ROBBIE KRULL BLOWS THE BIG BLOCKS AWAY!
(By Bruce Bonham)
(Photo by Moniques) )
THOROLD, ON — Home brew Merrittville Speedway modified drivers peeled away from the Bicknell Racing Products Modified Tour drivers’ 40 lap Canada Day main event, despite the big block racers’ horsepower advantage.
In their only appearance this side of the Niagara River, the big blockers, used to racing over larger dirt tracks in Pennsylvania and Ohio, were snookered with our gang’s local knowledge of the 3/8-mile, D-shaped slick surface.
With the top four in the 24-car field all Merrittville regular runners, the herd of visitors seemingly didn’t stand much of a chance.
At the start, fan favourite Brian Stevens, driving his back up No. 44 in the non-points test and drawing the pole position, took off from outside front-starter Rob Pietz with Robbie Krull and Jamie Turner taking up the chase. After a few Lap 1 restarts to get the field underway, Pietz stormed out of Turn 2 to make Stevens second after the pair staged a brilliant side-by-side battle.
But on the Lap 16 restart, with eight Merrittville drivers fronting the newcomers, Pietz got out of shape from a bump by Dave Murdick of Slippery Rock, PA, leaving Krull in the top spot for good, bolting to the front on the restart two laps later and Stevens having nothing for him.
Lurking from the 18th starting position was Pete Bicknell, running his new BRP 2005X on an experimental basis, who climbed to third, getting by Scott Wood in the closing stages.
“The car was just awesome tonight,” said Krull in Toolneeds Ltd. Victory Lane after the dust settled and remembering his win in the track’s first 50-lap leg 50th anniversary Triple 50s three years ago. “Could pretty much go where ever I wanted.
“I almost spun out running the bottom, but the top of the track was good for me tonight.
“The lapped car near the end running the bottom was also good for me because I knew the bottom was taken up and that kinda sealed the deal for the win.”
Krull, when asked why small blocks excelled over the more powerful big blocks explained that coming here for the first time is tough. “This is a tough place if you don’t know it as well as we do.”
You had to go to eighth place to find a visiting big block racer in the final tally. And it was former Merrittville 1991 champ, Ron Smoker of Hamburg, N.Y. finishing behind fourth place finisher Fred Carleton, Tim Jones, also of Hamburg, Scott Wood (put back two-spots for jumping a restart) and Ricky Richner.
The majority of the BRP Can-AM Super Stocks might have had a slight advantage since that tour pounded the dirt here for a May 24 dash-for-cash.
And sure enough, Andy Miller, who waved good bye to his spinning father, Dave, with three rounds remaining to cross the stripe a winner after the 30 laps.
“We’re not used to that sweeping back stretch, and the track’s a little choppier than when we were here last,” said the Wellsville, N.Y. super stocker. “This is basically the second win of the series handed to me. Hate to see my dad taken out like that, but it was slippery coming out of Turn 4 and I’m sure it didn’t take much of a bump to turn him around.”
Father Dave, sideways coming out of the fourth bend after leading most of the main, matted the throttle to hold second while Kyle Bradigan, see-sawed with the younger Miller past the half way mark, to finish third. Jeremy Wonderling of Scio, N.Y. and Salamanca’s Tim Rockwell rounded out the top five.
“Oh ya, there’s no doubt being here before helped us a lot tonight,” continued the elated winner after posing for checkered flag photos. “I know what to expect. The track’s real fast in the heat and it gets real slippery for the feature, especially after 40 laps of big-tire racing. Kish told us ... don’t expect the track to be the same in the feature as it was in the heat. That little bit of advice helped me maybe more than anything.”
Former pro stock champ, Miller mentioned, Darren Kish, now a regular on the Super Stock Tour, opened a decent lead before Dave Miller took over at Lap 7.
After taking a disqualify feature winner hit last week, Hoosier Street stocker Rob Murray returned to the winner’s circle, just to prove he could win the 15-lap feature.
Murray, who was riding with a banned carburetor last Saturday, slipped by early leader Russ Davidson’s cop car apexing out of Turn 2 and opening up his lead to the end.
After Davidson took the early lead, a four-car cluster, including Murray, up from 10th starting position, and rookie Tyler McPherson, who was fast enough for second with Dave Dykstra third, Davidson shuffled back to fourth.
