WEST HAVEN–NASCAR Hall of Fame inductee Bobby Allison will make a long-awaited return to Devil’s Bowl Speedway on Sunday, Sept. 14, as he is honored as the grand marshal for the Vermont 200 Championship Weekend. The celebrated leader of the “Alabama Gang” will be part of the festivities some 42 years after making his first appearance at the Rutland County track. The 1983 champion and 85-race winner on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Allison was in the middle of his legendary career when he made a stop at Devil’s Bowl Speedway on July 16, 1972. Having already won the Trenton 300 in New Jersey earlier in the day, Allison was scheduled to compete in a Late Model race at Devil’s Bowl that evening. The skies opened just as he arrived at the track, however, and the race was cancelled due to rain. Though he retired from racing in 1988, Allison is still active behind the wheel–as a designated driver. The Vermont Governor’s Highway Safety Program’s “Designated Drivers Are Legendary” campaign will visit Devil’s Bowl for the Vermont 200 Weekend. Glen Fitzgerald, a race fan from Clarendon, Vt., took a pledge at the track earlier this season to always drive sober or use a sober designated driver, and was chosen to have Allison as his “designated driver” for the day on Sunday, Sept. 14. Fitzgerald and Allison will arrive at Devil’s Bowl by limousine for the start of the races on Sunday. Allison will also serve as the grand marshal for the event and will greet fans during an autograph session. The Vermont 200 Championship Weekend, Sept. 13-14, is a two-day racing extravaganza filled with non-stop action. The weekend opens with first-round qualifying for the track’s Modified, Renegade, and Mini Stock divisions; the annual Non-Winner Shootouts; and qualifying and a main event for the North East Mini Stock Tour, followed by a Saturday night party that includes a barbeque pig roast, a massive bonfire, and free weekend camping. Main events will be held on Sunday and will include finales for the Vermont State Late Model Championship Series and all four regular NASCAR Whelen All-American Series divisions. Two-day general admission is $25 for adults and free for children age 12 and under. The Saturday-only ticket is $10, while the Sunday-only ticket is $20. Two-day pit area admission is $40 and includes admission to the Saturday night party. Grandstand gates open at 11 a.m. with racing at 1:30 p.m. on both days. Devil’s Bowl Speedway is on Route 22A in West Haven, Vt.,For more info, visit devilsbowlspeedwayvt.com.
