Durgan, Proctor on Top at Topless Night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway
Story By: JUSTIN ST. LOUIS / DEVILS BOWL SPEEDWAY MEDIA
Photos By: BARRY SNELLING / DEVILS BOWL SPEEDWAY PHOTO
WEST HAVEN, Vt. – June 18, 2017- Two former track champions prevailed on a wild night of “topless” racing at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, June 17. With the roofs taken off the O’Reilly Auto Parts Sportsman Modified cars for a different look and feel, Jason Durgan and Ron Proctor split a pair of 20-lap feature races in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series competition. Other winners during the night included Brett Wood, Brad Bertrand, Connor Watrous, Rick MacDowell, and Brian Preman.
Defending champion Durgan, of Morrisonville, N.Y., posted his first win of the season in the opening round. After a rough start to the season, Durgan benefitted with an up-front starting position in the handicap. Rookie Chad White led the first two circuits from the pole position before Durgan took over and never looked back. Jackie Brown Jr. was the biggest mover, quickly getting from sixth to take second spot away from White on lap 6. White held on to third place for his best finish in an open-wheel Sportsman Modified. Billy Lussier and Vince Quenneville Jr. were next in the finish order.
The nightcap was a wild race and left several cars with damage. Charlton, N.Y., racer and two-time track champion Proctor ran away from the field from the opening lap, but behind him the action was intense. Several incidents of high-speed contact kept things tense until a three-car wreck in Turn 4 destroyed the cars of White and Lussier. When the smoke cleared, Proctor had collected his third win of the season, and Brown marched forward to take second again. Quenneville was third ahead of Joey Roberts and Durgan.
Brett Wood of Georgia, Vt., scored a career-first win in the 20-lap feature for the Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Super Stock division. Wood came from fourth at the start to take the lead from Garrett Given at the halfway point of the race, then outlasted pressure from defending champion Jim McKiernan and opening night winner Dylan Rabtoy on two late restarts.
Wood’s victory made him the fourth different Super Stock winner in as many races in 2017 and the second-straight rookie to win. McKiernan and Rabtoy battled to the very end for second place, with McKiernan getting the spot. Rabtoy settled for third place, followed by R.J. Germain and Shawn Duquette.
Portland Glass Mini Stock driver Brad Bertrand of Ferrisburgh, Vt., became the first racer in any division to win four consecutive races to open the season since the present-day 1/2-mile Asphalt Track was built in 2010. Bertrand had to work harder this time in the 15-lap feature, but took the lead from double-duty racer Given after halfway and cruised to the win. Given finished a strong second, and rookie Shawn Moquin nipped Andrew FitzGerald and the finish line for third place. Another rookie, Cam Gadue, finished fifth.
Thirteen year-old Connor Watrous of Bomoseen, Vt., made it two-for-two in the new Bandit Youth Mini Stock division for drivers age 10-15. Watrous took the lead on a restart halfway through the 8-lap race and ran away for the win. Tanner Lunt finished second, with newcomer Nick Austin-Neil third in his first race. Early leader Evan Roberts was fourth and Harley Rogers rounded out the field in her first start.
The New England Antique Racers club brought two divisions of classic racecars to Devil’s Bowl for its annual visit. Rick MacDowell of Sheffield, Mass., won the 12-lap Modified race over Gregg Massini and Angie Bullock, while Brian Preman of East Montpelier, Vt., topped the Sportsman division’s 12-lapper over John Adams and Bob Seward.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is in action on its 3/10-mile Dirt Track on Sunday, June 18 at 6:00 p.m., with another “topless” event for Sportsman Modifieds, along with Super Stocks, Mini Stocks, and the new Catamount Mini Sprint club. General admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $5 for teenagers, and free for kids age 12 and under. Grandstand gates open at 5:00 p.m. with racing at 6:00 p.m. Kids Bicycle Races will be held at intermission.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of U.S. Route 4, Exit 2. For more information, visit www.DevilsBowlSpeedwayVT.com or call (802) 265-3112. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at @DevilsBowlSpeedway and on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the hashtag #DevilsBowl.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS
Devil’s Bowl Speedway Asphalt Track – West Haven, VT
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Saturday, June 17, 2017
O’Reilly Auto Parts “Topless” Sportsman Modified Feature #1 (20 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (2) Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, N.Y.
