|
It’s hard to
believe that 55 seasons of dirt track stock car racing has come and gone for
this Saturday night racing tradition that started out from humble beginnings as
a ¼ mile dusty oval on July 1, 1952.
While it is
interesting to trace the history of tracks such as CNE, Pinecrest, Oakwood,
Speedway Park, Mohawk, Bridgeport and many others, they have all gone the way
of the dinosaur, while this now 3/8 mile dirt oval not only celebrates its
history, but continues to add to it and that’s exactly what we did on July 15,
2006.
The
Merrittville Speedway Reunion Committee with Rick Kavanagh, (chairman) Terry
Huffman, Erica Bicknell, Jeno Begolo, Jim Irvine, Mark and Bruce Swartz and Ted
Renshaw, planned another alumni reunion and with over 260 guests for a barbeque
dinner, under beautiful sunny skies, we all got to visit with many racing
friends, check out the many years of memorabilia, and vintage race cars, all
before the night’s six racing divisions took to the track.
The display of
vintage race cars dated from the 1940’s and highlighted with John Smith and
Daryl Bray’s Desoto powered “Big Car” and their Chrysler powered 1936 Plymouth
Coupe that was driven at Merrittville by Doug Ryder, in 1954-55 and both
beautifully restored. Having these two cars on display along with our other
alumni’s collection of coupes and coaches (tudors) really created a “time
machine” especially when compared to the modern Bicknell chassied modifieds of
today. A real surprise was the phone call that Erica Bicknell received, that
the History Channel would like to be present and film, both the Reunion and
evening’s racing event for one of their upcoming programs, this fall. We will
all be looking forward to seeing the finished product.
When we fired
up the vintage race cars for “hot laps” we all knew that it was time to head
for the grandstand for an evening of racing. This evening would serve –up a
real variety of classes, from late model “Hoosier Stocks” to dwarf cars,
mini-stocks, vintage, sportsman and modifieds, which would be our feature
event, for the Jerry Winger Memorial 55 lap Lucas Oil Shootout.
While there
were many facets to the evening, some highlights included the following
events:
The vintage
heats and feature were a joy to watch as many of our Alumni racers, graciously
raced their pieces of racing history in front of a packed grandstand, but when
compared to the modern technology of the modern dirt modified, with their
performance on the track, proved just how far this sport has evolved.
The modern
modifieds put on a special Dash for Cash event sponsored by long time Alumni
supporters Sandy MacPherson and Tim Tallman and won by Rick Vinson of Sanborn,
New York.
Intermission,
however, was our focal point for the celebration, as we inducted three more of
Merrittville’s Alumni to our Merrittville Speedway Alumni Wall of Fame,
sponsored by Bob and Pat St. Amand of L. St. Amand Enterprises. Bob is our
present pit steward and also a past modified champion and Wall of Fame
inductee, and all of us at Merrittville Speedway thank them for their
continuing sponsorship.
Erik Tomas,
from Raceline Radio was our emcee on stage. Our first inductee was presented
by Reunion Committee members Jeno Begolo, past champion and Wall of Famer and
Mark Swartz, to the Richardson Family in memory of their father Charles “Chuck”
Richardson, who competed at Merrittville when it was a ¼ mile oval from 1953 to
1968 and was a racing pioneer of our sport during that era, when we evolved
from flat head Fords to overhead valved Chevrolets.
The second
inductee was real treat for us as we inducted a racer who was not only our
modified champion in 1980, but competed at Merrittville Speedway for 41 years.
Don Turner from Binbrook, Ontario goes back to the early 1960’s at Speedway
Park (Stoney Creek) and Merrittville Speedway when he started out in the late
model division and moved up to the sportsman-modified division during the mid
60’s. Don and his brother-in-law Roy Hammill, purchased one of the first
factory race cars, a Tobias chassied Gremlin bodied modified and went on to win
the 1980 modified Championship. Probably one of the things that was respected
the most about Don’s career, was the fact that in 41 years of competition, he
and Roy competed without any major sponsorship, just his familiar #39 and a
Canadian flag painted on his metallic blue modified. It was a pleasure for
myself, Jim Irvine and Erica Bicknell to present Don with his plaque.
Our final
inductee was presented by Terry Huffman and Bruce Swartz Jr. Mike Gratton had
a colourful career as a modified competitor, starting out with car owner Ray
Stevens, himself a “Wall of Famer” and along with friend Billy Matthews,
competed from their home track at Merrittville Speedway up and down the D.I.R.T.
circuit. Mike went on to work in NASCAR, Winston Cup circles, as a fabricator
and tire changer with brother in law, Mike Hillman, first for Jimmy Horton and
then Dick Trickle. Along the way, Mike learned many skills and has returned to
his roots, at Merrittville, now as a car owner, where he has fabricated a very
successful Camaro #777, where former go-karter Tyler McPherson won the
Merrittville and Humberstone Championships in 2005 and Mike was awarded Crew
Chief of the year for their Hoosier Stock. For 2006, he has constructed
another #20 Camaro for former late model and modified competitor Terry St.
Amand and also Cody McPherson, a former go-karter, is behind the wheel of the
777. Mike’s plan is not only as a car owner, but as a mentor, to give an up
and coming go-karter a chance to race at the next level, in good equipment.
With the
inductions complete, it was time for both the sportsman and modified features.
For our finale, we asked John Smith and Daryl Bray to pace the modern modifieds
with their beautiful vintage race cars. After a hard fought battle between
Scott Wood #38 and Peter Bicknell #42, Bicknell’s modified held off the Thorold
racers, late race challenges to win the 55 lap Jerry Winger Memorial- Lucas Oil
Shootout and was presented with the winner’s trophies, with the Winger Family
present.
While this
brought an end to our 55th Anniversary celebration, by the time you read this,
we will have crowned our Champions in each division. The points chase is too
close to call in each one, but by Labour Day weekend our 55th season will be
complete for the modifieds and sportsman.
As the longest
continuous operating dirt track, not only in Niagara, but in Canada, we welcome
you to join us next year, as we celebrate 56 seasons.
For more
information on Merrittville Speedway, contact us online at
www.merrittvillespeedway.com and for more in depth racing history
and area tracks of the past, search under Merrittville Memories.
The
Merrittville Speedway Reunion Committee would like to thank event sponsors, TRW
(Canada), L. St. Amand Enterprises, CAA Niagara, and the Fonthill Kinsmen for
their support.
Text by Rick
Kavanagh
Photos by Julie
Davidson & Bruce Bonham |
