Robidoux Leads French Parade At Granby

Posted Wednesday, Aug 22, 2007

Granby, QUE — August 21, 2007 – By Tom Skibinski, DIRTcar Racing NorthEast PR Director

Matching an effort put forth only once before in DIRTcar Series competition, Kayle Robidoux became the first Frenchman to capture a Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship event in the modern era.

Robidoux charged from his eighth-place start to emerge as the fourth leader on lap 15 before opening up a seemingly insurmountable lead. The third and final yellow flag flew on lap 71 to erase a near straightaway advantage and just 10 laps later weekly rival Alain Boisvert surprised Robidoux with a move to the outside high across the stripe. All his hopes seemed to vanish when Robidoux quickly faded to third, yet on lap 88 the St-Constant, Quebec chauffeur dove under David Hebert in turn two then pulled off a perfect slide job past Bosivert in turn four to regain a lead he would never relinquish.

“With about 20 laps to go I was just cruising along, and then I saw Alain get by me and I thought he was gone,” said Robidoux, 25, through a translater stationed by his side in victory lane. “That kind of woke me up and I got going again. When I got back out front I moved up high to take away their lane, I knew they couldn’t get by me on the low side. We finally beat the Americans for the first time, it’s a great win tonight.”

The 100-lap victory was the first on home soil for a Granby regular in the Mr. DIRTcar 358 Championship Series while Steve Poirier pulled off an upset over Alan Johnson in the Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series event for Big-Block Modifieds staged at Autodrome Drummond in 2002. Chasing Robidoux across the line on Tuesday were Syracuse Qualifier Boisvert, Drummond promoter Yan Bussiere, Bert Hard Charger Hebert and second-generation driver Mario Clair.

Vermont traveler Vince Quenneville Jr. led the opening four circuits before suddenly retiring to the infield pits with a minor motor issue that was first discovered in the pre-race hot lap session. Clair had no problem filling the void yet Real LaFrance left him little time to enjoy the moment as he sped past just one lap later.

Granby mainstay Dany Bilodeau slowed between turns one and two to incur the first caution period with the French quintet of Lafrance, Clair, Bussiere, Robidoux and Clement Therrien clinging tightly to positions in the front-five. Veteran ‘Mr. Small-Block’ Pete Bicknell (7th), popular American invader Danny Johnson (12th) and reigning Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified points king Brett Hearn (14th) jockeyed further back in the pack on the ensuing restart and all salvaged top-10 spots after 10 laps were complete.

Robidoux continued his mission to the front, finding success on the smooth half-miler as he easily moved to the point exiting turn two on lap 15 while Boisvert and Bicknell entered the top-five for the first time. Just a half-dozen circuits later, Robidoux’s blistering pace carried him into traffic and with a quarter of the race in the books he had already established a straightaway margin between himself and runner-up LaFrance.

Robidoux never let up in the near caution-free affair, lapping 22nd-place runner Mike Adderley on lap 39 and by the time he reached the halfway point of the race, only 17 cars remained on the lead lap. Through the first 50 circuits, the no. 46 Bert Transmission-Genesis Racing Shocks-Rube Restaurant/Bicknell car was chased by Boisvert, LaFrance, Bicknell and Clair, with Bussiere, Johnson, Hearn, Gagne and Therrien settling in among the top-10.

Suddenly, a puff of smoke flumed from Johnson’s no. 1JC&B Boating Adventures/Troyer machine on lap 53 and the next time around he coasted to a stop in turn one ending his night with terminal motor issues. Hearn took advantage of just the second stoppage of the race on lap 54 to change both rear tires and return to the track in 14th-place, the last car scored on the lead lap. The order remained intact among the front-runners with only one exception, ’06 Drummond points champion Hebert, who began 19th on the 32-car starting grid and was riding the rim as he cracked the front-five for the first time with 68 laps scored.

Only three more laps went down before the last yellow flag unfurled when Adderley had a right-rear tire go soft. Unlike the previous two-thirds of the race, Robidoux was unable to pull away from his closest pursuers as easily back under green and Boisvert unexpectedly sped past with 20 laps still to go. Hebert followed suit into the runner-up slot before Robidoux arose from his brief slumber to regain the top spot in a single-lap surge and hang on for his second feature win of the season at Granby. Thirteen of the 25 cars racing under the final checkered flag completed the entire 100-lap distance.

Racing in the Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Series continues in Canada next month when Cornwall (Ont.) Motor Speedway hosts round #3 of the premier Small-Block Modified tour in the Northeast on September 2. Last year’s Cornwall event fell victim to rain while Pete Bicknell claimed victory in the 2005 Labor Day race.

