2020-09-21

Justin Comes Officially Named 2020 King of Dirt Racing Champion


Justin Comes Officially Named 2020 King of Dirt Racing Champion

Schedule cut short by pandemic-related cancellations

 

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                                  KOD-091920-1

 

RUTLAND, Vt. – There is a new King of Dirt Racing: Justin Comes. The Middlebury, Vt., driver has officially been named the champion for the 2020 King of Dirt Racing (KOD) Crate Modified Series, following a season that saw the tour's schedule drastically abbreviated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The original KOD schedule contained five dates, though only two events at Devil's Bowl Speedway were completed. Albany-Saratoga Speedway in Malta, N.Y., has announced that it will not be holding its event planned for September 25 due to ongoing pandemic restrictions in New York State; that event was scheduled to be the final KOD race. Other events planned for The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and New York's Fonda Speedway had previously been cancelled.

Comes finished fourth in both races that were completed at his home track, Devil's Bowl Speedway in West Haven, Vermont. In each case, he was the second-highest finishing driver who was eligible to earn KOD championship points; drivers who also compete regularly in Big Block or Small Block Modified events do not earn points.

Proving his strength, Comes was one of only two drivers to finish inside the top five in both events, joining Demetrios Drellos, who is ineligible for points. Comes ran from sixth starting position to finish fourth in the first KOD event, the "Leon Gonyo Memorial" 40-lap race on August 9, finishing just behind Kevin Root, Drellos, and Kenny Tremont Jr., and ahead of Jack Speshock.

In the second event, the 11th Annual "Northeast Crate Nationals" 50-lapper on September 12 – which was originally planned for Fonda Speedway – Comes started seventh and made his way into a thrilling battle for the win with Drellos, Adam Pierson, and Tanner Siemons, leading 15 laps in the process. He was shuffled back on some late restarts, finishing behind Drellos, Pierson, and Siemons, with David Schilling behind him in fifth place.

Comes is the first Vermonter to win a King of Dirt Racing championship, joining New York racers Rocky Warner, Connor Cleveland, and Bobby Hackel as a KOD Crate Modified Series titlist. Known as "The Highside Hustler" for his tendency to use the far outside lane on the racetrack, Comes has competed occasionally with KOD since 2015 and has seven career wins in weekly Sportsman Modified competition at Devil's Bowl and Bear Ridge Speedway.

"We are proud to call Justin Comes the King of Dirt Racing champion for 2020," KOD president Mike Bruno said. "We obviously wish that the schedule had played out differently, but Justin Comes earned his title and he raced hard for the win at the Northeast Crate Nationals last week. He is an outstanding racer with a small, family team, and that is what KOD was built on. It's good to have a driver like Justin Comes on the list of KOD champions."

Bristol, Vt., rookie Josh Masterson is the runner-up in the KOD standings for 2020, and he will also take home "Newcomer of the Year" honors. Masterson was strong in his first season on dirt, with finishes of 11th and 8th in the two KOD races. Johnstown, N.Y.'s Brian Calabrese finished third in KOD points for the second straight year, followed by Tim LaDuc and Siemons. Even with only two events run, 54 different drivers competed with KOD.

King of Dirt Racing features the popular Sportsman-type dirt Modified stock car and the economical General Motors "602" crate engine package. KOD events offer some of the best-paying Sportsman-level purses in the Northeast, and the schedule is kept short by design to offer an affordable touring alternative for grassroots racers.

King of Dirt Racing is online at www.KingofDirtRacing.com and can also be found on Facebook, Twitter,  and Instagram.  For more information, call (802) 265-3112 or email kodracingseries@gmail.com.

 

King of Dirt Racing Crate Modified Series

2020 Final Championship Point Standings

Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown-Points

1.       (51) Justin Comes, Middlebury, Vt. – 158

2.       (11X) Josh Masterson, Bristol, Vt. – 131

3.       (21C) Brian Calabrese, Johnstown, N.Y. – 129

4.       (54) Tim LaDuc, Orwell, Vt. – 127

5.       (5) Tanner Siemons, Orford, N.H. – 117

6.       (24J) John St. Germain Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y. – 105

7.       (1X) Justin Stone, Middlebury, Vt. – 99

8.       (60) Jimmy Ryan, Whiting, Vt. – 95

9.       (13) Frank Hoard III, Manchester Center, Vt. – 93

10.   (36) Brian Whittemore, Pittsford, Vt. – 85

 

King of Dirt Racing Crate Modified Series

2020 Final Newcomer of the Year Standings

Pos.-(Car No.)-Driver-Hometown-Points

1.       (11X) Josh Masterson, Bristol, Vt. – 131

2.       (1X) Justin Stone, Middlebury, Vt. – 99

3.       (514) James Hanson, Orwell, Vt. – 81

4.       (7) Chris Murray, Fair Haven, Vt. – 73

5.       (17) Bruce Loomis, Queensbury, N.Y. – 57

 

King of Dirt Racing Crate Modified Series

2020 Race Winners

Sun., Aug. 9 – Devil's Bowl Speedway – Leon Gonyo Memorial (40 laps) – Kevin Root, Geneva, N.Y.

