BICKNELL EARNS SECOND SPENCER MEMORIAL IN CANADA DAY
CHAMPIONSHIPS AT MERRITTVILLE
by Alexis DeWolfe
Thorold, Ontario ... Canada Day had a great turn out at Merrittville Speedway with a great fireworks show and some awesome action on the race track. The Automotive Warehouse presented the Canada Day Championships with a 50-lap Modified feature as the highlight.
The Johnny Spencer Memorial Award was awarded to the winner of the 50-lap modified feature, Pete Bicknell in his number 1 Pillsbury Doughboy car, who has garnered the honour two years in a row. Mike Ward (95) won yet another street stock feature, while a new comer to the track, Ken Gamlin (22x)- a Brewerton Speedway regular won the dwarf feature. Ken Sargent (25) won his fourth pro-stock feature of the season while Chad Brachman (3) took the sportsman feature.
The Street stocks were the first feature to hit the speedway. Peter Reid (05) and Darlene Gifford (34c) started the race on the first row, but on the start Chuck Martin started to make a run at them. Aaron Vasas (6) jumped to the lead in turn four after a few cars started rubbing together. Mike Ward (95) had made his way up to second spot by the third lap and passed Vasas on the back straightaway of the third lap to take the lead. Rob Knapp (Y2K) started to make his move on lap four as he passed Vasas for second spot. Darren Zumpe (11z) spun out with Gifford on lap seven to bring out the first caution of the race. Ward managed to hold off Knapp on the restart, but Chris Crawford (4c) was sitting back in third spot waiting for the leaders to make a mistake. Tony Visca (49) went for a wild ride in turn two on lap ten and ended up on his side bringing out the red flag. Visca walked away from his car without any problems as the fans cheered him. Ward managed to hold off Knapp on the restart as Mike Stevenson (15) moved up to challenge Aaron Farbychuk (73) for fifth spot and secured it with one lap to go. Crawford managed to get around Knapp for second spot on the last lap. Ward was the first to take the checkered followed in by Crawford, Knapp, Steve Marshall (65) and Farbychuk. Chuck Martin (3) was sent for a ride by Gifford as they came across the finish line and Gifford was sent tail for her troubles.
Scott Gailer (33) took the early lead in the dwarf feature as Jim Varble (15) started sliding backwards through the pack. Dave Ackler (7) went high on turn four to take the lead on the second lap, but Ray Webber (77) started closing the gap on the leaders. Caution on the track on lap two as a car got stuck on the wall between turns one and two. Gailer and Ackler lined up side by side for the restart but Ackler jumped ahead to lead the lap as Ray Webber moved up into second spot, with Dave Russell (88) behind him in third. Caution came out on lap four as Varble got into the rail on turn one and had to be towed off the track. Len Gamlin (22x) came out of nowhere to take the lead on lap seven and started to fly away from the rest of the pack. Caution came out with only three to go with Gamlin still sitting pretty in first spot. Lee Webber (17) got turned the wrong way in the second turn to bring out the caution. Gamlin managed to hold the lead for the win followed in by last weeks winner Wally Billings (37) Billings was later disqualified, Ray Webber, Russell, John Wrobel and Dave Ackler as the top 5. Many of the cars used Saturday's race to prepare them for the International Dwarf Car Championship to be run on Monday night, with around 50 cars registered to race.
Todd Zelichowski (31j) and Dave Gifford (34c) lined in the first row for the Pro Stock Feature. Zelichowski took the lead on the green but lost his hood as he came back across the start finish line bringing out the first caution for debris on the track. Dan Gilbert (400) took the lead on the restart. Ken Sargent (25) spun out Tom Walker (81) in turn four bringing out another caution on lap four. Sean Keus (7s) managed to make it up to second spot for the restart. Sargent challenged Keus for second spot on lap five and took the position from him and set his sights on Gilbert. Gilbert was able to hold off Sargent as Keus and Darren Kish (99) moved up to knock on his back door. Kish got the jump on Keus on lap nine and managed to get ahead of him and into third spot. Darryl Ebersole (43) lost control on lap 11 to bring out the yellow flag. Sargent started pushing Gilbert around the track on the restart on lap 12, but couldn't get around him. Keus regained his third place spot on lap 13, but the Gilbert, Kish and Keus were involved in a spin out on turn two leaving Sargent with the easy lead. Keus managed to maintain position despite the incident, only to fall back because of damage to the nose of his car. Walker managed to move up to third spot being followed up by Don Spiece (88). Sargent took the checkered for the fourth time this season and was followed in by Walker, Spiece, Keus, and Jeff Dayman (5). The pro stocks have a 50 lap feature to look forward to on Monday night in the Mr. DIRT Pro Stock Trail Event.
