader on a trio of restarts, Hoard III fashioned a last-ditch effort to steal the top spot from Towslee out of turn four, coming to the white flag, and clipped the outside retaining wall, sending him back to ninth. Towslee held on to collect the victory, followed by Brent Warren, A.J. Munger, Joey Scarborough, and Josh Sunn. Scarborough earned the Elmo’s Pit Stop Hard Charger Award after advancing from the 14th starting position to fourth.