Sat., Sept. 12 – Devil's Bowl Speedway – Northeast Crate Nationals (50 laps) – Demetrios Drellos, Queensbury, N.Y.

 

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TERRIFIC IN TRAFFIC: Krup Escapes Clutches of Nicely, Hoffman to Win Hope for Harlie Prelim at Cedar Ridge

Posted: 19 Sep 2020 02:58 AM PDT

Illinoisan denies Hoffman of record-tying win again, scores sixth career tour victory

MORGANTOWN, KY – With just five laps left, deep in lapped traffic and two fierce competitors closing the gap behind him, Will Krup knew it was time to make a move to secure the win.

Krup had led since the drop of the green, through several caution flags and now had home-state favorite Tyler Nicely and newly crowned champion Nick Hoffman breathing down his neck as he approached a sizable pack of lapped traffic on the 3/8-mile high banks of Cedar Ridge Speedway. Krup stuck mainly to the lower side of the track and began to pick each car in the pack off, one-by-one, until he was forced to move up to get around some others.

With two laps left, Krup made some contact with one of the slower cars that nearly stumbled his momentum as he came out of Turn 4 to collect the white flag. But his JHA Motorsports #K19 was strong and stable, and Krup was able to get through the late-race traffic jam to collect his fifth DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals Feature win of the season in the preliminary night of action at the seventh annual Hope for Harliebenefit race.

Krup (K19) battling with Josh Harris (22) and Nick Hoffman (7) early on in the race (Josh James Photo)

"I just kept looking up at the flagman, just wishing he'd throw that checkered," Krup said after the race. "It was getting awfully thick there. But all-in-all, I survived that deal and came home with a good victory."

Cedar Ridge has been good to Krup in years' past. He scored the very first Summit Modified Feature win of his career here last year, also on night #1 of Hope for Harlie weekend. On Friday night, Krup looked as strong as he's been all year, and it paid off – $1,500 worth.

"It helps being confident after winning the last couple years at this particular race," Krup said. "The car was really good tonight; I just hope it's good tomorrow with a lot more money on the line. Everybody's going to bring their A-game tomorrow, for sure."

Leading the pack for an all-Elite Chassis podium once again, Krup knew the pressure was coming from Nicely and Hoffman behind him, and he kicked it into high gear at just the right time.

"I had a stick guy up there that I was watching and the gap never got any bigger, never got any smaller, but I just knew that you can't mess-up in those situations because if you get out of line a little bit, they'll get underneath you and they're gonna be hard to pass back," he said.

Nicely actually viewed the thick traffic at the end as an interesting added element to maneuver around.

"That lapped traffic got pretty heavy there at the end," Nicely said. "I was kinda looking forward to it; it was just gonna help throw another car into it."

Crossing the stripe with a runner-up finish, Nicely even had to throw a slide job and execute some needle-threading on the slower cars in front of him just to get by.

 

Krup in Victory Lane with Harlie, a young cancer patient whom the weekend is dedicated to (Josh James Photo)

"When the lapped cars are running side-by-side, that really affects you," Nicely said.
"But we got through it with no damage."

He may have been denied victory by his own Elite Chassis customers again, but Hoffman's still got a chance to tie his own single-season wins record in Saturday night's $3,000-to-win finale if he can get the job done. A rare third-place performance in his Heat Race Friday night set him up with an eighth-place landing spot on the starting grid, which he said had an effect on Feature outcome.

"Just gotta tune on it to try and get better earlier in the night," Hoffman said. "Tonight, burying myself in that Heat Race put me buried in the Feature, and you can't expect to pass these guys.

"I felt like I was just as good as the two in front of me, just kinda had to pick and choose in lapped traffic. Will got through there really well and so did Tyler. I felt like all three of us were pretty equal speed-wise."

UP NEXT

The DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals / American Modified Series action continues Saturday night with the Hope for Harlie finale – $3,000 on the line for the winner of the 40-lap Feature.

Keep up to date with all the latest and greatest content from the DIRTcar Summit Modifieds by liking the tour page on Facebook and following on Twitter @SummerNationals.

