By: Shawn
Wiles
For those who follow the Leaders of the Week chart, you may
have noticed an unfamiliar name in the top 5, Jim Devaux. Devaux was tied last
week with National Dash winner Aaron Merriman for the most wins in the nation,
as they were both tied with 17 wins, although Devaux did it with 39 less
starts. Jim has been on an absolute tear at Monticello Raceway in the last 6
weeks, he is putting open lengths between himself and the other drivers in the
Monticello driver’s colony in the win department. Thus far in 2017 he has
92 wins, compared to the 2nd place driver Bruce Aldrich Jr. with
61. This time last year Bruce Aldrich Jr. who was the leading dash winner
had 75 wins. Jim has won 5 races on a card 5 times and won 4 races on an
afternoon twice already this year.
The soft spoken, affable DeVaux says “I enjoy doing well at
Monticello, this is my home town track, I grew up in the
backstretch, I have enjoyed racing here over the years, I’m not happy when I’m
not racing here. I have been very fortunate to get the power to win, and all I
need to do is put them in the right spot town to win”. Devaux sport a
UDRS of 460, besides driving for leading Monticello Raceway trainer Dolores
Basilone, Jim has done very well driving horse for other trainers as well.
Jim DeVaux and the other top drivers at Monticello Bruce
Aldrich and Jim Taggart Jr. are a tight nit bunch and it’s possible that any
one of them can win 3-4 races a day. “We all get along pretty good and
things work out” noted DeVaux. Devaux currently is in 4th place in
the leading dash winner’s category at Saratoga Raceway with 9 wins.
