Thorold, Ontario (June 22) – Brad Rouse became the first repeat Sportsman winner in 2008 at Merrittville Speedway by winning the 50 lap Lucas Oil Shootout by Dirt Track Digest.com. 

The Ontario Environmental Safety Network Night June 21st also saw 2 drivers earn their first ever features as Chris Steele and Chris Laskey came home on top of the L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified and Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Divisions. 

In other Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series action, Shawn Sliter and Dolph McCready both added to their win totals in the Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lites and Hoosier Stock Divisions. 

The Night started off with news of a new multi-level multi-year sponsorship for Merrittville Speedway with Lucas Oil. 

“Steve Snowden and Lucas Oil have become an integral part of local Dirt Racing and we are excited that they will remain a part of Merrittville well into the future … this is our biggest sponsorship announcement ever.” 

“It’s a big announcement for us at Lucas Oil as well,” stated Snowden.  “before we got involved with the Shoot Outs … to be honest – I wasn’t all that familiar with dirt … but eventually I became a huge fan … I feel real dirty!” 

The redraw on the front-stretch after qualifying saw the top12 Sportsman drivers picking their starting spots and probably for the first time in the history of draws – the last two drivers left would make up the front row. A situation almost as unique as the Shootout itself. 

Rob Knapp would draw the pole and Brad Rouse the outside. 

The two led the 25 car starting field to the green flag of the 50 lap Sportsman Shootout with Rouse taking control at the start-finish line. A couple of early cautions would slow the leaders but right away – Rouse chose the outside slot on each of the restarts. 

About halfway, Rouse would catch lap traffic and this allowed Tyler McPherson the chance to catch up to the leader who had enjoyed a healthy lead in the early going. McPherson edged ahead of Rouse but the two ran side by side … neck and neck with neither having a real advantage over the other- until lap 40. 

McPherson took control and quickly opened up a bit of a lead. Racing into turn three on lap 47, Rouse edged ahead of McPherson after slight contact and regained control of top spot. 

Not only was the schedule rushed due to threatening weather - the Baron Roofing #18 may have been a little rushed as well revealed Rouse, “I’ve got to thank my crew chief … Dave Osborne … he’s at home sick … this one’s for him.” 

Tyler McPherson pulled into Victory Lane with a right rear tire that was quickly going flat, “the lap cars were fighting for their spots pretty fiercely … I could get by them around the bottom … but when I went back to the top … I had quite a push.” 

Rouse and McPherson were followed by defending Lucas Oil Shootout and Merrittville Champion Chad Chevalier, Rob Knapp and Mark D’Ilario. 

Chris Steele may very well change his number to 33. 

Rookie Darren Peters was first to lead the 35 lap L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified Feature before fellow front row starter Chris Steele took control along the backstretch before one lap was in the books. 

Like Rouse before him, Steele chose the outside spot in a string of three early cautions and regained the lead each time. The former karter and Open Wheel Lite driver and Derek Lemyre seemed to have the field covered early on – Steele a comfortable lead on Lemyre who enjoyed the same on the field to the half-way point. 

As the race neared the 10 to go mark, Chad Brachmann was making another late race charge to the front and by lap 25 took control of third. Three laps later Brachmann took control of second before a lap 29 caution stalled his surge. 

Like in earlier cautions, Steele regained top spot before another caution slowed the field on lap 33 as rain iced up the racing surface. 

After a couple laps under yellow, the rain increased forcing Starter Doug Leonard to wave his double checkered flags 2 laps early. 

“We’re very very proud of him,” revealed his dad Owen in a pit-side interview with Track co-announcer Clinton Geoffrey while his son was in the scale area, “he’s been knocking on the door all year … now the monkey’s off his back.” 

Steele virtually slid his MAC Outpost # 80 into Victory Lane but commented once out of the car, “This thing was good up top … I spent 3 hours scaling it today … I think mom’s going to have to start leaving early now …every week!” 

