Tim LaDuc Wins Sunday Night At Devil’s Bowl; Kenny Tremont Takes Home Track Championship

Story By: JUSTIN ST. LOUIS / DEVIL’S BOWL SPEEDWAY – WEST HAVEN, VT – Two of Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s all-time winners had reason to celebrate on Sunday, September 23, as Kenny Tremont Jr. and Tim LaDuc stood in Victory Lane in the 2018 dirt track stock car racing season finale. Tremont extended his track record to nine career championships, leading a parade of title winners that included Brent Warren, Chris Murray, Kaleb Shepard, and Cody O’Brien.

Orwell, Vt., driver LaDuc dominated the final 30-lap race of the season for the Central Vermont Motorcycles Sportsman Modified division of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. After driving from eighth place at the start, LaDuc pressured early leader Ron Proctor for several laps before making a pass stick on lap 11. From there, he drove away uncontested for his second win of the season and the 52^nd of his career at Devil’s Bowl. Jake Scarborough, who started in 10^th place, was the runner-up.

Tremont, meanwhile, was forced to pit road after an early crash with fellow title contender Joey Scarborough. Tremont’s car suffered significant suspension damage to the right-front corner, but the West Sand Lake, N.Y., veteran admitted after the race that the bent and broken pieces actually improved the car’s handling. The proof was in the pudding, as he blasted from 16^th at the restart to finish third.

John St. Germain Jr. was part of several competitive battles before finishing fourth, with Vince Quenneville Jr. fifth. Walter J. Hammond ran as high as second at the middle part of the race before dropping to sixth, ahead of Justin Comes and Billy Lussier. Hammond’s father, Walt Hammond, finished ninth, and his uncle, Allan Hammond, rounded out the top 10. Joey Scarborough was credited with 14^th place.

Unofficially, Tremont finished with a 54-point advantage for the track title, and also clinched the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division I Vermont State Championship. LaDuc leapfrogged Joey Scarborough to finish second in track standings, with the top five completed by Comes and Quenneville. Marty Kelly III of North Bennington, Vt., claimed the track Rookie of the Year title.

Paolo Pascarella of Brunswick, N.Y., was the winner of the 20-lap finale for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman division, running away for a convincing third victory of the season. The 18 year-old passed Jesse Edwards for the lead at lap 8 and never looked back. Michael Wagner-Fitzgerald put together a solid drive from 13^th to finish second, and Travis Billington was third. Anthony Warren finished fourth in his first start of the season, with Joey Roberts rebounding from an early spin for fifth place.

Brent Warren of Salisbury, Vt., narrowly won the Limited Sportsman championship after an eighth-place finish. Warren was one of four drivers – Billington, Roberts, and Pascarella joining him – in a tight battle for the crown, and had several nervous moments in heavy traffic before sealing up the title.

Unofficially, Warren squeaked out the track championship by just five points over Billington, 10 points over Pascarella, and 17 points over Roberts. Billington, a five-time winner in 2018, scored big in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division II national standings; under NASCAR’s separate point system that compares drivers at more than 50 sanctioned tracks in North America, the 16 year-old from South Glens Falls, N.Y., landed in second place nationally.

Andrew FitzGerald of West Rutland, Vt., earned the first win of his Super Stock career in the division’s final 20-lap feature, and held off his father, Scott, for the memorable victory. The 2018 Rookie of the Year led every circuit, but had constant pressure from his dad in the final seven laps. Chris Murray of Fair Haven, Vt., put the period on his championship season in third place, followed by Kevin Elliott and Justin Severance.

Murray posted 10 wins in 19 starts for an easy stroll to his second-straight championship. Scott FitzGerald finished second overall, followed by Curtis Condon, Lou Gancarz, and Josh Bussino.

P.J. Bleau of Latham, N.Y., had a perfect two-for-two record in the Portland Glass Mini Stock division, winning the final two races of the season. Bleau methodically worked from 13^th into the lead with four laps remaining. Mike Lique finished second with early leader Tim Simonds third. Kaleb Shepard finished his championship season in fourth place and Jake Barrows completed the top five in the race.

Vergennes, Vt., racer Shepard scored five victories during a breakout season and also finished third in NASCAR Division IV national standings. Shawn Moquin was the runner-up in track championship standings, followed by Mike Preston, Johnny Bruno, and Rookie of the Year Craig Kirby of Winooski, Vt.

Dakota Green of Eagle Bridge, N.Y., tasted redemption with his second win of the season in the Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint division’s 15-lap feature race. Green took the lead from teammate Samantha Mulready at lap 5 and cruised to the victory, while Mulready matched her career-best finish in second. Thirteen year-old Cody O’Brien of Springfield, Vt., finished third to clinch the division’s championship and become the youngest title winner in Devil’s Bowl Speedway history. Evan Roberts and Kevin Smith were next in the finish.

