5/5/2024
Merrittville Speedway
SHARP BREAKS THROUGH IN MODIFIEDS, MCPHERSON, FAWCETT, SLITER, AND LAFANTAISIE WIN ON
THOROLD, Ontario (May 4th, 2024) … After rain washed out the 73rd season opener at Merrittville, 121 cars returned to the track as Loop Paint presented May the 4th Be With You, a Star Wars themed night at the races. Justin Sharp of St. Catharines scored his first career win in the Commercial Auto Electric 358 Modifieds. Fellow St. Catharines native and defending track champion Cody McPherson saw victory lane in the Semenuk’s Esso/ Baron Roofing DIRTcar Sportsman. In the Hoosier Stocks, Mark Fawcett from Canfield scored the win in a feature that doubled as the first home track event for the Duel On The Dirt multitrack challenge. Josh Sliter of Port Colborne won in the Rona Doidge Modified Lites, and Thorold, Ontario’s Tyler Lafantaise won in the first Duel on the Dirt Home Track event for the Vansickle PetValu/ PV on the Lane 4 Cylinders.
After making the mid-season jump to the 358 Modifieds at Merrittville in 2023, Justin Sharp was able to gain plenty of experience after several years out of the premier class. In the second feature of 2024, Sharp started from pole alongside Luke Carleton. Sharp lead early, despite two cautions. On lap 7, Noah Walker, spun off turn 4 and collected Nelson Mason, Kyle Richner, Todd Gordon, and Derek VanMil. On the restart, Gary Lindberg got around Sharp to take over the top spot and started to pull away. Suddenly, his car lost power with what appeared to be smoke coming from under the hood, which handed the lead back to Sharp. From Lap 23 on, Scott Wood pursued Sharp, getting within a car length of the lead but was never able to complete the pass. Sharp held on to get his first win in the Commercial Auto Electric Modifieds with Wood second, Chad Brachmann, Pete Bicknell and Fred Carleton completed the top five finishers.
The Semenuk’s Esso/ Baron Roofing Sportsman had their first race of the 2024 season Saturday night. Jason VanMil and Billy Bleich Jr. started on the front row, although Bleich found himself in trouble early when incidental contact on lap 2 turned the 108 around from inside the top five. 10 cars in total were involved in the incident with most able to continue with minimal damage. VanMil would once again lead on the restart, but another caution on lap 6 for Nigel Pendykowski set up a restart with Cody McPherson first up to challenge for the top spot. McPherson completed the pass as VanMil faded with a mechanical issue, and the defending champ drove off mostly unchallenged to win the first Sportsman feature of the year. Adam Leslie was second, Noah Mamo third, Curtis Friesen fourth and Brett Senek who was involved in the lap 2 incident rebounded to finish fifth.
The first Duel on the Dirt Home Track Event for the Hoosier Stocks ended with an epic duel and heartbreak for one driver. Mark Fawcett who started third got to the front early, looking strong. Jason Fontaine, also taking advantage of a top five starting spot, emerged as the challenger to Fawcett, even taking the lead with a power move on a restart at lap 13. After a few laps out front, Fontaine began to fade back towards Fawcett, with little puffs of smoke starting to be visible from Fontaine’s exhaust. On the white flag lap, Fawcett got alongside the ailing Fontaine car, nosing ahead down the back stretch. Fontaine fought back on the outside through the final corner, until suddenly his engine expired in a big puff of smoke, and Fawcett drove away down the front stretch to take the win. Fontaine still costed to second, while track and championship favourites Dave Bailey and Ryan Beagle finished third and fourth. Opening night winner Jim Lampman was fifth.
The Rona Doidge Modified Lites were back in action for the first time in 2024, with Rob Misener and Josh Sliter bringing the field to green. Sliter got out to the lead early and seemed to have the field covered until a string of cautions fell late. Cole Hardy came to a stop on lap 16 and then on the subsequent restart, Hardy tangled with Tyler Colbert, which lead to Hardy taking a tumbling and the race car coming down on its roof. The driver would be okay, and Sliter would survive a two-lap dash following a lap 18 caution, to return to victory lane in the season opener. Ryan Anderson was second, Tyler Winger third, R.J. Pietz and Joe Isabell rounded out the top five finishers.
