50 YEAR OF RACING CELEBRATED WITH BICKNELL, BRACHMANN AND WILSON REPEATING -
INVADER SCHULZ TAKING FIRST CHECKERED
50th Anniversary Reunion Night was celebrated at Merrittville Speedway last Saturday night. As part of the festivities, names were added to Merrittville’s Wall of Fame. Inducted this year were: Murray Stricker, Jerry Winger, Jack Munn, Mike Zajac and Bryant Irvine. Merrittville Speedway was inducted into the Canadian Motor Sports Hall of Fame, for celebrating it’s 50th year as well.
The night began with a lot of great racing, but the main event was the Jerry Winger Memorial 50-lap Modified feature, which was won for the third year in a row by Pete Bicknell (42). Kirk Wilson (08) won the street stock event and Dan Schulz (66), an invader from Genesee County won the prostock event. Chad Brachmann (3b) added another feature win to his long list of them, and in the vintage car feature, which fielded 20 cars Pat Sonnenberg (78) came out ahead.
Darlene Gifford (34c) took the early lead in the street stock feature, but Jason Harper (19jr) got around her out of turn two on the lead lap. Kirk Wilson (08) followed him around Gifford, and put on the chase. By the third lap Jerry Deschamps (f30), came from the middle of the pack to land in third. The first yellow of the race was caused by Brian Jacobi (49j) as he ran into the rail in turn four. Wilson jumped to the lead on the restart. Deschamps lost control of his car coming out of for, narrowly being missed by several other cars, but he straightened it out without causing a yellow, but lost precious ground on the leaders. Bill Wade (15w) lost a wheel on lap six, bringing out the yellow. Gifford jumped back into second spot on the restart, but Darren Zumpe (11z) was quick to move up and get around her. Lloyd Cichocki (4c) got up ahead of Gifford on lap 9. By lap 12, Deschamps was back up with the leaders, and wrestling Cichocki for third spot. Mike Dooley (310c) lost a wheel on lap 13, but not before Harper could launch himself over it. Then on the caution Harper hit it again. Wilson held it down to the checkered flag and was followed in by Zumpe, Cichocki, Deschamps and Gifford.
The Pro-Stocks took to the track next. The dwarfs were given the night off. Rick Baker (78) took the early lead, with Sean Keus (7s) right behind him. Several cars were collected in turn two bringing out the first yellow of the evening. Mike Ward (95w) headed pit side with a right rear flat, but Ken Sargent (25), Bill Bleich (108) and Phil Schepis (72) were all collected in the melee. Baker pulled into the lead again, using the high side, and Jeff Dayman (5) went with him to pull into second spot. Dan Gilbert (99g) hit the wall in turn three and Dave McCready (x), and Mike Ward (95w) went flying off of turn two, and almost into the pits, for the second yellow of the race. Baker retained the lead on the restart, but Dan Schulz (66) had pulled into second around Dayman. Schulz set his sights on Baker, and kept after him, until he caught up to him on lap 10, and got around him on lap 11. Baker tried battling back, but couldn’t catch him. Steve Devos (13) moved into fourth spot on lap 13. Roger Chrysler (t21) blew up and came to rest on the front chute, bringing out a caution with only 2 laps to go. Dayman put a push on Baker for second spot, and got around him down the back chute of lap 14, but then spun out in turn two of the last lap. Schulz held it to the line and was followed in by Baker, Devos, Keus and Bleich.
The vintage cars came out onto the track next. Pat Sonnenberg (78) won the 12 lap feature and Lowrey Siemens (6), Harold Sonnenberg (24), Don Ledingham (31) and Billy Tripp (3), rounded out the top five.
Brad Gravestock (90) and Sean Sliter (71s) started the sportsman feature on the lead row. Sliter took the lead away from Gravestock coming out of turn two. After five laps the top five were Sliter, Gravestock, Rob Knapp (Y2K), Chad Chevalier (12) and Wayne Conn (8c). On lap seven slid up into second spot out of turn four. Chevalier pulled into third spot on lap nine. The first yellow came out on lap nine as Jack McKinney (57) spun out in three. Sliter held the lead on the restart. A seven-car wreck in turn one brought out the yellow again on lap 10. Chad Brachmann (3b) was into fourth spot on the restart, as some mid-pack cars were taken out. Gary Moreash (124) brought out the yellow again on lap 12 as he came to rest on the outside of turn four. Brachmann jumped into third spot on the restart, and started reeling in the leaders. Brachmann moved into the lead on lap 13. Top five at lap 18 were Brachmann, Conn, Tim Jones (9), Rob Ledingham (19jr) and Sliter. Brachmann held the lead for the remainder of the race. Jones got under Conn on lap 22 to secure second spot and Randy Chrysler (21k) moved into fifth spot on lap 20. Brachmann notched another feature win in his belt, Jones, Conn, Ledingham and Chrysler rounded out the top five.
