WEST HAVEN — Justin Comes has certainly turned things around. After going winless for two years, the veteran Middlebury racer has made it back-to-back victories at Devil’s Bowl Speedway.
Comes’ triumph on McGee Family Dealerships Night highlighted an event that saw Katrina Bean, Randy Edson, Matt Wade, Lane Saville, and Adam Sears score wins.
Comes won the Sunoco Sportsman Modified feature from the front row at the previous week’s “Battle at the Bowl” event on a tacky surface, but his drive in the 30-lap run on McGee Night was vastly different.
With dry-slick conditions underneath him, Comes marched forward from the 17th starting position to make an authoritative statement for the win. Comes also scored the Charlie LaDuc “Hard Charger” bonus for gaining a race-high 16 positions.
Behind him, Tanner Siemons scored a season-best finish as the runner-up, and sophomore racer Shawn McPhee earned a career-best third-place effort after leading several laps early. Championship point leader Todd Stone came from 19th to finish fourth, and David Boisclair drove from 14th to round out the top five.
Josh Masterson was sixth ahead of Tim LaDuc, Elmo Reckner, Jimmy Ryan, and rookie Dylan Madsen. McPhee, Reckner, and Justin Stone won the qualifying heats, and Don Mattison won the Elmo’s Pit Stop Bonus Bucks from Ed “Elmo” Allen.
Benson’s Katrina Bean scored her second career win in the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman division, gathering the night’s loudest cheers. Bean started on the pole and finished out front of the 25-lapper, holding off longtime racer Steve Miller for the win. In his first season on dirt, Miller’s runner-up finish was his best Limited Sportsman effort after winning twice in the Rookie Sportsman class earlier this year.
Hunter Nutter was third ahead of Anthony Ryan and Josh LeClaire, Bean’s fiancée. Randy Ryan, point leader Evan Roberts, Bill Duprey, Timmy Aldrighetti, and Bubba McPhee completed the top 10. Heat wins went to Bean, McPhee, and Fred Little.
Randy Edson became the latest driver to end a decades-long span between wins, picking up his first Hoosier Daddy Racing Rookie Sportsman victory. The Orwell racer’s last win came in the former Late Model division on June 5, 1994, for a winless spell of 28 years, two months, and eight days.
Edson had a good battle with teenager William Lussier, and they traded the lead twice on restarts during the 20-lap race. Lussier settled for second ahead of Daryl Gebo, Kamden Duffy, and Josh Bussino.
The rest of the top 10 was filled out by Adam LaFountain, Aaron Clark, Ed Bell, Tyler Travis, and Bobbi Jo Hults. Lussier and Robert Gauthier won the qualifiers.
Fair Haven rookie Matt Wade turned in his second winning performance in the Mini Stock division, leading a multi-car charge through traffic during the 15-lap race. Wade started 12th and managed his passes to get the win, narrowly beating Brian Blake—who started 14th—by just 0.157-seconds at the finish line.
Point leader Chris Sumner came from 16th to finish third ahead of Craig Kirby and Chris Conroy. Jake Barrows was sixth, followed by Damian Olden, Allen Hewitt, Griff Mahoney, and Austin McKirryher. Sumner, Wade, and Conroy won the heats.
Rookie Lane Saville took his third win back home to Warrensburg, NY, in the 20-lap Friend Construction 500cc Mini Sprint feature. Saville started out back and took the lead just before the halfway mark, then outpaced fellow rookie Logan Denis for the checkered flag. Kevin Smith was third, with Chayton Young and Ray Hanson next.
Brandon’s Adam Sears was the winner of the one-on-one Street Legal Spectator Races.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway returns to action on Saturday, August 20, at 7:00 p.m., as The Stove Depot presents the annual “Double Feature Night” for all five weekly racing divisions and a wild-and-crazy 50-lap Enduro. Grandstand general admission is $12 for adults and free for children aged 12 and under, and Infield drive-in parking is $20 for adults and free for children. Tickets are available at the speedway on race day.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is located on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt., four miles north of U.S. Route 4, Exit 2, and just 20 minutes from Rutland, Vt. For more information, visit www.DevilsBowlSpeedwayVT.com or call (802) 265-3112.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Facebook at facebook.com/DevilsBowlSpeedway, and on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat at @DevilsBowlSpeed. Follow the action using the #DevilsBowl hashtag.
