|
Thursday
April 3, 2008 From Jim Irvine
Merrittville
Speedway Public Relations
905-685-7223 – Winter Office
Thorold, Ontario (April
3) – For those of you that have visited Merrittville
Speedway’s Race Car Show at the Pen Centre – you may
sense that something isn’t quite right when you stop
in again before Sunday.
Rick Bellante’s sleek
looking #62 Sportsman Car seems to have turned it self
into Rob Knapp’s # 2K!
And no it isn’t some
belated April Fool’s Joke.
While the Baron
Roofing Windows and Doors Spring Sizzler 100 is just
now 23 days away on Saturday April 26th – the 2008
Sportsmen Super DIRTcar Series is just hours away from
starting at the Black Rock Speedway in Dundee New
York.
Bellante and a large
contingent of his Original Pizza Logs Sportsman
Division peers will converge on the track for the
early start in quest of the $5,000 to win first place
prize.
Bellante this season
has become a big part of the Little Brothers Race Team
who will make quite an effort over the weekend. His
team-mate Rob Knapp will also attempt to qualify his
second Sportsmen entry while his younger brother Kevin
Knapp is set to attempt the $5,000 to win Street Stock
Event.
So how is that going
to work … the full fendered Monte Carlo is still very
much a part of the Race Car Show that continues until
Sunday afternoon?
Rob does have two
Sportsmen Cars at his disposal this season – is that
the same for the 4K – are there two cars for Kevin
too?
Well kind of … at the
Black Rock Event – Knapp will drive Ron Kingsbury’s
18K for that event.
So it seems that in a
very short time period – Little Knapp Motorsports has
grown to include the two Knapps, Kingsbury, Bellante
and they’ve even helped out sophomore third generation
Hoosier Stock Driver Brent Begolo some.
And that doesn’t
include their Tuesday Night involvement with the karts
of Greg Kohut and Travis Majuery.
Rick Bellante
purposely removed his car early from the show as he
prepares to launch only his second season with a
practice tomorrow at Black Rock before Saturday’s
race.
Like so many of us –
Rick is somewhat of a second generation enthusiast.
His dad – Gabe was
quite a fixture as a fan at all the local tracks and
before long Rick would join him at the races –
eventually cheering on his favorites – Davey Moore and
Harvey Hainer Jr.
Visits after the races
to the pits found a young Rick becoming friends with
Moore which eventually led helping out on the race
cars at the shop.
He crewed for a number
of years until he developed other interests – he
eventually married his girlfriend Pamela. The couple
have been married 14 years and have 3 daughters – Dara,
Alycia and Erica.
A little more than a
year ago – Rick really had no plans on embraking on
his rookie racing season.
A chance visit to
Dennis Giancola’s Commercial Auto Electric shop found
the two interrupted by someone wondering if Dennis
knew anyone who wanted to buy a race car.
That someone ended up
being Rick.
Now how do you explain
that one – going out for milk and bread and oh … by
the way I think I just bought a race car.
“I just can’t thank my
family and friends enough,” prided Bellante, “right
from the start they have been behind me 100%.”
In a very short time
span last year – Rick put himself together a race team
and was all ready to take part in one of the Pete
Bicknell Driving Schools.
“The school taught me
so much,” added Bellante, “I learned so much last year
… and I still have so much ahead of me.”
That so much is quite
an aggressive second season as he intends on competing
in the Super DIRTcar Series, weekly as an Original
Pizza Logs Sportsman Division regular at Merrittville
with a Friday Night stop at Ransomville and Sunday
Nights at Humberstone in addition to the Lucas Oil
Shootout Events.
Growing up with
brothers-in-law Moore and Hainer as his favorites, it
only seemed natural for him to make #62 his when he
became a driver himself – a combination of their
numbers.Bellante’s
car which is a BRP Chassis carries the Little Brothers
Automotive logos in addition to his own Rick’s
Delivery and his parent’s company – Diamond Expedite
To show how small a
world it is – especially within the racing community –
Rick recently moved into a new neighbourhood and one
of his neighbours became quite interested in what Rick
had come home with about a year ago.
