by Jay | May 27, 2012 | Bear Ridge, Dirt Track, New England, Vermont
Sunn dominates Modifieds, McGinley wins Coupes
Will Hull returned to his home track at Bear Ridge Speedway to post the first victory of his career in the WYKR Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) series on Saturday. Hull, of East Montpelier, VT and a former Limited Late Model track champion, made a dramatic late-race pass in heavy lapped traffic to steal the lead from Tyler Rich and earn the win on Dad’s 4 By Tool & Supply Night.
Polesitter Lacey Hanson of Orwell, VT led the first seven laps of the 25-lap race, but Lyme, NH sophomore Rich sailed through the field from his tenth starting position to pass Hanson up front on lap 8. Rich held a comfortable lead but slowed in lapped traffic, allowing Hull and Chris Donnelly to close quickly. Hull squeezed by coming to the final lap, bringing Donnelly with him, and held on for his first victory in the open-wheel, winged touring division. Donnelly finished second with Rich third, followed by Clay Dow and defending SCoNE champion Dan Douville. Matt Robie, rookie Chris Downs, Tunk Berry, Andy Seuss, and Hanson completed the unofficial top ten.
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by Jay | May 27, 2012 | Devils Bowl, Modified, New England, Vermont
Proctor takes overall win; Bushey doubles up in Late Models
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Defending NASCAR Whelen All-American Series stock car racing champion Ron Proctor made a statement that he’s in the running for a second title at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. The Charlton, NY veteran posted a victory and a second-place finish in twin 20-lap Bond Auto Parts Modified features at the People’s United Bank Memorial Day Special on Friday night.
Proctor’s No. 27 Timco Towing & Transportation/Charlton Oil-sponsored Teo Pro Car came from 11th starting position to win the first 20-lap run, earning one point toward his overall total in the cumulatively scored two-segment race, beating Vince Quenneville, Jr., nephew Jamie Proctor, Cody Sargen, and rookie Joey Roberts in convincing fashion. Leon Gonyo of Chazy, NY put on a similarly impressive performance in the second segment, driving through traffic from ninth place to win, but Proctor came from 14th to finish second. Jason Bruno, Hunter Bates, and Roberts completed the top five in the segment.
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by Jay | May 25, 2012 | Bear Ridge, Dirt Track, New England, Vermont
Jeff Horn Will Take One Off The Bucket List This Saturday,
Makes Sprint Car Debut with SCoNE at Bear Ridge Speedway
BY MARK McKEON
Vermont native Jeff Horn, who’s lived the flatlander’s life in Massachusetts for the past few decades, hasn’t left many mountains unclimbed. The 67 year old began his racing career at the late, lamented Catamount Stadium in Milton, VT back in 1965 and except for a couple of years in the U.S. Army- including a tour of duty as an infantry soldier in Viet Nam- he hasn’t stopped racing since.
A pavement specialist, Horn has had spectacular success with Midgets, Supermodifieds, Late Models and Modifieds, but he’s never raced a Sprint Car, let alone raced one on dirt. That omission will be rectified this Saturday night when Horn makes his Sprint Car debut with the Sprint Cars of New England at Bear Ridge Speedway.
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by Jay | May 25, 2012 | New England, Thunder Road, Vermont
The quest to become the Vermont State Late Model Champion begins this coming Sunday, May 27 at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road for the Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic 150. The four race series between Thunder Road and Devil’s Bowl Speedway in West Haven, VT will crown the Vermont State Champion of 2012. The Memorial Day Classic is also the first event in the bid to become the 2012 “King of the Road.”
Though the series has yet to begin, it has already gained prestige with its star-studded entry list alone. Multi-time Thunder Road Champion Cris Michaud will attempt to be the next Vermont State Champion, as well as Lt. Governor Phil Scott, former Thunder Road Champions David Pembroke and Nick Sweet, former Oxford Plains Speedway Champion Ricky Rolfe, and a slew of the Northeast’s biggest names in late model racing.
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by Jay | May 25, 2012 | Devils Bowl, Modified, New England, Vermont
Summer schedule begins at People’s United Bank Memorial Day Special event
The summer stock car racing season starts with a bang – literally – at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday night, as People’s United Bank presents a full card of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series racing and a spectacular Memorial Day fireworks show, Friday, May 25 at 7:30pm. The People’s United Bank Memorial Day Special is the fourth event of 2012 at the West Haven, VT track, but will begin a new tradition as it kicks off the Friday-night summer schedule.
A full field of Bond Auto Parts Modifieds is expected for a special Twin 20-lap main event. The ground-pounding open-wheel cars will start the event lined up according to handicapped positions, with high-point drivers near the back of the field. After the initial 20-lap sprint, the winner will be given one point, the runner-up two points, etc., and the finish order will be inverted to start the final 20 laps. A second set of points will be awarded using the same format, and the driver with the lowest overall score will be declared the People’s United Bank Memorial Day Special winner.
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by Jay | May 22, 2012 | New England, Thunder Road, Vermont
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Story and photos by Leif Tillotson
It’s hard to imagine someone driving a race car in front of thousands of fans each week and going largely unnoticed, yet that is exactly where Waterbury Center, VT’s Brett Wheeler and his Hallstrom Motorsports team find themselves most of the time.
There are better-funded race teams with much flashier drivers at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre. They grab headlines with wins and crashes, perhaps evening daring passes for position and maybe even an occasional bit of controversy. The driver of the #1 Late Model is not among this group.
With a solid ninth-place final points position in 2011, Brett Wheeler has proven that he belongs among “the big boys” at the track that bills itself as “The Nation’s Site of Excitement.” Rather than muscle his way in front of his competitors, Brett is content to earn his place at the top by being a courteous, methodical and smart racer.
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