SKIDMARKS

Upon arrival at the speedway, the first person seen in action was DIRT Motorsports Hall of Famer Bob Gatien, a track share-holder since 1985. What made the sight of Gatien directing track preparation more impressive was the fact that he continues to battle throat cancer yet the disease has not held him back from remaining actively involved. Autodrome Granby has been a loyal member of DIRTcar NorthEast since 1987, long after Gatien recorded his first feature win on June 3, 1961. He was a standout stock car driver at crosstown oval Autodrome Drummond where he registered his final victory on July 16, 1983. He captured season points titles at Drummond in 1969, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1979, 1980, 1982 and 1983, a track record total that still stands today…..The Small-Block field ballooned to 38 cars on Tuesday at Granby after 35 cars signed in a day earlier at Drummond. New entries at Granby were track regulars Alain Boisvert, Martin Roy, Jasmin Leveillee, Christian Salvas and Francois Becksted plus fellow Quebec pilots David Langlois, Martn Gagne and Carl Labonte, along with Billy Cook, Wallace Stacey and Danny Johnson…..Johnson was back in action aboard the Dave Thompson-owned orange no. 1 C&B Boating Adventures/Troyer after missing the previous night’s Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series opener at Drummond. The DIRTcar Racing NorthEast community continues to celebrate the life of Danny’s mother, Joyce Johnson, who passed away on August 15…..A pair of top-five finishes at Granby and Drummond have Kayle Robidoux, David Hebert and Mario Clair atop the current Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified point standings with Drummond winner Brett Hearn dead-locked with Clair in third…..Pete Bicknell’s primary blue no. 42 Havoline Small-Block sustained heavy damage on the rough racing surface experienced the night before and a yellow second-string BRP ride was hauled in time to qualify for the Granby main…..Francisco Perera also used a different car the second day, unfortunately mirroring the results with a second straight DNQ…..Canadian Hall of Famer Jean-Paul Cabana was active throughout the night providing trackside interviews of a number of drivers competing in the mid-week show.

Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Race #2 – Autodrome Granby, August 21, 2007 Fromagerie Qualité Summum 100 Event Summary

FIN STR CAR# DRIVER

1 8 46 Kayle Robidoux/St-Constant,QUE($4,000)

2 7 73 Alain Boisvert/Point-Claire,QUE

3 3 21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE

4 19 1 David Hebert/St. Damase,QUE

5 1 22 Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE

6 4 11 Real LaFrance/St-Hyacinthe,QUE

7 10 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT

8 6 39 Clement Therrien/Victoriaville,QUE

9 18 4* Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ

10 9 87 Martin Gagne/Granby,QUE

11 24 66 Frederic Gamache/Granby,QUE

12 14 4k Jasmin Leveillee/Prevost,QUE

13 17 90 Martin Roy/Napierville,QUE

14 23 66x Carey Terrance/Hogansburg,NY

15 21 19x John Lazore/Hogansburg,NY

16 16 2 Michel Dusseault/Victoriaville,QUE

17 5 44 Sebastien Gougeon/Drummondville,QUE

18 11 54 Steve Bernard/St Paul Abbotsford,QUE

19 25 007 Roy Tarbell/Hogansburg,NY

20 28 7 Patrice Demers/St. Magorique,QUE

21 27 66w Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE

22 20 1L David Langlois/St-Richelieu,QUE

23 32 24 Carl Labonte/St-Cyrille-Wendover,QUE

24 31 80 Jeff Marshall/Fort Covington,NY

25 22 99 Mike Adderley/Watertown,NY

26 29 81 Eric Landry/Trois-Rivieres,QUE

27 13 1j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY

28 15 16 Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY

29 12 1x Todd Stone/Middlebury,VT

30 26 23 Dany Bilodeau/Victoriaville,QUE

31 30 8s Christian Salvas/Sorel-Tracy,QUE

32 2 78 Vince Quenneville Jr./Brandon,VT

GATER NEWS LAP LEADERS: Quenneville (1-4), Clair (5), LaFrance (6-14), Robidoux (15-80), Boisvert (81-87), Robidoux (88-100).

CAUTIONS: 3 for 14 laps.

SYRACUSE 150 QUALIFIER: Alain Boisvert.

BERT HARD CHARGER: David Hebert.

