LAMPMAN LAPS IT UP
(By Bruce Bonham)
(Bruce Bonham Photo)
Former Sportsman champ Tammy Willard straps in
Tyler McPherson before the rookie Hoosier Stocker finished third Saturday.
(Photo courtesy of Monique's Photography Photos)
THOROLD, ON —Defending 358 L. St. Amand Enterprises Modified champion Larry Lampman Jr. vowed his dismal start to the 2004 season was going to change — starting Saturday night.
Lampman, who made consistency work for him last season when winning the title with a single feature victory, made his prediction come true Saturday with an impressive straight-away advantage for his first win of the season.
“Pete (Bicknell) does it every week (finishing in the top three),” said a serious, determined Lampman in Victory Lane after the popular 35-lap Fonthill Lumber Father’s Day main event point-padding win.
“You gotta stay out of trouble and run consistent, right?” he continued. “We’ve got a new engine coming that should give us a little more power and what we have right now is the best we’ve ever had. So I’m looking for results from now on. We’re starting to get up to the level of the big guys ... guys like Maroney (Danny Johnson’s Ransomville Speedway car owner).”
Once Lampman dusted off Brad Malloy at the Lap 6 restart — for Robbie Krull’s broken car, stalled on the front stretch — the Port Colborne pilot steadily increased his margin while Ricky Richner, Bicknell and Scott Wood maneuvered to the front.
“I didn’t know I was that far ahead. As far as I knew, the guy (trying to beat me) was right on my back bumper. You gotta run scared, you know,” explained Lampman on his trip to the checkered flag. “The traffic was tough. No one was moving over for me, that’s for sure.”
Bicknell, who’s trying hard to win his record-setting100th Merrittville Speedway career victory, got by Richner with three laps left for second. Wood took fourth while Fred Carleton crossed the stripe fifth.
Veteran driver Brian Stevens was black flagged to the pits after hitting last week’s winner Rob Pietz on the back straight in the early laps.
The Original Pizza Logs 25-lap Sportsman clash had difficulty getting their feature underway. Dereck Lemyre lost the handle at Turn 4, leading, spinning out in front of the pack, dominoing the early front runners in the altercation and giving Adam Ferri and defending champ Wayne Conn the one-two restart positions.
The next lap. Kevin Sharpe got “loose” in the same turn piling the field for the second time.
With the exception of Lemyre, out of shape at Turn 2 for the final caution on Lap 7, the racing was for the point between Ferri — off an impressive Cayuga County DIRT Sportsman Tour victory last Sunday — who made his lead stick to the end, despite the rear drive train failing in the closing stages.
“The engine’s fine, but I think I might be spitting out a U-joint or something,” said Flyer Ferri in the Lane after copping his second Merrittville feature and explaining that is was the lowest gear ratio he’s ever run at Merrittville. “I changed the setup between the heat and feature. I adjusted for the track, took all the gear out of the car and just lugged the motor on a dusty track.”
Conn held on for second. Twenty-five year vet Billy Willard, sportsman champ here in 1993 and ‘95, while his sister Tammy copped the same title in 1998, rolled home for a solid third after overhauling a smoking Bobby Davidson, last week’s winner.
After last week’s 45-minute Hoosier Stock bash, track officials slotted the slammers as the final feature of the night, a relatively tame affair interrupted only by two minor cautions in the early going.
From the green flag, pole-sitter Brad Sheehan held the point. But it wasn’t long before a top four-car cluster of Sheehan, Terry Larmet, Peter Reid and Kirk Wilson developed, setting up a splendid duel between the leader and eventual winner, Reid.
Reid, sixth in 2003 points, held off the 2002 champ’s No. 08 to score his second of the season. Rookie Tyler McPherson, rumoured to be heading for the Sportsman ranks next season, also got around Sheehan on the final circuit for third.
The Seneca Niagara Casino Dwarf Cars’15-lap match was a heartbreaker for Mark Brighton and Bill Russell.
Brighton, who chased Russell the entire race held the lead briefly before a last lap, back straight spin which put him out of the game. Russell, who thought the race ended at the Lap 14 caution went to the pits, losing his position and any chance of scoring his first win.
Meanwhile defending little car champ Scott Billing, who had motored up to third from starting 14th in the 26-car field, finished the final green flag lap a five-time winner. Second place finisher, Dave Ackler bettered his position, getting by Rick Brubacker, who was also passed by Wally Billing.
