WEST HAVEN — Second-place finishes by Orwell’s Tim LaDuc, Brandon’s Vince Quenneville and two Bristol drivers, R.J. Germain and Sami Sargent, highlighted local racers’ efforts this past weekend at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
LaDuc’s second-place finish came in Sunday dirt-track action in the 54-lap Charlie LaDuc Memorial — a race honoring LaDuc’s late father.
But Kenny Tremont Jr., whose father raced against LaDuc’s father, squeaked out a win in a race-long head-to-head duel between two drivers who entered the evening tied for the points lead in the dirt track Sportsman Modified series. Tremont led the feature race for the final 45 laps, but never by than four car lengths of breathing room over LaDuc, who made several serious bids to take the lead away.
Tremont’s win gave him a two-point edge (614-612) with two point-counting races remaining. That margin equals the difference of one position in a feature race.
New Hampshire racer Tanner Siemons took third, holding off Whiting’s Jimmy Ryan. Middlebury’s Justin Comes was seventh.
Also on Sunday, Hydeville’s Bill Duprey won the 20-lap Super Stock feature. Cornwall’s Garrett Given was third in that event.
West Rutland’s Andrew FitzGerald claimed a 15-lap Mini Stock feature. Brandon’s Dakota Desabrais finished third, and Monkton’s Jake Barrows was sixth.
New York driver Aaron Mulready won another Mini Sprint Feature, with Shoreham’s Colby Beinhaur and Sean Beinhaur running 3-4, respectively.
On Saturday, Germain finished second the main event, a 50-lap race in Super Stock division of the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series. Germain benefitted from crashes from cars ahead of him, but also recovered from crashes on laps 4 and 36 to post the strong finish.
The Sportsman Modified division was in action with two 20-lap, sprint-style features. Quenneville finished second behind Ron Proctor of Charlton, N.Y., in the first and third behind Billy Lussier of Fair Haven and Fletcher’s Joey Roberts in the nightcap. Quenneville’s results were good enough to maintain a championship lead of eight points over Proctor, 541-533, as the season nears its end.
Roo Forrest of West Rutland picked up his third win of the season in a 15-lap Mini Stock event. Panton’s Mike Preston and New Haven’s Kaleb Shepard finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Sargent came up just short in the Ladies Mini Stock division, losing out to Lynn Denton of Milton by inches in a photo finish a 10-lap feature race that had its share of bumps and bruises. Denton beat Sami Sargent – who took a momentary flight off the track on the second lap – by inches at the finish line.
A 50-lap Enduro Series race was run in quick fashion with Rutland, Vt.’s Cory “Cubby” Gray getting his second win of the season. “Wild Bill” Fountain finished second with 14 year-old Johnny Bruno third as the final car on the lead lap. Josh Payea and Hunter Murray, each one lap behind, completed the unofficial top five; however, the full finish is under scoring review and will be released soon.
Nate Corcoran of Vergennes won the Street-Legal Spectator Races: His 2011 Honda Civic defeated Josh Jerger’s 1994 Jeep Cherokee in the finale.