Brachmann would have to settle for second with Rick Richner, Pete Bicknell and Derek Lemyre as the top 5. 

Just before a lap 5 caution slowed the pace in the 15 lap Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Feature, Chris Laskey took control of top spot from front row starters Damian Gore and Rob Goulding.  

Laskey resumed control on the restart with Gore challenging before Laskey opened up a comfortable lead by lap 7. 

With Laskey out front, Gore was now facing a challenge from Aaron Wiley. 

Wiley took second on lap 9 and three laps later showed signs of his patented ‘Merrittville smoke’ but it only puffed once through turns 3 and 4. 

Wiley ran out of laps and could not catch Laskey who earned his first ever win. 

“This division is awesome … I’m having so much fun,” said Laskey in Victory Lane, “I can’t thank my wife enough and the Smalls … they helped me rebuild this car.” 

Laskey and Wiley were followed by Gore, Trevor Goulding and Ron Cosco. 

In quite a reversal from last week’s Turn 1 flip, Shawn Sliter was quick to thank some people too in Victory Lane, “ I can’t thank my crew enough … they worked after the races last week til 3 so we could make Humberstone.” 

Former champion Wally Billing took control of the 20 lap Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite Feature before youngster Jordan Curran was the new leader along the backstretch. An early caution for two separate incidents on lap 3 slowed the field.  

With Curran out front Sliter was on the move – taking second by lap 9.Quickly Sliter closed to within a car length of Curran before taking the lead to start lap 13. Immediately Sliter’s pace was slowed on lap 14.  Again on lap 17 another yellow would cut a considerable lead Sliter had opened up. Through to the checkered it was all Sliter with team-mate Gilbert in the runner-up spot.  

Curran held on for third with Adam Leslie rebounding from a couple incidents nicely to take fourth. Josh Sliter continues to improve as well with a fifth place showing. 

Kevin Kocarik’s lead of the 20 lap Hoosier Stock Feature was slowed after an early caution. Shayne Pierce made quite an early challenge – the two quickly were in quite a see-saw battle – exchanging the lead back and forth several times. 

Back in the pack, second generation driver Brent Begolo and others were all involved in battles of their own. At times three wide the leaders were sometimes three and four wide until another caution on lap 9 eased the war. 

It was here that some of the deck seemed to have gotten shuffled. 

Kocarik got his lead back on the restart before Pierce took it back and pulled away to a comfortable lead.

In the second half, Dolph McCready was on the move and soon caught up to Pierce – taking over top spot along the front-stretch of lap 17. 

“I really don’t know what’s going on with it,” revealed McCready in Victory Lane 3 laps later, “the car’s working real good … and it’s fast … as long as it stays that way … that’s great.” 

Pierce would settle for second with Barry Blanchard, Cody McPherson and Rob Murray making late race charges to close out the top 5. 

Merrittville Speedway Results – Saturday June 21, 2008

Ontario Environmental Safety Network Night 

Lucas Oil 50 lap Sportsman Shootout by Dirt Track Digest.com 

Brad Rouse, Tyler McPherson, Chad Chevalier, Rob Knapp, Mark D’Ilario, Greg Panunte, Mat Williamson, Mike Bowman, Nick Cupolo, Jim Johnstone, Joe Middlemiss, Luke Carleton, James Friesen, Norm Mark, Ryan Susice, Ken Winnfield, Rob Pratt, Rick Bellante, 18J, Darren Zumpe, Jesse Cotriss, Justin Sharp, Mark Dixon.

Lucas Oil Sportsman Shootout Heat Winners First – Brandon Easy, Second – Norm Mark, Third – Darren Zumpe, Tyler McPherson.

Lucas Oil Sportsman Shootout B Main Winners First – Rob Pratt, Second – Ken Winnfield.