He didn’t know it
until then – but he had moved right across the street
from Harvey Hainer Jr.
The Merrittville Wall
of Famer visits quite often – and the two talk racing
… how it was back in the day and where’s it at today.
“He looks at the car
keenly,” reveals Bellante, “he tries to help me out …
he still has a great interest … who knows – I’ll have
to get him in the seat some night.”
For the foreseeable
future and that begins this weekend – the seat is all
Rick Bellante’s.
When Merrittville
Speedway held it’s annual Driver Meetings – last
January – it picked the drivers for the Pen Centre
Mall Show through a draw with 4 picked from each Dirt
Weekly Racing Series Division.
When Rick decided he
would need to leave early to head to Black Rock – the
‘bubble car’ was Rob Knapp. Knapp’s car went in after
Bellante left last night.
So how can Rob show
his 2K at the Pen Centre and race it?
For 2008 – he has two
cars as he plans an aggressive schedule as well.
The race car is his
2001 BRP Chassis of last season. The Show Car is a
former Mike Bowman-owned car of last season. Not the
Mike Bowman that he competes weekly against but
another Mike Bowman that calls Central New York home.
The newer car purchased last fall is a 2002 model. One
car is just for Series and Special Events while the
other is for Saturday Nights at Merrittville.
Earlier we mentioned
that Kevin Knapp will also be in competition this
weekend.
While his 4K Monte
Carlo is on display at the Pen Centre – Kevin will be
behind the wheel of the Ron Kingsbury 18K.
“He had a parts car I
was interested in,” tells Kevin, “we talked about it
and before long … we were talking about his race car …
I said I could go over it and make it right.”
Knapp and his team
mates went over the car … updated the suspension and
installed Kevin’s GM Crate Engine from last season.
“I really don’t know
what I’m in for this weekend,” relayed Knapp, “I might
have an advantage … but it should be tough to
qualify.”
If you went to Super
DIRT Week last fall – you may have noticed Knapp
running the Moody Mile in with his Hoosier Stock.
During the week he also raced it at Weedsport and had
good results with a 4 Barrel in place of his Saturday
Night mandated 2 barrel.
Kevin’s and Rob’s Cars
both share the Little Brothers Logos in addition to
Rick’s Delivery and Diamond Expedite – new this
season.
Also new is the
Harvey’s Restaurant on Geneva Street in St. Catharines
owned by Ron and Diane Elliot in addition to Cameron
Trucking.
Long-time team
sponsors include Turn 4 Collision, Super Fan Glen
Rolston, Thorold Auto Parts, Hainer’s Discount Tire,
Economy Paving, The Ontario Street Mr. Transmission in
St. Catharines, Brockview Motors, Belair Welding and
the GM Crate Engines are from Falls Chevrolet.
So for the Knapps,
Belante and the rest of ‘Team Merrittville’ that is
heading to Black Rock this weekend – hopefully the
weather in the Watkins Glen area is with them.
When the Pen Centre
hosts the Merrittville Driver Autograph Session – the
group will be in the Dundee New York Pit Area getting
ready to start their 2008 Racing Season.
The Little Knapp
Motorsports Race Team will not be left out of the meet
and greet though as it’s Kart Teams are set to take to
the stage.
Greg Kohut and Travis
Majuery will be among the drivers waiting to meet the
fans starting at 1 PM.
Visit
www.merrittvillespeedway.com for updates from Black
Rock if you are not planning on taking the race in
yourself.
Your
local Dirt Track is where it’s at and it’s at
Merrittville Speedway in just 23 Days – Saturday April
26th.
The
star studded 358 Modified Super DIRTcar Series Stars
are set to challenge our home town heroes in the
Spring Sizzler 100 Super DIRTcar Series presented by
Baron Roofing Windows and Doors.
April’s Event also includes a 40 lap event for the
Sportsman and a 25 lap Street Stock Open Event.
With
plenty of free camping – it puts Merrittville Speedway
on the map as a must see event and it’s just the start
of 2008 – you won’t want to miss a single event all
season!
To
learn more call 905-685-7223 until April 1st or visit
www.merrittvillespeedway.com. |
