7/21/2024
Merrittville Speedway
MCPHERSON MAKES IT EIGHT, WESTBROOK WINS SOS
THOROLD, Ontario (July 20th, 2024) … The Southern Ontario Sprints returned for their third trip to Merrittville Speedway in 2024 as fast tech Inc presented racing action. Scotland Ontario native Dylan Westbrook won the southern Ontario sprints feature event. While Cody McPherson of Saint Catherines won the Semenuk’s Esso/Baron Roofing DIRTcar Sportsman feature event. In the Rona Doidge Modified Lites, Tyler Winger of Ridgeway, ON picked up the win. Doug Gordon was the feature winner of the NRVRS vintage cars and Beamsville native Braden Keus won his first feature in the Vansickle Pet Valu/PV on the Lane 4 Cylinders.
The Semenuk’s Esso/Baron Roofing DIRTcar Sportsman began with Kyle Rothwell and Doug Walsh JR. on the front row. The two would tangle on the opening lap leading to Rothwell having a flat left rear tire and Walsh being penalized for avoidable contact. On the restart, Graeme Toth inherited the lead. Toth held a comfortable margin ahead of Curtis Friesen. Meanwhile, points leader Cody McPherson who started in the 15th position methodically worked his way forward from the inside of the 8th row. After working hard to get past Friesen, McPherson caught Toth with 10 to go. One lap later he was through to the lead. With 24 straight laps of green flag racing, McPherson was able to drive up and take the win, good for his eighth on the season at Merrittville. Friesen finished second with Taylor Vanderzanden in third, Toth in fourth, and Adam Leslie fifth.
Darren Dryden and Dylan Westbrook started from the front row for the Southern Ontario Sprints. Dryden was fastest in timed hot laps earlier in the night and earned a pole position after finishing third in his heat race. The pole sitter led the first 15 laps of the race while enjoying clean air. Westbrook meanwhile would have to change his line to try to keep pace with Dryden. Using the outside groove, Westbrook eventually caught and passed Dryden on lap 16. Westbrook led the rest of the event, as the feature ran caution free. Dryden would settle for second with Liam Martin in third D.J. Christie finished in fourth and Cory Turner rounded out the top five.
In the Rona Doidge Modified Lites, it was Ashton Anderson and Dave Cornish on the front row for the start of the race. Quickly, the favourites began to work their way towards the front of the field. Only one caution fell for Tyler Colbert who spun on lap 10. As the race restarted just past the halfway point, Tyler Winger took the top spot while being pursued by Josh Sliter and Brent Begolo. Winger started several rows in front of Sliter and Begolo and used the track position to get to the top spot earlier than his championship rivals. While Sliter gave good chase, he ultimately had to settle for second as Winger defended the lead perfectly. Begolo was third with Cohen Corbett in fourth and RJ Pietz finished fifth.
It was another dominant performance for Doug Gordon in the vintage cars at Merrittville Speedway on Saturday night. Gordon started on the outside of the front row alongside Ryan Ferri but had to wait to jump out to a lead, as caution would fall early. A lap one incident between Bill Montreuil and Ron Wiltsie halted the race's momentum before it could even get going. Once it did get going, Gordon was unmatched and drove off to another when in the vintage class. Mark James had a great effort but ultimately came up short in his pursuit of Gordon and the top spot. Bill Profata, Bill Montreuil and Alan Wood rounded out the top five.
