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For Immediate Release October
31, 2007 From Jim Irvine With files from Dave Sully, Rick Kavanagh & Bruce
Bonham
Merrittville Speedway Public Relations 905-685-7223 (Winter Office)
THOROLD, Ontario (October 31, 2007) With
18 career Merrittville Speedway Modified Championships and more than 100
feature wins at the Thorold race place – you wouldn’t think that it would be
July before Pete Bicknell made his first trip to Victory Lane.
Despite being the point leader, he hadn’t
scored that elusive first victory until Saturday, July 7th, and when he did, he
used an entirely un-Bicknell like groove to do it. Shunning the so-called
“Bicknell Line,” hugging the rail, the eighteen time track champion from St.
Catharines used the outside to ensure his win in the thirty-five lap modified
feature, holding off a stiff challenge by Chad Brachmann in the process.
On scoring his first win using the
uncharacteristic line, Bicknell offered, “I knew it was good on the bottom, but
I also knew the top was fast. I tried it a few times and I knew there was a lot
of good bite out there. I knew those guys are top runners so I figured I was
going to have to stay up there and maybe block them if nothing else.”
Also getting Doug Leonard’s double
checkered flag salute for the first time was Brad Rouse while repeat winners
included Jeff Dayman, Paul Klager and Ken Kadwell in the CMH Leasing sponsored
event.
Kadwell’s second
career win came in the Summer Shootout – Round Two of the 2007 Turn 4 Collision
4 Cylinder Triple Crown Series.
Adam Ferri’s Lafarge North America Pit
Crew would earn King of the Pits Honors and $200 after winning a spirited Pit
Crew Challenge. Ferri’s crew beat that of fellow 358 Mod drivers Bicknell and
Ken Cosgrove. In all – 6 teams representing all 5 DIRT Weekly Racing Series
Teams participated.
Devin Habiult had thoughts of becoming a
two time winner later on in the season as the 2006 Big Block Grand Marshall was
among the first group of finalists selected for the 2007 edition.
After just the second rain out of the
season delayed July 14th’s Lucas Oil 358 Modified Shootout and the Merrittville
Speedway Reunion Night, (not that has ever happened before), Ferri would follow
up the winning performance of his crew with his first career Modified Victory
when first time sponsor – the Ontario Environmental Safety Network played host
to the Lucas Oil Sportsmen Shootout.
No stranger to Tuesday Night’s Kart
Victory Lane with his son Colin, Don Spatorico made his own visit to the Stock
Car Version after the second generation driver won the 56 lap Sportsmen Series
Event.
Spatorico commented, “As well as I was
running on the top, I didn’t think anybody could catch me on the bottom, but
when the No. 21 (Jim Johnstone) started showing his nose, I kind of went to the
bottom to hold him off as much as I could.”
Jeff Dayman, Paul Klager and Trevor
Goulding rounded out the winner’s circle guest list.
July would close with somewhat of a
reinvented night with Modern Corporation’s Truck Show ‘n Shine Night also
playing host to Merrittville Speedway’s Nostalgia Night hosted by the
Merrittville Speedway Reunion Committee with the featured event – the
rain-delayed 56 lap Lucas Oil 358 Modified Shootout by www.dirttrackdigest.com.
It was truly a night of firsts – as Chad
Brachmann came home the big winner – taking home the Jerry Winger Memorial 358
Mod win.
Brachmann commented, “I just had to wait
my turn and bide my time throughout the race. The track was super fast
tonight. It was awesome. I’ve had a real good car the last couple weeks, so I
knew I had a good piece under me. I just had to keep it clean.” Of the last
two laps, when his car slowed noticeably, he added, “Something wasn’t running
right with my motor, and it was popping and banging an backfiring a bit, so I
was doing everything I could just to keep my momentum up and caught the cushion
a couple of times because I had things I was thinking about with the motor.
Luckily we made it to the end.”