RESULTS

Feature (25 Laps) 1. K19-Will Krup [1][]; 2. 25-Tyler Nicely [3][]; 3. 7-Nick Hoffman [8][]; 4. 22H-Josh Harris [5][]; 5. 18-Brandon McDowell [2][]; 6. 24-Zeke McKenzie [4][]; 7. K7-Gabriel Kirtley [11][]; 8. 21D-Danny Schwartz [16][]; 9. 16C-John Clippinger [12][]; 10. 55L-Alex Love [7][]; 11. 55-Blaze Melton [14][]; 12. 13-Charlie Mefford [9][]; 13. 22-Wade Wenthe [17][]; 14. O3-Zach Dennis [18][]; 15. 11-Dennis Vincent [20][]; 16. 46-Johnny Madden [15][]; 17. 37-TY Shearon [10][]; 18. 81-Mark Cole [21][]; 19. 8-TJ Armour [22][]; 20. 81C-Christopher Cole [19][]; 21. 59R-Jacob Rexing [6][]; 22. R4-Ricky Arms [13][] Hard Charger: 21D-Danny Schwartz[+8]


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RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME: Harris Capitalizes on Spinning Leaders to Win Hope for Harlie Finale at Cedar Ridge

Krup, Hoffman and Nicely tangle in Turns 1-2 after battling in lapped traffic

MORGANTOWN, KY – After one of the wildest turn of events seen all year on the DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals circuit, Utica, KY's own Josh Harris pulled off his fourth career victory with the tour in Saturday night's Hope for Harlie finale at Cedar Ridge Speedway.

Harris had marched his way up from ninth to fourth and was riding with a sizable gap to Tyler Nicely as they rounded Turn 4 to complete Lap 26. By the time he reached the exit of Turn 2 on Lap 27, Harris was the race leader.

Josh James Photo

Friday night's Hope for Harlie preliminary Feature winner Will Krup had led since the drop of the green and was in the thick of a big battle for the lead with 2020 tour champion Nick Hoffman, deep in lapped traffic. The two frontrunners approached a pack of several slower cars, spread out across all three grooves, with Hoffman on the top and Krup on the bottom.

Coming out of Turn 4 on Lap 26, Hoffman made a dive to the inside to try and get around the pack but hadn't quite cleared Krup's nose and made contact with it going down the frontstretch. Hoffman was able to gather it back in before entering Turn 1, but ended up sliding up the track right in front of Krup, who had switched to the high side.

The contact that ensued sent both drivers around in the middle of Turns 1-2, leaving Nicely barreling through with no place to go, as he and another lapped car piled in and made substantial contact.

"Nick went to the bottom there and I crossed lanes to go to the top, he slid from the top and I just had nowhere to go," Krup said of the incident. "I tried to get on the brakes. Looking at the video, Tyler didn't have anywhere to go, so he got into me, and it was just all a bang-bang deal, all three of us were out."

And just like that, all three leaders were taken out of the race. Nicely left the racing surface on the hook, Krup drove back to the pit area and Hoffman soon followed suit.

"I'd seen Tyler [Nicely] right in front of me," Harris said from his point-of-view. "I wasn't really gaining on him and he wasn't getting away from me. I was hoping we had a caution so we could race it out and see where we were with him, but I wasn't expecting the caution to be for all three of them.

"We got through that wreck; there were cars going everywhere, it was kinda like a Daytona crash."

With Harris now in the lead, it was his race to lose. The field went back to green as Danny Schwartz, Jimmy Payne and Gabriel Kirtley now moved into the picture. Try as they may, though, Harris' Mark Bush Racing Chassis #22H was not to be beaten. He led the field the rest of the way home in the 40-lap contest to pick up his first Summit Modified victory of the season and the $3,000 top prize.

The extent of the damage to Nicely's #25 (Mark Davis Photo)

"I have lost plenty the way that I won it tonight. Obviously [this is] not the way you want to win it, but you take them any way you can get them," Harris said.

Meanwhile, the Elite Chassis trio sat parked in the pit area, loading up after a sour conclusion to the weekend that ended with finishes of 13th (Hoffman), 14th (Krup) and 15th (Nicely). Through it all, Krup did come away with the one victory on Friday night, although he felt he could have completed the sweep on Saturday.

"We were just kinda cruising there, trying not to burn up the tires," Krup said. "Just trying to take our time, pick off the lapped traffic when we could. It got super racey there, and I think our car pretty good and definitely had a shot to win this deal."

Despite his gain from their expense on Saturday, Harris did tip his cap to the dominance of the Elite Chassis gang throughout the year. Hoffman, Krup, Nicely and Plainfield, IL-pilot Mike McKinney have combined for a significant number of Feature wins this year, and Harris will be gunning for them next season.

"Our car was really good. We've been really working hard on chasing those guys. It's no secret that those three and McKinney are the four fastest cars in the country right now. I believe we're fifth right behind them," Harris said.

