SECOND GENERATION DRIVER TAKES SECOND WINGER MEMORIAL AS MERRITTVILLE CELEBRATES 49 SEASONS
By Alexis De Wolfe
Merrittville Speedway's Reunion Committee inducted three new names into the Wall of Fame on Saturday night. Don Ledingham, Harvey Hainer Sr. and Bob Davidson Sr. were this years' inductees.
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Don Ledingham waves to the crowd of over 3000 as he is inducted into the Merrittville Wall of Fame.
Ledingham began racing at Merrittville Speedway when it opened in 1952 and retired from the sport in 1984, but still has a hand in the sport. In 1995 Don built a replica of his #31 race car, which was raced in the vintage race Saturday night with his grandson Mark Edwards at the wheel. Edwards won the evening's Canadian Motor Racing Historical Society Vintage feature with the #31 car. His nephew Rob now races the #9 sportsmen car, keeping the sport in the family.
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Harvey Hainer Sr. inducted into the Wall of Fame by Reunion Committee member and Wall of Famer himself, Jeno Begolo.
Hainer was content to spend his racing career in the pits as the crew chief on many championship cars. He began his career in 1957 and crewed Harvey Hainer Jr.'s cars until 1997 when he 'retired' however he can still be seen helping on cars in the pits at Merrittville Speedway.
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Bob Davidson shown here with sons and grandson as he is inducted into the Merrittville Wall of Fame.
Davidson also began his career in 1957, towing his car from Hamilton to race at Merrittville; he was a fierce competitor until he retired from the sport in the late 1960's. Davidson's first car was a #73 1936 Chevy Coupe. As the 1950's drew to a close the Chevy was replaced with a new car featuring the Ram, which is featured on Bobby Davidson Jr.'s 73 sportsmen car today.
The inductee's will now have panels featuring their cars' numbers put up at Merrittville Speedway to commemorate their years at the track.
Merrittville Speedway's Reunion Committee - Rick Kavanagh, Bruce Swartz, Ted Renshaw, Jeno Begolo, Mark Lovell and Jim Irvine would like to thank all those that helped make the pre-race dinner a success - Star Gas, Enbridge, Big Red Markets and the Fonthill Kinsmen. Over 500 alumni, family and friends celebrated 49 consecutive seasons at the Thorold track.
Saturday night was busy at the speedway with the vintage cars putting on a show for the crowd. The St. Catharines Business Club also in a special event for club members. Members rented dwarf cars and raced in two separate heats, an event put together by Barry 'Rotten Tooth' Robbins. The evening was jam packed with excitement.
Rich Vinson (93) won the Jerry Winger Memorial Trophy for the second year in a row, a first in the history of the award. The award was begun in 1959 and was lost after 1965. Merrittville Speedway resurrected the award last year, when Vinson won it for the first time. Mike Ward (95) won his sixth Street Stock feature; Dave Russell (88) won the Dwarf feature. Joe Meisel (15j) won the Sportsman feature; his first of the season, and Ken Sargent (25) added to his list of feature wins in the Pro Stock division. Barry 'Rotten Tooth' Robbins in the #17 dwarf car won both heats for the St. Catharines Business Club, and Mark Edwards (31) won the vintage car feature in the Robbins Towing and Brewer's Paradise sponsored extravaganza.
The street stocks were the first to hit the track. The pack lead by Chris Crawford (4) went into turns 1 & 2 three wide, but were unable to squeeze out of turn four, leaving Peter Reid (05) and Adam Ferry (11r) disabled and signaling the only caution in the 15-lap feature. Crawford held the lead for the restart with Tony Visca (49) right on his tail. Mike Ward (95) made a run on the leaders and took second spot on the third lap, and was followed forward by Darren Zumpe (11z). Ward started to make his move on Crawford on lap six and managed to nab the lead on lap eight. He put some distance between himself and Zumpe, who had moved up on lap 10.
headward.jpg (49470 bytes)Ward held the lead till the checkered and was followed in by Crawford, Rob Knapp (Y2K), Mike Dooley (310) and Zumpe.
Chris Rimmen (7x) started the dwarf feature with the pole, but Nol King (55) moved up and stole the lead from him on the first lap. As King moved up Bill Perry (9) was right on his tail. Lee Webber (17) quickly moved up into third spot, just biding his time, taking the lead in a quick move on the second lap. Dave Russell (88) blew past the leaders as if they were standing still on lap four and never looked back. Caution came out on lap five as Dave Ackler (7) got stuck on the rail in turn four, but they were quickly under green again. Ray Webber moved up through the pack to challenge Russell for first spot, but after some wrestling, he discovered he couldn't get the better of him.
headruss.jpg (4085 bytes)Russell started to pull away from the rest of the pack on lap eight, holding it until the checkered. Ray Webber came in behind Russell, followed by Lee Webber, Wally Billings (37) and Perry.
