LAST SECOND MOVE AT MERRITTVILLE HAS VINSON IN VICTORY LANE FOR SECOND TIME
By Alexis De Wolfe
Saturday night was full of repeat winners at Merrittville Speedway as the Thorold track hosted the Kacey Lynne Committee. Mike Ward (95) won yet another Street Stock Feature and Wally Billing (37) repeated in the Dwarf feature race. Jeff Dayman (5) put in a solid performance in the pro-stock feature and Chad Brachmann (3) dominated the Sportsman feature. Rich Vinson (93) scooped the Modified feature from Pete Bicknell (42) at the very last moment.
The Street Stockers were the first to take the track on Saturday night. Paul Reichel (711) and Bruce Colbert (97) started in the first row and Colbert was quick to jump into the lead. Reichel moved up into the lead coming out of turn four on the second lap, as Jerry Deschamps (f30) started dragging his hood round the track. He came to rest in turn four to bring out the first caution of the race. Reichel regained the lead on the restart, but Mike Dooley (310) and Chris Crawford (4c) got hooked together going down the back straightaway and had to stop in turn three to have someone come out and unhook them, bringing out yet another caution. Reichel again took the lead, but Mike Ward (95) and Rob Knapp (Y2K) started powering through the pack landing in third and fifth respectively. Ward tried to dive under Reichel on lap six, and just made it past him as they came across the start finish line. Knapp moved up to take second from Reichel on lap 12, and tried to run down Ward but couldn't do it. Knapp almost got the better of Ward coming out of four to take the checkered, but he couldn't get the bite. Ward took the feature, followed by Knapp, Reichel, Todd Saunders (1) and Chuck Martin (3).
Dave Ackler (7) took the early lead in the dwarf feature. Nol King (55) and Ken Breedlin (116) tangled in turn four to bring about the first caution of the feature. Ackler took the lead again on the restart but Ray Webber (77) moved up onto his back bumper to challenge him. Webber spun out in four collected Lee Webber (17) and Jeff Johnson (63). Wally Billing (37) was up to second place after the rest of the cars tangled. Billing shot into the lead on the restart, and never looked back. Billing took the lead on the second lap. Dave Russell (88) tried to overtake Ackler for second on lap three and made it around him. Ray Webber made it back up to fifth spot on lap six. Billing held it to come around for the checkered, followed by Russell, Ray Webber, Chris Rimmen (7x) and Bill Perry (9).
Alex Whalen (31j) took the early lead in the Pro Stock feature. The pack started moving through the corners three wide. Rick Baker (78) and Jeff Dayman (5) moved up to knock on Whalen's back door on lap two. Baker managed to wrestle the lead from him on lap five, but Dayman was right behind him and when Baker went wide out of turn four on lap eight Dayman took the lead. Don Spiece (88) moved up to third spot, waiting for someone to make a mistake. Whalen spun out on lap 13, but good driving allowed him to not take anyone out with him. Dayman held it for the checkered and was followed in by Baker, Spiece Dan Gilbert (400) and Darren Kish (99).
Ken Walsh (silvr7) jumped to the lead in the sportsman feature, coming out of turn two with Brian Elliotson (30) following closely. Yellow came out on the track as Garry Moreash (124) broke and came to rest on the track, he managed to get moving as soon as the yellow came out and made it back onto the track before the green came out once more. Walsh took the lead again as Pete Cosco (17c) battled it out with Elliotson for second spot. Cosco pulled ahead on lap four. Cosco moved up and took the lead on lap five. Elliotson spun out in front of the pack on lap ten bringing out the yellow again. Brad Rouse (18r) started knocking on Paul Ashton's (3a) back bumper on the restart and got by him on lap 18. Chad Brachmann (3) was up to fourth spot on lap 14 after starting fifteenth. The yellow coming out again as Rob Ledingham (9), Kurt Sherwood (47), John McKenney (19j) and Tim Lipsitt (29) got together in turn four. All the cars managed to pull away under their own power except McKenney who had to be towed from the track. Brachmann barrelled around Ashton to clinch third on the restart, but cars got together in turn one as Steve McCumber (19) spun out and took other cars with him. Brachmann clinched first spot on the restart after flying around Rouse and Cosco. For the last ten laps of the race he just kept putting distance between himself and the pack. Rouse and Cosco put on quite a race for second, with Rouse pulling ahead. Randy Chrysler (21k) broke into the top five and passed Ashton for fourth spot. Brachmann held it to the line and was followed by Rouse, Cosco, Randy Chrysler (21K) and Ashton.
Rich VinsonTodd Gordon (8eh) and Chris Ricker (13) started the modified feature on the first row, but Gordon quickly jumped to the lead. Rich Vinson (93) barrelled around turn four and managed to deke around Ricker to take second spot. Fred Carleton (96) lost control in turn two on the second lap and took out Don Spatorico (65), Larry Lampman (42l), Brian Stevens (44) and Scott Wood (38). Gordon decided to start from the outside, but it proved to be his downfall as Vinson went around him to take the lead. Harry Sittler (37s) drove into the front wall hard; sliding along the wall sending off sparks on lap three. He had to be cradled off the racetrack because of the major damage to his car, but Sittler was all right. Vinson takes the lead on the restart once again. Caution on lap eight as Spatorico got turned the wrong way in turn three. Pete Bicknell (42) was up to seventh spot on the restart, after starting fifteenth. Vinson regained the lead on the restart, but Bicknell put on a major push and clinched third spot. The red flag came out on the track on lap nine as eight cars piled up between turns three and four. They looked like they were in the middle of rush hour traffic. Joe Middlemiss (11j) and Rob Krull (123) were the only cars that had to be towed from the track, the rest of the pack managed to get moving on their own. Bicknell moved up into second spot on lap ten, with lots of time to catch Vinson. Jamie Turner (11) moved up to challenge Gordon for third spot on lap 13 and clinched it. Bicknell started challenging Vinson for the lead on lap 12, but Bicknell didn't get it until lap 17. Vinson moved up right behind Bicknell on lap 24, but Bicknell started to pull away again. Vinson managed to get around Bicknell just after they took the white flag and held it to the checkered. After the race Vinson said he didn't even realize it was the last lap. Vinson won it followed by Bicknell, Turner, Rick Richner (26) and Wood.
Join us at Merrittville next week when The St. Catharines Standard presents The New Fairview Mall Shopping Cart Showdown - Fan Appreciation Night - Full Card + Merrittville Social Committee Corn Roast. For further information call 905-892-8266 or visit merrittvillespeedway.com.