SPORTSMAN WINNERS DOUBLE UP
(By Bruce Bonham)
(Photo courtesy of Monique's Photography Photos)
THOROLD, ON —There was a little racing history Saturday night at Merrittville Speedway when five features were run, but six drivers came up winners.
Race director Bobby St. Amand Jr. declared the 25-lap Original Pizza Logs Sportsman contest a dead heat, after checking with starter Barry Davidson, then resorting to the taped television replay, that Billy Willard and Greg Panunte crossed the finishing stripe at the same time.
Willard, who led the skirmish from the fifth lap said a little tire spin during the two-lap shootout might have cost him his second “outright” win of the season.
“I knew as soon as I lit up the tires in the restart ... I knew it was going to be either Greg or Adam (Ferri) right there,” said Willard, happy with the scoring-tower call and heartily shaking hands with his adversary. “And you know, either one of them, you can run side-by-side and won’t get hit.”
Panunte, opening night winner, was also happy he’ll be sharing the top purse, saying: “I didn’t really want that last caution because I was gaining on him (Willard). He just slipped up a little bit and I got my nose in there coming off Turn 4. It was an excellent race and nice to share it with Bill.
“This is probably a first for Merrittville (the dead heat), I would imagine,” continued Panunte. “Definitely a first for me.”
With Willard leading the parade of Panunte, Ferri and Mike Ward, the top two opened up, while Ferri, off a great feature win at Cayuga Country Fair Speedway last Sunday at Weedsport, N.Y., moved up from a solid third to finish second behind the winners, while Ward settled for third.
In the 35-lap L. St. Amand Enterprises Modified head liner, Pete Bicknell bided his time from starting 14th in the 19-car pack to win the main event.
Bicknell overhauled Scott Wood, who grabbed the point when passing early leader Tim Jones’s 15j, 11 laps in.
But sliding out of Turn 4 on Lap 27, the 16-time Merrittville mod title holder got by Wood, bagging his third bullet of the season.
With the co-speedway owner cruising to his 99th (a record on the DIRT circuit) Merrittville feature victory, Jones and Robbie Krull disputed third with Rob Pietz catching up. Jones of Hamburg, N.Y. held third while another Western New Yorker Krull was fourth.
“It’s great to hit this milestone, especially to run here so good.” said Bicknell before a good crowd enjoying the first night of shirt-sleeve weather, despite the Stanley Cup playoffs and Champ Car race on the tube. “The guys worked hard on the track tonight after some dust last week and it was fast on the top or bottom line.
In the Hoosier Street stock 15 lapper, Mike (The Candyman) Dooley finally scored his first win of the season, obviously having the horsepower after winning his qualifying heat and packaging a perfect night.
Mired in the 26-car pack, Dooley, who’s wife Charlene will defend her Ladies Cup title next week, started picking off the front-runners from ninth on the grid, moving up to third by Lap 11.
Action was delayed on Lap 6 when the trio of Dave Dykstra, Kevin Kocarik and Ed Fargnoli became tangled between Turns 3 and 4. The welding torches were called out to make a timely separation.
With Dooley enjoying the front spot, and Greg Ayres hotly in the second-place, Rick Champigny’s third place ended on the final lap when contacting early leader Brad Sheehan.
While Greg Ayres battled Dooley up front — and came home second — Rob Murray, winner here May 22, took advantage of Champigny’s departure and finished third. Ron Kingsbury copped fourth.
“I knew Greg was there and I had to drive lower than I wanted to keep him back there,” said Dooley, quipping his racing wife set up announcer-at-large Clinton Jeffrey’s Victory Lane intro. “It’s nice to be back here (Victory Lane).”
If Seneca Niagara Casino Dwarf Car racing is supposed to be fun for the boys, the inscription on the back of fourth-year little car pilot Kellie Mason might have changed everything.
In a thrilling dwarf car duel with four-time winner Scott Billing, Mason’s on track tenacity proved she’s a winner.
Billing, who made his usual charge to the front, had plenty of time to read the words on Mason’s immaculately-prepared racer as he tried to make the pass: “It’s all fun and games until you’ve been beaten by a girl!”
In Victory Lane, Mason’s parents, Bruce and Margaret, hugged their speedy daughter, knowing all the work and diligence finally paid off.