Brachmann would also win the Ed McPherson
Construction Philbrick Farm & Garden Equipment Cub Cadet Clash for Cash.
The first timer streak continued as Nick
Cupolo, Mike Dooley, Shawn Sliter and Rob Overholt made their first trips to
Victory Lane.
For former Hoosier Stock and Duel on the
Dirt Champion Dooley – it was his first win in some one and a half seasons.
Another emotional Victory Lane
celebration took place with Sliter’s first win quickly turning into a staff
party with all the Modern Employees joined family and crew in Victory Lane.
The Night also featured the 2007 L. St.
Amand Enterprises Wall of Fame Inductions and along with Hughie Tripp … Harvey
Hainer Jr. and Tammy Willard became the newest members.
The occasion marked the first time that a
father and son had been honored as Harvey Sr.’s plaque has been in place for a
number of years. Another first took place as Willard joined her grandfather
Bill Willard Sr. – a pioneer of the sport and the very first individual to be
inducted.
Former Mod Stock Driver Ryan Hunsinger
won the Vintage Car Race while the C.J. McPherson entry was picked as the best
appearing truck by Merrittville fans.
The Petris Family was picked to be the
finalists in the Big Block Grand Marshall Contest.
Before we take a look at how
Merrittville’s point races are shaping up heading into the home stretch – it’s
time to review the Lucas Oil Shootout points as Merrittville hosted the second
last events for each division.
Spatorico’s
Merrittville triumph was his second of the Sportsmen Chase but Chad Chevalier
holds a 2 point edge in the standings. Behind Spatorico was Mat Williamson in
third spot with the final to come at Ransomville Speedway in August.
Brachmann became
the 4th different winner in as many 358 Modified Events with rookie Jeff
McGinnis leading the points. McGinnis would lead fellow second generation
driver Scott Wood by 9 points heading into finale at the Ohsweken Speedway to
come during the month of August.
With the Merrittville 358 Modified Points
update pending results of technical inspections after July 28th’s event, Pete
Bicknell went into the final event of the month leading the points with his
single win. With three wins apiece, Wood and Larry Lampman would sit in second
and third while Brachmann and Ken Cosgrove would close out the top 5.
Tyler McPherson would sit atop the
Sportsmen standings with a single win – holding a 6 point lead over Chevalier
who had chalked up two wins as has third place driver Mike Bowman, Wayne Conn
and Alan Sleight rounded out the top 5.
One of the closest point races was shaping
up in the Hoosier Stock Division as three time winner Rob Murray was holding a
5 point lead over 4 time winner Jeff Dayman. Two timer Cody McPherson was just
3 markers behind Dayman. Peter Reid and Dooley closed out the top 5.
Paul Klager continues his dominance of
the Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite Division – bringing the win total to 9 with Shawn
Sliter and Wayne Robbins – each with one win were in their own race for the
runner-up spot in second and third.
With three wins, Abel Castelein sat atop
the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Division – leading Aaron Wiley and James Small.
So heading into August … would Pete
Bicknell return to Victory Lane and would he hold on to the points lead with
multi-time winners Wood and Lampman looking to break through.
With the countdown underway to the return
of the Big Blocks – would Chad Brachmann continue his hot streak. When the
green flag drops on the 100 lap Trevor Wilkens Memorial after the Petris
Family’s rendition of ‘Gentlemen Start Your Engines’ – would he choose his 358
or Big Block Original Pizza Logs’ #3?
These questions and many more would be
answered throughout the month of August as Merrittville Speedway’s 56th
consecutive season winds down.
Join us next season on a Saturday Night
for A DIRT WEEKLY RACING SERIES EVENT featuring FIVE Weekly Racing Divisions
featuring local heroes and up-coming new stars!
On regular nights, Merrittville
Speedway’s Race Teams compete for over $14,000 in weekly posted purses - all
for the best price ticket price in town at just $10.00.
Your Local Dirt Track
is where it's at!! Merrittville Speedway "The Best Family Entertainment in Niagara! |