O’Brien had an intense point battle with Austin Chaves through the second half of the season, and the pair raced in close proximity at the finale often separated by just one point. Chaves made a last-ditch effort to pass O’Brien but slipped out of the groove and finished 10^th in the race. Shawn McPhee was named Rookie of the Year and finished third in championship standings behind Chaves and ahead of Green and Joel Belanger.

Richie Turner of Highgate, Vt., capped the season with a convincing win in the “Mountain Man” Enduro 200. Turner led all but three laps of the grueling survival-of-the-fittest race. Double-duty driver P.J. Bleau finished second, two laps behind Turner. Johnny Bruno was third, three laps down, with Russ Farr in fourth place, also three laps behind Turner. Brett Wood ran in third place for much of the event before sputtering out of fuel in the final moments; he finished fifth, five laps down.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s 2018 season is now complete; dates and locations for rulebook and informational meetings for the 2019 season will be announced in the coming weeks.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of U.S. Route 4, Exit 2, and just 20 minutes from Rutland, Vt. For more information, visit www.DevilsBowlSpeedwayVT.com or call (802) 265-3112. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/DevilsBowlSpeedway and on Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat at @DevilsBowlSpeed; follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.

 

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – Championship Night

Devil’s Bowl Speedway – West Haven, Vt.

Sunday, September 23, 2018

 

Central Vermont Motorcycles Sportsman Modified Feature (30 laps)

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

# – denotes rookie

1. (8) Tim LaDuc, Orwell, Vt.
2. (10) Jake Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.
3. (13) Kenny Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.
4. (7) John St. Germain Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.
5. (5) Vince Quenneville Jr., Brandon, Vt.
6. (6) Walter J. Hammond, Canaan, N.H.
7. (12) Justin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.
8. (11) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.
9. (18) Walt Hammond Jr., Canaan, N.H.
10. (2) Allan Hammond, Orange, N.H.
11. (1) Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
12. (3) James Fadden, Plainfield, N.H.
13. (14) Joey Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.
14. (17) Marty Kelly III, North Bennington, Vt.
15. (15) Mike Palmer, Salisbury, Vt.
16. (9) Jimmy Ryan, Shoreham, Vt.
17. (16) Tomas Kimball, White River Junction, Vt.
18. (4) Brian Whittemore, Pittsford, Vt.

Heat Winners: Ron Proctor, Brian Whittemore, Allan Hammond

Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Kenny Tremont Jr. (+10 positions)

Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Jimmy Ryan

 

O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman Feature (20 laps)

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

1. (6) Paolo Pascarella, Brunswick, N.Y.
2. (13) Michael Wagner-Fitzgerald, Gansevoort, N.Y.
3. (9) Travis Billington, South Glens Falls, N.Y.
4. (11) Anthony Warren, Shoreham, Vt.
5. (12) Joey Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
6. (1) Jesse Edwards, Gansevoort, N.Y.
7. (5) Mike Parodi, South Glens Falls, N.Y.
8. (8) Brent Warren, Salisbury, Vt.
9. (4) Tanner Forbes, Jay, N.Y.
10. (3) Matt Bilodeau, Pittsford, Vt.
11. (10) Trevor Randlett, Holderness, N.H.
12. (14) Mike McGinn, Elizabethtown, N.Y.
13. (2) Montgomery Tremont, West Sand Lake, N.Y.
14. (15) Dylan Jones, Fair Haven, Vt.
15. (7) Adam Piper, Leicester, Vt.

Did Not Start: R.J. Germain, Bristol, Vt.; Bob Schmidt, Gansevoort, N.Y.; Jason Baker, S. Glens Falls, N.Y.

Heat Winners: Adam Piper, Paolo Pascarella

Shiley Fabrication Hard Charger Award: Michael Wagner-Fitzgerald (+11 positions)

Shiley Fabrication Hard Luck Award: Jason Baker

 

Super Stock Feature (20 laps)

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

# – denotes rookie

1. (1) # Andrew FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt.
2. (7) Scott FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt.
3. (8) Chris Murray, Fair Haven, Vt.
4. (6) Kevin Elliott, Rutland, Vt.
5. (9) Justin Severance, Pittsford, Vt.
6. (4) Matt Mosher, Queensbury, N.Y.
7. (5) Lou Gancarz, North Adams, Mass.
8. (2) Trevor Hurlburt, Fair Haven, Vt.
9. (3) Ronnie Alger, Orwell, Vt.
10. (10) # Dustin Stevenson, Lake George, N.Y.

