West Haven, VT- It was a full night of family entertainment to kick off America’s 250th birthday week, as Casella Waste Systems presented the Mid-Season championships at Devil’s Bowl Speedway with all weekly divisions running double features on Saturday evening. The packed house on hand was not only treated to some of the most exciting racing of the season, but also to driver autographs and the most spectacular fireworks in Central Vermont.
Scott Towslee collected his second win of the season in the first Sunoco Sportsman Modified 25-lap feature, outdueling Marty Kelly III in an intense battle to the finish. Adam Piper led the first two laps, with Kelly assuming the point on lap three. Kelly showed the way until lap 20 when Towslee slipped past him after a restart. Kelly received another shot at the win when the caution flag flew on lap 21, but Towslee, running the low side, was able to hold off Kelly’s aggressive bid out on the cushion. Kelly crossed the line second, followed by Jim Ryan, Dave Camara, and Billy Lussier. In the second feature, Towslee again was a strong contender, but Eric Shaw drove one of the best races of his career to claim a narrow victory. Vince Quenneville set the early pace before mechanical problems ended his night. Shaw took over on lap 11 and led the rest of the way. Behind Shaw, a tremendous confrontation took place between Tanner Siemons, Towslee, and Marty Hutchins, with each unsuccessfully taking their best shot at the leader. Siemons, Towslee, Joey Scarborough, and Randy Ryan rounded out the top five.
The hard work of Trevor Hurlburt and his crew paid off in the first 20-lap main event for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman Modifieds. After spending the last two weeks putting his car back together, Hurlburt rolled to his first win of 2026. Hurlburt’s victory was decisive as he jumped to the lead on the opening lap and led flag to flag. Aiden Benoure applied pressure to Hurlburt, but to no avail. Benoure finished second, followed by Tyler Travis, Don Williams, and Bobbi Hults. In the nightcap, Cody O’Brien secured win number three on the season, surviving a challenge from Boomer Patterson. Patterson led the first three laps before O’Brien wrestled the top spot away. O’Brien had to fend off a motivated Patterson on two restarts, but the 27X machine was just too stout. Aiden Benoure completed his stellar night with a third-place finish. “Santa Bob” Kilburn was fourth, and Fred Little fifth.
Rookie Gage Provencher closed his impressive first half of the season with a dominating win in the first Northern Refrigeration Novice Modified 15-lap showdown. The win was the division-leading fourth of the season for “Pig Boy.” Mark McGinnis led during the early stages, but once Provencher took control, he sailed away for the victory. McGinnis placed second, Gavin Fleury was third, Rob Steves fourth, and Chris Pierce fifth. In the second feature, James McLellan scored his first win of the season and second of his career. McLellan seized control from Eric Dingman in the opening laps and cruised away to earn the checkers. Dingman had his best run since moving up from the Mini Sprints, crossing under the checkers in second. Pierce, Steves, and Matt Little each registered top-five finishes.
Tyler Whittemore continued his breakout season as he captured his third win of the season in the Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprints. Whittemore grabbed the point right out of the gate and cruised to a green-to-checkers victory. Levi Cram was a distant second, followed by Quinn Quenneville, John Smith, and Scott Bachand. In the second 10-lap feature, Smith got the monkey off his back with his first win of the season. Smith fired from the outside of the front row next to polesitter Tommy Kasuba and took charge from the drop of the green. Bachand and Whittemore tried all they could to reel him in, but Smith had the pack covered. Smith, Bachand, and Whittemore earned the top three spots on the podium, followed by Cram and Alex Reed.
After being nearly unbeatable last summer, Eric Friend has struggled this season after a hard collision with the frontstretch wall at Airborne Park. Friend swept the Stove Depot Crown Vic 10-lap features, seemingly with ease. In the first event, Friend rapidly sliced through the field to take the lead and held off Bradford Cram, Norm Morrill, Andrew Lopes, and Josh Muir to collect the checkers. In the second feature, Friend sprang from the fourth spot on the grid to take the lead from Gordon Dimmick on lap three and turned back a strong challenge from Lopes to make it 2 for 2 on the evening. Following Friend and Lopes across the line were James Norton, Zach Wood, and Muir.
The Mini Stock High Handicap features are always some of the most competitive of the weekend, and that didn’t change on this evening. In the first 10-lap main event, Joe Warren made the long haul from Plattsburgh worthwhile as he held off Tyler Bell for the win. Behind Warren and Bell were Chris Charbonneau, Jeremy Brownell Jr., and Jon Jordan. In the second feature, Shane Wood set the early pace and led until lap eight when Charbonneau overtook him and took the victory. Wood held on for second, Kaleb Shepard was third, Brownell Jr. fourth, and Jake Fountain fifth.
Bert Ouellette stayed red hot as he swept the two Mini Stock Low Handicap features. In the first 10-lap feature, Gerard Jordan led the first two laps before being overtaken by Chandler Sumner. Sumner led the next three laps before mechanical failure cut his night short. Ouellette inherited the lead after Sumner’s woes and went on to claim the checkers, followed by Jordan, Caden Stearns, Jerry Jordan Jr., and William Hewitt. In the second 10-lap go-round, Jerry Jordan Jr. led the first four circuits, but Ouellette was on the move from the sixth starting spot. Ouellette got around Jordan Jr. on lap five and drove off for the win, his third in a row. Jayde Pope, Gerard Jordan, Caden Stearns, and Kyle Hart rounded out the top five.