Rick Brubacker because a two-time winner in the Seneca Niagara Casino Dwarf Car series , taking over the point coming out of the final bend four laps into the little car 12 lapper.
Sophomore dwarfer Justin Sharp worked his way up to third from the tail end of the 18-car field, ultimately ending up fourth after Dave Ackler and point leader Scott Billing came home second and third respectively.
Jeff Shield’s black beauty pickup truck won the third and final Spectator One-on-One race with little difficulty.
Ron Smoker Jr. returned to Merrittville Speedway where he won the mod championship in 1991. Smoker, left, talks with his former school teacher at Hamburg (N.Y.) High, racing writer and broadcaster, Dave Sully. The former 1999 USAC midget champ won top points here as the first BRP big blocker, finishing eighth. He has won BRP Tour titles the past two seasons.
(photo by Bruce Bonham )
Tail Pipes: Several race fans sat down to a pre-race lobster and steak dinner to celebrate Canada Day before another near-capacity crowd enjoyed the moon-lit evening. Including the mod regulars in the big block mix, 42 cars signed in pit side, requiring four heats and two B-mains to set the 24-car field ... Another good showing of 32 BRP Can-Am Super Stocks came to Merrittville, which, according to track historian and reunion committee chairman Rick Kavanagh, said it was July 1, 1953 the speedway opened and has run continuously ever since ... A Canadian race track record. Saturday, Clare’s Cycle and Sports present biker night, with the regular five classes on track beginning at 7 p.m. sharp. Show you motorcycle licence for a $3. discount at the gate.
RESULTS:
BRP Modified (40 laps): ROBBIE KRULL, Brian Stevens, Pete Bicknell, Fred Carleton, Tim Jones, Scott Wood, Rick Richner, Ron Smoker, Jamie Turner, Dave Murdick, Rob Pietz, Rex King, Brian Swartzlander, Kevin Bolland, Pete Cosco, Jim Weller, Chad Reitz, Rick Hall, George Hobaugh, Lee Miller, Rodney, Beltz, Tim Winkle, Larry Lampman, Todd Gordon.
Heats: 1. Dave Murdick 2. Brian Stevens 3. Kevin Bolland 4. Brian Swartzlander.
B-Main #1 (10 Laps): Ron Smoker
B-Main #2 (10 Laps): Pete Bicknell
BRP Can -Am Super Stocks (30 Laps): ANDY MILLER, Dave Miller, Kyle Bradigan, Jeremy Wonderling, Tim Rockwell, Ron Baker, Wayne Adamczak, A.J. Young, Bruce Miller, Jason Dupont, Jr. Peters, Jim Johnson, Bo Clark, T.J. Shaw, Alan Wais, Justine Chaddock, Jason Tingue, Darren Kish, Jim Mazur, Scott Behems, Bob Dixon, Neil Patterson, Tim Dunham, Bob Babbitt.
Heats: 1. Ron Baker 2. Bo Clark 3. Any Miller 4. T.J. Shaw.
B-Main: Neil Petterson.
Hoosier Street Stocks (15 laps): ROB MURRAY, Tyler McPherson, Dave Dykstra, Russ Davidson, Kirk Wilson, Travis Braun, Mike Dooley, Peter Reid, Rick Champigny, Ed Fargnoli, John Johnson, Ron Kingsbury, Danielle Landry, Kevin Kocarik, Dave Gifford, Terry Larmet, J.T. Miller, Graham MacKay, Rick Simmons, Rick Beales, Greg Ayres, Brad Sheehan, Rob Knapp.
Heats: 1. Rob Murray 2. Rob Knapp 3. Russ Davidson.
Seneca Niagara Casino Dwarf Cars (15 laps): RICK BRUBACKER, Dave Ackler, Scott Billing, Justin Sharp, Wally Billing, Wayne Robins, Dave Russell, Chris Steele, Kellie Mason, Kory Howe, Dave Arnold, Mark Brighton, Ken Knapp, Ray Sliter, Derek Bredon, Jeff Baker, Bob Bredon.
Heats: 1. Dave Russell 2. Wally Billing.
Spectator One-on-One: Jeff Shields.