EMPIRE SUPER SPRINTS INVADE EDELWEISS SPEEDWAY
It’s before the largest crowd of the season that Edelweiss Speedway played host to Empire Super Sprints Friday night and fans got their money’s worth of action from those popular winged sprint cars.
25 laps was the issue of the main event and underdog teenager Nick Fratto, 2003 ESS rookie of the year took top honours by winning a dual with veteran point leader Lance Young. Fratto who calls Geneva N.Y. his home felt the thrill of his first ever ESS victory. ‘’ It’s about time since we have been putting together a bunch of second and third place finishes this season.’’ said the happy and relieved chauffeur from the winners circle. Young came across the finish stripe a runner-up finisher as Jeff Van Dusen completed the podium. Doug Emery winner of the Dash for Cash was fourth while Mike Van Dusen rounded out the fast five. Jeff Cook, Mike Stelter and Billy Krull won the qualifying heats while the standing room only crowd’s favourite Alain Bergeron of St-Pie, Que ended ninth.
Peter Mantha scored his second modified win of the season by taking the measure of veteran Laurent Ladouceur holding on for second best while Kingston’s Mark Hitchcock took home third money for his efforts. It only took five laps for the Gatineau driver to take the lead of the 14-car field and it was a done deal from then on. ‘’ The track is getting dry because of the ESS and we got to admit that we were lucky tonight.’’ admitted a very humble Mantha from the winners circle. Brian McDonald in fourth place and second generation driver Lee Ladouceur rounded out the top five. Mantha and Hitchcock had previously won the qualifying preliminaries.
The Late Model Pro Stock was again all Stephane Lebrun capturing the fourth leg of the Capital Tire series and by doing so putting his hand on his ninth feature checker this season. Lebrun was quick on the GO pedal and took an early lead which he never relinquished leaving Todd Raabe behind him as a runner up finisher and Aylmer’s Michel Dupuis as third best. Dave Bissonnette making a comeback at the helm of Cornwall Motor Speedway promoter Ron Morin’s machine was fourth while Alexandria’s Marc Therrien rounded out the fast five. Lebrun and Joey Ladouceur were the qualifying heat winners.
Point leader Dominic Gauvreau was again the visitor in win lane after capturing the final in the Semi Pros. The Val des Monts chauffeur crossed the finish stripe well in front of Bruno Richard and Greg Ogilvie in second and third place respectively. Claude Laurin in fourth and Serge Lagace in fifth completed your top five in the 15-lap affair. Lagace and Richard both won qualifying preliminaries.
The four cylinder feature was won by Pat Legault for the second time this season. Point leader Jack St-Arnaud was right behind Legault in second spot while Miss Erin Joyce of Alcove ended third. Also taking home bragging rights this weekend are Wakefield’s Ryan Foley and Martin Levesque finishing fourth and fifth respectively. St-Arnaud, Erin Joyce and Ronald Philippe were the qualifying heat winners.
Next program of exciting races at Edelweiss Speedway is set for Friday August 27 where a full and regular program is on the slate featuring a 50 lapper Syracuse qualifier for modifieds. The green flag drops at 7:45.