WEST HAVEN–The winged warriors of the Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) tour will make their official debut at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday, October 26, with a start time of 1 p.m. The event was rescheduled from Oct. 18. SCoNE will be join the “Vermont Freedom & Unity” event. A successful test had been completed by two teams on the previous Wednesday, drawing rave reviews.
Lacey Hanson, a veteran of season seasons with the SCoNE series, and 16-year-old rookie Tyler Austin each turned laps in order to help gather information for their teams and competitors alike.
For Hanson, whose team is based just 10 minutes from the track in Orwell, Vt., it was a productive day. “It was great. I was glad we got to come out and practice and see what the track is like,” she said. “I think it’s going to be a great show.”
Hanson and Austin agreed that the new 1/3-mile, paperclip-shaped dirt track at Devil’s Bowl is a unique venue on the SCoNE schedule, and drives differently than the quarter-mile tracks at Bear Ridge Speedway in Bradford, Vt., and Legion Speedway in Rumney, N.H.
“It’s got tight corners like Legion, but the longer, faster straightaways aren’t something that we’re really used to,” Hanson said. She felt that the track demands a well-handling car and a strong engine, along with a finely tuned skill-set from every driver. “This track might level the playing field,” she said.
Austin, of West Fairlee, Vt., was first on the track and was quickly up to speed. He kissed the wall in Turn 4 in the first warm-up session, but rebounded to run many solid laps.
“It was fun, the track was smooth and fast,” he said. “I’m looking forward to Saturday.”
The AutoSaver Ford/Springfield Buick-GMC “Vermont Freedom & Unity” event is packed with action and includes a 100-lap Sportsman Modified feature that will crown champions for the three-race “Battle at the Bowl” dirt track series and the season-long Northern Modified Challenge Series.
Also on tap are Renegade and Mini Stock championship finales and a special event for Bear Ridge Speedway’s Sportsman Coupe division.
