GORDON LEADS FIRST TIME WINNERS TO VICTORY LANE AT MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY
Thorold, Ont…..June 22……The first official race of the summer of ’02 was a great night for first time winners as six drivers found victory lane for the first time of the season at Merrittville Speedway on June 22nd.
Todd Gordon led the way with his first ever 358 Modified win. Wayne Conn Jr. won for the first time of the year in the Sportsmen divisions, as did Jeff Dayman in the Pro Stock. Sophomore dwarf car driver Wayne Robins was another first timer as was Karen Kocarik in the Ladies Race. Dolph McCready was the only repeat winner, as this St. Catharines driver became the first to win two in the competitive Street Stock class.
The Modern Landfill night closed out with the first ever Dump Truck Race with Sandy MacPherson making a return to racing after a 40 year absence to win in his Ed MacPherson Construction Special.
Fred Carleton was first to lead the 35 lap 358 Modified feature from his front row starting spot. An early caution slowed the pace with Chad Brachmann taking control of top spot. Brachmann’s pace would also be slowed for an incident that involved Pete Bicknell, Greg Panunte, Carleton and Harry Sittler.
Brachmann regained control on the restart but Todd Gordon was quick to take control of the lead position. As the race neared halfway and beyond, Gordon remained out front virtually unchallenged with the race for runner-up spot the one to watch. Brachmann, Scott Wood and Larry Lampman were all in contention.
At the finish Todd Gordon was followed by Brachmann and Wood - who made a late race charge to take third from Larry Lampman. Rob Krull closed out the top 5 while Jamie Turner, Pete Bicknell, Brian Stevens, Paul Ashton and Dwayne Winfield rounded out the top 10.
The start of the 25 lap Sportsmen feature saw Mark Feor as the early leader. Caution would slow the field on lap 2 with John McKenney in control on the restart. McKenney would set the pace for three laps until sophomore driver Chad Chevalier would take over on lap 6. Several cautions would slow the up and coming driver’s pace 0- the most notable coming at lap 15.
Ain the race for runner-up spot Wayne Conn, Rob Pietz, Boyd MacTavish and Adam Ferri were in quite a battle. Three wide down the front stretch and into turn one cleanly but contact occurred out of turn 2 between Ferri, Pietz and MacTavish. All three front-runners would lose control and all filed in at the rear of the field.
Chevalier once again set the pace on the restart – keeping top spot until the closing stages. Lap 23 would see Wayne Conn take control and it was this second generation driver out front to his first checkered flag of 2002.
Chevalier would settle for second with John McKenney in third. Tammy Willard and Jeff Leggett would close out the top 5. Rob Knapp, early leader Feor, Bob Davidson, rookie Bill Bleich and Rob Pietz would close out the top 10.
The 15 lap Pro Stock feature was all Jeff Dayman. The start of the event saw Dayman start in pole position and it was from there that he never looked back. Caution would slow the field once but Dayman never lost control of top spot for his first win of the ’02 campaign.
Jason Harper, Steve Devos, Shawn Keus and Dereck Lemyre rounded out the top 5 while Al Moffatt, Butch Zimmerman, Rick Baker, Dan Gilbert and Brian Halliwell finished out the top 10.
Mark Brighton set the pace at the start of the 15 lap Dwarf Car event before Wayne Robins took control on lap 2. Through several cautions the sophomore driver set the pace all the way to his first victory of 2002 – the second of his career.
Scott Billing, Dave Ackler, Bill Perry (who held position with a flat tire), and Chris Rimmen would close the top 5 while Greg Belyea, Mark Brighton, Nol King, Ken Robins and Dave Russell rounded out the top 10.
Jerry Deschamps was first to lead the 15 lap Street Stock feature until Russ Davidson took control of top spot. Before the race was to the halfway point it had its third different leader with Dolph McCready in control. Through several restarts and lap traffic at the end McCready held top spot through to the checkered.
McCready was the first Street Stock driver to win his second feature of the year as previously six events had six different winners.
Rob Murray, Mike Dooley, Aaron Vasas and Kirk Wilson – all previous winners closed out the top 5 while Deschamps, Peter Reid, Richard Champigny and Chris Ellis closed out the top 10.
Merrittville’s Speedway ran its second Ladies Race of the season and it appeared to be all Michelle Johnson. Unfortunately when the driver was confirmed that it was her – she was disqualified, as she is a regular competitor in the Street Stock division. Johnson had led all laps but in the end it was Karen Kocarik (in the 7k regularly run by her husband Kevin) with the checkered, followed by Charlene Dooley and Kathy Rodgers in third.
The final event of the night was the first ever Dump Truck Race and four entries showed for the inaugural event. Merrittville Speedway would like to thank Cal Milberry of Pete Cosco Haulage, James Horton of Cameron Trucking, Dennis Spero of Dennis Walters Trucking and event winner Sandy MacPherson of Ed MacPherson Construction. Special thanks also to Metro Collision.
Up next at Merrittville Speedway is a big Canada Day Double header with action on Saturday and Monday. It starts June 29th with the Empire Super Sprints returning from June 15th’s rain out along with the 358 Modifieds, Sportsmen, Dwarf Cars and Street Stocks.
Action Canada Day Monday July 1st concludes with a 50 lap 358 Modified feature offering spots for Super DIRT Week and the All Star Race – part of Fulton Speedway’s Victoria 200. Also on the card are 25 lap events for the Street Stocks and 4 cylinders. June 29th’s show was to have a 30 lap Pro Stock event and that has been added to July 1st’s program. Closing out the Canada Day Bash is a Fireworks Display. So come on out to Merrittville Speedway for the best racin’ this side of the border – show your patriotism and where some red & white!
For more information, call 905-892-8266 or visit merrittvillespeedway.com