“The last three laps were just awesome. I hoped it looked as good as it was,” said a happy Billing in Victory Lane. “What a tight race ... three cars there. I’m not sure what happened. I saw Mark up there on the caution. It certainly was good racing up to then.”
In the Four Cylinder 15-lap dash, point leader Trevor Goulding padded his title lead by winning his second feature of the season, making a slick pass on Roger Shenstone coming out of the final turn on the second lap.
“I don’t know what to say,” said an overwhelmed Goulding, explaining that it was the fans who make racing fun and touting the “awesome” track conditions.
Karter Paul Klager scored his best finish, second, while three-time winner Norm Mark settled for third.
In the two-car Spectator One-on-One, Jeff Shields of Hamilton notched his second win. With only Shields and Bob Scott entering, Scott made a last lap move, slamming the outside, front stretch barrier. He was uninjured.
Tail Pipes: A pre-race pep talk for the Hoosier Stocks regarding car control and race smarts was conducted and seemed to have the results officials were seeking ... With only two minor yellow flags early on, the marathon of last week was drastically reduced ... With their heats and feature running after the other four divisions, the slicker surface might have slowed the 25-car pack ... “It’s the first time I saw a driver back off while running three wide,” said starter Barry Davidson at the end of the night ... Mike Dooley, winner of the last two stockers, switched to the No. 76 of Trevor Braun after his 310c suffered differential failure in the qualifying heat. Fans were heading for the parking lot at a record 9:45 p.m. after the smooth-running program. 1998 Sportsman champ Tammy Willard was in the pits Saturday coaching Hoosier Stocker Tyler McPherson in the Mike Granton 777. McPherson, holder of several karting titles won his first feature May 24. Next week David Chev Olds hosts the Empire Super Sprints, back at Merrittville after a one-year hiatus filling in for the St. Amand Mods, sitting out that night ... Look for Rick Wilson, the Joyceville (ON) Jet, who likes Merrittville and has won two ESS mains this season.
RESULTS:
L. St. Amand Enterprises Modified (35 laps): LARRY LAMPMAN, Pete Bicknell, Rick Richner, Scott Wood, Fred Carleton, Todd Gordon, Rob Pietz, Tim Jones, Paul Ashton, Don Spatorico, Pere Cosco, Kenny Winfield, Dwayne Winfield, Brad Malloy, Brad Gravestock, Gary Kruchka, Scott Kreutter, Jamie Turner, Robbie Krull, Brian Stevens DSQ.
Heats: 1. Ricky Richner 2. Paul Ashton 3. Pete Cosco.
Original Pizza Logs Sportsman (25 laps): ADAM FERRI, Wayne Conn, Billy Willard, Bobby Davidson, Boyd MacTavish, Greg Panunte, Martin Polhill, Mike Ward, Dereck Lemyre, Billy Bleich, Chad Chevalier, Dennis Giancola, Wayne Baker, Kevin Sharpe, Jim Ruston, Dave Flannigan, John Kaas, Darren Zumpe, Tom Flannigan, John McKenney.
Heats: 1. Bobby Davidson 2. Dereck Lemyre 3. Billy Bleich.
Hoosier Street Stocks (15 laps): PETER REID, Kirk Wilson, Tyler McPherson, Brad Sheehan, Terry Larmet, Greg Ayres, Rob Knapp, Kevin Kocarik, Ed Fargnoli, Dave Dykstra, Rick Beales, Carl Saunders, Danielle Landry, J. T. Miller, Rick Simmons, Rick Champigny, Mike Dooley, Bob Gill, Graham MacKay, Russ Davidson, Rob Murray, Dave Gifford.
Heats: 1. Peter Reid 2. Rick Champigny 3. Ed Fargnoli.
Seneca Casino Dwarf Cars (15 laps): SCOTT BILLING, Dave Ackler, Wally Billing, Rick Brubacker, Justin Sharp, Wayne Robins, Kellie Mason, Shawn Sliter, Dereck Bredon, Dave Russell, Chris Steele, Mark Brighton, Bob Bredon, Dave Arnold, Ray Sliter.
Heats: 1. Dave Russell 2. Scott Billing.
Four cylinder (15 laps): TREVOR GOULDING, Paul Klager, Norm Mark, Rob Goulding, Glen Leinen, Gord Bates, James Wood, Mike Giberson, Jeff Mark, Tony Kelly, Malcolm Foskett, Larry Erskine, Carey Gore, Tom Overholt, Vic Mealing.
Heats: 1. Paul Klager 2. Norm Mark.
Spectator One-on-One: Jeff Shields