BICKNELL 16-TIME MERRITTVILLE MOD CHAMP; ROB PIETZ SPORTSMAN CHAMP, STEVE DEVOS PRO STOCK CHAMP
Merrittville Speedway blasted through the last weekend of the summer with Hoosier Tire Canada presenting the Bicknell Racing Products 2002 Merrittville Speedway Track Championships in the 358 Modified, Sportsman and Pro Stock divisions. Pete Bicknell was awarded his 16th Merrittville track championship, Rob Pietz earned his first in the sportsman division and Steve Devos picked up the honors in the pro stock division. Feature winners for the night included Chad Brachmann in the Modifieds – the Johnny Spencer Memorial feature; Rob Pietz for the sportsman – this win also earned him the Sterling Silver Award presented by Ken & Fran Walsh in honor of Bill Willard Sr.; Chris Rimmen won his first dwarf feature of the season while Mike Ward added another to his list in the pro stocks. Dolph McCready captured his 5th checkered in the street stocks in his campaign to take the points title by the end of racing September 21st.
Paul Plante took the early lead in the street stock feature. A tangle in turn four left JT Miller, Greg Ayers, Ed Fargnoli and Jerry Deschamps sitting ducks on the first lap. Plante was put around by Peter Reid and collected the rest of them. Reid was put tail for rough riding. Ron Kingsbury took the lead on the restart. Fargnoli got around in turn four and was t-boned by Deschamps but the two of them got going again without causing a caution. The top five at five were Kingsbury, Rick Champigny, Rob Murray, Dolph McCready and Kirk Wilson. The yellow came out as Steve Fortin and Kevin Kocarik got together in turn one. Rick Simons was put tail on the caution for delaying the race. Champigny jumped into the lead on the restart, but McCready quickly went around him for the lead. Mike Dooley, in contention for the points championship headed to the pits with mechanical problems on lap 11.
McCready held it to the line and was followed in by Champigny, Kingsbury, Wilson and Aaron Vasas.
Wayne Robins, only 10 points out of the lead for the dwarf series, didn¹t even start the feature on Saturday night. Rob Bredin and John Wrobel started the race on the lead row. Scott Billing, Ken Robins, Dave Ackler and Greg Belyea were all collected in turn four on the first lap. Chris Rimmen jumped into the lead on the restart and had a huge lead on the field after only three laps. Bill Perry spun out in turn four on lap 4, but got moving without causing a caution. Wally Billing moved into second spot on lap 6 after starting twelfth. The top five after ten laps were Rimmen, Wally Billing, Scott Billing, Rick Brubacher and Mark Brighton. Jeff Johnson brought out a last lap caution as he came to rest in turn one on fire. On the restart Scott Billing got around his uncle Wally as Perry cut off Wally¹s nose in turn three. Rimmen held onto the lead for his first dwarf car feature win of 2002.
Dan Gilbert took the early lead in the Pro Stock feature as the field went three wide through turns one and two. Herb Hunter put himself over the side of turn three bringing out the first caution on lap one. Steve Devos moved into the lead out of turn two on the second lap with Rick Baker right behind him. Dereck Lemyre looped it around in turn two bringing out the caution on lap 4. Devos held the lead on the restart. Mike Ward started working Baker and finally got around him for second on lap seven. Ward was side by side with Devos on lap 9, and easily went around him on lap 11. Ward won the feature and was followed in by Baker, Devos, Jeff Dayman and Tom Green.
Guy Bougie caused a caution on the start of the sportsman race, as he didn¹t fire when the green came down, leaving Bobby Davidson in the rail on turn four. Bougie took the lead on the restart and Gary Kruchka quickly relieved him of that lead. The yellow came out for some debris on the front stretch on lap nine. The top five at that time were Kruchka, Jeff Leggett, Wayne Conn, John McKinney and Brad Malloy. Leggett stole the lead on the restart. Darren Zumpe brought out the caution on lap 14 as he spun out in turn one. Boyd MacTavish aboard the #77 had slipped into third spot before the yellow came out. Conn brought out the yellow a lap later with a flat tire. MacTavish moved into second spot on lap 16. The top five after 18 laps completed were Leggett, MacTavish, Rob Pietz, Kruchka and Adam Ferri. Pietz used the outside of the track to get around MacTavish and got him out of turn four on lap 20. Pietz got around Leggett out of turn four with two laps to go.
Pietz brought the field around for the checkered flag and secured the 2002 sportsman points championship.
