MACTAVISH, KERWIN REPEAT WINNERS, WILSON, PANUNTE & ISABEL
FIRST TIMERS IN ’02 AT MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY
Thorold, Ont……May 25, 2002…..Drivers at Merrittville Speedway managed to evade the weather for all but 2 features on Saturday night giving Kirk Wilson his first street stock feature win in 2002. In the dwarfs, Jeff Isabel made good on his first visit to Merrittville by storming to the lead and holding on for the win. The 1st of the scheduled 358 twin 20’s was won by Greg Panunte with the second falling victim to the skies that finally unloaded after threatening all night. Scott Kerwin made it to prostock victory and Boyd MacTavish won his second sportsman feature under light rain showers.
The street stock feature saw 22 cars take to the track. Peter Reid got tangled on the front stretch of the first lap, bringing out a caution. Dave Dykstra took the lead on the restart, but had Kirk Wilson harassing him from behind. Jason Fontaine lost control and spun out in turn four on the fourth lap bringing out the second caution. Wilson secured the lead on the restart. Dolph McCready started making headway through the field, making it into
fifth spot by lap six. Caution came out on lap six as the track crews cleared debris out of turn four. Dykstra regained the lead on the restart, only to lost it when he blew up on lap eight. The top five on lap 13 were Wilson, Rob Murray, Mike Dooley, Aaron Vasas and Reid. Kevin Kocarik blew up on lap 13, after winning his heat, leaving it a two lap dash for the checkered. Wilson was up to the challenge and held onto it. He was followed in by Murray, Dooley, Vasas and McCready.
Heat Winners: 1 Jeremy Wilson 2 Kevin Kocarik
Final: Kirk Wilson, Rob Murray, Mike Dooley, Aaron Vasas, Dolph McCready, 32, Greg Ayres, Ron Kingsbury, Paul Plante, Jeremy Wilson, Jason Fontaine, Chris Ellis, Russ Davidson, Ed Fargnoli, Rick Champigny, Kevin Kocarik, J.T. Miller, Barry Blanchard, Dave Dykstra, and Jerry Deschamps.
Derek Bredin powered to the early lead in the dwarf feature, but Jeff Isabel, a newcomer to the track was making waves through the field. Nol King took the lead from Bredin out of turn four on the third lap, leaving John Wrobel and Chris Rimmen to duke it out for second behind him. Isabel was up to fourth spot after only four laps. John Wrobel moved up to challenge King for the lead and grabbed it out of turn two no the fifth lap. Isabel was up to third a lap later. The top five at the half-way point were: Wrobel, Chris Rimmen, Isabel, last week’s feature winner Bill Perry and King. Wrobel got bogged down in traffic on lap 11 and Isabel was able to swing clear and nab the lead. Isabel held it to the finish line followed by Wrobel, Perry, Rimmen and Scott Billing.
Heat Winners 1 Scott Billing 2 Bill Perry
Final: Jeff Isabel, John Wrobel, Bill Perry, Chris Rimmen, Scott Billing, Wally Billing, 12, Wayne Robins, Nolan King, Kellie Mason, Ken Robins, 2, Derek Bredin, Mark Brubacher, Doug Summerhayes, Mark Pigeon and Greg Belyea.
The modifieds were the next to take to the track with the first of their twin 20 lappers. Pete Cosco took the easy lead after starting in the pole position. Greg Panunte moved up to chase him down hard, while the rest of the field were taking the corners three wide. Dwayne Winfield got loose in turn three but managed to hold it together. Panunte was knocking right on Cosco’s backdoor on lap five, and got ahead of him. Caution on lap six as Brian Stevens broke on the front straightaway. The top five after six were Panunte, Cosco, Scott Wood, Todd Gordon and Fred Carleton. Panunte surged forward on the restart, holding his lead. Wood managed to get past Cosco for third spot on the restart. The top five at ten were Panunte, Wood, Carleton, Chad Brachmann with Cosco down to fifth. Brachmann found a groove at the top of the track and was using it to his advantage. Cosco spun out in turn four of lap 12, and Winfield just avoided colliding with him, but both cars got out of it unscathed. Brachmann clinched third spot on the restart. Bicknell decided to try the highline and used it to gain fourth spot on lap 17. Brachmann and Wood were side by side with one lap to go, and while Panunte was well ahead, Wood was called ahead by the starter at the checkered, leaving Brachmann third, Bicknell fourth and Gordon fifth.
