ALAIN BOISVERT TAKES THE WIN AND CLAUDE BROUILLARD, THE CHAMPIONSHIP

GRANBY, Qué., August 31, 2002—Finally after 17 seasons of hard labor and a frustrating lost last season for the Modified Carquest Championship at Autodrome Granby, by only one point, veteran driver from Tracy, Claude Brouillard clinched that title, last Friday while Alain Boisvert made his first visit of the season in the winner’s circle.

Having the fastest car on the speed plant, Boisvert took advantage that he was third on the starting grid and managed to get the lead after only one lap of this 40-lap feature. In two occasions, but only for one lap, he lost his position but regained it rapidly. Sixth at the start, Steve Poirier was the driver who finished second after challenging successfully Clément Therrien who was third at the finish. He was followed by American drivers, Jerry Pinnock Jr. and Donald Scarborough who was in contention for the Modified crown.

Before the start of this feature race, there was only a 16 point difference between Brouillard and Scarborough because both drivers had won their respective heats. At the pick for position, Brouillard wound up with the 12th spot and Scarborough, the seventh position on the grid. Both drivers were very cautious in that race led easily by Boisvert. Scarborough managed to take the fifth spot nearly at the end when Luke Plante was forced to withdraw due to mechanical problems. Brouillard, who didn’t want to experience the same frustration than last year, drove very safely to avoid any mishap and was following Scarborough, two spots behind. He finished seventh, a position that allowed him to clinch his first Modified title at Granby in 17 seasons. Despite a 17th place finish, Réal Lafrance, the track champion for the past two seasons, was able to save his third place in the standings but with only a three-point advantage on Kayle Robidoux and Alain Boisvert who are tied in fourth.

In the Sportsman division, Alain Mathieu went on wire to wire to registered his fifth success of the season. Meanwhile, this finish was not enough for him to get the title for a second year in a row. In the race, he had to resist to many tentatives of Dany Bilodeau to get by him, but it’s Bilodeau who finally took his first championship with 1,037 points, eight more than Mathieu. With a fifth place, young Yannick Ledoux, finished third in the standings and is assured of being named the rookie of the season.

With the title already decided in the Late Model division, Richard Bertrand was the winner of this last race while in the 4 Cylinders class, Patrick Dupont posted a fourth win and was crowned champion for the second time in that division.

Woodring again:

For the second time this season, the Empire Super Sprints were on hand for that last program. Again, seven times champion, Mike Woodring pleased the fans with his second victory at Granby this season. Twelfth on the grid, Woodring was ninth on lap eight when the only caution flag of the race appeared. At the restart, as usual, he started to gain positions to find himself behind Rob Dietrick, who until that moment had it very easy in the lead. With two laps remaining, Woodring got by him to obtain his fourth win of the season. Dietrick was second and followed by Billy White while Quebecer, Alain Bergeron finished eight after taking the green flag from the eleventh spot on the grid.

MOIDFIED FEATURE (40 laps): 1- 73, Alain Boisvert; 2- 61, Steve Poirier; 3- 39, Clément Therrien; 4- 11J, Jerry Pinnock; 5- 11vt, Donald Scarborough; 6- 5, Mario Moreau; 7- 3, Claude Brouillard; 8- 90, Martin Roy; 9- 46, Kayle Robidoux; 10- 78, Vince Quenneville Jr; 11- 09, Mario Lajoie; 12- 63, Dominic Dufault; 13- 4, Leon Gonyo; 14- 31, Richard Chauvin; 15- 66w, Wallace Stacey; 16- 21, Ian Bussière; 17- 11, Réal Lafrance; 18- 2, Luke Plante; 19- 7NH, Dan Douville; 20- 54, Jean-Guy Primeau; 21- 24, Stéphane Michaud; 22- 8, Tom Gonyo; 23- 22J, Gino Clair.