L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified Feature – 33 laps 

Chris Steele, Chad Brachmann, Rick Richner, Pete Bicknell, Derek Lemyre, Tim Jones, Bill Bleich, Larry Lampman, Boyd MacTavish, Travis Braun, Shawn George, Scott Wood, Ken Cosgrove, Tom Flannigan, Brian Stevens, Darren Peters, George Bosse, Todd Gordon, Dan Miller, Todd Kendrick, Travis Cunningham, Graham MacKay, Derek Wutzke, Fred Carleton. 

L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified Heat Winners First – Darren Peters, Second – Chris Steele, Third – Todd Gordon. 

Hoosier Stock Feature – 20 laps 

Dolph McCready, Shayne Pierce, Barry Blanchard, Cody McPherson, Rob Murray, Brent Begolo, Bill Hogue, Kirk Wilson, Kevin Kocarik, Rick Beales, Jeff Dayman, Mike Dooley, Ron Kingsbury, Kevin Knapp, Jason Fontaine, Mark Fawcett, Billy Bleich, David Small, Rob Disher, Russ Davidson, 2, Ron Loggie, Brett Robbins, Vince Fargnoli. 

Hoosier Stock Heat Winners – First – Dave Small, Second – Brent Begolo, Third – Shayne Pierce.  

Hoosier Stock B Main Winner – Jason Fontaine. 

Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite Feature – 20 laps 

Shawn Sliter, Jamie Gilbert, Jordan Curran, Adam Leslie, Josh Sliter, Dave Russell, Wayne Robbins, Kellie Mason, Derek Bredin, Wally Billing, Bob Bredin, Scott Philips, Rick Brubacher, Dale Leonard, Blair Young, Jason Corless, Kory Howe, Scott Billing.   

5 Star Racing Products Lucky Dog Winner – Wayne Robbins 

Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite Heat Winners – First – Adam Leslie, Second – Wally Billing, Third – Shawn Sliter.

Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Feature – 15 laps 

Chris Laskey, Aaron Wiley, Damian Gore, Trevor Goulding, Ron Cosco, Garnet Wilson, Abel Castelein, Matt Deschamps, Rob Goulding, Rob Overholt, Tony Kelly, Terry Larmet, Bob Gill, Greg Wilson, Rocco Conte, Garfield Robichaud, Bill Stoner, Rick Grundy, Tony Braster, Roger Gilbert, Mike Giberson, Jocelynne Wiley, David Lopes. 

Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Heat Winners – First – Matt Deschamps, Second – Rob Goulding. 

UPCOMING AT MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY 

Celebrate Canada Day at Merrittville Speedway as Boltworks presents the famous $1.00 Pillers Hot Dog Night featuring a 5 Division Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Event plus the 2nd Konzelmann Estate Winery Enduro Qualifier accelerated by Niagara College and FIREWORKS  

Gates open at 5:30. Show time at 7:00. For further info call 905-892-8266 or visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com.   

MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY SPONSORS
 

The 2008 Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series for Merrittville Speedway’s 5 Divisions is brought to fans by partners including the Ontario Environmental Safety Network in addition to contingency sponsors Bilstein Shock Absorbers, Hoosier Tire Canada, Inside Track Motorsport News, Intercomp, ISC Racer’s Tape, Jaz Products, Kirkey Racing Fabrication, Motorsports Safety Systems, Port City Racing, R.J.S. Racing Equipment, Sway-A-Way, Ultra Shield Race Products, Outerwears and XRP, Inc. 

Lucas Oil Products is one of the fastest growing additive lines in the consumer automotive industry featuring a premium line of oils, greases and problem-solving additives. 

Through innovative product research and development, along with aggressive marketing programs, Lucas Oil Products has established itself as the top selling additive in the industry.  

Race fans can look for Lucas Oil Products at their favorite automotive retailer including the St. Catharines and Niagara Falls PartSource locations, Drummond Home Hardware in Niagara Falls and through RCM Racing Equipment