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Westbrook Wins, Dryden The Champion as Southern Ontario Sprints Send Off 2025 In Stellar Fashion

THOROLD, Ontario (October 4th, 2025) … The second night of the Inaugural Fall Brawl presented by Glenn Styres Racing at Merrittville Speedway ended the racing season at Canada’s Oldest Dirt Track on the highest of high notes. Gary Lindberg of Ridgeway, ON swept the weekend with a win in the Commercial Auto Electric 358 Modifieds, in a feature that paid $3000 to win. Hagersville, ON’s Dave Bailey doubled down, winning both the $1200 feature and the APC Auto Parts Centre Duel on the Dirt title. The Southern Ontario Sprints ended their season with a stop at Merrittville Speedway where Dylan Westbrook of Scotland, ON won the feature that paid $5000 to win and Freelton, ON native Darren Dryden took home the overall championship. The Rona Doidge Modified Lites put on a show with Port Colborne, ON’s Ryan Anderson winning in a photo finish while Cierra Keus of Port Robinson, ON scored her fifth win to close out the All Star Concrete Four Cylinder season.

The Commercial Auto Electric 358 Modifieds contested an extended 40 lap feature event as part of the second night of the Fall Brawl. Jay Mallory and Ryan Susice started up front with Susice grabbing the early lead. That lead increased to nearly four seconds on the field, while Brad Rouse and Gary Lindberg, who finished second and first the night previously, made their way inside the top three. On lap 14, a caution erased the lead Susice had built, and Rouse lined up to his outside. Susice led for a few laps before Rouse using the outside line prevailed. Lindberg then caught Susice but had to exercise patience, battling for several laps to get around Susice, who masterfully worked a defensive line that halted Lindberg’s progress. Rouse meanwhile was beginning to catch the tail end of the field, and seemed to lose a little pace without a clean race track. Lindberg, who eventually cleared Susice for second, seemed to have no trouble with lapped traffic, utilizing whichever open lane presented itself to knife through lap cars on his way to Rouse’s back bumper. With eight laps to go, Lindberg was able to get enough run to clear past Rouse and pass a few more lapped cars to give himself breathing room on his way to the second win of the weekend. The two victories resulted in $5500 in winnings for Lindberg, who had claimed the Merrittville Speedway track championship a month earlier. Rouse and Suice finished on the podium with Pete Bicknell and Mallory rounding out the top five.

The final feature for Hoosier Stock racing at Merrittville Speedway also doubled as the conclusion of the APC Auto Parts Centre Duel on the Dirt combined track championship. Dave Bailey, who also earned the 2025 track title at Merrittville a month prior, came in needing to finish no worse than 10th to clinch the multi track championship. The night almost turned catastrophic when Justin Ramsay spun while running inside the top five on lap two, just ahead of Bailey who had to make evasive maneuvers to avoid damage. After multiple caution periods, Bailey moved from seventh to the front of the field by lap nine. Mark Fawcett gave Bailey a challenge for the feature win, which paid $1200 to win. While Fawcett stayed with Bailey on most restarts, the lack of any long green flag runs did not give Fawcett enough time to set up any kind of move in lap traffic. Bailey took the title and the cheque ahead of Fawcett, while Merrittville regular Jason Fontaine came home third after a late rally with a damaged car.

Sprint car fans were treated to an absolute classic in the season finale of the Southern Ontario Sprints. The championship came down to Darren Dryden, who had a narrow eight point margin on Ryan Turner heading into the feature. While the championship story line was packed with drama, the feature and who would pick up the $5000 cheque to win was even more breathtaking. Jordan Poirier, who started from pole, led much of the early portion of the race, with outside polesitter Kyle Phillips giving chase. Dylan Westbrook moved his way into the top five, but hard racing between him and Todd Hoddick resulted in Hoddick spinning and bringing out a caution on lap seven. Meanwhile, Dryden, who started third, began fading back through the top 10 with a brake problem. Championship rival Turner, got around him on the restart to take over seventh and begin to eat into Dryden’s point lead. At the front, Poirier continued to lead, however the battle for the win heated up at the races halfway point with Phillips and Westbrook applying pressure. The three drivers engaged in a multi lap battle that each saw them lead laps. At times they raced three wide, with no one giving an inch, as the race's end was in sight. With three laps to go, Poirier slipped over the cushion in turn four, bringing out a caution and ending an all time great battle in sprint car racing. Westbrook emerged with the top spot, and controlled the race on a single file four lap dash. With Poirier to the back, Turner picked up another spot and had the opportunity to steal away the championship if he could break into the top five before races end. Dryden dropped another spot on the restart when Scott Kreutter took the seventh spot. At the front, Phillips dropped two positions to D.J. Christie, and Josh Hansen, however neither driver had enough time to get to Westbrook for the win. Ryan Turner, spent the final four laps trying desperately to get by brother Cory for fifth, but came up short on the final lap, and Dryden stopped his mechanical induced skid to hang on to eighth place, doing just enough to win the championship by a mere four points.