Randy Chrysler (21k) took the lead as the green flag flew in the Sportsman feature. The yellow flag was the next to fly on lap two as Bob Davidson (73) spun out between one and two. Chrysler maintained the lead on the restart only to have cars pile up in turn four with Tim Lipsitt (29) and Joe Meisel (15j) taking the brunt of the damage. Chrysler took the lead again as they went green again, followed by Shawn Sliter (71s) and Kurt Sherwood (47). Lap six saw yet another caution as Dennis Giancola (13) spun out. Sherwood managed to manhandle second spot away from Sliter for the restart. Chad Brachman (3) was up to fourth spot on the restart and started to reel in the leaders. Brachman quickly moved up to challenge Sherwood for second spot and was able to wrestle it from him on lap eight. Brachman took the lead on lap ten and started to run away from the pack. Sherwood took second spot from Chrysler on lap 14. Caution on 17 as Davidson gets turned the wrong way in turn one. Brachman, Sherwood, Chrysler, Wayne Conn (8c) and Sliter were the top five for the restart with a few lapped cars thrown into the mix for good measure. The lapped cars held up the second and third place cars as Brachman ran away from the pack. Conn managed to get the better of Chrysler in the mix. Caution on lap 18 as Paul Cunningham (m7) goes off the track in turn four. Brachman jumped the lead again on the restart followed by Sherwood as Conn and Chrysler battled it out for third spot. The last lap saw yet another caution as Pete Cosco (17c) got turned around in turn four, leaving it a one lap sprint for the checkered. Brachman lead the pack in as Chrysler spins out in turn four before the checkered. At the finish it was Brachman followed in by Sherwood in his best finish of the season. Wayne Conn was later disqualified which moved Sliter, Rob Ledingham (9) and Gary Kruchka into the top 5.
The 50-lap Modified feature started with Pete Bicknell (1) on the pole. Bicknell took an easy lead over the pack as the green flag flew, followed up by Jim Begolo (16) and Fred Carleton (96). Scott Wood (38) quickly moved up to challenge Carleton for third spot, but was unable to clinch it. Yellow replaced the green on lap four as Don Turner (39) got turned the wrong way in turn four. Bicknell took the easy lead again as Begolo, Carleton and Wood battled it out for the runner up spot. Caution again on lap nine as Corey Gruhl (35c) spun out on turn two. Bicknell took the lead as Carleton and Wood run side by side for third spot. Caution on lap 10 as Jamie Turner (11) spun out on turn one. Two laps ran under green before Billy Krull (z1) spun out between turns three and four. Wood managed to wrestle third spot from Carleton while Brian Stevens (44) and Rick Richner (26) sat back waiting for one of the leaders to make a mistake. The red flag came out on lap 16 as Don Turner (39) barrel rolls four times down turn two. The car came to rest and Turner climbed out of the car under his own power. Bicknell took the lead once again on the restart as Wood started pegging off positions and landed in second spot before another caution came out as Bill Podwinski (72) comes to rest on the back straightaway. Bicknell took a huge jump on the restart. Stevens started to make a come back after the eighth caution of the race finding himself up to fourth spot behind Begolo before clinching third on lap 38. Bicknell lead the race from flag to flag and was followed in by Wood, Stevens, Begolo and Carleton.
David Chevrolet Oldsmobile presents a full card of action July 8 with racing in all divisions plus the next Ladies Race of the series and a Roll Over Contest. For further information call 905-892-8266 or visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com. Gates open at 5:30 with action starting at 7:30.