“Could you hear me? That was me yelling ‘go Kellie go!’” said an excited Margaret Mason. “I just hoped I could do this (hold off Billing),” said Mason, who also explained that the Lap 11 caution didn’t faze her when taking evasive action to avoid cars spinning in Turn 2 ... and continued to protect the bottom line the final half-dozen circuits for the popular victory. “This feels great!”
Wayne Robins huge early lead evaporated when the yellow flag flew for Justin Sharp’s Turn 2 spin at Lap 6. With Mason and Billing up front, cousin Wally Billing finished third.
Norm Mark survived the four cylinder 15-lap war, despite dealing with cars speeding four wide into Turn 3 on the opening lap. Mark, runnerup in the title chase last season held off two-time winner Rob Goulding for his third win of the season. Karter Paul Klager continued his good runs, flagging a solid third.
Tail Pipes: The Turn 4 lighting gremlins have been solved for good, according to Pete Bicknell who said that corrosion between aluminum and copper wiring was the dimming fault ... The system has been completely overhauled. Karting expert Brett Stratford of Virgil handled the No. 84 crate-engined sportsman for his first auto race. “No, I’m not really nervous,” said Stratford, 22, holder of several karting championships. “This is going to be cool!” With obvious talent in car control, Stratford showed well. Tim Jones’s third place finish was made more significant since, after blowing his engine last week, used a sportsman power plant. Ransomville Speedway race director Jeff Anstett came to the Merrittville scoring tower to check out the one-way radio system with Bobby St. Amand ... Anstett said both he and Big-R starter Jib Ortiz are hoping management will adopt the radios which help in field realignment and warning drivers during cautions. Next week Boltworks presents the regular five-division card, which includes Round 2 of the Ladies Race for the Cup.
RESULTS
L. St. Amand Enterprises Modified (35 laps): PETE BICKNELL, Scott Wood, Tim Jones, Robbie Krull, Rob Pietz, Fred Carleton, Brian Stevens, Larry Lampman, Rick Richner, Todd Gordon, Tim Murdock, Pete Cosco, Brad Malloy, Jamie Turner, Paul Ashton, Kenny Winfield, Gary Kruchka, Richie Vinson, Dwayne Winfield.
Heats: 1. Pete Cosco 2. Rob Pietz 3. Todd Gordon
Original Pizza Logs Sportsman (25 laps): BILLY WILLARD-GREG PANUNTE, Adam Ferri, Mike Ward, Martin Polhill, Chad Chevalier, Dereck Lemyre, Wayne Conn, Boyd MacTavish, Billy Bleich, Stan Zanchin, Don Spiece, Kevin Sharp, Dave Flannigan, Rick St. Pierre, John Kaas, Tom Flannigan, Dennis Giancola, Jim Ruston, Darren Zumpe, John McKenney, Bobby Davidson, Brett Stafford.
Heats: 1. John McKenney 2. Mike Ward 2. Billy Willard
Hoosier Street Stocks (15 laps): MIKE DOOLEY, Greg Ayres, Rob Murray, Ron Kingsbury, Kevin Kocarik, Peter Reid, Rob Knapp, Rick Champigny, Terry Larmet, Rick Beales, Chris Schneider, Danielle Landry, J. T. Miller, Tyler McPherson, J.P. Gosselin, Brad Sheehan, Paul Morin, Russ Davidson, Dave Dykstra, John Johnson, Travis Braun, Graham Mackay, Bob Gill, Rick Simmons, Ed Fargnoli
Heats: 1.Peter Reid 2. Rick Champigny 3. Mike Dooley
Seneca Casino Dwarf Cars (15 laps): KELLIE MASON, Scott Billing, Wally Billing, Mark Brighton, Dave Ackler, Rick Brubacker, Dave Russell, Shawn Sliter, Chris Steele, Bill Perry, Nol King, Dereck Bredon, Bob Bredon, Ken Knapp, Dennis Kemper, Ray Sliter, Wayne Robins, Dave Arnold, Justin Sharp.
Heats: 1. Kellie Mason 2. Wayne Robins
Four cylinder (15 laps): NORM MARK, Rob Goulding, Paul Klager, Glen Leinen, Mike Giberson, Gord Bates, Roger Shenstone, Trevor Goulding, Vic Mealing, Larry Erskine, Jeff Mark, Tony Kelly, Kevin Soules.
Heats: 1. Mike Giberson 2. Jeff Mark