9/8/2024
Merrittville Speedway
EVANS CLAIMS HIS FIRST AS SOUTHERN ONTARIO SPRINTS CLOSE OUT MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY STOCK CAR SEASON
THOROLD, Ontario (September 6th, 2024) … As the sun set on stock car season at Merrittville Speedway, Cotton Inc presented Bobcat of Hamilton weekly racing for a final time in 2024, featuring a visit from the Southern Ontario Sprints. Scotland, Ontario’s Shone Evans claimed his first 360 Sprint Car feature win. The Semenuk’s Esso/Baron Roofing DIRTcar Sportsman 50 lap feature was won by Cody McPherson of St. Catharines, On. In the Insta-panels Duel on the Dirt Combined feature for the Hoosier Stocks, it was Dave Bailey of Hagersville, ON scoring the win. Tyler Winger of Ridgeway, ON won the Rona Doidge Modified Lite IMCA championship feature. Dustin Duga of Welland, ON won the final school bus race of the season.
The Semenuk’s Esso/Baron Roofing DIRTcar Sportsman ran a 50-lap feature to close the 2024 season at Merrittville. The race began with Tyler Puchalski and Matteo Panunte, the only drivers not named Cody McPherson to have won a feature race at Merrittville in 2024, up front. Panunte would get the better of Puchalski on the start and lead early. The first caution fell on lap seven when Billy Bleich slowed. Multicar incidents on lap nine and lap 10, would slow the progress of McPherson towards the front after he start eighth. By lap 14, McPherson had caught Panunte and appeared to set to make the pass for the lead before Matt Sharpe lost a wheel, bringing out the yellow once again. McPherson would slip past Panunte on the restart and build a sizeable lead. However, with 10 to go in the race, lap traffic brought new second place runner Puchalski and Panunte close to McPherson, but not close enough to mount a challenge for the win. McPherson closed out his 2024 run at Merrittville Speedway with his 12th win of the season. Puchalski, Panunte, Jacob Chevalier and James Friesen completed the top five finishers.
Shone Evans and Josh Hansen started on the front row for the Southern Ontario Sprints. Evans led early from the pole, but had his progress slowed by lap traffic shortly before the halfway point in the feature. Hansen closed to within a car length before the caution fell when Tyeller Powless spun and was miraculously un-hit as the field scrambled to get by. Evans took off again on the restart, this time with just enough laps left to build a margin and not lose any time catching the back of the field. The win marked the first 360 Sprint Car competition for Evans. Hansen finished third while Cory Turner rounded out the podium. Ryan Turner finished fourth with Allan Downey fifth.
In the Hoosier stocks, Spencer Smolders and Pete Reid led the field to green in a 40 lap Duel on the Dirt Combined feature race. Jason Fontaine, who started fifth, quickly worked his way to the front. His quest for back-to-back Merrittville features would fall into jeopardy at the race's halfway point when smoke started to billow out of the back of Fontaine’s car. He was able to stay on track despite surrendering the lead to Dave Bailey on lap 25. Fontaine’s car eventually failed him just laps before the race's end, while Bailey continued on to win ahead of Rob Murray, Pete Reid, Tyler French and Mark Fawcett.
After Josh Sliter closed out the track championship last weekend with a conservative run, he was back to try and close out 2024 in style with the IMCA Championship event. He rocketed to the lead early from the eighth starting spot. However, his night turned sour when his engine expired at the race's halfway point. From there, it was Tyler Winger taking over the top spot and driving off to his second consecutive feature win at Merrittville Speedway. Ryan Anderson and Ashton Anderson came home second and third, while Cohen Corbett and Dan Kviring completed the top five finishers.
While the stock car season has ended, Merrittville Speedway still has one big event on the calendar. Next Saturday, Tim Hortons presents Wreckfest 2024, featuring a 100 lap enduro race. In addition to the enduro, there will be several other race events, Ontario’s only full-sized School Bus Demolition Derby and a surprise guest stunt. Pit Gates will open at 4pm, with grandstands opening at 4:30pm, and action will get underway at 6pm. 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 –- September 6th, 2024.
Semenuk’s Esso/Baron Roofing DIRTcar Sportsman – Cody McPherson (12), Tyler Puchalski, Matteo Panunte, Jacob Chevalier, James Friesen, Taylor Vanderzanden, Mitch Dumont, Curtis Friesen, Brett Senek, Adam Leslie, Noah Mamo, Nigel Pendykoski, Jeff Panunte, Dave Small, Daniel McKay, Travis Miller, Kyle Rothwell, Tyler Lafantaise, Matthew Jessome, Elijah Knutt, Matt Sharpe, Billy Bleich Jr.
Heat Winners – James Friesen, Cody McPherson, Taylor Vanderzanden
Southern Ontario Sprints – SHONE EVANS, Josh Hansen, Cory Turner, Ryan Turner, Allan Downey, Dylan Westbrook, D.J. Christie, Darren Dryden, Liam Martin, Eric Gledhill, Kelsey Ivy, Tyeller Powless, Dale Curran, Jim Huppunen, Ashton VanEvery, Jesse Costa, Scott Hall, Jamie Turner
Heat Winners – Josh Hansen, Allan Downey, Shone Evans
Hoosier Stocks – DAVE BAILEY (5), Rob Murray, Pete Reid, Tyler French, Mark Fawcett, Brock Gregory, Spencer Smolders, Zach Bleich, Todd Shaw, Steve Shaw Sr., Gofast Teeple, Kyle Pelrine, Chris Crowe, Jim Lampman, Dustin Duga, Ethan Humphry, Rob Disher, John Overholt, Mitch Petta, Jason Fontaine, Donny Lampman, Jeff Larmet
Heat Winners – Jason Fontaine, Dave Bailey, Tyler French
Rona Doidge Modified Lites – TYLER WINGER (4), Ryan Anderson, Ashton Anderson, Cohen Corbett, Dan Kviring, R.J. Pietz, Leroy Buscumb, Sean Iftody, Rob Misener, Anthony Kelly, Chris Watson, Ryleigh Sliter, Nick Sarantakos, Dave Cornish, Cole Hardy, Tyler Colbert, Josh Sliter
Heat Winners – R.J Pietz, Josh Sliter, Dan Kviring
Article Credit: Jonathon Howe
Submitted By: Jonathon Howe
