Sports

Mahoney, Piper win at Devil’s Bowl

ROOKIE GRIFF MAHONEY of Brandon was a first-time winner in the Mini Stock Division at Devil's Bowl Speedway on Saturday. Photo by Bill McGaffin

WEST HAVEN — Brandon rookie driver Griff Mahoney picked up his first career victory to highlight the dirt track action at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, and on Sunday Leicester rookie Adam Piper earned his first win in a Sportsman Modified B race. 

SATURDAY ACTION
Mahoney became the fifth consecutive driver to earn his first win in the Mini Stock division. He led the first half of the race, but had a tough restart just after the halfway mark of the 20-lap feature and fell back to fifth. Ripton’s Chris Sumner and New York’s Michael Daniels each took turns leading, but Mahoney drove back around both to retake command at lap 18.
Daniels took second with point leader Chris Conroy finishing third. Cornwall’s Brian Blake was fourth for his best finish, Middlebury’s Jake Barrows was seventh, and Forestdale’s Justine Allen took ninth. Sumner faded out of the top 10.
In the “Saturday Night Special” 35-lap main event for Small Block 358 Modifieds, New York’s Tim Fuller earned $1,500 and his first Devil’s Bowl win by cruising in the 27-car field. Middlebury’s Justin Comes finished ninth, the only local driver in the top 10.
Point leader Johnny Bruno grabbed his third win of the season in a 25-lap O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman division event. Bruno took the lead on the 16th lap and was not headed. 
Shoreham’s Anthony Warren made a late charge on the outside lane to claim second place in a race well populated with local drivers in the top 10. 
Orwell’s Lacey Hanson ran fourth, Austin Comes of Middlebury took sixth, Matt Bilodeau of Brandon finished seventh, Orwell’s Randy Ryan was eighth, Salisbury’s Gary English claimed ninth, and Orwell’s Garrett Given earned 10th. 

SUNDAY RACING
Leicester’s Piper prevailed in the 12-lap B-Feature for the Sportsman Modifieds, taking his first checkered flag in the division. Piper led every lap and pulled away on the lone restart with three laps left. Salisbury’s Brent Warren finished fourth. 
Pittsford’s Brian Whittemore drove to victory in the headline 30-lap Pepsi Sportsman Modified division. It was the veteran’s first victory at Devil’s Bowl since 1995. Orwell’s James Hanson finished ninth.
Fourteen-year-old Evan Roberts of Fletcher picked up his second win of the year in the 20-lap O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman division. Shoreham’s Anthony Warren charged through traffic — sometimes three-wide — to get to the runner-up spot. 
Orwell’s Lacey Hanson — driving a car owned by Sportsman winner Whittemore — finished fourth, and Brandon’s Matt Bilodeau was sixth. 
The full-fender Pro Stock division returned to Devil’s Bowl for the first time in two years, and that gave veteran New York driver Kim Duell the opportunity to visit the track’s winner’s circle for the first time in a decade. 
The Pro Stocks combined with the track’s weekly Super Stock class to create a mix of cars and competition that saw no local drivers crack the top finishers.
Plattsburgh’s Michael Daniels won the Mini Stock feature, with Cornwall’s Brian Blake’s sixth-place effort the best local finish. 
Springfield’s Cody O’Brien took his fourth win of the season in a two-segment race for the Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint division. O’Brien finished fourth in the first 10-lap segment and won the final leg for a total low score of five points. Austin Chaves had the same score after winning the first round and finishing fourth in the nightcap, but O’Brien earned the tiebreaker with the better finish in the final segment. Bridport rookie Troy Audet finished third with six points, and Monkton’s Kaidin White was seventh.

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