UP NEXT

The 2020 DIRTcar Summit Racing Equipment Modified Nationals field jumps back into action one final time this year for the Modified portion of the Hooiser Dirt Shootout makeup race at Kokomo Speedway. Catch all the action live on DIRTVision.

RESULTS

Feature (40 Laps) 1. 22H-Josh Harris [9]; 2. 21D-Danny Schwartz [11]; 3. 68-Jimmy Payne [4]; 4. K7-Gabriel Kirtley [13]; 5. 16C-John Clippinger [14]; 6. 59R-Jacob Rexing [5]; 7. 24-Zeke McKenzie [8]; 8. 37-Ty Shearon [21]; 9. 121-Caleb Slaughter [16]; 10. 62E-Kim Edington [23]; 11. 03-Zach Dennis [10]; 12. 1S-Brian Shaw [7]; 13. 7-Nick Hoffman [3]; 14. K19-Will Krup [2]; 15. 25-Tyler Nicely [6]; 16. 29S-Bill Sollers [20]; 17. 11-Dennis Vincent [19]; 18. 22-Wade Wenthe [1]; 19. R4-Ricky Arms [12]; 20. 55-Blaze Melton [15]; 21. 13-Charlie Mefford [18]; 22. 99-Teagan Embrey [17] 23. 8-TJ Armour [22]; 24. 46-Johnny Madden [24]

JANCZUK JOLTS FIELD: Matt Janczuk wins non-stop DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series: Central Region Feature at Land of Legends Raceway

Posted: 19 Sep 2020 09:40 PM PDT

Matt Janczuk, Brett Senek, and Zach Sobotka top podium at DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series: Central Region finale; Janczuk declared Central Region champ

CANANDAIGUA, NY – Over 50 DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series drivers unloaded at Land of Legends Raceway for the final DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series: Central Region event of 2020. For many drivers, this was the final look at the Canandaigua, NY half-mile speedway before the Series returns on Saturday, October 10 for DIRTcar OktoberFAST presented by DIRTVision. 

With a mere 20 points separating the top five in points, it was anyone's guess as to who would come out on top. To decide it, 30 cars stomped on their Chevy Performance crate engine accelerators at the green flag and never stopped until the checkered flag fell after 30 laps of hardscrabble, high-intensity DIRTcar Racing. 

At the end of 30 laps, the top three were Matt Janczuk, Brett Senek, and Zach Sobotka. Before this year these drivers did not have ten starts at Land of Legends Raceway between the three of them. 

Janczuk took the green flag, held on to the lead, and never looked back to become 2020's DIRTcar Sportsman Modified: Central Region champion. 

"We had a good car. This thing has been awesome all year. It's a bucket list thing winning the Series. I wish it hadn't been a shortened season but when we ran we ran well," said Janczuk. 

"We'll take this first-ever Series championship!"

Victory Lane seemed just out of reach in Canandaigua but the No. 33X driver looks like he has it figured out now. 

"We have a bunch of seconds here and I just couldn't figure this place out. We won last time but we don't have many starts here," noted Janczuk. Maybe six in my whole career. To get these wins is awesome."

Although the race was green from flag to flag, it was not an easy win for the champ. He spent his time on the front stretch trying to make out where Kevin Root in his No. 34 was running in the field as he was second in points all while defending against Brett Senek and managing traffic. Root was also the defending Series and track champion so Janczuk knew he could come out of nowhere to the front. 

"I could see the 111 and the 38 were on the leader board between me and Kevin Root who got up to fourth at the end," Janczuk said. "I knew we had a good car. We struggled in lapped traffic a little bit and I didn't know if we had gapped those guys are not."

Runner-up Brett Senek normally races at Ransomville Speedway but with limited opportunities to race anywhere in 2020, Senek found himself making starts at Land of Legends Raceway. Senek chased Janczuk all night but just couldn't get the break he needed to make a serious run. 

"He was fast. I thought once we got into traffic that I would have something for him. I couldn't get through the traffic like him," noted Senek. "Once we caught some cars I thought I had a chance but he's just really good."

Zach Sobotka came in strong, leading the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Championship, and ready to go for a Series win. Unfortunately, the No. 38 team missed the Feature setup a little bit.

"We had a good car but it was a bit free. All around it was a pretty good night for us. I thought that once Janczuk hit traffic that the 111 and myself would catch him but we didn't," Sobotka said similarly to Senek. The stars seemed to be aligned for Matt Janczuk. 

AJ Miller is the randomly chosen recipient of one free tire courtesy of Hoosier Racing Tire. 

Don't forget to get all your DIRTcar OktoberFAST information here. Competitors must register prior to September 30. To watch, get your DIRTVision Fast Pass today!

