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For Immediate Release
November 8, 2007 From Jim Irvine
With files from Dave
Sully, Rick Kavanagh & Bruce Bonham
Merrittville Speedway Public
Relations
905-685-7223 (Winter Office)
THOROLD, Ontario (November 8, 2007) Two first
time winners shared the spotlight kicking off a busy month of August at
Merrittville Speedway as Travis Braun and Mike Giberson each made their first
trips to Victory Lane in the Sportsmen and 4 cylinder Divisions.
Rick Richner would win his second event of
the season in the Hingston Metal Fabricators night while Rob Murray and Paul
Klager would score feature wins as well in the first of two nights – August
4th.
Former racer and car owner Terry St. Amand
was also a winner as his Orange Harley Davidson was picked as the fan favorite
in the Motorcycle Show and Shine.
For the second straight year, the
Toolneeds Trevor Wilkens Memorial would feature a visit of the Advance Auto
Parts Super Dirtcar Series and when the 100 lap event was in the books – it was
Danny Johnson putting in a dominating performance.
It all began with a rousing “Gentlemen
Start Your Engines’ from Merrittville Speedway’s 2007 Group of Grand Marshalls
– the Petris Family.
It was definitely a big block track unlike
last year when Pete Bicknell and Ken Cosgrove finished second and third.
Invader Tim Fuller opted for a 358
powerplant and was the top finisher against the big blocks taking 4th spot
while Larry Lampman was the top Merrittville 358 Driver – coming home 9th.
Danny Johnson commented, “My car worked
well; maybe everybody else’s weren’t working so well. Track conditions the way
they were made it work really well for us.” As for having anything to worry
about, he added, “I just didn’t know who was behind me or how far they were. I
knew I had a good hot rod and I just maintained my line. I didn’t think
anybody could get by me. I just went as hard as I could for a hundred laps.”
Second place finisher Billy Decker noted,
“We set up way too tight and paid the piper. We didn’t get going until lap
fifty. I don’t how we were at the end, but I know we made up a ton of ground.
When we got into fourth, Fuller and Hearn had a straightaway lead but got
caught up in traffic. I don’t know how we stacked up against Dan. He was just
gone. Out of sight.”
Brett Hearn, who ended up third, was happy
with the track, declaring, “Amazing, amazing conditions. Everything you could
ask for in a race track. You could run three or four wide, go anywhere you
wanted to go. It was a great race, probably one of the longest runs I remember
in a hundred lap race.”
Pete Bicknell would lead on lap from the
front row with his small block but from that point on it was all Danny Johnson
who led the remaining 99.
Shawn Sliter and Peter Reid would also
earn wins in the second Monday Special Event of the season.
Bill Willard was about the only family
member to know in advance of his sister Tammy Willard’s induction into the L.
St. Amand Enterprises Wall of Fame back in July but when it came to his son’s
first Sportsmen Feature Win – he was probably the last to know.
When TRW presented Help a Child Smile
Night August 11th – BJ Willard was all smiles in telling his dad and
grandfather Alan Willard and the rest of the family about the historic win via
his sister Alicia’s cell phone in an emotional Victory Lane Celebration.
As one might expect, Willard was ecstatic
with the win, declaring, “It’s unbelievable. I’m so happy. It’s
unbelievable. I can’t be the one (in the family) who hasn’t won one yet, so
I’m finally there.” Of the race, he added, “I just tried to keep my line and
stay smooth. I didn’t see any doors during the race, so I figured I was
running a fast line.” Regarding the caution on lap twenty-four, he observed,
“My heart sank. I couldn’t believe it, but looking up at the board and seeing
all those big names behind me, I knew my dad raced against all those guys. I
have a lot of respect for them. I tried to keep my line and race clean, and I
came away with the win. With all those big names behind me I didn’t want to
get those last lap jitters. I kept yelling at myself, ‘You can do it. You led
this far. You can do it.’” He did, and another Willard entered the record
books as a winner.
Scott George would also win his first
Merrittville 358 Feature in the caution free event – the first for car owners
Darren and Todd Kendrick.
