#49 Marty Devon - Driver Profile from 2011 Raceday #2

Driver Profile - Marty Devon #49 Factory Stock
by Tom Stephenson

Marty Devon was unseen on the track for a number of years, but last year he came back, and has returned again at the beginning of this season for more.  Marty said, “Actually I started to race around 1980.  I’ve raced at four different tracks over the years.  I used to run Street Stock, the equivalent of today’s Factory Stock class, at the Fifth Line track.  Once that track closed I started going down to Onaway with the same car and raced down there for three years.  I took a few years off and then started racing again when they opened up the Kinross track, around ’96, then raced a couple years there.   I started at Laird the third year it was opened and raced here for a couple years, in 2001 and 2002.  (Track Promoter) Donnie Varcoe asked me to race one of his Factory Stock cars.  I faded away again until last year.”

Marty is a young looking 54.  His interest in racing started when he was young.  He said, “When I was young, Cale Yarborough was doing good in Nascar.  Back then I always tried to get a ride out to Heyden or Fifth Line.  I met Rick Ellis;  I worked at the steel plant with him.  He’s the one that really got me into racing.  He showed me a lot, and showed me some of the tricks.  I worked two years in his pit crew at Fifth Line when he was driving in the Sportsman class.  I recommend that to anybody before they get into racing, work in the pits.”

Marty’s 2010 year started off a bit rough, while his team ironed the bugs out of their car.  On the first night they had it out Marty sailed off the front stretch into the hay bales.  Marty said, “When we got the car it was a bit of a scramble to get it going.  We had a problem with the throttle linkage and we ended up in the tire bales.  The next race we had the rear end ripped out of the car when we got t-boned on the front stretch.”  By the end of the season last year Marty had the car working well, and the first night of this season went without major problems.

The car Marty Drives is owned by Ken Vaudry.  Marty said, “Ken bought this car and had never driven before.  It is a pure stock car; he found it on the Internet from down around the Onaway area.  Originally he was going to drive the car last year, but he wanted me to run it for a few races to check it out, just  to make sure is was ok.”  As the season ended a couple weeks earlier than expected, Ken didn’t drive the  car last year at all. 

Ken is currently Marty’s crew chief.  Marty said, “Ken pitted for me in 2001/2002.  He’s been around racing for a while too.  He’s been going to Onaway since it opened.  He also helped Josh Maitland in his pit last year too.  Josh is like a team member.”  Also in the pits helping Marty and Ken out are Randy Lapossie, Brian Sweeney, and Ted Bringleson.

Marty said, “I’m really lucky to have picked up some good sponsors.  Last year we had Extreme Recycling, that’s where Ken worked.  They buy old heavy equipment and tear them down for the steel and materials.  They supplied our tow vehicle and trailer, and more.  We don’t have them back as a sponsor this year, but are looking for more.   We also have Jiffy Car wash as a sponsor; the owner, Mike Scholz married my daughter last fall.”  Mike just started racing in the modified division towards the end of last season and has returned again this year so we’ll try and write about him later this season.

Marty continued, “My biggest sponsor is Twin City Over-Haulin, a new business started up by a friend of mine, Brian Sweeney.   He’s been a good friend since we were kids and he’s been with me my whole race career.  He’s mostly into rebuilding car engines, but does work on others things like outboards, or any type of engine; passenger car engines, total rebuilds, or just heads.  He’s been in and out of the trade for 30 years.  He’s one guy that has always stuck it out with me.  He knows how to tune up engines and he’s been a great help.”

Marty works at Essar Steel as an industrial mechanic.  He does millwright and pipefitting work.  He said, “I have to thank another guy at work, John P. Bondar, he’s a sponsor.”

 Marty has two adult daughters, that both come out to support him. With a chuckle, Marty said, “Lindsay tried doing the Powder Puff race a few years ago and ended up bending one of Donnie’s cars in half.  I believe that’s the last powder puff race Donnie ever had out at Laird.  Lisa is the older daughter, she has a two year old son and a new born daughter, so she doesn’t make it out as much.”

Marty lives with Kathy Russell.  He said, “Last year she was mostly in the stands with her dad and sister.  Her father Lorne, passed away over the winter, he was in his 80’s.  Before I started racing at Laird, he had never been to a race, he loved it and he didn’t miss many last season.  Kathy’s sister Connie says she would like to try racing, maybe a spin to win, or a four cylinder.”

Marty likes the track at Laird.  He said, “The three/four corner is tough.  To me the harder the track is the more fun it is.  Fifth line it was the #2 corner that was the hardest.  Laird is a tough track but to me it makes it more fun and more of a driver’s game. “

In closing Marty said, “Racing is so much fun I can hardly believe it is legal.”