DAGENAIS AND BENEDICT CAPTURE FRIDAY NIGHT CHECKERS AT EDELWEISS
By: Andre Audette
It wasn’t easy but Pierre ‘’The Snake’’ Dagenais registered his fourth win of the season in the modifieds 358 Friday night at Edelweiss Speedway and his victory bounced him ahead of Dave ‘’The Slip’’ Heaslip and Laurent ‘’Laser’’ Ladouceur for the lead in the standing and it also won him a free pass to Syracuse in October.
The Gatineau driver left from post three on the starting grid but had to leave for pit lane at lap 21 after being implicated in a 3-car mishap but came back and took command at lap 36 and he never relinquished it. Eric Gauvreau took the early lead and was the pacesetter up to lap 15 when Laurent Ladouceur took over until Dagenais decided otherwise. Ladouceur finally ended second while Gauvreau settled for third best. ‘’It wasn’t easy with this pit lane stop but we ended up winning and we are now sitting on top of the standing. That takes a load off our shoulders for the time being’’ said the veteran winning driver in the post race interview from the winners circle. Denis Gauvreau in fourth and Paul Pekonnen in fifth made up the remainder of the fast five. Eric Gauvreau and Laurent Ladouceur were the qualifying heat winners.
Clayton Benedict captured his second win this season in the Pro Stock at the Val des Monts oval. The Akwasasne sophomore took over command early and drove himself to victory lane but not after a well fought battle with last year’s champion Stephane Lebrun who settled for second best. Marc Therrien of Williamstown completed the podium. ‘’We like coming up here, it gives us the chance to prepare for Cornwall where we would like to win the Mr Radiator Series’’ said a very happy young chauffeur in the winners enclosure. Nicolas Vaillant was fourth while Dominic Gauvreau held on for fifth. Gauvreau also won the checkered flag in the qualifier.
Bruno Richard sure knows his way to victory lane as he took top honours in the Semi Pros for the seventh time this season. The Gatineau driver won over Serge Lagace who ended up second and over Nicolas Gauvreau who settled for third best. Bryan Rochon and Richard Brady made up the remainder of the fast five. Serge Lagace previously won the qualifying heat.
In the four cylinders it was Carl Soucy taking his second feature of the season leaving Martin Jacques behind him in second while Danny Larose completed the podium. Danny Matte and Wakefield’s Ryan Foley rounded out the top five. Soucy and Pat Legault both won checkers in the qualifiers.
Next program of exciting races at Edelweiss Speedway is scheduled for August 5th where a full and regular program including an Enduro race for eight cylinders is on the slate. The green flag drops at 7:45.
Modifieds 50 laps : Pierre Dagenais, Laurent Ladouceur, Eric Gauvreau, Denis Gauvreau, Paul Pekonnen, Philippe Landry, Billy Cook, Dave Heaslip, Pat Cashman, Stephane Lafrance.
Pro Stock 20 laps : Clayton Benedict, Stephane Lebrun, Marc Therrien, Nicolas Vaillant, Dominic Gauvreau, Daniel Leduc, Michel Dupuis, Claude Rochon.
Semis Pros 15 laps : Bruno Richard, Serge Lagace, Nicolas Gauvreau, Bryan Rochon, Richard Brady, Michel Dagenais, Gilles Lessard, Yan Robertson, John Bedard.
4 Cylinders 12 laps: Carl Soucy, Martin Jacques, Danny Larose, Danny Matte, Ryan Foley, Martin Bernard, Jacky St-Arnaud, Casey Cavanagh, Gabriel Mercier, Erin Joyce, Pat Legault.