Tremont Wins Two In A Row at Devil's Bowl

W. HAVEN VT -.6/8/97...- Summer weather finally came to the northeast for the

Sunday show at Devil's Bowl, but it was a wild and crazy night for the

modifieds. Ken Tremont of West Sand Lake NY emerged the victor for the

second time in a row, through a feature dominated by caution flags and

cars bouncing off the walls. He took the lead from Ron Dwyer with eight

laps left in the 30 lap main event. At the finish almost half the field

was down laps, mostly due to damaged race cars. In sportsmen action, Jim

Davis of Ballston Spa NY took his #73 to victory lane for the first time

this year over Mike Ballestero and Alan Larter.

With 30 modifieds in the pits, the qualifying was tough at the Bowl.

Among those forced to qualify through the consolation race were brothers

Mike Ricci and Rich Ricci Jr., regular Mike Benson and newcomer Mike

Bruno of Bomoseen, VT.

The race started 26 cars, with Jim Ryan the early leader from his pole

position. A caution flag was thrown before the first lap was complete.

Jack Cottrell and Dan Douville were the casualties. The first lap was

awesome, with three and four wide racing on the restart down the

frontstretch. The action was fast and furious, and was too tight to

handle for several racers as the second caution was thrown almost

immediately. Ron Proctor and Vince Quenneville headed to the pits, but

were both able to return later. Another restart, another caution, and

finally the field settled down a little bit.

Ryan kept his lead with Ron Dwyer overtaking Jerry Pennock Jr. for the

second place spot. Already moving through the pack was Ken Tremont, Bob

Savoie and Mike Ricci. A caution was thrown on lap six for Don

Scarborough, who pitted for a flat tire. Only two laps later Gardner

Stone bounced off the turn four guardrail and shot up the track,

slamming into Jeff Trombley and sending him rolling into the concrete

barrier. Trombley was okay, but it would end his night.

On the restart Ken Tremont and Bob Savoie each gained a spot, moving

Savoie into fifth behind Mike Ronca and Tremont in sixth. One lap later

Tremont got around Savoie to crack the top five from his 20th place

start. Meanwhile, up front Ryan was trying mightily to hold off a hard

charging Ron Dwyer. Todd Stone spun quickly in the middle of the pack,

dropping to the rear and forcing Ryan around him. Dwyer used it to his

advantage to take the lead. At the halfway point it was Dwyer, Ryan and

now Ken Tremont in third, with Pennock hanging on in fourth while Bob

Savoie knocked on his door.

A caution on lap 19 was thrown for Pennock, who spun in turn four.

With 10 to go Tremont used the restart to take second from Ryan, and

then began to work on Dwyer. The Bennington racer was running very

successfully way up on the high side, but the pressure from Tremont was

intense, and on lap 22, Dwyer got a little bit too high and scraped the

wall in turn four, letting Tremont get by him for the lead. At the same

time Jim Ryan seemed to break and hit the wall hard, causing a caution

and handing the third place spot to Bob Savoie. Only one lap later,

another caution was thrown as Jerry Pennock, Mike Benson and Don

Scarborough got caught up together, again in turn four. Only Scarborough

continued the race. With five to go, Tremont began to run the low side

of the track, holding off Dwyer as the high side went away. One more

caution was thrown when Brian Berger's front end broke up in pieces in

turn one, but Tremont easily held off Dwyer on the restart to take the

win. Savoie came in third, with Mike Ronca and Mike Ricci in fourth and

fifth. Fourteen cars were down laps in the final tally, with John

Harrison, Mike Bruno, Hector Stratton, Lee Nutting and Gardner Stone

rounding out the top ten.

The sportsmen race started 22 cars, with Jim Davis going flag to flag

for the win. He was followed to the checkers by Mike Ballestero, Alan

Larter, Tim LaDuc and Frank Hoard Jr. The street stocks put on arguably

the best show of the night, with a small but equal field of cars. Coming

out on top was Pete Kimball over Mike Bradley and Chad Miller. Ryan

Odasz chalked up his second win at the Bowl in hobby stocks over Rob

Edmunds and Adam Tranka.

MODIFIEDS: KEN TREMONT JR., Ron Dwyer, Bob Savoie, Mike Ronca, Mike

Ricci, John Harrison, Mike Bruno, Hector Stratton, Lee Nutting, Gardner

Stone, Chuck Elms, Don Ackner, Rich Ricci Jr., Brian Berger, Don

Scarborough, Mike Perrotte, Mike Benson, Ron Proctor, Jerry Pennock,

Todd Stone, Jim Ryan, Vince Quenneville, Butch Jelley, Jeff Trombley,

Dan Douville, Jack Cottrell.

SPORTSMEN: JIM DAVIS, Mike Ballestero, Alan Larter, Tim LaDuc, Frank

Hoard Jr., Ron Johnson, Sput Shaw, Chad Merrill, Todd Morey, Don Miller,

Don Mattison, Jeff Betit, Ray Nutting, Chuck Higley, Charles Keir, Tony

Ballestero, Denny Young Jr., Jim Groncki, Joe Budka, Brian Whittemore,

Stan Prespare, Dave Sargent.

STREET STOCK TOP 10: PETE KIMBALL, Mike Bradley, Chad Miller, Mike

Paquin, Brent Bouplon, Dave Wood, Chris Lussier, Mike Haines, Lucas

Baker.