DIRTcar Sportsman Modified Series: Central Region 30-lap Feature Results 

 

  1. MATT JANCZUK 2. Brett Senek 3. Zach Sobotka 4. Kevin Root 5. Alan Fink 6. Paul Guererri 7. Kevin Ridley 8. Matt Guererri 9. Nick Guererri 10. Will Shields 11. AJ Lloyd 12. Zach Payne 13. Dalton Rombough 14. Payton Talbot 15. Andrew Buff 16. AJ Miller 17. Brian Fish 18. Garrison Krentz 19. Mike Fowler 20. Andrew Smith 21. Kane Bristol 22. Cody Wolfe 23. Kyle Inman 24. Joe Shields 25. Chris Mackey 26. Derek Webb 27. Dan Grignon 28. Zach George 29. Rocco Leone 30. Daryl Nutting 


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 21.9.20 1 comments

QUICK RESULTS: Devil's Bowl Speedway - Saturday, Sept. 19

ALL RESULTS ARE UNOFFICIAL - FULL RESULTS COMING SOON

QUICK RESULTS
Devil's Bowl Speedway - West Haven, VT
The Stove Depot Night - Saturday, September 19

Pepsi Sportsman Modified - 30 laps
1. 111 Demetrios Drellos, Queensbury, NY
2. 51 Justin Comes, Middlebury, VT
3. 88 Michael Wagner-Fitzgerald, Gansevoort, NY
4. 15 Adam Pierson, East Corinth, VT
5. 1X Justin Stone, Middlebury, VT
RECAP: Championship point leader Demetrios Drellos started 17th and drove through traffic to reach second place before a restart with six laps left. At the restart, he passed Michael Wagner-Fitzgerald to take the lead, cruising to his fourth consecutive win and fifth of the season.
PHOTO: Demetrios Drellos and his family team celebrate four wins in a row at Devil's Bowl Speedway. (Jeremy McGaffin/Showstopper Photos)

Sportsman Modified "Draw Race" - 25 laps
1. 1X Todd Stone, Middlebury, VT
2. 21C Brian Calabrese, Johnstown, NY
3. 19 Jamy Begor, Mooers Forks, NY
4. 22 Dylan Rabtoy, Swanton, VT
5. 4B Derek Bornt, Poestenkill, NY
RECAP: Three-time Devil's Bowl champion Todd Stone put a new GM "crate" engine in his car this week on a whim, entered the special non-points "Draw Race" for the Sportsman Modified division, and won. Stone had a big lead before the race's lone caution flag on lap 18, and then fought off a strong challenge from Brian Calabrese for the win. It was the 42nd feature win of Stone's Devil's Bowl career - fourth place on the track's all-time list.

O'Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman - 20 laps
1. 60W Anthony Warren, Shoreham, VT
2. 24 Larry Gallipo, West Rutland, VT
3. 22 Johnny Bruno, Castleton, VT
4. 2B Bryce Breault, Queensbury, NY
5. 36 Lacey Hanson, Orwell, VT
RECAP: The race was slowed by several caution periods in the early laps before settling into a good rhythm. Anthony Warren erased some recent bad luck with his third win of the season, fending off a strong mid-race charge by Larry Gallipo.

Super Stock - 25 laps
1. 23 Cam Gadue, Highgate, VT
2. 44D Bill Duprey, Hydeville, VT
3. 99 Russ Farr, Granville, NY
4. 91 Matt Mosher, Queensbury, NY
5. 55 Andrew FitzGerald, West Rutland, VT
RECAP: Cam Gadue led every lap to take a very popular victory - the first of his Super Stock career. Gadue, 21, is one of the most well-liked personalities in the pit area, and was congratulated on the track by many of his fellow drivers. He dedicated the win to his father, Kevin, who died in an ATV accident in August 2019.

Mini Stock - 20 laps (cut to 15 laps by time limit)
1. 7 Tim Simonds, Clarendon, VT
2. 78 Chris Conroy, Newport, NH
3. 3 Jarrod Colburn, Rutland, VT
4. 13 Kyle Davis, Jr., Cornish, NH
5. 10 Griff Mahoney, Bristol, VT
RECAP: Several caution periods plagued the race, which was cut short by a predetermined 20-minute time limit to 15 of 20 scheduled laps. Brendan Lauzon was uninjured in a rollover. Tim Simonds led from lap 6 to the finish for his second win of the season.

Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint - 20 laps
1. 17 Kaidin White, Monkton, VT
2. 42JR Kamden Duffy, Richmond, NH
3. 32 Samantha Mulready, Cambridge, NY
4. 23 Austin Chaves, Chester, VT
5. 10 John Smith, Poultney, VT
RECAP: Kaidin White set a new all-time record as the youngest winner of a feature event in Devil's Bowl Speedway history (opened in 1967) at age 11 years, 2 months, 2 days. White led every lap and outdistanced Kamden Duffy - who previously set the age record at 12 years old in June. The Mini Sprint division has a wide array of racers young and old; third-place Samantha Mulready is 31 years old, ninth-place Arnie Kasuba is 62.

