Former champion avenges opening day heartbreak with big win
WEST HAVEN, Vermont (July 29, 2024) – Will Hull planned on having a big year on the McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England (SCoNE) Tour. He has taken the scenic route at times, but he’s certainly getting there, and his victory at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Saturday, July 27, proved that he’s on the right path. The former two-time SCoNE Tour champion dominated the 25-lap race, which was presented by the tour’s title sponsor, the McGee Automotive Family of Dealerships.
After finishing second in points in 2023, Hull completely overhauled his racecar in the off-season with the goal of winning a third SCoNE title. He led the first 18 laps of the year at Devil’s Bowl, but a mechanical failure kept him out of victory lane, and a bad tire left him uncompetitive in the following race. Then, he won at The Flat Track at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and scored two more top-five finishes. He spun twice at Bear Ridge a week ago, but he left little doubt at Devil’s Bowl on Saturday by leading all 25 circuits in the non-stop race.
Hull, from Plainfield, Vt., pulled out to quarter-track advantage in the first half of the race and began lapping cars, but he gave the crowd a bit of a scare in the last handful of laps as he appeared to be struggling in traffic. Making things more dramatic, young up-and-comer Kadyn Berry charged hard in the second half of the race and cut Hull’s lead down to just three car lengths, but Hull stood on the gas in the final two laps and sealed up his win.
“I didn’t know how close anybody was behind me, but I realized with a few laps to go that I wasn’t getting through the lapped cars as fast as I needed to, so I it was time to go,” Hull said after the race. “I was pretty confident. I knew I had a good car, and I could turn it up any time I needed to.”
Seventeen-year-old Berry’s runner-up finish was a career best result with the SCoNE Tour. The Goffstown, N.H., racer finished a full straightaway ahead of Caleb Lamson, who made a last-lap pass of Dylan Menditto for third place. Like Berry, Menditto had a career night with his fourth-place result in the A-Main and his first-ever qualifying heat win earlier in the program. Nick Comeau continued his recent hot streak with a fifth-place finish.
Championship point leader Matt Hoyt finished sixth ahead of Floyd Billington, Jake Williams, Joe Kata, and rookie Caiden Herbert.
RACE NOTES:
• A field of 14 cars attended the Devil’s Bowl Speedway event. Joe Kata and Wayne Stearns each made their first SCoNE appearance of the season; Stearns was unable to start the A-Main after engine trouble in his heat race.
• Will Hull’s victory was the 23rd of his SCoNE career and his second of the 2024 season. He now has sole possession of third place on the all-time SCoNE Tour victory list.
• The two qualifying heat races were won by Dylan Menditto and Will Hull, with each grabbing a $100 bonus from CK & Sons Trucking of Barnstead, New Hampshire.
• Karen’s Shirt Barn, also of Barnstead, N.H., presented the Hard Charger Award, with a $50 bonus going to Matt Hoyt, who originally started 10th and finished sixth to gain four positions.
• Caiden Herbert of New Hampton, N.H., won a $50 bonus from Dave Bowser Motorsports as the top-finishing registered rookie in 10th place; fellow rookie Nick Kruger finished 12th.
• Through the first seven events of the 12-race McGee Automotive Family SCoNE Tour schedule, Matt Hoyt is the championship leader with 326 points. Will Hull is second at 300, followed by Jake Williams (298), Kadyn Berry (288), and Floyd Billington (281).
The McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England Tour has an off-week before making its first standalone appearance at Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y., on Saturday, August 10. SCoNE’s only other event at Airborne Park came in 2018 in a combination race with the Empire Super Sprints Tour.
To learn more about the Sprint Cars of New England, visit www.nesprintcars.com or find the “SCoNE – Sprint Cars of New England” page on Facebook.
OFFICIAL RESULTS – McGee Automotive Family Sprint Cars of New England
Devil’s Bowl Speedway – West Haven, Vermont
Saturday, July 27, 2024
A-Main Feature (25 laps)
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
(#) - denotes rookie
- (2) Will Hull, Plainfield, Vt.
- (4) Kadyn Berry, Goffstown, N.H.
- (5) Caleb Lamson, Moretown, Vt.
- (1) Dylan Menditto, Brooklyn, Conn.
- (3) Nick Comeau, Hebron, N.H.
- (10) Matt Hoyt, Campton, N.H.
- (6) Floyd Billington, South Glens Falls, N.Y.
- (8) Jake Williams, Tuftonboro, N.H.
- (11) Joe Kata, Goshen, N.Y.
- (7) # Caiden Herbert, New Hampton, N.H.
- (13) Troy Comeau, Wentworth, N.H.
- (9) Jason Goff, Preston Hollow, N.Y.
- (12) # Nick Kruger, Rupert, Vt.
Did Not Start: Wayne Stearns, Bradford, Vt.
Lap Leaders (1 lead change among 2 drivers): Dylan Menditto, grid; Will Hull, 1-25.
Cautions: None.
Contingency Award Winners:
• CK & Sons Trucking Heat Winners: Dylan Menditto, Will Hull
• Karen’s Shirt Barn “Hard Charger” Award: Matt Hoyt (+4 positions)
• Highside Racewear Award: Kadyn Berry (2nd)
• 802 Print Award: Caleb Lamson (3rd)
• VT Fire Award: Dylan Menditto (4th)
• Venom Choppers Award: Nick Comeau (5th)
• Bill McGaffin Photos/Showstopper Photos Award: Matt Hoyt (6th)
• Waddell Communications & Repairs Award: Floyd Billington (7th)
• 87Speed Award: Jake Williams (8th)
• Dave Bowser Motorsports Rookie of the Race: Caiden Herbert (10th)
• Whitcomb Excavation & Landscaping Award: Jake Williams
Upcoming Events:
• Saturday, August 10 – Airborne Park Speedway – Plattsburgh, N.Y.
• Saturday, August 17 – Bear Ridge Speedway – Bradford, Vt.
(Photos by Bill McGaffin)
- Justin St. Louis on Jul 30, 2024
- Article Date: 7/30/2024