DEFENDING CHAMPION LAURENT LADOUCEUR IN VICTORY LANE AT EDELWEISS SPEEDWAY

Last year’s champion Laurent ‘’Laser’’ Ladouceur scored his first win of the new season in the 358 modifieds Friday night at Edelweiss Speedway before another large and noisy crowd.

The Alexandria driver grabbed the early lead at the drop of the green flag and never relinquished it to dispose of veteran Pierre ‘’The Snake’’ Dagenais who stood at Ladouceur’s tail in hot pursuit all the way through the 30 lap affair. It was a two way race between last two track champions in this feature dotted with several caution flags. Dave ‘’The Slip’’ Heaslip completed the winning trio while Laurent Ladouceur’s son, Lee, took home fourth money. Greg Monica of North Bangor N.Y. rounded out the top five. Brian ‘’Slim’’ McDonald, last week’s winner, ended up sixth.

‘’The track was in very good shape tonight and my car was more than ready to roll, it was a perfect setting for a great win.’’ said Ladouceur in the post-race interview from the winners circle.

Ladouceur, Heaslip and Dagenais were also winners in the qualifying heats.

Alain Coursol won the checkered flag in the late model Pro Stock feature by taking the measure of his closest rivals Denis Gauvreau and Michel Dupuis of Aylmer who completed the podium. Last week’s winner Dave Bissonnette had to settle for fourth best while Akwasasne’s John Lazore rounded out the top five.

Favourites Stephane Lebrun and Cornwall Motor Speedway promoter Ron Morin had to leave for pit lane in the feature. Lebrun’s car experienced mechanical problems while he was sitting on top of the 15 car field at the halfway point while Morin who won a leg of the preliminary heats, left before the first lap was even completed after his car lost a wheel following a three car mishap. Dupuis and Gauvreau previously won the preliminaries.

In the 8 cylinders, Michel Robert broke the ice when he captured his first title finishing on top of a very aggressive Dominic ‘’Short Fuse’’ Gauvreau who gave quite a battle by coming from behind to settle for second best by only a nose. Last week’s winner Tammy Jalbert gave the boys their money’s worth by making her presence felt on the podium. Richard Brady and Stephane Martel completed the top five in fourth and fifth place respectively. Michel Robert, Serge Lagace and Gauvreau won the qualifying heats.

Female driver Erin Joyce showed the boys what she was made of by claiming her first checkered flag of this young season in the four cylinders. Joyce made the twelve lap trip on top of the eleven car field by taking no prisoners to complete the win. Dany Larose and Martin Jacques were second and third respectively while Patrice Legault, Jonathan Galipeau and last week’s winner, Carl Soucy rounded out the top six. Legault and Soucy also won qualifying heats.

Edelweiss Speedway returns to action next Friday night May 30 with a full race program featuring all four divisions including a special 25 lapper for eight cylinders. The green flag will drop at 7:45 on the button.