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Quenneville Takes Third Modified Win at Devil’s Bowl Speedway

PHOTO: Modified winner Vince Quenneville, Jr. (right) in victory lane with representatives from Interstate All Battery Center of Rutland, VT. (MemorEvents photo)

LaVair family gets 1-2-3 sweep in Bombers; “Mongo” Messier wins Enduro

WEST HAVEN, VT – Modified stock car racing veteran Vince Quenneville, Jr., returned to victory lane before a big crowd at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Interstate All Battery Center of Rutland Night on Friday. The Brandon, VT driver was the headline-grabber in a night of intense NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action.

Rookie Joey Roberts of Georgia, VT led the first 14 circuits of the 35-lap race from his outside front-row starting position before Hunter Bates took over. A caution flag at lap 20 allowed Quenneville, who ran his No. 78 Champlain Construction/Port Henry Service-sponsored Troyer car through the field from the 12th starting position on the 16-car field, to draw alongside Bates for a restart. Quenneville pounced on the outside lane and cruised to the popular victory, his third win of the year.

Bates’ car faded soon after, and contact between he and Ron Proctor forced Bates to retire for the night. Proctor, of Charlton, NY recovered to finish second, with Roberts a career-best third. Leon Gonyo of Chazy, NY finished fourth, and Joe Williams of Scotia, NY battled teammate Cody Sargen in the final laps before securing fifth. Sargen, Jeff Haskins, Jamie Proctor, Andy Smith, and Dave Snow completed the top ten.

Craig Bushey continued his torrid streak in the J&S Steel Late Model feature, running to his fourth point-counting victory of the season and fifth overall. The Fairfax, VT driver didn’t have an easy go of it, though; Dan Petronis and Matt White battled hard for the lead in the first half of the 30-lap race before Petronis broke out from the pack. Just as Bushey’s No. 05 Vermont Life Safety/Miller Auto Group Chevrolet reeled Petronis in, though, Petronis spun out of the top spot with five laps remaining. Bushey scooted by and ran to the win with Northfield, VT’s White second and Bryan Town of Charlestown, NH third. Scott Carpenter and rookie Robert Bryant, Jr., were fourth and fifth, respectively.

The 15-lap Renegade shootout was action-packed, and Robert Gordon of Milton, VT posted his third win of the year after a race-long side-by-side battle with Jeremy Jones. Gordon led the final nine laps of the race, but never by more than a few feet as Leicester, VT racer Jones stayed tough. Bill Duprey of Hydeville, VT finished a tight third.

The 20-lap Bomber feature was a LaVair family reunion, with Gabriels, NY veteran Harold LaVair and sons Chris and Bobby turning in an entertaining performance. Bobby LaVair ended up crossing the finish line as the winner for his first Devil’s Bowl win in two years. Harold LaVair was the runner-up with Chris LaVair third. Garrett Given was fourth with Mitchell Dundon fifth in just his second career start.

Eric “Mongo” Messier of Hinesburg, VT won the season’s first Enduro race for virtually stock 4 & 6 cylinder cars. Messier drove his No. 88 Ford Probe with relative ease in the 75-lap survival-of-the-fittest event and put multiple laps on all but second-place finisher Tony Andrews of Middlebury, VT. Mike Forsey of Westford, VT was third.

Coca-Cola presents Vermont’s biggest Independence Day celebration at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Wednesday, July 4 at 5:00pm. The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series will be in action with extra-distance 44-lap events for the Bond Auto Parts Modifieds and J&S Steel Late Models, each paying $1,200 to win, as well as regular events for the Renegade and Bomber divisions and the state’s largest and loudest fireworks display. Admission for the blockbuster event is $20 for adults, $18 for seniors (62+), and free for children 12 and under. Gates open at 3:00pm, racing starts at 5:00pm.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, VT, four miles north of Exit 2 on US Route 4. For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or click www.devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/devilsbowlspeedway and Twitter at @DevilsBowlSpeed.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Interstate All Battery Center of Rutland Night
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series
Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, VT
Friday, June 29, 2012

Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature (35 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# - denotes rookie)

1. (12) Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon, VT
2. (11) Ron Proctor, Charlton, NY
3. (2) # Joey Roberts, Georgia, VT
4. (10) Leon Gonyo, Chazy, NY
5. (16) Joe Williams, Scotia, NY
6. (6) Cody Sargen, Greenfield Center, NY
7. (3) # Jeff Haskins, Wells, VT
8. (5) Jamie Proctor, Schuylerville, NY
9. (1) # Andy Smith, South Glens Falls, NY
10. (13) Dave Snow, Brandon, VT
11. (15) Matt Atwood, Whitehall, NY
12. (9) Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, NY
13. (4) Jason Bruno, Plattsburgh, NY
14. (7) Hunter Bates, Middlebury, VT
15. (8) Alex Bell, Cambridge, NY
16. (14) Josh Joseph, South Glens Falls, NY

Heat Winners: Joey Roberts, Jessey Mueller

J&S Steel Late Models (30 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

1. (7) Craig Bushey, Fairfax, VT
2. (4) Matt White, Northfield, VT
3. (5) Bryan Town, Charlestown, NH
4. (10) Scott Carpenter, Waterbury, VT
5. (1) # Robert Bryant, Jr., Brooklyn, CT
6. (3) Kevin Elliott, Rutland, VT
7. (8) Hunter Bates, Middlebury, VT
8. (2) Dan Petronis, II, Mechanicville, NY
9. (6) Joey M. Laquerre, East Montpelier, VT
10. (9) Clem Despault, Waterbury, VT

Heat Winners: Craig Bushey, Matt White

Renegade (15 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# - denotes rookie)

1. (3) Robert Gordon, Milton, VT
2. (1) Jeremy Jones, Leicester, VT
3. (4) Bill Duprey, Hydeville, VT
4. (2) Ryan Keith, Pittsford, VT

Heat Winner: Robert Gordon

Bomber (20 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(# - denotes rookie)

1. (6) Bobby LaVair, Gabriels, NY
2. (8) Harold LaVair, Gabriels, NY
3. (7) Chris LaVair, Gabriels, NY
4. (2) Garrett Given, Cornwall, VT
5. (5) Mitchell Dundon, Orwell, VT
6. (10) # Josh Masterson, Bristol, VT
7. (11) Dan Collins, Rennselaer, NY
8. (13) # Gerald LaFlam, Hinesburg, VT
9. (15) # Anthony Alger, Warrensburg, NY
10. (3) # Kyle Watrous, Niantic, CT
11. (16) Bruce Schwab, Whitehall, NY
12. (12) Matt Monaghan, Colchester, VT
13. (9) Ray Germain, Jr., Bristol, VT
14. (14) # Shane Doran, Benson, VT
15. (4) John McCarron, Rennselaer, NY
16. (1) Jake Noble, Benson, VT
17. (17) John Casella, Jr., Hydeville, VT

Heat Winners: Chris LaVair, Josh Masterson

Enduro (75 laps)
Pos.-Driver-Hometown

1. Eric Messier, Hinesburg, VT
2. Tony Andrews, Middlebury, VT
3. Mike Forsey, Westford, VT

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