Bicknell, Brachmann, Devos, Cichocki, Baxter Take Merrittville
Thorold, Ont=85..Pen Centre, CJRN=92s Raceline Radio and Ed Learn Ford=92s Fastlane were all on hand as Pete Bicknell =96 14 time Merrittville Speedway Track Champion secured his spot as modified points leader by taking tonight=92s 358 win with Chad Brachmann pretty much wrapping up the sportsman title with his feature win. Steve Devos took the prostock checkered making the points race in that division up for grabs while Lloyd Cichocki hopes that tonight=92s feature win will be enough to make a successful bid for the street stock points title. Mike Baxter walked away with the checkered flag in the 4 cylinders as they made another appearance at Merrittville Speedway. The dwarfs were off tonight but return next Saturday as Lee Webber will make a bid for his second points championship in a row.
Loren Collings and Robbie Rounce started up front in the 4-cylinder feature, Rounce quickly took the early lead, only to be stalled by a yellow flag. Blair Young and Rob Wagner got together in turn four, bringing out the first caution. On the restart, the yellow came back out as Young stalled once again in turn four. Young was pushed into the infield as he was done or the
night. Mike Baxter pulled into the lead on the restart. But Tom Beales spun out in turn two, bringing out the yellow for the third time, then on the next restart Larry Erskine went off the back of the track. The yellow flag flew again. There were five cautions in the first seven laps of the race. The top five after ten laps were: Baxter, Mike Giberson, Jim Boam, Norm Mark, and Rounce. Roger Shenstone has some car troubles and came to rest in turn two bringing out the yellow on the eleventh lap. Baxter held the lead to the line, followed in by Mark, Wagner, Rounce and Boam.
Greg Ayers and Jeff Cook started the street stock feature on the lead row, but Ayers quickly jumped to the lead. The yellow came out on the lead lap as Paul Plante came to rest in turn four. Cook was sent to the pits to have his car checked out, as he was smoking badly on the track. Rick Champigny challenged Ayers for the lead, and won it to lead the second lap. Ayers
started to catch Champigny on lap 5. As there was some position changes behind him. Kirk Wilson and Lloyd Cichocki sat behind him, waiting for a chance to get around him. Cichocki passed Ayers on lap eight for second spot. The top five after ten laps were: Champigny, Cichocki, Ayers, Wilson and Jerry Deschamps. Cichocki got around Champigny on lap eleven, clinching the win and the points lead. Wilson did some back and forth racing with Champigny but managed to wrestle the position from him before they crossed for the checkered flag. Cichocki got the win and was followed by Wilson, Champigny, Ayers and Deschamps.
Brian Halliwell took the early lead in the prostock feature. The yellow came out on the first lap as Roger Chrysler (t21), found himself buried in the berm in turn four. Halliwell managed to hold off Mike Ward on the restart, until they hit the backstretch, where Ward opened it up and secured the lead. Danny Gilbert, Ken Sargent, Rick Baker and Tom Green got collected in
turn four bringing out the second caution on lap three. Ward took the easy lead as Halliwell fell back into fourth spot. Steve Devos powered into second spot on lap 5, and John Lowe made a play to break into the top five and did it on the sixth lap. Ward blew out a right front tire and hobbled to the pits on lap 10, leaving Jeff Dayman with an easy second spot. A caution came out on lucky lap number 13 as Gilbert landed himself in the rail in turn two. The top five going into the caution were: Devos, Dayman, Bill Bleich, Sargent and Lowe. Devos held the lead to the checkered, Dayman came in second followed by Bleich, Sargent and Sean Keus to round out the top five.
Guy Bougie held the lead in the sportsman feature until lap four when Wayne Conn went around him on the backstretch. Rob Knapp quickly followed Conn and fell into second spot. Bougie lost control of his car in turn one on the sixth lap and collected Pete Cosco, and Jeff Leggett. All three cars had extensive damage, but it was quickly cleaned up and Cosco rejoined the field
before the green came back out. The yellow came back out on lap nine as Glenn Styres, Brad Gravestock and Dennis Giancola got tangled in turn four, but they all got going under their own power. Conn held the lead on the restart, but Chad Brachmann was quickly making his way up through the field. By lap 11 Brachmann was up in fourth spot, and a lap later he was in third. The top five after 15 laps were: Conn, Brachmann, Tim Jones, Boyd MacTavish and Gary Kruchka. By lap 20 Brachmann had closed the gap that Conn had created and got the better of him going into turn one. A lap later Brachmann
was starting to tangle with lapped cars. A caution came out with only one lap remaining in he race as Bobby Davidson and Tim Lipsitt tangled in turn two and then again in four. Brachmann held the lead on the restart and was followed to the checkered by Conn, Jones, MacTavish and Moreash.