2. (6) Jackie Brown Jr., Hurley, N.Y.
3. (1) # Chad White, Fort Ann, N.Y.
4. (3) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
5. (8) Vince Quenneville Jr., Brandon, Vt.
6. (4) Mike Wells, West Chazy, N.Y.
7. (5) Joey Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
8. (7) Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
Heat Winner: Jason Durgan
Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Jackie Brown Jr.
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Ron Proctor
O’Reilly Auto Parts “Topless” Sportsman Modified Feature #2 (20 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (1) Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
2. (7) Jackie Brown Jr., Hurley, N.Y.
3. (4) Vince Quenneville Jr., Brandon, Vt.
4. (2) Joey Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
5. (8) Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, N.Y.
6. (3) Mike Wells, West Chazy, N.Y.
7. (5) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
8. (6) # Chad White, Fort Ann, N.Y.
Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Jackie Brown Jr.
Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Chad White
Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Super Stock Feature (20 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (4) # Brett Wood, Georgia, Vt.
2. (9) Jim McKiernan, Moriah Center, N.Y.
3. (5) Dylan Rabtoy, Swanton, Vt.
4. (3) R.J. Germain, Bristol, Vt.
5. (11) Shawn Duquette, Morrisonville, N.Y.
6. (7) # Eric Messier, Hinesburg, Vt.
7. (8) Jared Blake, North Hero, Vt.
8. (2) # Garrett Given Sr., Cornwall, Vt.
9. (12) Austin McKiernan, Moriah Center, N.Y.
10. (10) Bill Burlingame, Gansevoort, N.Y.
11. (6) Scott FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt.
12. (1) Tony Salerno, Mineville, N.Y.
Heat Winners: R.J. Germain, Dylan Rabtoy
Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
# – denotes rookie
1. (6) Brad Bertrand, Ferrisburgh, Vt.
2. (2) Garrett Given Sr., Cornwall, Vt.
3. (8) # Shawn Moquin, Milton, Vt.
4. (5) Andrew FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt.
5. (3) # Cam Gadue, Highgate, Vt.
6. (1) # Mike Preston, Panton, Vt.
7. (7) Zach Wood, Georgia, Vt.
8. (12) Kevin Streeter, Waitsfield, Vt.
9. (4) Roo Forrest, West Rutland, Vt.
10. (10) Kaleb Shepard, New Haven, Vt.
11. (11) Kyle Botala, Grand Isle, Vt.
12. (9) # Johnny Bruno, Castleton, Vt.
Heat Winners: Garrett Given Sr., Brad Bertrand
Bandit Youth Mini Stock Feature (8 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (3) Connor Watrous, Bomoseen, Vt.
2. (2) Tanner Lunt, Fort Ann, N.Y.
3. (5) Nick Austin-Neil, Salisbury, Vt.
4. (1) Evan Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
5. (4) Harley Rogers, Castleton, Vt.
New England Antique Racers Modified Feature (12 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (4) Rick MacDowell, Sheffield, Mass.
2. (3) Gregg Massini, Sheffield, Mass.
3. (2) Angie Bullock, Greenfield, N.H.
4. (1) Danny Ferland, Charlestown, N.H.
New England Antique Racers Sportsman Feature (12 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (1) Brian Preman, East Montpelier, Vt.
2. (4) John Adams, Moscow, Vt.
3. (5) Bob Seward Sr., Lee, Mass.
4. (3) Curt Snow, West Warren, Mass.
5. (2) Spanky Bancroft, East Windsor, Conn.
6. (6) Darragh Hoyt, Greenfield, N.H.
7. (7) Norm Cyr, Milton, Vt.