The Vansickle Pet Valu/PV On the Lane 4 Cylinders also contested a Duel on the Dirt home track event Saturday night. The feature was mired by cautions, preventing the race from ever getting any real flow to it. The lead would change on each restart until eventually Tyler Lafantaisie wrestled it away from Ken Hair in the races final five laps. As the field was coming to the checkered flag, Roger Winfield spun, sending the race to overtime, where Lafantaisie would take advantage of a single car restart to drive away and win. Shawn Keus, Ken Hair, Austyn Werstroh and Randy Always complete the top five.
We are back and ready to rock next Saturday at Merrittville Speedway for 97.7 HTZ FM night at the races. All five Bobcat of Hamilton Weekly Racing Series divisions will be in action including the Commercial Auto Electric 358 Modifieds, Baron Roofing/Semenuk’s Esso DIRTcar Sportsman, Hoosier Stocks, Rona Doidge Mod Lites, and Vansickle Pet Valu/PV on the Lane 4 Cylinders. Pit gates will open at 5:30 pm, and racing will begin at 7:00 pm.
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RACE RESULTS –- May 4th, 2024.
Commercial Auto Electric 358 Modifieds – JUSTIN SHARP, Scott Wood, Chad Brachmann, Pete Bicknell, Fred Carleton, James Friesen, Brad Rouse, Shayne Pierce, Trevor Wright, Jay Mallory, Todd Gordon, Noah Walker, Martin Polhill, Dylan Davidson, Dave Flannigan Jr., Kyle Richner, Nelson Mason, Brandon Gruhl, Derek VanMil, Luke Carleton, Gary Lindberg, Brian Page, Ken Winfield, (DNS) Bill Gill
Qualifying Heats – Shayne Pierce, Chad Brachmann, Justin Sharp
Semenuk’s Esso/Baron Roofing DIRTcar Sportsman – CODY MCPHERSON, Adam Leslie, Noah Mamo, Curtis Friesen, Brett Senek, Taylor Vanderzanden, Billy Bleich Jr., Daniel McKay, Matteo Panunte, Terry Smith, Jacob Chevalier, Jeff Panunte, Tyler Puchalski, Doug Walsh Jr., Nigel Pendykowski, Matt Sharpe, Graeme, Toth, Elijah Knutt, Jason VanMil, Mitch Dumont, Wayne Swinson, (DNS) Nathan Peattie
Hoosier Stocks – MARK FAWCETT, Jason Fontaine, Dave Bailey, Ryan Beagle, Jim Lampman, Kyle Pelrine, Rob Murray, Todd Shaw, Spencer, Smolders, Kacey Huffman, Zach Bleich, Ryan Dinning, John Couture, Pete Reid, Gofast Teeple, Rob General, Steve Shaw Sr., Travis Whittal, Evan Curtis, Rob Disher, Bryce Richardson, Kyle Andress, Al King, Gord Grant, Chris Crowe, Murray Nicholls
Qualifying Heats: Jason Fontaine, Jim Lampman, Pete Reid
Rona Doidge Modified Lites – JOSH SLITER, Ryan Anderson, Tyler Winger, R.J. Pietz, Joe Isabell, Brent Begolo, Sean Iftody, Leroy Buscumb, Ashton Anderson, Shawn Sliter, Dan Kviring, Dave Cornish, Anthony Kelly, Roger Pardis, Cole Hardy, Tyler Colbert, Cohen Corbett, Chris Watson, Ray Sliter, Rob Misener, Chance Kotar
Qualifying Heats – Rob Misener, Josh Sliter, Ryan Anderson
Vansickle Pet Valu/PV on the Lane 4 Cylinders – TYLER LAFANTAISIE, Shawn Keus, Ken Hair, Austyn Werstroh, Randy Alway, Hana Rothwell, Jay Moulton, Mark Deagle, Rob Goulding, Alex Riley, Sam Iftody, Dave Winniger, Blair Rousselle, Richard Hadler, Tina Ronning, James Marshall, Roger Winfield, Ray Cerenzia, Mason Anderson, Fabio Olivieri, John Lubeck, Braden Keus, John Trivieri, Sierra Robinson, Kallie Akins, Joshua Dmytrow, Olivier Larocque, Cameron Lane, Kyle Rothwell
Qualifying Heats – Ray Cerenzia, Jay Moulton, Kyle Rothwell
Article Credit: Jonathon Howe
Submitted By: Jonathon Howe
