LADOUCEUR, HEASLIP AND LEBRUN CLAIM VICTORY FLAGS AT EDELWEISS SPEEDWAY
It was twin feature night in all categories at Edelweiss Speedway Friday after Mother Nature cancelled out last Friday night’s feature races.
Laurent Ladouceur registered his third feature win this season by taking the main 50 lapper in the modifieds. The Alexandria driver took over the pacesetting position from Brian ‘’Slim’’ McDonald at lap 48 to score his 63rd career victory. McDonald had taken the lead after leaving from post six on the starting grid and seemed to be heading straight to victory lane when Ladouceur came out from nowhere to suddenly force McDonald into the runner up spot. Kingston’s Mark Hitchcock ended third while sophomore Eric Gauvreau and veteran Dave Heaslip rounded out the fast five.
In the second race of the evening Dave ‘’The Slip’’ Heaslip captured his second winning title of the season by taking command of the 15-car field at lap 10 and it was a done deal from then on. The Smiths Falls driver had to dispose of the aggressive father and son duo of Laurent and Lee Ladouceur whom ended second and third respectively before celebrating into win lane. Brian McDonald was fourth while Dan ‘’Wild Thing’’ Jalbert at the helm of his wife Tammy’s race car rounded out the top five. Speaking of Dan Jalbert, the Cornwall driver had a scuffle with Mark Hitchcock after crossing the finish stripe. Both drivers swung at each other and track officials had to be called in to separate both belligerents.
Alexandria’s Joey Ladouceur and Gatineau’s Stephane Lebrun each won a leg of the twin bill in the Pro Stock. Ladouceur captured the third leg of the Capital Tire series by finishing in front of Denis Gauvreau in the runner up spot and in front of Michel Dupuis as third best while Stephane Lebrun and Todd Raabe rounded out the fast five. ‘’The track is in super shape tonight. I haven’t seen this track so nice and so fast in years. ‘’ Ladouceur reported from the winners circle.
Lebrun made some adjustments in between races and it paid off. The Gatineau driver came back by winning the second feature over Joey Ladouceur in second spot and over Todd Raabe in third. Denis Gauvreau and Michel Dupuis both from Aylmer rounded out the top five. ‘’We had to adjust in between features and everything went well for us this time. We are working our way up to win our first championship.’’ said Lebrun from the winners circle.
In the Semi Pros, Bruno Richard won his third feature race of the season while Dominic Gauvreau captured his fifth title of the year. Richard left Pembroke’s Greg Ogilvie behind him as runner up and Serge Lagace in third spot completing the podium. Newcomer Cliff Merpaw and defending champion Dominic Gauvreau crossed the finish stripe in fourth and fifth place respectively. It didn’t take very long for Gauvreau to bounce back from Bruno Richard. Gauvreau won the second feature race over Richard who ended second and over Greg Ogilvie completing the winning trio. Merpaw and John Bernard rounded out the fast five.
Donald Meunier broke the winless drought in the four cylinders by capturing his first checkered flag ever at the Val des Monts oval. Meunier finished in front of Jack St-Arnaud who had to settle for second best and in front of Gatineau’s Nico Leblanc rounding out the top three. Pat Legault and Wakefield’s Erin Joyce were fourth and fifth respectively. In the second feature race it was all Carl Soucy over Wakefield’s Ryan Foley in second place and over Jack St-Arnaud in third place while Nico Leblanc and Jarrid Foley followed in fourth and fifth respectively.
Next program of exciting races at Edelweiss Speedway is slated for Tuesday night August 10 where the best Canadian and American drivers will invade the Val des Monts oval in the Super Dirt Turning Stones Casino series for modifieds. A full and regular program is also scheduled and the Time Trials are set to go at 6:30 while the green flag drops at 7:45.