ALL RESULTS ARE UNOFFICIAL - FULL RESULTS COMING SOON


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Drellos Streaks to Four Straight Wins at Devil’s Bowl Speedway

Drellos Streaks to Four Straight Wins at Devil's Bowl Speedway

White, 11, sets new mark as youngest winner in history

 

For Immediate Release                                                                                                                                                                                  DBS-092020-1

 

WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Demetrios Drellos is almost beginning to appear superhuman at Devil's Bowl Speedway. The Queensbury, N.Y., racer – known as "The Greek Streak" – extended his own streak to four consecutive victories on The Stove Depot Night, Saturday, September 19. Other big moments during the night included wins for Todd Stone, Anthony Warren, Cam Gadue, and Tim Simonds, and 11-year-old Kaidin White reset the record as the youngest feature winner in Devil's Bowl's 54-season history.

Drellos scored his win in the 30-lap feature for the Pepsi Sportsman Modified division, but it looked as though young Michael Wagner-Fitzgerald was headed for a career-first win. Wagner-Fitzgerald battled early with veteran Mike Palmer before getting away with the lead on the fifth lap. He built a sizeable advantage over rookie Justin Stone, and he was seven laps away when a caution flag flew.

The cream had begun to rise at that point as Drellos, Justin Comes, and Adam Pierson had each come from 14th starting position or worse to be inside the top five. Wagner-Fitzgerald chose the outside lane for the restart, putting second-place Drellos on the bottom – right where he had made most of his passes through traffic. Drellos easily scooted into the lead and pulled away over the final laps for the win.

Comes nipped Wagner-Fitzgerald at the finish line for the runner-up spot by just three feet, though the third-place finish was far and away a career-best result for Wagner-Fitzgerald in the top-level Sportsman Modified class at Devil's Bowl. Pierson finished fourth with Stone fifth, ahead of Frank Hoard III, Jack Speshock, Kenny Tremont Jr., John St. Germain Jr., and Alex Bell.

The finish is unofficial pending results of an engine inspection on the Drellos car. Qualifying heat wins went to Comes, Bell, and Pierson, and Bobby Hackel won the last-chance consolation qualifier.

The season's second Sportsman Modified "Draw Race" was also on the card, providing an alternative, non-points event for outside drivers to compete without the disadvantage of the weekly handicapping system placing them in the rear of the starting order.

Three-time Devil's Bowl champion Todd Stone pulled the Small Block "358" engine out of his car during the week and installed a Sportsman-legal GM "602" crate powerplant in order to enter the race, and the Middlebury, Vt., racer proved to be dominant. Stone won his qualifying heat and had a big lead in the 25-lap feature before the race's lone caution period with seven circuits remaining.

Brian Calabrese gave Stone all he could handle at the restart and took the lead on the backstretch, but Stone powered around Calabrese to reclaim the lead and sail to the win. Calabrese settled for second ahead of Jamy Begor, Dylan Rabtoy, and Derek Bornt. The win was the 42nd of Stone's career at Devil's Bowl and his first since 2015.

Anthony Warren got back on the winning track in the 20-lap feature for the O'Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman division. The Shoreham, Vt., racer made some three-wide moves in the early laps before taking the lead, and then held off a determined Larry Gallipo after the midway point for his third win of the season. Gallipo's runner-up finish was his best of the year and came in his final start of 2020 before he travels out of state on business.

Point leader Johnny Bruno finished third and Albany-Saratoga Speedway champion Bryce Breault came from 15th starting position to finish fourth in his first Devil's Bowl start. Lacey Hanson completed the top five, followed by Austin Comes, Matt Bilodeau, Joe Kemp, Josh Bussino, and Shawn McPhee. Bilodeau, Gallipo, and Warren won the qualifying heats.

Cam Gadue scored a popular first win in the Super Stock division, leading every step of the way in a 25-lap feature. The well-liked racer from the Canadian border town of Highgate, Vt., held off four-time champion Bill Duprey over a series of restarts and never wavered. Gadue was in the battle for Rookie of the Year honors in 2019 before losing his father, Kevin, in an ATV accident in August of that year. Many of the Super Stock competitors stopped in victory lane to congratulate Gadue as he collected the checkered flag.

Duprey finished as the runner-up, just in front of an entertaining, race-long battle for third place that ultimately went to Russ Farr. Farr swapped positions with Andrew FitzGerald, Matt Mosher, and Jim McKiernan for nearly the entire distance before claiming the spot. Mosher was fourth ahead of FitzGerald, McKiernan, Michael Wright, Ronnie Alger, Tyler Irwin, and Curtis Condon.

