McKiernan earns second straight Renegade win; LaVair scores popular Mini Stock victory
–by T.J. Ingerson (@TJIngerson)
VMM Editor
WEST HAVEN – Travis Bruno captured his first career Devil’s Bowl Speedway Sportsman Modified victory on Saturday night.
Travis Bruno (#91) races in front of Vince Quenneville Jr. (#78) on Saturday night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)
The Morrisonville, N.Y. driver – unrelated to the John Bruno family – led wire-to-wire to claim the 30-lap feature event. Bruno was forced to hold off a hard challenge from former Devil’s Bowl champion Vince Quenneville Jr. for much of the distance.
“We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Vince Quenneville,” Bruno said in victory lane. “He came over after the heat and told me that whatever I do, work on the left rear. We worked on the left rear shock and went out for hot laps and it made a big difference.
“(Quenneville) raced me clean. I felt him give me the bumper a little bit, but I just held the bottom and gave him the top.”
Quenneville, of Brandon, held on for second after a late race charge from Jason Durgan.
“(Bruno) had a good car,” Quenneville said. “Mine was tight in the middle and he ran a great race. I tried to get (under) him going into three, but he held there and did a great job.”
Durgan, of Morrisonville, N.Y., broke free of traffic by the midway point in the event and chased the two lead cars down, but ran out of time and settled for third. Fair Haven’s Billy Lussier finished fourth while former champion Ron Proctor of Charlton, N.Y., completed the top-five finishers.
Jackie Brown, Jimmy Ryan, Chuck Bradford, Dave Snow, and Joey Roberts finished sixth through tenth, respectively.
Jim McKiernan earned the win in the 20-lap Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Renegade feature event for his second straight win in the division.
The Moriah Center, N.Y. held off charges from Matt Monaghan for much of the event until he broke free in the late stages.
Scott FitzGerald of West Rutland was able to work his way past Monaghan to finish second while Monaghan, of Colchester, finished third. Ray Germain Jr. and Austin McKiernan completed the top-five finishers.
Harold LaVair Jr. of Saranac Lake, N.Y. scored the win in the 15-lap Portland Glass Mini Stock feature. The win for LaVair was his first at Devil’s Bowl since 2012.
LaVair finished ahead of rookie teammate Eric Messier of Hinesburg and Zach Wood of Georgia on the podium. Brad Bertrand and Lavair’s son, Chris, finished fourth and fifth, respectively.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s next asphalt track event will be held on Saturday, June 18. The Dirt Track at Devil’s Bowl Speedway was forced to cancel their June 5 event due to impending rain. The Sportsman Modifieds will run Twin 25-lap events on Sunday, June 12.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS – People’s United Bank John Bruno Memorial
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series – Devil’s Bowl Speedway, West Haven, Vt.
Saturday, June 4, 2016
Pos-Driver-Hometown
(# — denotes rookie)
Bond Auto Parts Sportsman Modifieds (30 laps)
1. Travis Bruno, Morrisonville, N.Y.
2. Vince Quenneville Jr., Brandon
3. Jason Durgan, Morrisonville, N.Y.
4. Billy Lussier, Fair Haven
5. Ron Proctor, Charlton, N.Y.
6. Jackie Brown, Hurley, N.Y.
7. Jimmy Ryan, Whiting
8. # Chuck Bradford, Addison
9. Dave Snow, Brandon
10. Joey Roberts, Fletcher
Rosen & Berger Auto Recyclers Renegades (20 laps)
1. Jim McKiernan, Moriah Center, N.Y.
2. Scott FitzGerald, West Rutland
3. Matt Monaghan, Colchester
4. Ray Germain Jr., Bristol
5. # Austin McKiernan, Moriah Center, N.Y.
Portland Glass Mini Stocks (15 laps)
1. Harold LaVair Jr., Saranac Lake, N.Y.
2. # Eric Messier, Hinesburg
3. # Zach Wood, Georgia
4. Brad Bertrand, Ferrisburgh
5. Chris LaVair, Saranac Lake, N.Y.
6. Garrett Given Sr., Cornwall
7. John McCarron, Rensselaer, N.Y.
8. Andrew FitzGerald, West Rutland
9. # Brett Wood, Georgia
10. Roger LaBounty, Peru, N.Y.
PHOTOS:
1- First-time Bond Auto Parts Sportsman Modified winner Travis Bruno of Morrisonville, N.Y., in victory lane at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. (Andrew Cassidy/Devils Bowl Speedway photo)
2 – Travis Bruno (#91) races in front of Vince Quenneville Jr. (#78) on Saturday night at Devil’s Bowl Speedway. (T.J. Ingerson/VMM photo)
