Merrittville Speedway: Conn wins first feature

Thorold, Ontario (August 30) Victory Lane at Merrittville again saw another new face as second generation driver Wayne Conn earned his first L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified Feature Win Saturday August 29th.

Ball Hockey International Minor Sport Night assisted by the Niagara Ice Dogs also found Matt Deschamps, Rob Murray and Paul Klager score feature wins as well in the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder, Hoosier Stock and Modern Corporation Open Wheel Lite Divisions respectively.

The Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Event concluded with the third and final King of the Crates Sportsman Series Event powered by Niagara Motors. Chad Chevalier won the 40 lap Special.

The night also featured the rain-delayed Meridian Credit Union Kids Club Box Car Races from August 8th’s CMH Sales & Leasing Night.

Nolan Colborne, Connor Joliffe, Madison Tempest and Kyle Pattison won their respective age division’s events while Joliffe was voted Best of Show by a panel of judges and the audience.

Ken Winnfield was first to lead the 35 lap L. St. Amand Enterprises 358 Modified Feature – beating fellow front row starter Justin Sharp to turn 1. Wayne Conn was on the move in the early going – eventually challenging for top spot – and taking it from Winnfield.

With Conn in control, Rick Richner and Winnfield joined the leader in a breakaway pack from the field until caution slowed the field on lap 7.

Winnfield’s race was done early – the victim of an apparent broken driveshaft after the initial leader slowed down the front stretch.

Conn set the pace on the restart – only to be challenged by Richner who would take the lead on lap 9.

Right away Richner opened up a 5 car lead and began to stretch it until a lap 15 caution again slowed the pace.

With Richner out front on the restart – Conn began to apply some pressure – eventually regaining the lead on lap 19.

With the two leaders in a thrilling side by side battle – Todd Gordon and Bill Bleich were closing in.

Three cautions in and around the 10 to go mark saw Conn in control on each restart. The most notable incident came when Pete Bicknell was put back two spots after jumping Bleich on one of the restarts.

In Conn’s earlier go rounds as leader – the gap between him and the field was just barely manageable. In the last portion of the 35 lap Event however there was no keeping the St. Catharines driver from Victory Lane.

Through to the finish – Conn opened up almost a straightaway lead over Richner in his first victory driving for car owner Andrew Sittler. Todd Gordon was third while Pete Bicknell and Bill Bleich closed out the top 5.

The start of the 40 lap King of the Crates Finale powered by Niagara Motors had Chad Chevalier as the early leader with former Modified Driver Ken Cosgrove keeping right with the Port Colborne native.

As soon as Cosgrove would close in on the leader – Chevalier would pull away until Cosgrove was able to wrestle top spot away for himself.

Quickly though Chevalier would regain the lead with Cosgrove dropping off the pace slightly and falling back to fourth spot.

The lead pack was now Chevalier, Brandon Easey and Brad Rouse with the three opening up a comfortable lead.

In the closing laps, the leaders would come up on slower cars and with 10 laps to go – would they play a part in the race’s outcome?

Brandon Easey won this event last season and as the laps wound down – was able to close right in on Chevalier.

Like with Cosgrove earlier though – as soon as Easey got close – Chevalier was able to open up a couple car advantage and maintained the gap to the finish.

The two were able to open up a good lead on Brad Rouse with BJ Willard fourth and Cosgrove fifth.

Going into the night Greg Panunte was the leader of the King of the Crates Series powered by Niagara Motors after winning the first two events but could do no better than 8th in the finale.

When the final points were tallied, Chevalier’s win put him into a tie for top spot with Panunte as the two had 162 points each. BJ Willard earned 152 markers while his cousin Tyler McPherson scored 148. Brad Rouse closed out the top 5 with 144 points.

The win also earned Chevalier the 20th Annual Sterling Silver Trophy established by former Sportsman competitor Ken Walsh that honors local racing pioneer Bill Willard Senior.

Ken and his wife Fran presented the award to Chevalier.

Ron Loggie set the pace at the start of the Hoosier Stock Feature and after an early caution was being challenged by Mark Fawcett who eventually took the lead on lap 5.

Two laps later – Fawcett would be faced with a restart after another early caution.

During this caution, Al Sleight would be forced to the pits but after returning to action – needed attention a second time on lap 8 after a multicar incident saw the entire right side sheet metal torn off the runner up point man’s car.

Starting way back in the field, Rob Murray was into the runner-up spot by lap 11. Three laps later – Murray was in the lead – coming through with a pre-race prediction made while waiting to start the feature.

“We’re going to win tonight,” told Rob Murray when being questioned about his night by roving reporter Mikey Kruchka. Murray added to his comments later in Victory Lane, “in last year’s championship we only had one win … this one makes it 5 in 2009 … I wanted to do it a little different this year.”

With one point night yet to come, Murray pretty much just had to start the night’s event to be assured his 3rd career Hoosier Stock Championship.

Murray was followed by his stepson Brad Sheehan, Fawcett, Kirk Wilson and Billy Bleich.

The start of the Modern Corporation Open Wheel Lite Feature had Kelly Mason in top spot before Kory Howe became the new leader along the backstretch of lap 1.

A lap 2 caution slowed the field and one driver in particular - Jamie Gilbert who had advanced quite a number of positions in the early going.

Howe set the pace on the restart but very quickly – the new leader was Gilbert – taking control on lap 3. Just after Paul Klager took over the runner-up spot on lap 7 – another caution would slow Gilbert – who had opened up quite a lead to that point.

Gilbert resumed control of top spot on the restart – only to lose it to Klager along the backstretch. Klager’s pace would soon be slowed on lap 11 with Adam Leslie now in the runner-up slot.

A final caution on lap 18 set up a 2 lap dash to the finish but Klager was able to open up a lead of some 20 car lengths in the sprint to the finish.

Adam Leslie was second with Gilbert settling for third. Jason Corless had a strong finish to take fourth with Kory Howe 5th.

Chris Laskey set the pace at the start of the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder Feature before Greg Wilson took control on lap 2.

Fresh off his winning the Triple Crown Miniseries last week – Matt Deschamps became the new leader on lap 4.

Through the event that went flag to flag – Deschamps never looked back and went on the win the 15 lap event. Rob Goulding took home the runner-up spot while early leader Chris Laskey held on for third spot.

Trevor Goulding and Aaron Wiley closed out the top 5.

Deschamps came into the night with a 1 point lead over Goulding but now enjoys a 5 point margin going into the final Point Night – Saturday September 5th.

The 4 Cylinder results are unofficial as a Track Imposed Tech Inspection is scheduled for Monday August 30th to allow competitors the chance to race at Humberstone Speedway Sunday Night without having to rebuild their engines. 

From Jim Irvine / Merrittville Speedway