Rick Baker (78) jumped to the early lead in the Pro Stock feature, only to have Sean Keus (7s) and Ken Sargent (25) blow past him on the back straightaway. Dan Gilbert (400) spun out Tom Walker (81) on lap three leaving the two cars tail. Sargent grabbed the lead on the restart only to have the caution come out again when first time Merrittville 2000 driver Steve Dominski ran off the berm in turn four. The top five on lap five were Sargent, Keus, Jeff Dayman (5), Darrel Ebersole (43) and Baker. Keus and Sargent battled it out side by side for a lap and a half before Sargent could pull ahead. Gilbert spun out in turn four on the eighth lap bringing out the second caution of the race taking Baker and Tom Green (15) with him. Sargent held the lead on the restart. Ebersole moved up to take second on lap ten going into turn three, Darren Kish (99) and Don Spiece (88) also managed to blow past Keus in the final laps of the race.
headsarg.jpg (4242 bytes)Sargent won the feature and was followed by Ebersole, Kish, Spiece and Keus. Walker managed to move back up to sixth after being spun out in the first laps of the race.
The group from the St. Catharines Business Club were the next to hit the track. Barry 'Rotten Tooth' Robbins held the pole in the first race, but Paul 'Skinny' Scott managed to take the early lead in the first heat. By lap three however Robbins had overtaken and surpassed Patterson. He never looked back, lapping cars left right and center. He came around to take the black flag, followed by Scott, and Jumping John Dyck, rounding out the top three. Brian 'Eagle' Antonsen jumped to the early lead in the second heat, only to have his car fail on him, and limp around the track. Robbins quickly took the lead and once again dominated the field. His son, Devon Robbins flagged the race and was able to wave the checkered for his father.
Next the Vintage cars took their turn out on the track. Ted Renshaw (5) jumped to the early lead with his 1936 Chev coach modified, Lowrey Siemens (6) came out of nowhere to rip the lead away from him on lap six. Mark Edwards (31) started making a run up through the pack and made it up to second on lap eight, after a caution on lap seven that left WT with some heavy damage.
headedwa.JPG (1871 bytes)Edwards ran side by side with Siemens and nabbed the lead as they came around to take the checkered flag. It was a heated contest as Siemens tried to battle back, but ended up putting his 1936 Chev coach modified into the wall under the starters stand.
The Sportsmen were a rowdy bunch on Saturday, managing to squeeze seven cautions into the 25-lap feature. Jack McKinney (57 took the early lead in the race with John McKenney (19j) giving him a run for his money. The pack was going three wide into the turns. The fourth lap brought about the first caution as Paul Ashton (3a) came to rest in turn three. It was Ashton's first night back this season. McKinney held the lead on the restart but McKenney was gunning for him. Rob Ledingham (9) last week's feature winner lost control in turn one and spun out taking Kurt Sherwood (47) with him. Joe Meisel (15j) managed to get a jump on the restart taking the lead on lap seven. McKenney moved up to rip the runner up spot from McKinney on lap 10. Lap 11 brought out the third caution as Sherwood and Brian Elliotson (30) came together. The cars finally managed to make a good run of it after two more cautions. There was a major caution on lap 14 that left took out John Hagerman (71h), Sherwood, George Bosse (4), Garry Moreash (124), Ken Walsh (Silvr7) and Chad Brachman (3).
headmeis.JPG (1442 bytes)Meisel managed to hold the lead through several more cautions; he was the first to take the checkered and was followed in by McKenney, McKinney, Pete Cosco (17c) and Ashton.
Todd Gordon (8eh) took the early lead in the modified feature, with Boyd MacTavish (7m) hunting him down. The first yellow came out on lap three as five cars get together in turn one. Gordon maintained the lead on the restart, with MacTavish still trying to wrestle the lead from him. Yellow yet again on lap six as Fred and Luke Carleton (96 & 96B) tangle in turn one taking Fred Cade (12) with them. Pete Bicknell (42) started making a run through the pack. Vinson moved up into second spot on lap seven and tried to get ahead of Gordon, but couldn't do it. A major caution came out on lap nine as Jim Begolo's car (22j) ended up on top of Ken Cosgrove's (9) and Billy Krull's (z1) cars in turn four, taking three other cars with them. Gordon managed to hold the lead for the restart, but Vinson got a nose under him on lap 10. Wood wrestled the lead from Gordon on lap 17, and started putting some distance between himself and the 8eh car. Lap 30 brought out yet anther caution as MacTavish broke on turn four. Wood blew up on the front straightaway during the caution and had to limp back to the pits. Wood's night ended there, leaving Vinson with the lead. Vinson dashed ahead of Gordon on the restart. Pete Bicknell (42) and Fred Carleton (96) moved up into the top five and managed to secure top spots.
headvins.JPG (3381 bytes)Vinson took the checkered and the Jerry Winger Memorial Trophy and was followed by Carleton, Dan Miller (22), Bicknell and Gordon.
Join us at Merrittville Speedway July 29th for a full card of racing in all 5 divisions plus a Backwards race. For further information call 905-892-8266 or visit merrittvillespeedway.com.