BICKNELL DENIES PIETZ’ FIRST WIN IN MERRITTVILLE THRILLER
by Bruce Bonham
THOROLD, ON - June 14 — Despite an engine going sour in the modified qualifying heat, Pete Bicknell’s crew made the 45-minute motor swap and the co-owner of Merrittville Speedway celebrated Father’s Day in the winner’s circle Saturday.
“We had a valve go on the new engine and since Ransomville was rained out Friday we we’re actually testing tonight for next Thursday’s (DIRT) tour race at Utica-Rome (N.Y.),” said Bicknell after dramatically winning the test drive on the final lap when rookie Rob Pietz was slowed slightly by a lapped car.
“Thanks okay. I’ll take second to Bicknell any day,” said a good-natured, but disappointed Pietz, who came close to tasting victory in last week’s foggy feature and admitted he was a little tentative with a lapped car.
Pietz of Port Colborne, wowed the speedway’s largest crowd of the season – 2,950 enjoying the shirt-sleeve weather – when he battled early leader Pete Cosco to take over speeding out of the Turn 4 a dozen laps in and making distance on the 22-car pack.
On the second lap, Randy Chrysler’s bad luck continued when sliding of Turn 4 bring out the first of four cautions. Last week the Tuscarora, N.Y. rookie was a certain winner when his engine let go five laps from the finish.
With Bicknell on his traditional tear through the field from 14th starting position and running second with three laps to go, Jamie Turner, in the top three all race, finished a solid second with Scott Wood working hard for third.
Despite Wayne Conn’s failing brakes half way into the special Father’s Day 30-lap sportsman main, he kept his winning streak alive, notching his fifth straight Saturday night win.
“The brakes faded about half way in, then we had no brakes at all,” the series dominator said celebrating with his crew and racing father Wayne Sr.
With stopping power reduced, Conn dealt with a swift Billy Willard, who took the lead seven laps from the end, storming out of Turn 2. But Conn, who praised Willard for the clean, side-by-side racing, regained the point with three to go. Welland runner John McKenney finished a hard-fought third.
After three years street stocking, Greg Ayres led the entire 15-lap distance – breaking off the three-race win strings of Rob Murray and Dolf McCready who finished fifth – and won his first Merrittville feature.
“I was a little worried at the restart (with two laps left). There was a lot of good cars behind me” said Ayres, who won the race on street tires, handled in-the-way lapped traffic and held off Kevin Kocarik and Gerry Deschamps.
Mark Brighton of Ariss tangled with Dave Ackler and Wally Billing after overhauling Niagara Falls dwarf car driver Bob Breden for the point to win his first little-car15 lapper of the season.
Kellie Mason, the only lady driver at Merrittville, produced her best finish behind Ackler of Gowanda, N.Y. and Billing of Elmira.
Fort Erie four cylinder runner Norm Mark racked up his fourth 15 lap main event when he took over the race on the Lap 7 restart and fended off a strong challenge of Stoney Creek’s Doug Erskine. Glen Leinen, a winner three weeks ago and led the opening laps, was third.
Tail Pipes: While Bicknell had engine problems, last week’s mod winner Larry Lampman needed a complete front and rear suspension overhaul after a heat altercation. He returned to retain the point lead with a sixth-place finish ... Stock car patron Glen Ralston enriched the street stock and four cylinder feature winners’ Father’s Day payoffs by kicking in $500 bonus money ... With the largest crowd of the season, it was also the biggest car count with over 100 racers signing into the pits ... Mike Maroney, intermittent race car owner over the years, got a new Bicknell racer from daughter Lisa Tennant for Father’s Day ... Maroney fielded the 1998 Merrittville champion modified, driven by Alan Johnson ... He says he’s talking with several drivers, but will probably race the car in the U.S.
RESULTS
Modified (35 laps):1. Pete Bicknell, Rob Pietz, Jamie Turner, Scott Wood, Richie Vinson, Larry Lampman, Robbie Krull, Brian Stevens, Rick Richner, Boyd MacTavish, Todd Gordan, Dan Miller, Randy Chrysler, Pete Cosco, Jason Boyle, Kenny Winfield, Dwayne Winfield, Gary Kruchka, Paul Ashton, Brad Rouse, Fred Carleton, Don Turner
Heats: 1. Pete Cosco; 2. Brad Rouse; 3. Rob Pietz.
Sportsman (30 laps): 1. Wayne Conn, Billy Willard, John McKenney, Bob Davidson, Mike Ward, Adam Ferri, Darren Zumpe, Dereck Lemyre, Don Spiece, Lee Mallory, Brad Malloy, Mark Feor, Dean Hoffman, Don Ledingham, Blair Young, Kevin Sharpe, Rick St. Pierre, Billy Bleich, Tim Jones, Mike Kruchka, Jack McKenney.
Heats:1. Don Spiece; 2.Adam Ferri; 3. Tim Jones.
Street Stocks (15 laps): 1. Greg Ayres, Kevin Kocarik, Gerry Deschamps, Mike Dooley, Dolf McCready, Kirk Wilson, Rob Murray, Ron Kingsbury, Rick Simons, J.T. Miller, Dave Gifford, Rick Champigny, John Johnson, Steve Shoop, Wayne Paquette, Peter Reid, Ed Fargnoli, Jeff Cook, Brian Jacobi, Terry Larment, Derek Boyle.
Heats: 1. Kevin Kocarik; 2. Rick Champigny.
Dwarf Cars (15 laps): 1. Mark Brighton, Dave Ackler, Wally Billing, Kellie Mason, Scott Billing, Chris Rimmen, Justine Sharp, Dave Russell, Bob Breden, Ray Webber, Ken Robbins, Bill Perry, John Wrobel, Jason Corless, Mike Brubacker, Wayne Robbins, Derek Breden, Rob Knapp.
Heats:1. Mark Brighton; 2. Kellie Mason.
Four Cylinder (15 Laps): 1. Norm Mark, Doug Erskine, Glen Leinen, Mike Giberson, Dave Margin, Gord Bates, Larry Erskine, Brian Lawrie, Alex Wheeldon, Mark Swayze, Mike Cove, Mike Evers, Dan Stewart, Tom Beales, Dave Bitner, Trevor Goulding, Dave Bitner, Mark Arnew.
Heats:1. Norm Mark; 2. Glen Leinen.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CALL MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY - 905-892-8266 - or check out our Web site: www.merrittvillespeedway.com