Story By: DEVIL’S BOWL SPEEDWAY – WEST HAVEN, VT – This Sunday, May 11th, on Mothers Day the rescheduled 59th Devil’s Bowl Speedway season opener will get underway at ‘New England’s Fastest Dirt Track.’
The Sunoco Sportsman Modifieds will race 32 laps for $3,200 to win in memory of the late ‘Matty B,’ Matt Bilodeau, who passed away in the spring of 2021. Bilodeau was a multi-time feature event winner in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman Division at ‘The Bowl,’ with wins in 2019 and 2020.
He finished in the top-five in the points standings in both of those years. Before he was a driver, Bilodeau’s business sponsored Vince Quenneville, Jr., a second-generation championship driver at Devil’s Bowl.
The first ‘Matty B’ memorial race was held in 2021 and was won by Queensbury, N.Y.’s Demetrios Drellos. The 2024 edition of the race was won by Fire Swamp. Dating back to the return of dirt to the ½ mile configuration in 2018, opening night winners include Josh Sunn, Bobby Hackel, Adam Pierson, Drellos, Tim LaDuc, Johnny Bruno and Swamp. The opening day winner has never gone on to win the championship in the same season during that span.
The Sunoco Sportsman Modifieds are not the only division starting their season this Saturday, of course. The O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman are also on the schedule, along with the Hoosier Racing Tire Novice Sportsman, the Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprints, Fisher Auto Parts Mini Stocks and 9th State Cannabis Crown Vics will also be in action.
In the limited ranks, Gary English, Jr., will look to collect the track championship after finishing 2nd in the standings in 2024. Hungry contenders like Alex Layn, Jason Quenneville, Billy Duprey and Fred Little will be trying to keep English off the top of the mountain. Mini-stock champion Brian Blake, of Cornwall, V.T. will look for a third consecutive track title. Ryan Patch, Chris Charbonneau, Griff Mahoney, Ronnie and Jakobee Alger also figure to be title contenders in the full-fendered ranks, among others. Quinn Quenneville and Gage Provencher are likely to duel each other week in and week out for mini-sprint glory, but Chris Pierce, Jenna Zakrzewski and other drivers will be in the hunt. In the crown vics, Norman Morrill, Brad Cram and others will have their eyes on the prize.
General admission is just $15, kids 12 and under get in for FREE! Infield tailgating available for $20 per person.
Pit prices are $30 for members and $40 for non-members. The pits will open at 2:00PM with the stands opening at 4:00. Practice rolls out at 4:15 and the first green flag of 2025 will wave at 5:00PM!