‘King of the Clay’ DIRTcar 358 Series Race Headlines Devil’s Bowl’s 60th Season Opener
Story By: DEVILS BOWL SPEEDWAY – WEST HAVEN, VT – Another cold winter has settled into the Vermont countryside but come April the green mountains will come alive with the sensory thrills of dirt-track racing once again. In 2026, opening day will be even bigger than ever before, featuring a 60-lap, $5,000-to-win showdown for the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series on Saturday, April 26.
They will be joined on the card by the O’Reilly Auto Parts Limited Sportsman, the novice sportsman, Friend Construction 500cc Mini-Sprints and the mini-stocks. There will also be a 20-lap, $750-to-win, non-points “shoot out” for the Sunoco Sportsman Modifieds open to any driver not competing in the 358 Modified Feature. The Sunoco Sportsman Modified points season will begin the following Saturday, May 2. The 358 modified division has been growing in the region and at Devil’s Bowl in the last two seasons, attracting local drivers from the track’s sportsman division like Dave Camara and Joey Scarborough, and top modified drivers like Mike Mahaney and Felix Roy. In 2026, the division is expected to continue growing. This inaugural “King of the Clay” event will pit the best Devil’s Bowl Speedway 358 modified drivers against the best touring 358 modified drivers to kick off a season that will again feature multiple 358 modified races at the West Haven oval.
Of course, opening night marks the start of the championship chase for all divisions (except the Sunoco Sportsman Modifieds and Crown Vics) in 2026. Limited, Novice, Mini-Sprint and Mini-Stock championship hopefuls will all be vying for a good start to their season on Saturday, April 26.
An April opening night is unusual for “New England’s Fastest Dirt Track,” as May has typically been the month ringing in the beginning of racing at Devil’s Bowl, especially in its dirt configuration. However, in recent years, several April practice sessions have been held, sporting high car counts and excellent track conditions. This year, April 26 was the only open Saturday night date to bring in the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series, which was a goal of track management for 2026.
Opening night will be preceded by an open practice session for all divisions on Friday, April 25. In the event of a rain-out on opening night, the “King of the Clay” will be run in its entirety on Thursday, July 16.
The full 2026 schedule of events will be released soon, along with information about rules and more.
