PHOTO: Brian Hoar celebrates his first career NASCAR Whelen All-American Series win at Devil’s Bowl Speedway with his RPM Racing Team on Friday night. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)

Proctor, Keith Go Back-to-Back; Germain Scores First Win of Season

–by T.J. Ingerson

WEST HAVEN — Brian Hoar doesn’t have much left unchecked in his racing career. The eight-time American-Canadian Tour champion, however, added one checkmark last night, scoring his first career NASCAR Whelen All-American Series victory on Carrara Masonry & Concrete Night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.

The Williston driver started the 30-lap J&S Steel Late Model feature from the 13th position and quickly maneuvered his way into the top five runners by lap 10. Hoar would settle in and patiently work his way into the second position after a second restart attempt on lap 19.

Hoar would then start on the outside of point leader and then race leader Craig Bushey on a lap 22 restart. Hoar and Bushey battled fiercely as Hoar took the lead. A series of late race caution flags would challenge Hoar, first having Bushey on his outside, and then by the Thunder Road Memorial Day Classic winner Nick Sweet. Sweet and Hoar would trade the lead back and forth after lap 25 restart before Hoar took command of the point until the checkered flag.

“It was fun, but it was a tough night,” Hoar said. “Craig [Bushey] is really tough and I didn’t expect that out of Nick [Sweet] there at the end. I’m second thinking that outside lane on the restarts because it is tough on the inside. It was good racing with those guys. Craig is one tough, tough dude to race. He makes it easy on nobody. I say overall it was clean race with him, with just a little bit of beating and banging, short track style racing. It was all fun.”

Hoar and Sweet, as well as many other drivers, were in town to tune their cars for next week’s second round of the Vermont State Late Model Championship. Hoar and his Rick Paya owned RPM Racing Engines team took advantage of an early day practice session at the West Haven half mile with no intentions to race, themselves. Hoar’s father, Doug, was to race, and after a successful practice session, the team talked themselves into racing.

“We came down testing today just to try a couple of things,” Hoar said. “We weren’t going to race. And then we got talked into racing, and I’m glad we did. It was a lot of fun. It was pretty cool because I haven’t raced in the same race with my dad in almost 12 years; it was a long, long time ago. It was cool.”

Devil’s Bowl Late Model point leader Craig Bushey crossed the line in the second position. The Fairfax driver took advantage of a late race misfortune by Sweet after Sweet slid up the track. Sweet, of Barre, was able to rebound for third after facing a challenge from his teammate, Eric Chase of Milton, on the final lap. Matt White of Northfield, who sits second in the Devil’s Bowl point standings, came home fifth.

Bryan Town backed up his runner-up finish from a week ago with a sixth place finish. Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl regular Jim Morris was seventh, while invader Aaron Fellows finished in the eighth position. Teenager Emily Packard scored her first career top ten finish in a Late Model with a ninth place finish, while veteran Jamie Aube completed the top ten finishers.

Ron Proctor didn’t waste any time taking his second Bond Auto Modified feature win of the season.Proctor, of Charlton, N.Y., started the 35-lap feature from the 11th position and impressively worked his way into the top five shortly after lap five. Proctor was able to work his way into the second position after moving inside Jason Bruno on lap eight before he began to reel in leader Hunter Bates.

Proctor jumped to the outside of Bates as the duo battled side-by-side before the yellow No. 27 jumped to the lead on lap 20. Proctor remained unchallenged as he worked lap traffic to score his second straight Modified victory.

“I just had to wait to be able to roll through the corner to be able to get outside of [Bates],” Proctor explained. “I had to do it just right. I could go just about any place I wanted. That was the first time all year I could do that. It’s great, it’s really great [to go back-to-back].”

Teenager Bates, of Middlebury, finished second with Vince Quenneville, Jr., challenging him for the runner-up position. Quenneville, of Brandon, crossed the line narrowly behind Bates, while Jessey Mueller, of Olmstedville, N.Y., rallied from an early race spin to finish fourth. Chazy, N.Y.’s Leon Gonyo completed the top five finishers.

Jamie Proctor, Cody Sargen, Jason Bruno, and rookies Joey Roberts and Jeff Haskins completed the top ten finishers.

Ryan Keith took his second consecutive 20-lap Renegade feature. Keith, of Pittsford, started on the outside pole and took the lead on lap two from polesitter Bill Duprey. Duprey shadowed Keith for the entire duration, but the Hydeville racer settled for second. Jeremy Jones, of Leicester, continued his claim of the bottom step of the podium with his fourth straight third place finish. Frank Monroe and Robert Gordon completed the top five.

Ray Germain, Jr., held off a late race surge from Josh Masterson to score his first Bomber victory of the season. Germain, of Bristol, took the lead early in the 20-lap feature and never surrendered it. Masterson, also of Bristol, settled for second while Colchester’s Matt Monaghan completed the podium. Bobby LaVair and John McCarron finished fourth and fifth.

Devil’s Bowl Speedway returns to action next Friday night, June 8, for round number two in Vermont State Late Model Championship Series. The Bond Auto Modifieds, Renegades, and Bombers will also be in action. Post time is set for 7:30pm.

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS — Carrara Masonry & Concrete Night presented by Mobil 1
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series — Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven
Friday, June 1, 2012

Pos.-Driver-Hometown
(# – denotes rookie)

Bond Auto Parts Modified Feature (35 laps)
1. Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
2. Hunter Bates, Middlebury
3. Vince Quenneville, Jr., Brandon
4. Jessey Mueller, Olmstedville, N.Y.
5. Leon Gonyo, Chazy, N.Y.
6. Jamie Proctor, Schuylerville, N.Y.
7. Cody Sargen, Greenfield Center, N.Y.
8. Jason Bruno, Plattsburgh, N.Y.
9. # Joey Roberts, Georgia
10. # Jeff Haskins, Wells

J&S Steel Late Models (30 laps)
1. Brian Hoar, Williston
2. Craig Bushey, Fairfax
3. Nick Sweet, Barre
4. Eric Chase, Milton
5. Matt White, Northfield
6. Bryan Town, Charlestown, N.H.
7. Jim Morris, Barre
8. Aaron Fellows, Croydon, N.H.
9. # Emily Packard, East Montpelier
10. Jamie Aube, North Ferrisburg

Renegade (20 laps)
1. Ryan Keith, Pittsford
2. Bill Duprey, Hydeville
3. Jeremy Jones, Leicester
4. Frank Monroe, Granville, N.Y.
5. Robert Gordon, Milton

Bomber (20 laps)
1. Ray Germain, Jr., Bristol
2. # Josh Masterson, Bristol
3. Matt Monaghan, Colchester
4. Bobby LaVair, Gabriels, N.Y.
5. John McCarron, Rennselaer, N.Y.