The Vansickle Pet Valu/PV on the Lane 4 Cylinders were led to green by Ray Cerenzia and Olivier Larocque. Larocque led early, while the race began with a furious pace including multiple 4 wide battles. On lap 6, John Trivieri spun to bring out a yellow. Braden Keus, who started in ninth, quickly worked his way forward towards the top spot. On lap seven, his sister Cierra, who picked up her first career win just a few weeks ago, spun after incidental contact with Austyn Werstroh. On the restart, Keus was able to take the lead, and another caution quickly fell two laps later when John Trivieri went for his second spin on the front stretch on lap nine. With six laps to go, Braden Keus once again jumped out to a lead over Alex Riley who had driven up from 14th starting spot with championship competitor Ken Hair nipping at his heels. Keus was tasked with holding both drivers off on one final restart in search of his first career win after his sister spun out of corner number two with two laps to go. The single file restart played directly into Keus's hands, and he was able to hold Riley and Hair off and win his first career feature. Larocque would finish fourth and Clinton Barrick finished in the fifth position.
Next week, its T-shirt giveaway night presented by our friends at Exclusive Imprint and the Jacket Cellar. The Commercial Auto Electric 358 Modifieds will see a double feature night as part of Bobcat of Hamilton weekly racing. In addition, the Semenuk’s Esso/Baron Roofing DIRTcar Sportsman, Hoosier Stocks, and Rona Doidge Mod Lites will all be in attendance. The night will be capped off with school bus racing. Pit Gates will open at 5pm, with grandstands opening at 5:30pm, and racing will get underway at 7pm. 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 –- July 20th, 2024.
Semenuk’s Esso/Baron Roofing DIRTcar Sportsman - CODY MCPHERSON (8), Curtis Friesen, Taylor Vanderzanden, Graeme Toth, Adam Leslie, Nigel Pendykoski, Jacob Chevalier, Billy Bleich Jr., Matteo Panunte, Noah Mamo, Tyler Puchalski, Daniel McKay, Terry Smith, Wayne Swinson, Doug Walsh Jr., Kyle Rothwell, Jeff Panunte, Nathan Peattie, Tyler Lafantaise, Elijah Knutt, (DNS) Matthew Jessome, (DNS) Jason VanMil
Heat Winners – Kyle Rothwell, Doug Walsh Jr., Cody McPherson,
Southern Ontario Sprints – DYLAN WESTBROOK (3), Darren Dryden, Liam Martin, D.J. Christie, Cory Turner, Ryan Turner, Josh Hansen, Todd Hoddick, Tyeller Powless, Dale Curran, Kyle Phillips, Ashton VanEvery, Kevin Pauls, Jamie Turner, Derek Jonathan, Scott Hall, Allan Downey
Heat Winners – Todd Hoddick, Liam Martin, Cory Turner
Rona Doidge Modified Lites – TYLER WINGER (2), Josh Sliter, Brent Begolo, Cohen Corbett, R.J. Pietz, Evan Leonard, Greg Zack, Anthony Kelly, Chris Watson, Sean Iftody, Dave Cornish, Ashton Anderson, Jamie Gilbert, Ryan Anderson, Leroy Buscumb, Ryleigh Sliter, Cole Hardy, Tyler Colbert, Joe Isabell, (DNS) Chance Kotar, (DNS) Dan Kviring,
Heat Winners – R.J. Pietz, Josh Sliter, Tyler Winger
NRVRS Vintage Cars – DOUG GORDON, Mark James, Bill Profota, Bill Montreuil, Alan Wood, Tim Natalino, Jens Mortensen, Chad Brown, Ron Wiltsie, Rick St. Pierre
Heat Winners – Bill Montreuil, Doug Gordon
Vansickle Pet Valu/PV on the Lane 4 Cylinders – BRADEN KEUS, Alex Riley, Ken Hair, Olivier Larocque, Clinton Barrick, Mason Anderson, Rob Goulding, Randy Always, Austyn Werstroh, Mark Deagle, Hana Rothwell, Sierra Robison, Ray Cerenzia, John Lubeck, Joseph Bleich, Sam Iftody, Cierra Keus, Richard Hadler, Joshua Dmytrow, Jacob McIntyre, Connor Chambers, John Trivieri,
Heat Winners – Ray Cerenzia, Olivier Larocque, Austyn Werstroh
Article Credit: Jonathon Howe
Submitted By: Jonathon Howe
