Elder drivers top youth at Devil’s Bowl
WEST HAVEN – Stock car racing’s youth movement took a back seat at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Friday, Sept. 4, as the elder statesmen showed the way. Leon Gonyo drove to his fourth win of the season. Other winners included Bobby Therrien, Robert Gordon, and Chuck Bradford.
Driving a car with the familiar number 4 on its doors, Chazy, N.Y., veteran Gonyo blasted away from the field to grab his fourth Modified victory of the year in the 30-lap main event. Rookie Bob Kilburn had the best showing of his freshman year by leading the first 11 laps before the race’s lone caution period, after which Gonyo seized the lead and cruised to an easy win.
Ron Proctor of Charlton, N.Y., survived a scare when his car dipped its right-side tires off the backstretch early in the race but rebounded to finish second, with Vince Quenneville Jr. of Brandon, Vt. third. At 49 years old, Quenneville was the youngest driver among the top five finishers.
Proctor was able to inch his point lead out over Quenneville, stretching the gap from just two points to a still-razor-thin margin of five points (802-779) entering twin 50-lap features at the Vermont 200 Championship Weekend season finale on Sept. 12-13.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of Exit 2 on U.S. Route 4. For more information, visit www.DevilsBowlSpeedwayVT.com