Joining the Saturday card for night two of the Fall Brawl were the Rona Doidge Modified Lites. Ryan Anderson and Brent Begolo started on the front row. Begolo got out to the early lead before a caution for Chris Watson at lap eight. Anderson kept Begolo in his sights on the restart, hanging around until lap 13 when he was able to make his move to the lead. With Begolo on the offensive in second, the former track champion kept pressure on the youngster Anderson, eventually forcing a mistake. With four laps to go Anderson went too high in turn two, and Begolo regained the top spot. Anderson refused to give up, and set up a crossover move in the final set corners that got him alongside Begolo. A drag race to the checkered flag ensued and Anderson found a way to narrowly take the win in a photo finish. The official scoring had the margin of victory for Anderson over Begolo at .015. Track champion for 2025 Tyler Winger finished in third, with Sean Iftody and Anthony Kelly completing the top five finishers.

The opening feature of the night saw the All Star Concrete Four Cylinders contest the one final feature for a $500 prize. Although Connor Chambers and Richard Hadler started on the front row, it was Cierra Keus, who started third, who emerged with the lead early. After amassing a large lead, Keus had the advantage erased when her father Shawn’s car stalled on the on ramp to the pits at lap eight. Leroy Buscomb was able to get the lead from Keus briefly on the restart, but Cierra would regain stop before a second yellow flag on lap 11. Keus was unmatched throughout the event, even surviving a single file restart with three laps to go. She hung and claimed her fifth win at Merrittville in 2025 ahead of Buscomb, Kyle and Hana Rothwell and Pete Reid completing the top five finishers.

Racing season has officially come to a close at Merrittville Speedway, but the action is far from over. Monster Truck madness hits the dirt with three shows, a Saturday matinee and evening show on October 11th, followed by a third matinee show on Sunday October 12th. Tickets are available online at monstertrucksallout.com. The track will also host its Eighth Annual Merrittville Market Saturday, October 25th, 2025. The Fall Craft and Vendor Fair will run from 9:30am to 4:00pm with free entry for shoppers. For more information, visit www.merrittvillespeedway.com and can follow the action on My Race Pass.

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

RACE RESULTS –- October 4th, 2025.

Commercial Auto Electric 358 Modifieds – GARY LINDBERG (9), Brad Rouse, Ryan Susice, Pete Bicknell, Jay Mallory, Darrell Farraway, Tommy Flannigan, Dave Flannigan Jr., James Friesen, Kyle Richner, Tyler Willard, Max McLaughlin, Luke Carleton, Shayne Pierce, Scott Wood, Justin Sharp, Todd Gordon, Derek VanMil, Ken Winfield, Bill Gill, (DNF) Brian Page, (DNS) Fred Carelton

Qualifying Heats – Kyle Richner, Luke Carleton, Gary Lindberg

Hoosier Stocks – DAVE BAILEY (12), Mark Fawcett, Jason Fontaine, Brock Gregory, Trevor DeBoer, Rob Murray, Steve Shaw Sr., Cameron Thomson, Zack Bleich, George Grosul, Dustin Duga, Kyle Pelrine, Dylan Riley, Brandon Greene-Styres, Chris Hackett, Chris Crowe, (DNF) Jeff Larmet, (DNF) Gofast Teeple, (DNF) Tyler French, (DNF) Keith Dale, (DNF) Bella General, (DNF) John Overholt, (DNF) Dion Riley, (DNF) Kevin Kocark, (DNF) Justin Ramsay

Qualifying Heats - Chris Crowe, Dave Bailey, Jason Fontaine

Southern Ontario Sprints – DYLAN WESTBROOK, D.J. Christie, Josh Hansen, Kyle Phillips, Cory Turner, Ryan Turner, Scott Kreutter, Darren Dryden, Jason Barney, Bailey Heard, Ashton VanEvery, Mike Lichty, Tyeller Powless, Glenn Styres, Aaron Turkey, Nick Sheridan, Mike Bowman, Todd Hoddick, Skyler Evans, Alex Bergeron, Jordan Poirier, Scott Hall, Kevin Pauls, Scott Sherk, (DNF) Jamie Turner, (DNF) Matt Farnham, (DNF) Alan Downey, (DNF) Travis Cunningham, (DNS) Cole MacDonald

Qualifying Heats – D.J. Christie, Kyle Phillips, Darren Dryden, Jordan Poirier,

Quick Time - Matt Farnham 13.622

Rona Doidge Modified Lites – RYAN ANDERSON, Brent Begolo, Tyler Winger, Sean Iftody, Anthony Kelly, Chris Watson, R.J. Pietz, Ashton Anderson, Dave Cornish, Cole Hardy, Nick Sarantakos, Ryleigh Sliter, Dan Kviring, Bella General, Lance Waldeck, (DNF) Cohen Corbett, (DNS) Dillan Sliter

Qualifying Heats – Brent Begolo, Ryan Anderson

All Star Concrete 4 Cylinders Duel On The Dirt – CIERRA KEUS (5), Leroy Buscomb, Kyle Rothwell, Hana Rothwell, Pete Reid, Spencer Riddell, Grayden Lyons, Dave Wininger, Connor Chambers, Steven Boverhof, Savannah Fontaine, Ray Cerenzia, Richard Hadler, Randy Alway, Max Trivieri, Sam Iftody, Travis Ruch, Cassie Reynolds, Ken Hair, Austyn Werstroh, Crystal Soules, (DNF) Sierra Robison, (DNF) Olivier Larocque, (DNF) Cameron Lane, (DNF) Shawn Keus, (DNS) Tyler Lafantaise, (DNS) Mason Anderson

Qualifying Heats – Cierra Keus, Leroy Buscomb, Shawn Keus

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