Story By: DEVIL’S BOWL SPEEDWAY – WEST HAVEN, VT – This Saturday night, July 29th, the stars of Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s Sunoco Modified division will duke it out twice on New England’s Fastest Dirt Track.
They’ll be racing once for the regular, July 29th program and once for the rain-shortened June 25th program. Lineups for the make-up feature have already been set by virtue of heat races run on June 25th, and as a result no additional starters will be permitted in the field.
On the line in each race are full purses, including the normal $1200 winner’s share, the largest weekly winner’s purse for any 602 Crate engine class in the area, valuable championship points, and the beautiful slate trophies cut in the likeness of the Green Mountain State, courtesy of Brown’s Quarried Slate and Farmstand.
It’s anyone’s guess who will capture the slates in both features. The headline class has been ultra-competitive in 2023, with 11 different winners in 11 races. Out of those 11, five have scored their first career Devil’s Bowl win. Mike Fisher, Adam Piper, Evan Roberts, Michael Wagner-Fitzgerald and Johnny Bruno.
And it’s not just the feature results, but the points that are competitive, too. The top six drivers are separated by only 55 points. Tim Laduc has led the standings from the start, looking for his second title in three seasons, having won the top prize in 2021. The Sunoco Modified Championship pays $5,000 and all the prestige that comes with sharing the modified titlist list with names like Tremont, Quenneville, Soltis, Stone and more.
Saturday’s intermission will feature a backpack and school supplies giveaway for kids, courtesy of the track as well as nearly all the 100 plus race teams in attendance as Vermont youngsters prepare for their final month of summer. Additionally, the New York State Stock Car Association will be on hand paying out bonus money to top-finishing members in all divisions. Drivers may sign up with NYSSCA the day of the race.
Also on the card are the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman, Hoosier Daddy Racing Novice Sportsman, Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprints, Mini Stocks, 9th State Cannabis Crown Vics and a 50-lap Enduro, the 4th of the 2023 Five Star Roofing Enduro Championship.
Racing begins at 6:30 p.m. this Saturday, July 29th. The pit gates will open at 4:00 p.m. and the grandstands at 5:30. The Drivers’ Meeting is scheduled for 5:30 with practice to follow.
In the event of a rainout, racing will commence Sunday at 5:00.
General admission is $15 and Infield Drive-In parking is available for $20. Kids 12 and under are free. Pit pass fees are $28 for members and $38 for non-members.