Heat Winners 1 Pete Cosco 2 Greg Panunte 3 Scott Wood
Final: Greg Panunte, Scott Wood, Chad Brachmann, Pete Bicknell, Todd Gordon, Jamie Turner, Fred Carleton, Rob Krull, Paul Ashton, Larry Lampman, Don Turner, Chris Ricker, Brad Gravestock, Dwayne Winfield, Pete Cosco, Dwayne Winfield, Brian Stevens, Gregg Rauscher.
Jeff Dayman and Steve Devos lined up in the front row for the prostock feature. Devos took the lead going down the back straight of the first lap. Scott Kerwin was up to fourth spot after only four laps. Kerwin passed Dan Gilbert for third on lap five, lap by lap, he reeled in the leaders until he was leading the race by the halfway point. The top five at the halfway mark were: Kerwin, Devos, Dayman, Gilbert and Butch Zimmerman. Rick Baker moved up to challenge Mike Ward for fifth, but Ward stayed ahead. Baker spun out in turn four on the tenth lap, but was able to get going again without help. Kerwin held on to the finish, followed in by Devos, Dayman, Gilbert and Ward.
Heat Winners 1 Jeff Dayman 2 Scott Kerwin
Final: Scott Kerwin, Steve Devos, Jeff Dayman, Dan Gilbert, Mike Ward, Butch Zimmerman, Rick Baker, Jason Harper, Brian Halliwell, Nick Micalef, Bill Gill and Bill Wade.
Darren Zumpe and Mike Kruchka lined up side by side for the start of the sportsman feature, but it was Brad Malloy who took the lead out of turn four on the first lap. Boyd MacTavish lost control out of turn four and slid down the berm bringing out the caution on the third lap. The top five were Malloy, Shawn Sliter, Bill Bleich, Rob Knapp and Jeff Leggett. Sliter slid into the lead on the restart, after almost hitting the pace car. Brian
Elliotson lost control in turn two and Mike Kruchka piled into him, bringing out the yellow on lap four. On the restart, Malloy lost control in turn four, but managed to hold onto it without causing a wreck. Knapp moved into the lead on the restart. The yellow came back out on lap seven as John McKinney came to rest in turn two. Wayne Conn used the outside line to his advantage and took over the top spot at the start/finish line on lap eight. Rob Pietz took top spot on lap ten, with Adam Ferri right behind him. The top five on lap 16 were: Pietz, Conn, Ferri, Leggett and MacTavish. MacTavish made it back into the top five after starting tail on lap three. Another caution came out on lap 17 as a car spun out in turn four. MacTavish made his way up to third with only five to go. Fast car of the night – the #69 of Rob Pietz slowed coming out of turn four on lap 21 leaving MacTavish the lead. MacTavish – who made it from worst to first in 25 laps - held it clear to the checkered followed by: Wayne Conn, Adam Ferri, Rob Pietz and Jeff Leggett.
Heat Winners 1 Chad Chevalier 2 Wayne Conn 3 Rob Pietz
Final: Boyd MacTavish, Wayne Conn, Adam Ferri, Rob Pietz, Jeff Leggett, Tammy Willard, Chad Chevalier, Bobby Davidson, Rob Knapp, Bill Bleich, Brad Malloy, John Zimmerman, Gary Kruchka, Doug Spiece, Mike Kruchka, Shawn Sliter, Stan Zanchin, John McKinney, Brian Elliotson and Darren Zumpe.
Next Saturday – June 1st – Merrittville Speedway will run the final of the twin 358 20’s – see if Greg Panunte can do it again – a few years back Panunte took the checkered in twin 15 sportsman events. Also on the card June 1st – TRW Employee Recognition Night – 358, Sptmn, PS, SS, Twin 4 cylinder 12’s and a small car demo. TRW Merrittville team photo to the 1st 500 fans through the front gate! Saturday June 8th will be the rescheduled ladies round 2. For more information call The Speedway 905-892-8266 or visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com