Did Not Start: Curtis Condon, Queensbury, N.Y.

Heat Winner: Andrew FitzGerald

 

Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature (15 laps)

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

# – denotes rookie

1. (13) P.J. Bleau, Latham, N.Y.
2. (5) Mike Lique, West Lebanon, N.H.
3. (4) Tim Simonds, Clarendon, Vt.
4. (10) Kaleb Shepard, Vergennes, Vt.
5. (2) Jake Barrows, Cornwall, Vt.
6. (11) Shawn Moquin, Milton, Vt.
7. (3) Willie Rice, Poultney, Vt.
8. (15) Mark Lindblade, Stony Creek, N.Y.
9. (1) # Shawn Rogers, Fair Haven, Vt.
10. (14) Katrina Bean, Benson, Vt.
11. (8) Mike Preston, Panton, Vt.
12. (16) # Lynn Denton, Milton, Vt.
13. (7) # Craig Kirby, Winooski, Vt.
14. (6) Derrick Counter, Leicester, Vt.
15. (12) Chris Charbonneau, Rutland, Vt.
16. (9) Johnny Bruno, Castleton, Vt.

Heat Winners: Tim Simonds, Johnny Bruno

 

Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint Feature (15 laps)

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

# – denotes rookie

1. (5) # Dakota Green, Eagle Bridge, N.Y.
2. (2) # Samantha Mulready, Hoosick Falls, N.Y.
3. (3) Cody O’Brien, Springfield, Vt.
4. (7) Evan Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.
5. (6) # Kevin Smith, Brandon, Vt.
6. (8) # John McPhee Jr., Rutland, Vt.
7. (1) # Tye Vaillancourt, New Ipswich, N.H.
8. (9) # Shawn McPhee, Rutland, Vt.
9. (4) # Joel Belanger, Washington, N.H.
10. (10) Austin Chaves, Chester, Vt.

Did Not Start: # Gordon Sheehan, West Rutland, Vt.

Heat Winner: Dakota Green

 

“Mountain Man” Enduro (200 laps)

Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown-Laps Complete

1. (517) Richie Turner, Highgate, Vt. – 200 Laps
2. (92) P.J. Bleau, Latham, N.Y. – 198 Laps
3. (22) Johnny Bruno, Castleton, Vt. – 197 Laps
4. (5) Russ Farr, Granville, N.Y. – 197 Laps
5. (802) Brett Wood, Georgia, Vt. – 195 Laps
6. (55) Andrew FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt. – 194 Laps
7. (711) Trevor Jaques, Milton, Vt. – 182 Laps
8. (7X) Christopher Hale, Rutland, Vt. – 180 Laps
9. (94) Lee Moss, Fair Haven, Vt. – 160 Laps
10. (88) Jesse Durkee, South Royalton, Vt. – 157 Laps
11. (0) Bradley Disorda, Leicester, Vt. – 154 Laps
12. (75) Ryan Atwood, Whitehall, N.Y. – 124 Laps
13. (86) Mike Ryan, Vershire, Vt. – 119 Laps
14. (11) Steve Miller, Vergennes, Vt. – 115 Laps
15. (73) Willie Rice, Poultney, Vt. – 87 Laps
16. (57) Carl Whittemore, Brandon, Vt. – 75 Laps
17. (41) Andy Botala, Grand Isle, Vt. – 75 Laps
18. (77) Bill Fountain, Altona, N.Y. – 72 Laps
19. (76) Justin Wright, Sheffield, Vt. – 66 Laps
20. (21X) Darren Newland, East Burke, Vt. – 62 Laps
21. (25) Kyle Botala, Grand Isle, Vt. – 61 Laps
22. (195) Maverick Mitchell, Whiting, Vt. – 59 Laps
23. (6A) Adam Stewart, Benson, Vt. – 58 Laps
24. (90) Josh Muir, Milton, Vt. – 56 Laps
25. (150) Chad Woodard, Belmont, Vt. – 49 Laps
26. (17) Cory Gray, Clarendon, Vt. – 37 Laps
27. (3J) Nathaniel Kennedy, Rochester, Vt. – 35 Laps
28. (7) Shawn Fountain, Plattsburgh, N.Y. – 31 Laps
29. (21) Cody Groesbeck, Fair Haven, Vt. – 23 Laps
30. (77X) Kyle Gray, Essex, Vt. – 17 Laps
31. (35) Stephen Williams, Bomoseen, Vt. – 16 Laps
32. (3) Darren Williams, Granville, N.Y. – 10 Laps
33. (2X) Josh Bussino, Belmont, Vt. – No Score
34. (48) Jeffrey Evans, Tinmouth, Vt. – Did Not Start