Sports

Third Stone earns checkered flag

WEST HAVEN — Justin Stone added a piece to his family’s motorsports history on Saturday at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. The third-generation Middlebury driver picked up his first Sportsman Modified victory at the annual Brown’s Quarried Slate/Brown’s Orchard & Farm Stand Night event. The night’s highlights also included a feature win by Chuck Bradford of Addison.

Stone was the star, but only in the final 10 circuits of the 30-lap main event. Bristol’s Josh Masterson, who had suffered through three straight races with electrical problems, started on the pole position and led the first 20 laps in front of a great battle for second between Adam Piper, Mike Fisher, Tim LaDuc and Stone. At the third of four restarts, though, Stone was able to get in front and he sailed away; a final restart with three laps left was not enough to slow him down, despite a late charge by Adam Pierson.

Stone’s first Devil’s Bowl victory puts him in the record book with his father, Todd — who ranks fourth on the track’s all-time win list with 42 — and his grandfather, Gardner — who also won a feature in 1994. Pierson was the runner-up for the second week in a row, while Masterson held on for third place. Justin Comes of Middlebury rebounded from hitting the wall at the botched initial start of the race to finish fourth, and Mike Fisher continued a solid recent string in fifth place. Jimmy Ryan was next in line, followed by Mike Palmer, Vince Quenneville and Piper.

Rookie Chuck Bradford scored his first-ever win on dirt in the 20-lap Super Stock feature. The Addison driver — a Mini Stock champion and Modified driver on the former asphalt track at Devil’s Bowl — passed fellow freshman Andy Botala on the third lap to take the lead, and then held off the repeated challenges of four-time winner Chris Murray during the balance of the race.

Murray settled for second place.

Thirteen-year-old Kamden Duffy came out on top of the Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint division’s 15-lap feature race for the second time in 2021. The Richmond, N.H., driver got ahead of Kaidin White of Monkton on the second lap and then was able to hold off point leader Ray Hanson of Orwell after a restart at the halfway mark for the victory.

Hanson settled for second place, followed by White. Hanson has a big 65-point cushion on White, 492-427.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway has a huge holiday fireworks show and racing event on tap for Saturday, July 3.

 Winners and local racers this past Saturday were:

Sportsman Modified Feature (30 laps): 1. Justin Stone, Middlebury; 3. Josh Masterson, Bristol; 4. Justin Comes, Middlebury; 6. Jimmy Ryan, Shoreham; 7. Mike Palmer, Salisbury; 8. Vince Quenneville, Brandon; 9. Adam Piper, Leicester; 13. Joey Scarborough, Brandon.

O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman Feature (25 laps) 1. Cody O’Brien, Springfield; 5. Troy Audet, Bridport; 9. Austin Comes, Middlebury; 11. Randy Ryan, Orwell; 14. Alex Layn, New Haven; 15. John Gosselin, Shoreham.

Super Stock Feature (20 laps): 1. Chuck Bradford, Addison; 8. Ronnie Alger, Orwell.

Summit Up Construction Mini Stock Feature (15 laps): 1. Chris Conroy, Newport, N.H.; 2. Daryl Gebo, Orwell; 3. Griff Mahoney, Bristol; 4. Derrick Counter, Leicester; 5. Jakobee Alger, Orwell; 7. Jake Barrows, Middlebury; 8. Brian Blake, Cornwall.

Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint Feature (15 laps): 1. Kamden Duffy, Richmond, N.H.; 2. Ray Hanson, Orwell; 3. Kaidin White, Monkton; 6. Kevin Smith, Brandon; 7. Gage Provencher, Bridport; 9. Roger LaDuc, Orwell.

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