NO RAIN CHECKS FOR RUST CHECK'S DONUT DINER CRUISE NIGHT AT MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY SATURDAY NIGHT
By Alexis De Wolfe
Despite the gloomy weather on Saturday night, the races managed to go on without a hitch. Rust Check and Donut Diner presented a great night of action with new and repeat winners. Chuck Martin spruced up his car for Saturday night’s races, painting it in a rainbow of colors, the change paid off as he came home with his first feature win this season. Rob Ledingham (9) also had a first time winning, dominating the sportsman feature. Repeat winners included, Lee Webber (17) in the dwarf feature with his 4th win of the season. Darren Kish (99 ) and Dan Miller (22) both won their second features of the season in the Pro Stock and 358 Modifieds respectively.
Darlene Gifford (34c) started out the street stock feature with the pole and held the men off with some great racing until the ninth lap of the race. Chris Crawford (4c), Chuck Martin (3) and Todd Saunders (1) sitting behind her the whole way just waiting for her to make a mistake. That mistake didn’t come until lap nine when Martin managed to get around her, and she started to fall back through the pack. Martin started to run away from the pack on lap ten, putting as much room between him and the pack as possible. The yellow flag flew for the first time on lap 14, as Tony Visca (49) spun out in turn four.
headmart.JPG (3796 bytes)Martin managed to hold off Mike Ward (95) who had moved up behind him to take the checkered. Ward came in second, followed by Lloyd Cichocki (8), Mike Dooley (310) and Aaron Vasas (6).
Bill Perry (9) earned himself the pole position in the dwarf feature but Dave Ackler (7) jumped to the early lead. Lee Webber (17) started running up through the pack and managed to clinch fifth spot by the time they had completed a lap. Perry moved up into first spot on the second lap as Webber started to close the gap and made it up to second spot as they came across the start/finish line for the third lap. Perry and Webber ran side by side for two laps before the caution came out on lap five as Wally Billings (37), Scott Gailer (33) and Chris Rimmen (7x) all got tangled up in turn one. Webber jumped to the lead on the restart and just ran away with it. Dave Russell (88) moved up into second spot on lap nine. Jeff Johnson (63) moved up into third spot on lap ten.
headlweb.jpg (37271 bytes)Webber held onto it to take his fourth feature win at Merrittville. He was followed in by Russell, Johnson, Billings and Ackler.
Dave Gifford (34c) and Rick Baker (78) started the Pro Stock feature in the first lap, but Baker jumped to an early lead being pushed by Darren Kish (99). Kish wrangled the lead from Baker coming off of turn four. Jeff Dayman started making his move on lap two as he move dup into third spot. Tom Walker (81) moved up to fifth spot on lap three. Kish started to run away from the rest of the pack before the yellow came out on lap four. Ken Sargent (25) spun out in turn four. The cars were ready to take the green again as he pulled his car into the back of the pack. Kish held the lead on the restart as Don Spiece (88) started moving up through the pack and landing in third spot on lap six. Dan Gilbert (400) sat knocking on Kish’s back door on lap six, and moved to race him side by side on lap eight, but Kish was able to pull ahead as Gilbert hit the wrong line and lost position. Sargent made a huge move through the pack, finding himself in sixth spot on lap 11 after spinning out on lap four. Gilbert got spun out on the last lap of the race, bringing out the caution.
headkish.JPG (4114 bytes)With a one lap dash to the checkered Kish held onto the lead and was followed in by Spiece, Dayman, Sargent and Walker.
Dennis Giancola (13) and Ken Walsh (silver 7) started the sportsman feature in the front row. Giancola moved up to take the lead as Brad Rouse (18r) quickly moved up into second spot. Giancola and Rouse battled it out side by side on lap two with Giancola retaining the lead. Rob Ledingham (9) moved up into second spot on the third lap as Rouse started to fall back. Ledingham stole the lead from Giancola on lap five as they came out of turn four and started to put some distance between himself and the rest of the pack. On lap twelve Rouse put a big push on Giancola for second spot and managed to wrestle it from him. Gary Moreash broke into the top five on lap fifteen, and held fourth spot on lap twenty. Chad Brachman (3) made himself a spot in the top five on lap 21 and tried to run down the lead, but it wasn’t to happen, although he was able to move up one more position before the checkered fell on the field.
headledi.JPG (3500 bytes)Ledingham managed to hold it for his first feature win of the season and was followed by Rouse, Moreash, Brachman and Giancola.
Rob Krull (123) took the early lead in the modified feature. He started using the high side of the track to put some distance between himself and his competitors. Sittler sat back in second spot fighting off Don Spatorico (65). Spatorico took the runner up spot on lap five, while Krull was well ahead of the pack. Last week’s modified winner Fred Carleton (96) broke into the top ten on lap seven. Dan Miller (22) started challenging Todd Gordon (8eh) on lap eight and took the spot away from him. Miller stripped Spatorico of his second place position a lap later. The yellow came out on lap 17 as Sittler spun out in turn four. Krull lost his lead on Miller, but managed to hold the lead for the restart. Carleton moved up into fifth spot on lap 18 as Rich Vinson flew up the outside of the track and landed in fourth spot. Pete Bicknell (1) made a run through the pack and landed in eighth spot on lap 26. Miller and Krull started fighting side-by-side for the lead on lap 26, but Krull managed to hold it together. Miller clinched the top spot on lap 33 just before the yellow flag came out on the track for a second time. Sittler found himself pointing the wrong way in turn four once again.
headmill.jpg (46886 bytes)Miller managed to hold the lead to the checkered and was followed by Krull, Rick Richner (26), Carleton and Bicknell.
PIT NOTES: With Merrittville Speedway probably the only Saturday Night track to open - visiting drivers included Danny Johnson in his self-owned 27J and Rick Swarthout - up early for the UFPO Dig Safely Sportsmen Super DIRT Series event at Gasport.
Join us at Merrittville next week when Robbins Towing and Brewers Paradise presents Nostalgia Night hosted by the Merrittville Speedway Reunion Committee. A Full Card of racing in all divisions plus the Canadian Motor Racing Historical Society will help celebrate the Thorold Track's 49th Anniversary Season. For the second year the Modified Feature Winner will be awarded the Jerry Winger Memorial Trophy and their will be the Year 2000 Wall of Fame inductions at intermission. for further information call 905-892-8266 or visit merrittvillespeedway.com.