DID NOT QUALIFY(6)

8-Francois Becksted/St-Richelieu,QUE

9-Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY

14-Billy Cook/Hogansburg,NY

37p-Francisco Perera/Etobicoke,ONT

49-Francois Bernier/St-Hyacinthe,QUE

77g-Robbie Grant/Malone,NY

QUALIFYING

FAST AVE

TIME MPH CAR# DRIVER

1 17.182 83.809 21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE

1 19.036 94.558 44 Sebastien Gougeon/Drummondville,QUE

2 19.062 94.429 22 Mario Clair/St-Edmond,QUE

3 19.156 93.965 46 Kayle Robidoux/St-Constant,QUE

4 19.205 93.726 21 Yan Bussiere/Drummondville,QUE

5 19.217 93.667 54 Steve Bernard/St Paul Abbotsford,QUE

6 19.229 93.609 73 Alain Boisvert/Point-Claire,QUE

7 19.248 93.516 11 Real LaFrance/St-Hyacinthe,QUE

8 19.253 93.492 2 Michel Dusseault/Victoriaville,QUE

9 19.259 93.463 23 Dany Bilodeau/Victoriaville,QUE

10 19.299 93.269 4* Brett Hearn/Sussex,NJ

11 19.303 93.250 42 Pete Bicknell/St.Catharines,ONT

12 19.312 93.206 39 Clement Therrien/Victoriaville,QUE

13 19.313 93.201 19x John Lazore/Hogansburg,NY

14 19.320 93.168 78 Vince Quenneville Jr./Brandon,VT

15 19.336 93.091 1 David Hebert/St. Damase,QUE

16 19.340 93.071 99 Mike Adderley/Watertown,NY

17 19.345 93.047 87 Martin Gagne/Granby,QUE

18 19.351 93.018 007 Roy Tarbell/Hogansburg,NY

19 19.363 92.961 16 Lance Willix II/Theresa,NY

20 19.393 92.817 49 Francois Bernier/St-Hyacinthe,QUE

19.393 92.817 90 Martin Roy/Napierville,QUE

22 19.530 92.166 37p Francisco Perera/Etobicoke,ONT

23 19.566 91.996 66 Frederic Gamache/Granby,QUE

24 19.584 91.912 1x Todd Stone/Middlebury,VT

25 19.663 91.542 1j Danny Johnson/Rochester,NY

26 19.675 91.487 4k Jasmin Leveillee/Prevost,QUE

27 19.711 91.320 24 Carl Labonte/St-Cyrille-Wendover,QUE

28 19.738 91.195 7 Patrice Demers/St. Magorique,QUE

29 19.759 91.098 80 Jeff Marshall/Fort Covington,NY

30 19.760 91.093 8 Francois Becksted/St-Richelieu,QUE

31 19.808 90.872 66x Carey Terrance/Hogansburg,NY

32 19.952 90.217 8s Christian Salvas/Sorel-Tracy,QUE

33 19.969 90.140 66w Wallace Stacey/Kahnawake,QUE

34 20.040 89.820 81 Eric Landry/Trois-Rivieres,QUE

35 20.218 89.030 14 Billy Cook/Hogansburg,NY

36 20.228 88.986 1L David Langlois/St-Richelieu,QUE

37 20.370 88.365 77g Robbie Grant/Malone,NY

38 20.383 88.309 9 Mark Smoke/Akwesasne,NY

Heat Races (10 laps, top 5 finishers transferred to feature, top 3 went to re-draw)

#1: Gougeon, Gagne, Bernard, Johnson, Roy, Lazore, Bilodeau, Stacey, Marshall, Grant.

#2: Clair, Boisvert, Quenneville, Leveillee, Hearn, Tarbell, Landry, Becksted, Smoke, Perera.

#3: Robidoux, LaFrance, Bicknell, Willix, Hebert, Terrance, Gamache, Labonte, Cook.

#4: Bussiere, Therrien, Stone, Dusseault, Langlois, Adderley, Salvas, Demers, Bernier.

Consolation Round (10 laps, top 10 finishers transferred to feature)

#1: Lazore, Adderley, Terrance, Gamache, Tarbell, Bilodeau, Stacey, Demers, Landry, Salvas, Labonte, Perera, Cook, Marshall, Grant, Becksted(DNS), Smoke(DNS), Bernier(DNS).

Provisional: Marshall.

Promoter’s Choice: Labonte.