The Mini Stock division saw its 20-lap feature cut five laps short by the predetermined 20-minute time limit was enacted after many yellow flags and a red flag for a flip by Brenden Lauzon, who was uninjured. Tim Simonds of Clarendon, Vt., was much the best throughout the race, driving from sixth to take the lead in six laps, then holding off point leader Chris Conroy for his second win.

Conroy got his first podium finish since the end of July with the runner-up result. Jarrod Colburn finished a strong third, followed by Kyle Davis Jr. and rookie Griff Mahoney. The top 10 was completed in order by Craig Kirby, Chris Lussier (substituting for Katrina Bean), Brian Blake, Dick Stone, and Willie Rice.

Monkton, Vt.'s Kaidin White made history as the youngest feature winner in Devil's Bowl history at age 11 years, 2 months, 2 days, by copping the 20-lap race for the Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint division. White led every lap and outran Kamden Duffy for the win; Duffy had previously set the age record in July at 12 years old.

Samantha Mulready was third ahead of Austin Chaves and John Smith. Eric Wade, Lynn Sumner, Cody O'Brien, Arnie Kasuba, and John McPhee Jr. were next in line. The Mini Sprint division has a wide array of racers young, old, and in between; third-place Mulready is 31 and ninth-place Kasuba, a rookie, is 62.

Devil's Bowl Speedway returns to action on Saturday, September 26 at 6:00 p.m. with Championship Night. The 2020 title winners will be crowned in all five weekly divisions, and 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.

The Addison County Benefit Pull comes to Devil's Bowl on Friday, October 2 and Saturday, October 3 with two full days of truck, tractor, and garden tractor pulls. The 2020 stock car racing season closes with the "Foliage Fun Run" event on Sunday, October 4, with "run what you brung" open competition races for all divisions, plus mechanic races and a 50-lap Enduro.

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 – The Stove Depot Night

Devil's Bowl Speedway – West Haven, Vt.

Saturday, September 19, 2020

 

Pepsi Sportsman Modified Feature (30 laps) – UNOFFICIAL PENDING TECHNICAL INSPECTION

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

# - denotes rookie

1.       (17) Demetrios Drellos, Queensbury, N.Y.

2.       (14) Justin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.

3.       (2) Michael Wagner-Fitzgerald, Gansevoort, N.Y.

4.       (16) Adam Pierson, East Corinth, Vt.

5.       (6) # Justin Stone, Middlebury, Vt.

6.       (12) Frank Hoard III, Manchester Center, Vt.

7.       (15) Jack Speshock, Malta, N.Y.

8.       (22) Kenny Tremont Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.

9.       (9) John St. Germain Jr., West Sand Lake, N.Y.

10.   (3) Alex Bell, Cambridge, N.Y.

11.   (7) # James Hanson, Orwell, Vt.

12.   (1) Mike Palmer, Salisbury, Vt.

13.   (10) Billy Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt.

14.   (13) # Josh Masterson, Bristol, Vt.

15.   (18) Bobby Hackel, Rensselaer, N.Y.

16.   (19) Tim LaDuc, Orwell, Vt.

17.   (24) Mike Fisher, Castleton, Vt.

18.   (21) Derrick McGrew Jr., Ballston Spa, N.Y.

19.   (23) # Adam Piper, Leicester, Vt.

20.   (4) Marty Kelly III, North Bennington, Vt.

21.   (8) Vince Quenneville, Brandon, Vt.

22.   (20) Joey Scarborough, Brandon, Vt.

23.   (5) Brian Whittemore, Pittsford, Vt.

24.   (11) Jimmy Ryan, Whiting, Vt.

Did Not Start: Tanner Siemons, Orford, N.H.

Did Not Qualify: Greg Snyder, Moira, N.Y.

Heat Winners: Justin Comes, Alex Bell, Adam Pierson

Consi Winner: Bobby Hackel

 

Pepsi Sportsman Modified Feature – "Draw Race" (25 laps)

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

1.       (1) Todd Stone, Middlebury, Vt.

2.       (2) Brian Calabrese, Johnstown, N.Y.

3.       (4) Jamy Begor, Mooers Forks, N.Y.

4.       (3) Dylan Rabtoy, Swanton, Vt.

5.       (6) Derek Bornt, Poestenkill, N.Y.

6.       (7) Greg Snyder, Moira, N.Y.

7.       (5) Justin Barber, Gansevoort, N.Y.

Heat Winner: Todd Stone

 

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

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

1.       (6) Anthony Warren, Shoreham, Vt.

2.       (8) Larry Gallipo, West Rutland, Vt.

3.       (12) Johnny Bruno, Castleton, Vt.

4.       (15) Bryce Breault, Queensbury, N.Y.

