Demetrios Drellos’ Crate Engine Passes Inspection After Protest At Devil’s Bowl Speedway

Story By: JUSTIN ST. LOUIS / DEVIL’S BOWL SPEEDWAY – SCHENECTADY, NY – Demetrios Drellos has been officially declared the winner of the 30-lap Pepsi Sportsman Modified race held at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on The Stove Depot Night on Saturday, September 19.

A protest was filed against the Queensbury, N.Y., driver’s General Motors “602 crate” engine following his fourth consecutive win at the Vermont track on Saturday night.

The team of second-place finisher Justin Comes posted the $500 protest bond required by the 2020 Devil’s Bowl Speedway rulebook following the feature race on Saturday night to have the Drellos engine inspected at an independent location. The engine was removed from the Drellos car at the track, impounded, and then delivered to Hunt’s Machine in Schenectady, New York.

The inspection process – which was completed by the staff at Hunt’s Machine on the morning of Monday, September 21 – revealed that the engine was sealed, stock, and untouched, in its original configuration and measurements as prepared by General Motors. The engine returned to the Drellos team on Monday afternoon.

With the win now official, Drellos holds a 31-point lead on Adam Pierson, 741-710, entering the Championship Night season finale at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, September 26. Bobby Hackel sits third at 644 points, followed by Kenny Tremont Jr. (632), and Comes (585).

Points are awarded in qualifying heat races with 5 points to the winner, 4 points to second place, 3 points to third place, 2 points to fourth place, and 1 point for all other starters. A feature race win is worth 50 points with 48 to the runner-up, 46 to third place, and a two-point declination down to a minimum of 10 points for 21st place and beyond. Consolation races and B-Feature races do not award points.

Champions will be officially crowned in four other divisions on Saturday night as well. Castleton, Vt.’s Johnny Bruno has a 45-point cushion on Anthony Warren, 764-719, for the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman title; Bruno only needs to start his heat race to mathematically clinch his second-straight crown. West Rutland, Vt.’s Andrew FitzGerald has clinched his first championship in the Super Stock division, entering Saturday’s race with an insurmountable 110-point lead on Ronnie Alger, 646-535.

The Mini Stock and Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint titles are still very much up for grabs, though. Chris Conroy of Newport, N.H., has a slim, nine-point edge on defending champion Craig Kirby, 590-581, in the Mini Stocks, and rookie Chris Sumner is still in the hunt 42 points behind Conroy. The 500cc Mini Sprint division will crown its first two-time champion, as 2018 title winner Cody O’Brien and 2017 champ Austin Chaves sit 17 points apart, with Springfield, Vt., racer O’Brien leading 672-655.

Championship Night starts at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, September 26. In addition to the five weekly divisions, the final Sportsman Modified “Draw Race” will also be held. Advance sale tickets will soon be available online at the Devil’s Bowl Speedway website.