Hoosier Tire-Sunoco Race Fuels Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Point Standings (August 21)

No. Driver Points Diff Wins Top-5 Top-10 Starts

1 46 Kayle Robidoux 190 0 1 2 2 2

2 1 David Hebert 180 (10) 0 2 2 2

3 22 Mario Clair 165 (25) 0 2 2 2

4 4* Brett Hearn 165 (25) 1 1 2 2

5 21 Yan Bussiere 130 (60) 0 1 1 2

6 39 Clement Therrien 128 (62) 0 0 1 2

7 19x John Lazore 124 (66) 0 0 1 2

8 66x Carey Terrance 122 (68) 0 0 1 2

9 1x Todd Stone 120 (70) 0 1 1 2

10 11 Real Lafrance 116 (74) 0 0 1 2

11 99 Mike Adderley 116 (74) 0 0 1 2

12 42 Pete Bicknell 112 (78) 0 0 1 2

13 16 Lance Willix II 105 (85) 0 0 1 2

14 44 Sebastian Gougeon 104 (86) 0 0 0 2

15 007 Roy Tarbell 103 (87) 0 0 0 2

16 66 Frederick Gamache 100 (90) 0 0 0 2

17 73 Alain Boisvert 95 (95) 0 1 1 1

18 23 Danny Bilodeau 94 (96) 0 0 0 2

19 80 Jeff Marshall 92 (98) 0 0 0 2

20 2 Michel Dusseault 90 (100) 0 0 0 2

21 54 Steve Bernard 88 (102) 0 0 0 2

22 81 Eric Landry 85 (105) 0 0 0 2

23 7 Patrice Demers 84 (106) 0 0 0 2

24 78 Vince Quenneville Jr. 80 (110) 0 0 0 2

25 87 Martin Gagne 62 (128) 0 0 1 1

26 22J Gino Clair 62 (128) 0 0 1 1

27 9 Mark Smoke 60 (130) 0 0 0 1

28 4k Jasmin Leveille 58 (132) 0 0 0 1

29 90 Martin Roy 56 (134) 0 0 0 1

30 49 Francois Bernier 54 (136) 0 0 0 1

31 77g Robbie Grant 53 (137) 0 0 0 1

32 24 Andrew Ranger 48 (142) 0 0 0 1

33 19 Michel Pelletier 46 (144) 0 0 0 1

34 66w Wallace Stacey 43 (147) 0 0 0 1

35 1L David Langlois 42 (148) 0 0 0 1

36 3 Claude Brouillard 41 (149) 0 0 0 1

37 24L Carl Labonte 41 (149) 0 0 0 1

38 72x Alain LaPlante 40 (150) 0 0 0 1

39 8s Christian Salvas 40 (150) 0 0 0 1

40 1 Danny Johnson 40 (150) 0 0 0 1

41 37p Francisco Perera 20 (170) 0 0 0 0

42 29 Gilles Bessette 10 (180) 0 0 0 0

43 2x Luke Plante 10 (180) 0 0 0 0

44 48 Patrick Picotin 10 (180) 0 0 0 0

45 14 Billy Cook 10 (180) 0 0 0 0

46 8 Francois Becksted 10 (180) 0 0 0 0

2007 Mr. DIRTcar 358-Modified Championship Series Schedule

DAY-DATE LAPS TRACK LOCATION/WINNER

Mon-Aug 20 100 Autodrome Drummond Brett Hearn

Tue-Aug 21 100 Autodrome Granby Kayle Robidoux

Sun-Sep 2 100 Cornwall Motor Speedway Cornwall, ONT

Fri-Sep 7 100 Autodrome Edelweiss Hull, QUE

Sat-Sep 8 50 Lebanon Valley Speedway West Lebanon, NY

Fri-Sep 14 75 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville, NY

Sat-Sep 15 100 Brockville Ont Speedway Brockville, ONT

Fri-Sep 21 100 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge,NY

Wed-Oct 3 75 Can-Am Motorsports Park LaFargeville, NY

Thr-Oct 4 75 Brewerton Speedway Brewerton, NY

Fri-Oct 5 100 Rolling Wheels Raceway Elbridge, NY

Sat-Oct 6 150 New York State Fairgrnds Syracuse,NY

Fri-Oct 12 50 New Egypt Speedway New Egypt, NJ

Sat-Oct 20 100 Orange Co Fair Speedway Middletown,NY

*All events subject to change.

The Advance Auto Parts Super DIRTcar Series for Big-Block Modifieds is brought to fans across the Northeast by several sponsors and partners, including series sponsors Advance Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire and Sunoco Race Fuels. Promotional partners include AMB i.t., F.X. Caprara Car Companies, Rite Aid Corporation and the University of Northwestern Ohio and the contingency sponsors are Bert Transmission, Bicknell Racing Products, Bilstein Shocks, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Integra Shocks, MSD Ignitions, Miller Electric Manufacturing Company and Wrisco Industries.