George credited a change in the setup as
the key to his win, noting, “We changed the shocks around tonight and the car
was much better. I just drove the heck out of it on the top and whatever was
going to happen happened. There were guys on the bottom. I’m not going to
follow them if I can run the top, so I just kept plugging away at the top and
we came out the winner tonight.”
An incredible streak was developing with
the 358 Mods running 130 caution free feature laps.
Ironically, it was the second time of the
night that the car owners were absent as the Kendricks were not able to witness
their driver’s first win either.
Rob Murray would add another Hoosier Stock
win as would Shawn Sliter and Abel Castelein in the Open Wheel Lite and 4
cylinder ranks.
It was an emotional scene for Castelein as
his son and fellow 4 Cylinder racer Matt was recovering in hospital after being
involved in a street accident.
Dan McNeil would also visit Victory Lane
in the third and final Konzelmann Estate Winery Enduro Qualifier – earning the
third starting spot in the 100 lap Battle Royale that would later close out the
season.
August 18th’s Avondale Food Stores Six
Star Night was a night of seconds as Pete Bicknell, Rob Knapp, Mike Dooley and
Trevor Goulding would all win their second 2007 events.
Steve Dixon was also a two timer after
winning one of the best BRP 360 Late Model Events of the summer in their second
visit of the season.
Shawn Sliter doubled up on all the other
winners – earning his 4th event of the season.
Bicknell’s run was again caution free –
increasing the 358 streak to 165 straight green flag laps.
Bicknell offered, “the track was a little
slick in the center, but it had great bottom and a great top. As long as you
didn’t try to run through the center too much it was great. We could run pretty
much wherever I had to.” Of his dalliance with the wall, he added, “Once I hit
it pretty hard. I was watching a lap car. I wanted to try to get a run under
him. I just turned a little bit too soon and hit her pretty good. The car
jumped right across the track. I did it last week too, so it’s getting to be a
habit.”
Another of Merrittville’s first families
had reason to celebrate during Meridian Credit Union’s Back to School Night
August 25th as third generation driver Brent Begolo would win his first career
feature as a rookie in the Hoosier Stock Division.
The third generation driver of the famed
#16, eighteen year old, Brent Begolo, a hometown driver from Thorold, scored
his first ever Hoosier Stock win, besting a strong field. The son of former
modified star Jim Begolo, and grandson of Merrittville “Wall of Famer,” Jeno
Begolo, took the lead just before a lap eight caution after starting in the
seventh position and then cruised to the win.
It was an emotional Victory Lane with the
three generations of drivers and his grandmother Shirley among family and
friends celebrating.
Chad Brachmann would win his second
feature of the season as a 358 record would fall as after 195 straight caution
free laps – the L. St. Amand Enterprises Division would see a yellow flag.
Rounding out the final night of August
were feature winners Tyler McPherson, Paul Klager and Trevor Goulding.
So it would all come down to one event as
all 5 Dirt Weekly Racing Series divisions point races would conclude with the
Garden City Auto Complex and Bryan Fretz Financial presentation of the Labour
Day FANtastic September 1st.
Comfortable margins would mean that Pete
Bicknell, Rob Murray and Paul Klager would pretty much just have to start their
feature events to be crowned 2007 Champions.
Abel Castelein had already assured himself
of the title with his lead also but similar to last season’s neck and neck
battle between Wayne Conn and Alan Sleight – the Original Pizza Logs Sportsmen
Championship would come right down to the wire in the Sterling Silver Feature
Event – an award donated by former Sportsmen driver Ken Walsh in honor of the
late Bill Willard Senior.
By virtue of his latest win, Tyler
McPherson leapfrogged into the lead by just two points over Chad Chevalier with
Mike Bowman just 10 point behind Chevalier. The top three each had 2 wins
apiece with last year’s challengers Sleight and Conn still having an outside
chance at the title while still looking for their first wins of the season as
well.
So join us one last time for a look at how
the final night would put all the pieces of the puzzle together to complete
Merrittville Speedway’s 56th consecutive season. The annual J&S Heating Weekend
will also be revisited in addition to the Konzelmann Estate Winery 100 lap
Battle Royale Enduro.
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!
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