WEST HAVEN, Vt. – Devil’s Bowl Speedway is already prepared for the 2022 dirt-track racing season.
The historic Vermont track has announced the event lineup for its 56th season, which spans 23 races and will once again run primarily on Saturday nights from May 7 through Sept. 24.
In addition to the schedule, Devil’s Bowl promoter Mike Bruno officially announced the creation of a new rookie sportsman division that will be added to the weekly lineup.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway fans will welcome the Short Track Super Series modifieds for the first time on June 19, and they will once again be the home crowd for the country’s highest-paying sportsman modified race as the Vermont 200 returns on Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-4.
The enduro series will have seven events beginning on May 14 and the Mohawk Valley Vintage Dirt Modified Series will finally return on July 23. Special interactive fan promotions highlight the season as well, with the possibility of more special races or touring series events to be added during the season.
A change in 2021 to weekly Saturday night events with a Sunday rain date proved to be successful, accommodating for more drivers and teams.
Bruno believes his program will continue to grow in 2022, and the new rookie sportsman class is indicative of that.
Early estimates show around 15 eligible teams that will ease the current overload of the limited sportsman division, which exploded to an average of 33 cars per event this year. Drivers must meet a certain criteria to be placed in either the limited or rookie fields.
“We have great momentum at Devil’s Bowl right now,” Bruno said. “I’ll never complain about having too many race cars and I’ll never take that support for granted, but we had to give the limited sportsman racers a fair shake, and the new rookie division will do that. We want to keep rewarding our racers and fans with great action at affordable prices. I’m excited for 2022 already, and I wish we didn’t have to sit through the winter and wait.”
The season begins on Saturday, May 7, with a regular-distance 30-lap draw race for sportsman modifieds paying a whopping $3,000 to win. The weekly limited sportsman, super stock, mini stock, and 500cc mini sprint divisions will also open their seasons, along with the new rookie sportsman class.
For the second year in a row, the first major event will be the Northeast Crate Nationals on Memorial Day weekend. Weekly support divisions will run their qualifying and features on Saturday night, May 28, and the sportsman modified division will have a one-day show on Sunday, May 29, to include all qualifying and the 100-lap, $5,000-to-win main event. The Sprint Cars of New England tour will also be in town on Sunday.
The Short Track Super Series event on June 19 will pay $10,000 to win and $500 to start. It’s expected to draw the top names in dirt racing including 2021 series champions Matt Sheppard and Mike Mahaney. The Slate Valley 50 will mark the northernmost Short Track Super Series race in history and its first in Vermont or any of the six New England states.
Independence Day weekend will once again bring a fireworks show on Saturday, July 2 with the SCoNE Sprint Cars ad the headliner. All six weekly divisions will compete, with the Enduro Series as a support class.
The fan-favorite Battle at the Bowl returns on Sunday, August 7. The event offers local fans a glimpse of the stars of dirt modified racing, with an independently-sanctioned show featuring a unique three-feature format and a $10,000 top prize. The feature winner list at the 2021 Battle at the Bowl included Sheppard, Stewart Friesen and Anthony Perrego.
The fifth annual Vermont 200 will be the center of attention on Labor Day Weekend. Devil’s Bowl Speedway will once again pay the biggest purse of the year for the 602 crate sportsman modified division.
Zach Sobotka won the 2021 edition and captured nearly $13,000 in winnings after defeating a field of 62 entries. The Vermont 200 is a one-day show for sportsman teams, as both qualifying and the 200-lap main event will be held Sunday, Sep. 4, with support from the SCoNE Sprint Cars. All local divisions will have qualifying and feature races Saturday, Sept. 3.
Devil’s Bowl Speedway’s 56th season of racing wraps up with championship night on Saturday, Sept. 24.
The enduro series will close the year with 100-lap finale at the end of the night.
A full schedule can be found at devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com.