Ken Winfield took the early lead in the modified feature. For the fourth race out of five there was a yellow flag on the first lap as Todd Gordon spun out on the front straight and was slammed by two other cars. The red came out as the front straight was absolutely clogged with cars. Don Turner, Pete Bicknell, Robbie Krull Chris Ricker and Scott Wood were also collected in the incident. Once the yellow came back out Billy Krull headed to the pits to get his car checked out, but made it back onto the track before the green flag came out. Fred Carleton clinched the lead on the restart. Greg Panunte moved up into second spot by the fourth lap. Jamie Turner pulled ahead of Winfield a lap later. A caution came out on lap six as Winfield, Turner, Larry Lampman and Dan Miller got collected in turn four. The top five after six laps were: Carleton, Panunte, Ken Cosgrove, Don Spatorico and Harry Sittler. Panunte nearly clipped the pace car on the restart, but Carleton still took the lead. Spatorico pulled into second spot on the seventh lap. Sittler broke on lap 12 and hobbled into the pits. Robbie Krull blew up on the top of turns three and four, bringing out the caution on lap 14. The top five were: Carleton, Spatorico, Lampman, Cosgrove and Wood. Fred Carleton Jr., Dan Miller and Rich Richner tangled in turn two bringing out the yellow again. Spatorico jumped the lead so was put back two positions. Bicknell was up to challenge Lampman for third spot on lap 21 and moved into second a lap later. Bicknell challenged Carleton on lap 23, but Carleton=92s steering broke leaving him in the wall on the front stretch, under the yellow flag. The top five on lap 23 were: Bicknell, Lampman, Spatorico, Wood and Billy Krull. Carleton had to be cradled off the track between two tow trucks. The yellow came back out on the track on lap 28 as Paul Ashton, Winfield and Andy Green tangled in turn one. Only 12 cars remained on the track after 20 started the feature. Bicknell held onto the lead for the win, and his 15th points championship at Merrittville Speedway. Lampman came in second but was disqualified after being teched in the pits, so Spatorico finished second, followed by Wood, Jamie Turner and Billy Krull.
The points race at Merrittville continues to rage on in the pro stock, street stock and dwarf divisions =96 don=92t miss the action at Merrittville Speedway on September 1st when Hoosier Tire Canada presents Bicknell Racing Products 50th Anniversary Night of Champions - Fabulous 50th Full Card =96 featuring the rained out Johnny Spencer 50 lap 358 Modified Memorial as well as sportsmen, pro stocks, street stocks and dwarfs. Get your hero cards out as this night marks photo/autograph night at Merrittville Speedway featuring not only our current roster of drivers, but past track champions as well. Gates open 5:30, racing at 7:30. For more information call The Speedway 905-892-8266 or visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com
Mini Stock Feature Finish: Mike Baxter (22b), Norm Mark, (24), Rob Wagner (b52), Robbie Rounce (111), Jim Boam (27), Brian Lawrie (54), Doug Erskine (64), Craig Erskine (8), Roger Shenstone (72), Rick Sager (42r), Mike Giberson (11), Lee Winger (2), Tom Beales (17), Larry Erskine (67), Blair Young (2ez) and Loren Collings (7).
Street Stock Feature Finish: Lloyd Cichocki (8c), Kirk Wilson (08), Rick Champigny (06), Greg Ayers (17), Jerry Deschamps (f30). Darren Zumpe (11z), Jason Harper (19jr), Barry Blanchard (31), Rob Murray (93r), Rick Simons (69), Darlene Gifford (34c), Aaron Vasas (6), Jens Mortenson (68j), Brian Jacobi (49j), Terry DeWilde (4c), Mike Dooley (310c), Derek Smith (13), Dave Kish (88k), Peter Reid (05), Jeff Cook (z1), Paul Plante (31a), Kevin Kocarik (7k).
Prostock Feature Finish: Steve Devos (13), Jeff Dayman (5), Bill Bleich (108), Ken Sargent (25), Sean Keus (7s), Al Moffatt (17kt), John Lowe (28), Tom Green (15), Dan Gilbert (400), Rick Baker (78), Brian Halliwell (1a), Mike Ward (95w) and Roger Chrysler (t21).
Sportsman Feature Finish: Chad Brachmann (3b), Wayne Conn (4c), Tim Jones (9), Boyd MacTavish (93), Gary Kruchka (21), Garry Moreash (124), Randy Chrysler (21k), Adam Ferri (1), Rob Knapp (Y2K), Chad Chevalier (12), Brad
Gravestock (90), Dwayne Winfield (7), Doug Spiece (88), Dave Flanigan (27f), Dennis Giancola (13), Glenn Styres (00), Pete Cosco (17c), Guy Bougie (67), Jeff Leggett (3l), Tim Lipsitt (29) and Bobby Davidson (73).
Modified Feature Finish: Pete Bicknell (42), Don Spatorico (65), Scott Wood (38), Jamie Turner (11), Billy Krull (z1), Dan Miller (22), Ken Cosgrove (9), Greg Panunte (11g), Rick Richner (26), Chris Ricker (13), Paul Ashton (3a), Ken Winfield (82), Andy Green (24), Fred Carleton (96), Fred Carleton jr. (96b), Robbie Krull (123), Harry Sittler (44), Don Turner (39), Todd Gordon (8eh).