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FAST FREDDIE FINDS MODIFIED VICTORY AT MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY

THOROLD, Ontario (August 20th, 2023) … The second family autograph night of the season provided plenty of great action at Canada’s Oldest Dirt Track. Fred Carleton of St. Catharines scored his first win in the Corr/Pak Merchandising 358 Modifieds on the season. Niagara On The Lake resident James Friesen won the Right Choice Auto & Leisure DIRTcar Sportsman. In the Hoosier Stocks, Dave Bailey of Hagersville was back in the win column. Joe Isabell of West Munroe, new York wo in the Rona Doidge Modified Lites while Alex Riley of St. Catharines opened the night winning in the Vansickle Pet Valu/PV on the Lane 4 Cylinders.

Ken Winfield and Todd Gordon made up the front row for the initial start of the Corr/Pak Merchandising 358 modified’s. Fred Carleton started on the outside of the second row and quickly jumped up to put pressure on leader Winfield. On Lap 8, Carelton took over the top spot and was largely unchallenged until a caution came out on Lap 16 when Brad Rouse was turned around after contact with Luke Carleton. Fast Freddie jumped out to a sizable lead once again but with 15 laps to go Scott Wood began to reel in Carelton. With 5 laps to go in the race, a lead that was nearly 3 seconds was cut down by Wood’s late charge to just car lengths. On the final lap, Wood sailed in on the outside to get to Carleton’s outside, creating a drag race to the line. Carleton came out on top by .02 seconds, taking his first win at Merrittville since July of 2021. Wood, who tangled with Carleton in a wreck the race prior, settled for second while Pete Bicknell was third, Todd Gordon fourth and Shayne Pierce finished fifth.

The Right Choice Auto & Leisure DIRTcar Sportsman was a race of heart break for outside polesitter Matt Sharpe. Sharpe held advantages early in the 25-lap feature. A pair of cautions came on lap 6 and lap 7 for Chad Chevalier and Curtis Friesen. Sharpe would again jump out a lead while series favourites James Friesen and Cody McPherson started to move up through the field Lap traffic began to become a factor for Sharpe when Billy Bleich Jr. who was already multiple laps down after mechanical issues, was racing side by side with Nathan Peattie who was on the tail end of the lead lap. As Sharpe tried to figure out which lane to try and get through the traffic, James Friesen got to his outside and took the lead with three laps to go. Friesen would dive to another Sportsman win while Sharpe was just short of his first. McPherson came home third, with Noah Mamo and Adam Leslie rounding out the top 5.

Jeff Bean and Gofast Teeple lead a field of 20 Hoosier Stocks to green. Ron Loggie was first to lead multiple circuits out front, The first caution of the race came when John Couture spun on lap 7. On Lap 10, Mark Fawcett saw a strong run go away when his race car suddenly slowed while running in 2nd. After another caution on lap 13, the field settled in, and Dave Bailey took over the top spot with Pete Reid giving chase. A lap car spun in front of the leaders as bailey was set to see the checkered flag, setting up an overtime finish. Reid would take looks to Bailey’s inside but could never get the drive off the corners to stay alongside the leader and Bailey would hang on for another win in the Hoosier Stocks after competing in the NASCAR Pinty’s Series at Ohsweken earlier in the week. Loggie finished in third with Jason Fontaine fourth and Cameron Thomson fifth.

Leroy Buscumb and Ryan Anderson started from the front row for the Rona Doidge Modified Lites feature event. The first and only caution came early when Dan Kviring had a mechanical failure that put down a large amount of fluid on the racetrack. Tyler Winger led after the restart but surrendered the race’s top spot to Joe Isabell before the races halfway point. The New York State driver left the field in his wake, to score the win at Merrittville. 2023’s most dominant driver in the division Brent Begolo came home in the runner up spot while Winger, Buscumb and Rob Misener completed the top 5.