Larry Lampman took the early lead in the 50-lap Johnny Spencer Memorial. By lap nine Chad Brachmann had started to close the gap on Lampman. The top five after ten laps were Lampman, Brachmann, Todd Gordon, Robbie Krull and Rick Richner. Lampman started running into lapped traffic after 12 laps. Pete Bicknell moved into fifth spot out of turn two on lap 17. At the halfway Bicknell had moved his way up to fifth spot. Brad Rouse brought out the caution as he hobbled around the track on a flat tire. Yellow on lap 30. The top five at 30 were Lampman, Brachmann, Bicknell, Scott Wood and Brian Stevens. An unfortunate incident ended the night for Todd Gordon as he hit the wall hard and was towed from the track. Krull was collected after the fact. For the remaining 14 laps of the race, the tow leaders jockeyed back and forth with Brachmann ahead on lap 36, Lampman ahead on 37, and Brachmann back into the lead by lap 38. Meanwhile the race for 3rd through 5th involving Bicknell, Wood and Stevens was hot as they battled to gain the edge as lap traffic prevented them from moving to the front of the pack. Up at the front, Lampman moved back into the lead on lap 49 out of turn two, but Brachmann kept it tight and was able to get his nose ahead of Lampman coming across the start finish line for the checkered.
Pit Notes: Merrittville Speedway is proud to announce our 2002 Track Champions: Pete Bicknell (358), Rob Pietz (Sportsman), Steve Devos (Pro Stock). Pete Bicknell also took the Ransomville modified track championship and Rob Pietz captured the Ohsweken Sportsman Track Championship. Congratulations on a wonderful season of racing. Track championships in the Street Stock and Dwarf divisions will be awarded on Saturday September 21st – the close of the race season.
June Wilson – wife of longtime track announcer Gordy Wilson returned to the races Saturday after suffering a stroke just a few weeks ago. We are all pleased to see June back.
Justin Lasovich – ‘Jr.’ crew member of the 17 street stock Greg Ayers recently passed away after a short illness – a very nice memorial to him was presented by Greg Ayers on Saturday night, and our condolences are extended to his friends and family.
Congratulations to all our coloring contest entrants but especially to our winners: Josh Topa, Stacey Scandrett and Kelsea Cotnam.
WJJL 1440 am old time Rock & Roll Radio presents the Rose Webber Memorial International Dwarf Car Championship plus Open Wheel Wide Open III and 25 lap events for street stocks and 4 cylinders. For more information call 905-892-8266 or visit merrittvillespeedway.com
358-Modified Final: Chad Brachmann, Larry Lampman, Scott Wood, Pete Bicknell, Brian Stevens, Jamie Turner, Rick Richner, Scott Kreutter, Greg Panunte, Dwayne Winfield, Pete Cosco, Don Turner, Brad Rouse, Rob Krull, Todd Gordon, Paul Ashton, Fred Cade; Heat 1: Larry Lampman; Heat 2: Rob Krull; Heat 3: Rick Richner
Sportsman Final: Rob Pietz, Jeff Leggett, Adam Ferri, Boyd MacTavish, Gary Kruchka, Wayne Conn, Rob Knapp, Bobby Davidson, Chad Chevalier, Bill Willard, Dennis Giancola, Stan Zanchin, Darren Zumpe, Brad Malloy, John McKinney, Guy Bougie, Bill Bleich; Heat 1: Boyd MacTavish; Heat 2: Rob Knapp
Pro Stock Final: Mike Ward, Rick Baker, Steve Devos, Jeff Dayman, Tom Green, Sean Keus, Dan Gilbert, Jay Tries, Dereck Lemyre and Herb Hunter; Heat 1: Mike Ward; Heat 2: Steve Devos
Dwarf Final: Chris Rimmen, Scott Billing, Wally Billing, Mike Green, Nol King, Derek Bredin, Rob Bredin, Bill Perry, Rick Brubacher, John Wrobel, Mark Brighton, Jeff Johnson, Kellie Mason, Dave Ackler, Greg Belyea, and Ken Robins; Heat 1: Wally Billing; Heat 2: Chris Rimmen
Street Stock Final: Dolph McCready, Rick Champigny, Ron Kingsbury, Kirk Wilson, Aaron Vasas, Ben Hornquist, Jerry Deschamps, Barry Blanchard, Russ Davidson, JT Miller, Rick Simons, Joe Passero, Jens Mortenson, Ed Fargnoli, Mike Dooley, Steve Fortin, Kevin Kocarik, Rob Murray, Greg Ayres, Paul Plante; Heat 1: Peter Reid; Heat 2: Ron Kingsbury