Pete Bicknell (42) took the lead from the outside pole position in the modified feature. Fred Cade (12) broke on the front straight on the first lap, bringing out the yellow. Bicknell took the lead again on the restart. Billy Krull (z1) pulled up into fourth spot on lap three and his cousin Robbie (123) was right behind him. Dan Miller (22) had a left rear flat on lap five and wasn’t handling well, but it was Paul Ashton (3a) that brought out the caution on lap 6 as he sat pointing the wrong way in turn two. Billy Krull moved up into third spot on the restart, with Scott Wood up to challenge him a lap later, and passed him. Woods pulled up beside Don Spatorico (65) on lap nine and made it around him out of turn two. Robbie moved up to challenge his cousin Billy on lap 17. The top five on lap 20 were; Bicknell, Woods, Spatorico, Robbie and Billy Krull. By lap 25, Robbie was in third spot, with Spatorico and Billy behind him. The order hadn’t change by lap 35, and by lap 45 Robbie Krull was in second spot and Billy was in fourth. Bicknell took the checkered on his third Jerry Winger Memorial 50-lap modified feature. Robbie Krull came in second followed by Woods, Billy and Spatorico.
Join us at Merrittville Speedway next weekend when: Sat July 28th - Fioravanti Custom Engines presents Fabulous 50th Full Card, the rained out dwarf twin 15’s & Backwards Race.
Street Stock Finish: Kirk Wilson (08), Darren Zumpe (11z), Lloyd Cichocki (4c), Jerry Deschamps (f30), Darlene Gifford (34c), Peter Reid (05), Rick Simons (69), Barry Blanchard (31), Kevin Kocarik (7k), Brian Jacobi (49j), Greg Ayres (17), Mike Dooley (310c), Jason Harper (19jr), Mark Pigeon (5), Aaron Vasas (6), Bill Wade (15w), Tom Maude (53t), Rich Champigny (06).
Prostock Finish: Dan Schulz (66), Rick Baker (78), Steve Devos (13), Bill Bleich (108), Gord McKey (14), Mike Martin (99m), Brian Halliwell (1a), Mike Ward (95w), Jeff Dayman (5), AJ Schulz (88), Rick Schepis (72), Chris Ellis (17), Ken Sargent (25), Dan Gilbert (99g), Roger Chrysler (t21), Tom Emory (22), Dave McCready (x) and John Lowe (28).
Sportsman Feature Finish: Chad Brachmann (3b), Tim Jones (9), Wayne Conn (8c), Rob Ledingham (19jr), Randy Chrysler (21k), Boyd MacTavish (93), Sean Sliter (71s), Rob Knapp (Y2K), Brad Rouse (75), Gary Kruchka (21), Adam Ferri (1), John Hagerman (71h), Tim Lipsitt (29), Pete Cosco (17c), Chad Chevalier (12), Jeff Leggett (3l), (67), Ken Winfield (7), Brad Gravestock (90), Joe Meisel (15J), Gary Moreash (124), Bobby Davidson (73), Jack McKinney (57), Rob Pietz (69).
Modified Feature Finish: Pete Bicknell (42), Robbie Krull (123), Scott Woods (38), Billy Krull (z1), Don Spatorico (65), Brian Stevens (44), Todd Gordon (8eh), Greg Panunte (99p), Fred Carleton (96), Ken Cosgrove (9), Larry Lampman (42l), Rick Richner (26), Luke Carleton (21), Dan Miller (22), Paul Ashton (3a), Dwayne Winfield (82), Harry Sittler (37s), Chris Ricker (13), Fred Carleton Jr. (96b), Don Turner (39), Dave Flanigan (27f) and Fred Cade (12).