5.       (11) Lacey Hanson, Orwell, Vt.

6.       (10) Austin Comes, Middlebury, Vt.

7.       (9) Matt Bilodeau, Brandon, Vt.

8.       (20) Joe Kemp, Clarendon, Vt.

9.       (5) Josh Bussino, Mount Holly, Vt.

10.   (18) Shawn McPhee, Rutland, Vt.

11.   (4) Kevin Groff, Wynantskill, N.Y.

12.   (13) Evan Roberts, Fletcher, Vt.

13.   (17) Montgomery Tremont, West Sand Lake, N.Y.

14.   (2) Jeff White, Rutland, Vt.

15.   (7) Anthony Ryan, Benson, Vt.

16.   (21) Randy Ryan, Orwell, Vt.

17.   (3) Gary English, Salisbury, Vt.

18.   (25) Bryon Linendoll, West Pawlet, Vt.

19.   (19) A.J. Munger, Benson, Vt.

20.   (14) Paul DeRuyter, Inlet, N.Y.

21.   (1) Dakota Green, Cambridge, N.Y.

22.   (22) John Gosselin, Shoreham, Vt.

23.   (23) Mike McGinn, Elizabethtown, N.Y.

24.   (16) Matt Jordan, Cambridge, N.Y.

25.   (26) Terry Lamica

Did Not Start: Scott FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt.; Garrett Given, Orwell, Vt.

Heat Winners: Matt Bilodeau, Larry Gallipo, Anthony Warren

 

Super Stock Feature (25 laps)

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

1.       (2) Cam Gadue, Highgate, Vt.

2.       (6) Bill Duprey, Hydeville, Vt.

3.       (1) Russ Farr, Middle Granville, N.Y.

4.       (14) Matt Mosher, Queensbury, N.Y.

5.       (7) Andrew FitzGerald, West Rutland, Vt.

6.       (5) Jim McKiernan, Moriah Center, N.Y.

7.       (11) Michael Wright, Alburgh, Vt.

8.       (4) Ronnie Alger, Orwell, Vt.

9.       (9) Tyler Irwin, Peru, N.Y.

10.   (10) Curtis Condon, Queensbury, N.Y.

11.   (3) Sam Grandchamp, West Rutland, Vt.

12.   (15) Jason Barrett, Queensbury, N.Y.

13.   (12) Jethro Rossman

14.   (8) Bill Fountain, Altona, N.Y.

15.   (13) Phil Sherman

 

Mini Stock Feature (20 laps – cut to 15 laps by time limit) – UNOFFICIAL PENDING SCORING REVIEW

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

# - denotes rookie

1.       (6) Tim Simonds, Clarendon, Vt.

2.       (7) Chris Conroy, Newport, N.H.

3.       (17) Jarrod Colburn, Rutland, Vt.

4.       (13) Kyle Davis Jr., Cornish, N.H.

5.       (9) # Griff Mahoney, Brandon, Vt.

6.       (15) Craig Kirby, St. Albans, Vt.

7.       (21) Chris Lussier, Fair Haven, Vt. (substitute for Katrina Bean)

8.       (10) Brian Blake, Cornwall, Vt.

9.       (14) Dick Stone, Rutland, Vt.

10.   (5) Willie Rice, Poultney, Vt.

11.   (16) Jake Barrows, Middlebury, Vt.

12.   (11) Tom Severance, Fair Haven, Vt.

13.   (19) Tyler Baker, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

14.   (1) # Freddy Burch, Middle Granville, N.Y.

15.   (22) Brenden Lauzon

16.   (2) Mary Gardner, Middle Granville, N.Y.

17.   (18) # Chris Sumner, Ripton, Vt.

18.   (3) Adam Mahoney, Rutland, Vt.

19.   (4) T.J. Knight, Wells, Vt.

20.   (8) # Adam Stewart, Benson, Vt.

21.   (20) Ron Stewart, Benson, Vt.

22.   (12) Michael Daniels, Plattsburgh, N.Y.

Did Not Start: Car No. 50 – Driver Unknown

 

Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint Feature (20 laps)

Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown

# - denotes rookie

1.       (2) # Kaidin White, Monkton, Vt.

2.       (6) Kamden Duffy, Richmond, N.H.

3.       (4) Samantha Mulready, Cambridge, N.Y.

4.       (7) Austin Chaves, Chester, Vt.

5.       (5) John Smith, Poultney, Vt.

6.       (3) Eric Wade, Rutland, Vt.

7.       (10) Lynn Sumner, Fair Haven, Vt.

8.       (8) Cody O'Brien, Springfield, Vt.

9.       (9) # Arnie Kasuba, Castleton, Vt.

10.   (1) John McPhee Jr., Rutland, Vt.

 

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