REPEAT WINNERS HAVE SOME FUN ON FAMILY NIGHT
By Alexis De Wolfe
Thorold, Ontario. It was all repeat winners on Saturday night at Merrittville Speedway. Rob Knapp (Y2K) took his second street stock feature in a row, while Dave Russell (88) secured first place in dwarf points with his feature win. Darren Kish (99) won the pro-stock feature without being challenged and Shani Bleich (3) won the final Ladies race of the season, leading the race from green to checkered. Chad Brachmann (3) won yet another Sportsman feature, holding his position as leader in points and Pete Bicknell (1) came from the back of the pack to win the Modified feature in his Pillsbury Doughboy car.
Peter Reid (05) and Darlene Gifford (34c) began the street stock race in the front row, but Gifford was quick to secure the lead. Jerry Deschamps (f30) brought out the first caution after getting himself up on the guard rails in turn three. Todd Saunders (1) moved quickly on the restart to get a jump on Gifford and secure the lead, only to have Rob Knapp (Y2K) wrestle it from him on lap four, but Saunders got it back just before the yellow came out again. Darren Zumpe (11z1) and Al Smith (49) tangled in turn four on lap five. Knapp secured the lead on the restart. Almost half of the field got tangled up in turn two on the seventh lap bringing out another caution. Mike Ward (95) started making his move up through the pack on the restart and secured a position in the top five. Ward moved up into third spot on lap 11. Ward tried to get the better of Chris Crawford (3C) in the remaining laps of the race and did it, only to have Saunders move back up and take second spot from him. Knapp was the first to take the checkered and was followed by Saunders, Ward, Crawford and Mike Stevenson (15).
Scott Gailer (33) took the early lead in the dwarf car feature, however Dave Russell (88) moved up to take the position from him on the second lap. Gailer got caught up in a tangle in turn four, leaving him back in the pack. Bill Perry (9) was up in second spot behind Russell, but lost it quickly to Ray Webber (77) who moved up on the fourth lap. Jeff Johnson (63) moved up into the top five and started to challenge Webber for second on lap nine, and took it a lap later. Ray's brother Lee (17) moved up to challenge and stole third spot on lap twelve. Russell the current points leader came away with the win and was followed across the line by Johnson, Ray, Lee and Wally Billing (37).
Herb Hunter (95) and Tom Green (15) lined up side by side to take the green in the pro-stock feature. Hunter moved ahead to clinch first going into turn three. The pack was going three abreast through the straightaways. Danny Gilbert (400) took the lead on lap three. Darren Kish (99) moved up to wrestle the lead from him on lap five and he never looked back. Don Spiece (88) moved up to take third spot on lap 10. Gilbert hit the wall between one and two slowing him down and letting Spiece get ahead of him for second spot. Kish held it to the checkered and Spiece, Gilbert, and Jeff Dayman (5) rounded out the top five.
Shani Bleich (3) lead the ladies race from flag to flag, but the real excitement was for second spot. Kathy Rodgers (34c) started the race in second spot and it looked like she would hold it for the entire eight laps, however Chrissy Michaud (Y2K) had other intentions. Michaud quickly moved up to challenge Rodgers for her spot, and it looked like she would have it on lap four, but she just couldn't get the bite. Rodgers almost lost control on lap six and Michaud used it to her advantage, passing her on the back straightaway. Rodgers wasn't having any of it though and as they came through three and four Rodgers drove a hard line on the inside of the track, Michaud took it too wide and went into the wall on the front straightaway, she spun and came straight across the track almost wiping out Rodgers. Rodgers made a clean getaway however and took second spot behind Bleich. Christine Porter (30Jr) came in third spot followed by Charlene Dooley (310c) and Michaud.
Shawn Sliter (71s) took the early lead in the sportsman feature, with Steve McCumber (19) falling into second spot. John Hagerman (71) moved up to challenge McCumber for second spot on lap two, but couldn't clinch the spot until lap four. Brad Rouse (18r) made a run on the leaders and it worked out for him, he pulled into second spot on lap seven. Wayne Conn (8c) broke into the top five on lap eleven. Tim Lipsitt (29) spun out on lap 15 bringing out the yellow flag. Rouse was able to pull ahead of Sliter on the restart, taking the lead. The caution came back out again as Rick St. Pierre (k8) returned from the pits and was not up to speed. He nearly took out the entire pack. St. Pierre was black flagged and sent to the pits for the remainder of the evening. The leaders had to do some fancy driving to avoid smoking him. Rouse held the lead on the restart, but cars got together in turn two. Paul Ashton (3a), Pete Cosco (17), Gary Kruchka (21k), Ken Walsh (silver7) and Joe Meisel (15j) were all collected. Ashton was the only car that had to have help leaving the track. Rouse regained the lead on the restart, but Chad Brachmann (3) put on a huge push from the middle of the pack, and was up to fourth before they had completed the restart lap. Brachmann found himself held up by Conn and Sliter on lap 20 but with a courageous move on the outside of the track he blew past them and made a move on Rouse. Brachmann toasted Rouse on lap 22 and never looked back. Chad Brachmann took the green and was followed in by Conn, Rouse, Garry Moreash (124) and Sliter.
Bill Podwinski (72) and Don Turner (39) shared the lead row for the start of the Modified feature and remained side by side until they came out of four, and Turner took the lead. Fred Cade (12) moved up to challenge Podwinski for second, but Podwinski managed to hold it and rocket forward to once again fight Turner for first. Scott Wood (38) moved up into fourth spot on lap five, and two laps later clinched third spot as Cade moved up into second. The first caution came out on the track on the twelfth lap as Andy Green (24) got himself pointing the wrong way in turn one. The top five on lap twelve were Cade, Wood, Turner, Larry Lampman (42) and Podwinski. Fred Carleton (96), Billy Krull (z1), Rob Krull (123) got together in turn four as the caution came out. The cars came around to restart, but the yellow flew again and the pack nearly ran over the pace car. Cars got together again on the restart collecting as many as 7 of the modified cars. Pete Bicknell (1) managed to secure fourth spot during the caution and launched into second place on the restart. Scott Wood held the top position with fifteen laps to go, but Bicknell was knocking on his back door. Wood managed to hold him off until lap 28 when Bicknell got around him and shot forward. Caution on lap 29 as Chris Ricker (13) broke in turn four. Lampman made a move on Wood in the remaining laps of the race clinching second spot. Bicknell added to his checkered flags and was followed in by Lampman, Wood, Brian Stevens (44) and Cade.
Join us at Merrittville next week for the Kacey Lynn Challenge Night including a Full Program, Small Car DEMO DERBY and Roll Over Contest.