WEST HAVEN, V.T. – Memorial Day Weekend is often labeled the “Unofficial Start to Summer” and since 2021 at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, the summer kickoff weekend has included a 100-lap, $5,000 to win contest for the Sunoco Crate Modifieds.
Beginning in 2008 at Albany-Saratoga Speedway, the Northeast Crate Nationals enters its 14th year running in 2023 (the race was not held in 2009 or 2012). Past Winners of the prestigious event include now Big-Block heavyweights Rocky Warner, Demetrios Drellos and Tim Sears, Jr. Niskayuna, N.y. driver Tim Hartman, Jr. has more triumphs than anyone with three, including once in 2019 when the race was moved to Fonda Speedway.
Chaffee Flexes Muscle with First Devil’s Bowl Win in Five Years
Tanner takes SCoNE race; Munger picks up where he left off in Limited Sportsman
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Kevin Chaffee ended a long dry spell at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, May 13, and he did it with authority. The Bradford, Vt., racer posted his first win at the track in five years, while six other feature races featured a mix of first-time winners and familiar faces in victory lane.
Chaffee’s victory in the headline Sunoco Sportsman Modified division was his first since July 2018. He started fifth on the 24-car field and was able to capitalize on two quick cautions in the first four laps to get through traffic and take the lead from Allan Hammond at lap 5. Two more back-to-back yellow flags bunched the field at laps 14 and 15, but Chaffee held serve the whole time and drove away for a comfortable 4.254-second margin of victory.
Last-Minute Slider Nets Drellos “Topless” Win at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Roberts charges for Limited Sportsman checkers
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Demetrios Drellos continued his hot start to the dirt track racing summer at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, July 19, netting his fourth Sportsman Modified victory in the first eight weeks of the 2021 campaign. The Queensbury, N.Y., driver won the annual Father’s Day Weekend “Topless” Special and was joined in victory lane throughout the evening by Evan Roberts, Mark Norris, Chris Sumner, and Ray Hanson.
With the roofs taken off the cars in the two open-wheel Modified divisions for a different once-a-year look and feel, Drellos was the star of the headline Sportsman Modified class. The 30-lap race was well-driven with only two caution periods slowing the pace. Justin Stone led the first 11 circuits until Adam Pierson took over after the first restart, and Pierson was up front and outlasted the challengers at the final restart at lap 21.
Quenneville Conquers Northeast Crate Nationals 100 at Devil’s Bowl
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Vince Quenneville may not have much left to prove in his stock car racing career, but apparently the three-time Devil’s Bowl Speedway champion wants more. On Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, the Brandon, Vt., driver ended a four-year win drought and scored one of the most popular victories in the track’s history, using a late-race surge to secure the Northeast Crate Nationals 100 and its $5,000 payday – one of the region’s top Sportsman Modified purses.
Other drivers who took wins at the big event included Matt Tanner, Austin Comes, Chris Murray, Ray Hanson, and first-time winner T.J. Knight. First-round qualifying was held on Saturday, but rain on Sunday postponed second-round qualifying and the feature events to Memorial Day.
