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.
It was Kids’ Poster Night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday evening, and the youngsters in attendance were treated to an exciting card of dirt track action. A pair of drivers earned their second wins of the season, and two others visited victory lane for the first time in their careers.
In the 30-lap Sunoco Sportsman Modified feature, veteran wheelman Randy Ryan cruised to a seemingly easy win. It was an emotional bounce-back win for Ryan, who saw one of his cars destroyed in a turn-one rollover in his last start. The outcome of this one was never in doubt as Ryan pounced to the lead from the pole at the drop of the green flag and led every lap. Brent Warren, who was lightning fast in his heat race, quickly moved from his fourth spot on the grid to second by passing Marty Hutchins and Eric Shaw, but Ryan had already checked out. Ryan crossed the finish line half a track in front of the rest of the pack. Warren held on for second, Vince Quenneville was third, Josh Sunn fourth, and Tanner Siemons, who moved up 10 spots from his 15th starting position, was fifth.
The DirtCar 358 Modifieds took center stage Saturday night as Devil’s Bowl Speedway hosted the first night of the annual Northeast Crate Nationals, one of the marquee dirt track racing events for Sportsman Modifieds in the Northeast. Group Time Trials for drivers who aspire to qualify for the $5,000 to win 100-lap event were also on tap.
In the DirtCar 358 Modified feature, rising young driver Tanner Siemons scored the first 358 win of his career, and he had to fight off one of the best in the business to do it. Siemons was able to fend off the challenge of Mike Mahaney after a restart with eight laps remaining to collect the momentous victory. Siemons and Walter J. Hammond led the field to the green flag for the 30-lap event. Hammond led for the first five circuits before Siemons assumed command on lap six. Once Siemons grabbed the point, he never let it go. Mahaney was working his way to the front from the sixth position on the grid, surviving battles with Hammond, Justin Stone, and Dave Camara to move to second on lap 21. Brian Calabrese was also on the move from the 15th starting spot. The red flag came out on lap 22 after a massive wreck on the front stretch involving Walter Hammond Jr., Tim LaDuc, Todd Morey, CG Morey, Lance Willix, Troy Audet, and Kevin Chaffee, with LaDuc’s machine landing upside down on top of two of the cars. After the lengthy delay for cleaning up the carnage, Mahaney did everything possible to find a way around Siemons, but the Orford, New Hampshire campaigner was not to be denied. Mahaney followed Siemons across the line for second, Walter J. Hammond held on for third, Camara was fourth, and Stone fifth.
The Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprints took center stage Saturday night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway with a “Mini Sprint Special,” on a picture-perfect evening for dirt track racing in the Green Mountain State. The competition was tightly contested in every division, making it a thrilling night for the fans.
The Mini Sprints raced three 10-lap segments, with the driver accumulating the best overall average earning the first-place trophy. Pittsford, Vermont’s Tyler Whittemore enjoyed the best night of his career as he claimed the checkered flag in two of the three segments to capture the top spot on the podium. Veteran Scott Bachand dominated the first segment with Carm Isabella second, John Smith third, Quinn Quenneville fourth, and Levi Cram fifth. A sixth-place run by Whittemore put him behind the eight ball, but he was not to be denied. Wins by Whittemore in segments two and three sparked his rally for the overall victory. Rounding out the event standings were Scott Bachand, Alex Reed, John Smith, and Trevor Jaques.
The Matt Bilodeau Memorial Race, also known as the “Matty B 32,” was held at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday, May 10th, despite previous postponements due to inclement weather. Twenty-five of the top sportsman modified drivers in the Northeast signed in to vie for the $3,200 winner’s purse on Mother’s Day, putting on a show that won’t soon be forgotten. The track was in pristine condition with multiple grooves that made the competition in all six divisions thrilling for the fans.
In the main event, a 32-lap affair for the Sunoco Sportsman Modifieds, presented by Black Diamond Builders, veteran invader Brian Calabrese and rising local star AJ Munger battled tooth and nail over the final 12 laps, with the Brandon, Vermont campaigner using a dramatic late-race pass to collect the biggest win of his career.
