PIERRE DAGENAIS RETURNS TO EDELWEISS SPEEDWAY WIN LANE
Pierre Dagenais ran out of luck in his last two starts at Edelweiss Speedway but came back brilliantly to register his third win of the season in the third leg of the Lafrance Performance series for modifieds before another large crowd of faithful despite a 45 minute delay called by Mother Nature.
The Gatineau driver came from behind to find himself in second spot mid way of the 30 lapper right behind pacesetter Dave Hitchcock of Kingston who had rapidly built a comfortable lead that seemed almost insuperable but that was underestimating ‘’The Snake’’ who put a late restart to his advantage and grabbed the lead immediately at the drop of the green flag. It was a done deal from then on. Hitchcock held on to second place while sophomore Eric Gauvreau ended third. Laurent Ladouceur out of Alexandria in fourth and veteran Dave ‘’The Slip’’ Heaslip who calls Smiths Falls his home in fifth spot rounded out the fast five. And what about Tammy Jalbert of Cornwall, the only female driver in the modifieds who showed the boys of what she is really made of including husband Dan ‘’Wild Thing’’ Jalbert. The mother of two children won her first checkered flag at the Val des Monts oval by setting a torrid pace in one of two qualifying heats. Brian McDonald was the other qualifier winner.
Stephane Lebrun captured his seventh feature title and his fourth in as many outings in the Late Model Pro Stock. The Gatineau driver held off a late charging Joey Ladouceur who was in hot pursuit in the dying moments of the 20 lapper but had to settle for runner up while Cornwall Speedway promoter Ron Morin stood on the lower step of the podium. ‘’ Joey gave me quite a run for my money in the late part of the race but everything is rolling my way this year. My goal is to win the championship and I’m presently on the right track to reach my goal. My last title dates back in 1995.’’ said Lebrun from the winners circle. Todd Fletcher in fourth and Claude Rochon in fifth rounded out the top five. Ladouceur and Todd Raabe were the qualifying heat winners.
Serge Lagace won his second feature of the season in the Semi Pros by taking the measure of last years champion Dominic Gauvreau who had to settle for second best and Greg Ogilvie taking home third money for his efforts while Michel Robert out of Masham in fourth and Claude Laurin in fifth spot rounded out the fast five. Gauvreau and Laurin won the preliminaries.
The four cylinders was again all Jack St-Arnaud winning his fifth feature this year leaving behind him Carl Soucy in the runner up spot and Pat Legault in third while Gatineau’s Nico Leblanc and Wakefield’s Ryan Foley rounded out the top five. St-Arnaud, Soucy and Martin Jacques all won checkered flags in the preliminary rounds.
Next program of exciting races at Edelweiss Speedway is set for Friday July 16 where a full program is on the slate plus it will be the annual invasion of the most popular Empire Super Sprints at the Val des Monts oval. The green flag drops at 7:45. Be there early.