WEST HAVEN — Brandon’s Vince Quenneville Jr. and Vergennes racer Steve Miller won Saturday events to highlight local efforts this past weekend at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, which hosted asphalt races on Saturday and dirt-track competition on Sunday.
Quenneville split two Bond Auto Parts Sportsman Modified division races with New York racer Jason Durgan on Saturday. In the process, because of his better finish that Durgan in his non-winning race, Quenneville overtook Durgan for the point lead in the series, 685-678.
Durgan struck first in the opening 25-lap race for the win, driving to his fourth victory of the year in a runaway. Quenneville fought through traffic and then held off Jackie Brown Jr. for the runner-up spot. 
In the second race, a 30-lapper, Quenneville escaped from a bounce into the front-stretch wall as cars scrambled in the early laps, and then cruised to his third win of the year. Durgan hit the inside wall with 11 laps remaining and was forced to pit during the caution period to change a flat tire. Ron Proctor took second place with Whiting’s Jimmy Ryan third, and Durgan settled for seventh, allowing Quenneville to assume the series lead.
Robert Bryant Jr. and Miller were the stars of the Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model division’s twin 25-lap features, each registering a win and a second-place finish. Bryant, of Brooklyn, Conn., won the opening for after a good battle with Miller, taking his third win of the season.
Miller was a popular winner in the nightcap, scoring his first victory at Devil’s Bowl and his first win in a full-size stock car since July 15, 1993 at Thunder Road in Barre. Bryant and Bristol’s Masterson ran side-by-side for most of the race, with Bryant finally getting the runner-up spot ahead of Masterson.
But Masterson still holds a nine-point edge on Bryant for the series championship lead (596-587) with two races left on the schedule.
Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Renegade division title contenders Scott FitzGerald and Jim McKiernan split victories in a pair of 15-lap races, keeping their point battle close as well. West Rutland’s FitzGerald dominated the opener, and was followed across the finish line by Bristol’s R.J. Germain.
In the second race, Jim McKiernan, from Moriah Center, N.Y., earned his first win in two months. FitzGerald took second and holds just five points on Jim McKiernan for the title battle (654-649).
Eric Messier of Hinesburg swept both 15-lap features in the Portland Glass Mini Stock division. New Haven’s Kaleb Shepard earned a career-best third in the finale, and Ferrisburgh’s Brad Bertrand finished fourth in both races. Messier has opened up a 30-point lead on Bertrand in the standings (664-634).
Saturday’s winners and local finishers were:  
• Bond Auto Parts Sportsman Modified Feature No. 1 (25 laps): 1. Durgan; 2. Quenneville; 10. Chuck Bradford, Addison; 11. Ryan.
• Bond Auto Parts Sportsman Modified Feature No. 2 (30 laps): 1. Quenneville; 3. Ryan; 11. Bradford.
• Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model Feature No. 1 (25 laps): 1. Bryant; 2. Miller; 4. Masterson.
• Central Vermont Motorcycles Late Model Feature No. 2 (25 laps): 1. Miller; 3. Masterson.
• Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Renegade Feature No. 1 (15 laps): 1. Fitzgerald; 3. Germain.
• Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Renegade Feature No. 2 (15 laps): 1. McKiernan; 5. Germain.
• Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature No. 1 (15 laps): 1. Messier: 4. Bertrand; 6. Garrett Given Sr., Cornwall; 7. Shepard.
• Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature No. 2 (15 laps): 1. Messier; 3. Shepard; 4. Bertrand; 10. Given.
SUNDAY ACTION
On Sunday, in dirt-track action New York driver Bobby Hackel picked up win number five on the season in NASCAR Whelen All-American Series competition.
Hackel won the 54-lap Central Vermont Motorcycles Sportsman Modified feature, with Orwell’s Tim LaDuc taking second in a night that was dedicated to his late father, Charlie LaDuc, a Devil’s Bowl veteran. Kenny Tremont Jr. finished third, and Quenneville was fourth. Hackel extended his point lead in the series.
Middlebury’s Justin Comes led the race early on but suffered a mechanical failure.
Matt Mosher of Queensbury, N.Y., won the 15-lap feature race for the Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Renegade Division, and Chelsea’s Mike Ryan won the 15-lap Portland Glass Mini Stock feature.  
Sunday’s winners and local finishers were:
• Central Vermont Motorcycles Sportsman Modified Feature (54 laps): 1. Hackel; 2. LaDuc; 4. Quenneville; 15. Comes;
• Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Renegade Feature (15 laps): 1. Mosher.
• Portland Glass Mini Stock Feature (15 laps): 1. Ryan; 4. Derrick Counter, Leicester.