The Vansickle Pet Valu/PV on the Lane feature event set the tone for Saturday night’s great racing action. In the closing laps, Tyler Lafantaisie raced side by side with Austyn Werstroh, neither driver giving an inch. Coming to the white flag, Lafantaisie left just enough room on the bottom for third place runner Alex Riley to join the battle and the three cars raced three wide for the entire final lap. Out of corner four, Riley was able to get the power down and win the drag race to the line. Lafantaisie in the middle was second and Werstroh finished third in the outside lane. Ray Cerenzia and Rob Goulding were fourth and fifth.

Next week, Service Master presents the Action Sprint Tour as Crate Sprint Car racing returns to Merrittville Speedway. Sportsman teams will have the night off while the Corr/Pak Merchandising 358 Modified’s, Hoosier tocks, Rona Doidge Modified Lites and Vansickle Pet Valu/PV on the Lane 4 Cylinders are all back in action. Plus, and a young fan will win 1000 pieces of candy. Pit gates will open at 5:00 pm, grandstands open at 5:30, and racing will begin at 7:00 pm.

Follow Merrittville on social media including Facebook (facebook.com/MerrittvilleSpeedway), Twitter (@Merrittville), and now Instagram and Tik Tok (@merrittvillespeedway). For results, point standings, and more, check out the brand new www.merrittvillespeedway.com

RACE RESULTS –- August 19th, 2023

Corr/Pak Merchandising 358 Modifieds – FRED CARLETON, Scott Wood, Pete Bicknell, Todd Gordon, Shayne Pierce, Dylan Davidson, Darrell Farraway, Ken Winfield, Brad Rouse, Trevor Wright, Paul Gaboury, Justin Sharp, Dave Flannigan Jr., Derek VanMil, Luke Carelton, Doug Gordon

Qualifying Heats – Fred Carleton, Scott Wood

Right Choice Auto & Leisure DIRTcar Sportsman – JAMES FRIESEN (2), Matt Sharpe, Cody McPherson, Noah Mamo, Adam Leslie, Jay Mallory, Rob Knapp, Nelson Mason, Matteo Panunte, Jason VanMil, Jordan Cosco, Chad Chevalier, Terry Smith, Taylor Vanderzanden, Curtis Friesen, Tyler Pulchalski, Graeme Toth, Nathan Peattie, Billy Bleich Jr., Brent Begolo, Dave Small, (DNS) Dave Small

Qualifying Heats – Noah Mamo, Matteo Panunte, Matt Sharpe

Hoosier Stocks – DAVE BAILEY (5), Pete Reid, Ron Loggie, Jason Fontaine, Cameron Thomson, Jim Lampman, Kyle Pelrine, Ryan Dining, Donny Lampman, Zach Bleich, Gofast Teeple, Kyle Haynes, Jeff Bean, John Overholt, Rick Book, John Couture, John Dunn, Mason Smith, Mark Fawcett, Ross Crowe, Ken Sargent

Qualifying Heats: Donny Lampman, Zach Bleich, Ron Loggie

Rona Doidge Modified Lites – JOE ISABELL, Brent Begolo, Tyler Winger, Leroy Buscumb, Rob Misener, Greg Zack, R.J. Pietz, Chris Watson, Josh Sliter, Sean Iftody, Ryan Anderson, Chance Kotar, Anthony Kelly, Dave Cornish, Ryleigh Sliter, Ashton Anderson, Dan Kviring

Qualifying Heats – Leroy Buscumb, Joe Isabell

Vansickle Pet Valu/PV on the Lane 4 Cylinders – ALEX RILEY (3), Tyler Lafantaisie, Austyn Werstroh, Ray Cerenzia, Rob Goulding, James Coutu, Mason Anderson, Ken Hair, Olivier Larocque, Tony Kelly, Kyle Rothwell, Vincent Pagnotta, John Lubeck, Dave Winniger, Rob Sauder, Sam Iftody, Douwes Degroot, Cole Hardy, Randy Alway, Joshua Dmytrow, Richard Hadler, Cierra Keus, Blair Rousselle, Mike Giberson, Josh Silvio, James Marshall, Clinton Barrick

Qualifying Heats – Kyle Rothwell, Tyler Lafantaisie, Cierra Keus

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