WEST HAVEN — This past Friday’s “double stock” action at the Devil’s Bowl proved to be a big night for local drivers, as Bristol’s Josh Masterson and Addison’s Chuck Bradford each won twice, and Brandon’s Vince Quenneville Jr. won once.
Each improved their positions in their championship point races in their respective series.
Masterson increased his points lead in the Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model division by sweeping both features. The Late Models had not seen a repeat winner through the first nine races of the season, but Masterson grabbed his second and third wins of the year.
Steve Miller of Vergennes led early in the opening 25-lap race before Masterson scooted past him on the outside lane. Miller held tight to Masterson’s rear bumper over the balance of the race, but settled for the runner-up spot. Middlebury’s Todd Stone was third.
The second race, a 30-lapper, saw former track champion Chris Bergeron of Claremont, N.H., lead until the race’s only caution period with six laps remaining. Masterson had driven through traffic to stalk Bergeron, and then rocketed past him on the restart to take the lead and complete the two-win sweep. Bergeron finished second ahead of Robert Bryant Jr., with Stone in fourth.
Masterson’s victories came after two weeks of lower finishes and helped him rebuild his lead in the championship race. He paces Bryant by 49 points, 607-558. Stone sits in third, another 16 markers back.
Chuck Bradford matched Masterson’s two-win sweep in the Portland Glass Mini Stock division to extend his victory streak to five consecutive races. Bradford started last in each race and worked his way through traffic each time, saving his best for the final circuits in each 15-lap race. He took the lead from Chris LaVair with only four laps remaining in the opening race, and led only the final two laps of the second run after a late pass of John McCarron.
Bradford beat LaVair, Ferrisburgh rookie Brad Bertrand, McCarron, and Kyle Sorensen to win the first feature, then topped McCarron, LaVair, Bertrand, and Sorensen in order in the final race. LaVair — who also won five straight earlier in the season — continues to hold the point lead by 46 markers (646-600) over Bradford.
Championship hopefuls Quenneville and Ron Proctor continued their red-hot fight for the title in the Bond Auto Parts Modified division by running in lockstep in both features. The veteran Quenneville made the first move by winning the opening 20-lap sprint race for the Modifieds, with Proctor taking the runner-up spot. Leon Gonyo finished third, followed by Greg Atkins and Billy Lussier.
In the nightcap, Codie Aubin of Plattsburgh, N.Y., continued his late-summer streak of success with his first-ever victory at Devil’s Bowl after holding off a constant challenge from Atkins. Proctor finished third with Quenneville fourth. Whiting’s Jimmy Ryan — who flipped his car in the opening race and received help from teams across all four Devil’s Bowl divisions while making repairs — led early and finished fifth.
Quenneville’s win in the first race drew him even in the point battle with Proctor, but New York racer Proctor edged back ahead by two points following the second feature. With three feature races remaining in the season for the Modifieds, Proctor leads Quenneville 749-747. Atkins is still alive in the chase as well, with 710 points.
Title rivals Robert Gordon and Scott FitzGerald split the twin 15-lap features in the Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade division.
Though FitzGerald made incremental improvements in the point standings, Gordon still holds a 31-point advantage (657-626) entering the final two weeks of the season.
The Devil’s Bowl winners and local finishers on Friday, Aug. 28, were:
• Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature No. 1 (20 laps): 1. Quenneville; 7. Dave Snow, Brandon; 10. Ryan, Whiting.
• Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature No. 2 (20 laps): 1. Aubin; 4. Quenneville; 5. Ryan; 7. Snow.
• Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model Feature No. 1 (25 laps): 1. Masterson; 2. Miller; 3. Stone.
• Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model Feature No. 2 (30 laps): 1. Masterson: 4. Stone; 6. Miller.
• Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade Feature No. 1 (15 laps): 1. Gordon.
• Brileya’s Chrysler-Jeep Renegade Feature No. 2 (15 laps): 1. FitzGerald.
• Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature No. 1 (15 laps): 1. Bradford; 3. Bertrand.
• Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature No. 2 (15 laps): 2. Bradford; 4. Bertrand.