HAY AND SEARS SHARE TRIPS TO VICTORY LANE AT MERRITTVILLE
Thorold, Ontario (September 15) – Merrittville Speedway’s 60th Anniversary Season came to a close with an action-packed J&S Heating and Air Conditioning Weekend Finale at Merrittville Speedway featuring several of it’s Lucas Oil Weekly Racing Series Divisions.
Anchored by the two day International Modified Lite Championship (September 9th to 10th), Mikey Hay picked up right where he left off one year earlier in sweeping both night’s events.
Tim Sears second visit to the Thorold facility found the second generation driver repeating as winner of the 50 lap Sportsman Super DIRTcar Series Event.
The Hoosier Stock Big 6 Series against the Brighton Speedway Pro Stocks featured two events with Billy Bleich taking Friday Night’s 25 lap event while Ken Sargent won the 50 lap Combined Event Saturday.
The BRP Can Am Late Model Series found Bruce Miller winning the 30 lap Feature Friday Night while Rocco Conte and Kevin Conley winning their respective 15 lap features in the Turn 4 Collision 4 Cylinder and Pro 4 Truck Divisions.
With more than $34,000 worth of cash and awards up for grabs in the J&S Heating and Air Conditioning International Modified Lite Championship, almost 50 Modified Lites from across North America attempted to qualify for each 25 lap Feature..
Friday Night’s Main Event had the Hay Brothers – Mikey and Matt take the field to the initial green flag with Mikey in control. Matt would challenge early having the lead briefly with Merrittville Champion Josh Sliter joining the two as the three broke away from the field.
Eventually former winner Rod Jones would join the Hays up front with Jones trying to overtake Mikey high and low in a thrilling battle. Jones would take over top spot on lap 9 with Sliter challenging the Hays trying to get back into the top three.
Sliter’s race would come to an end after a broken oil line on lap 16 forced him to the pits later earning the Modified Lite STARS Willwood Brake of the Race Award.
Just as Sliter retired, caution would slow the field on lap 17 after Steve White and Merrittville regular Paul Klager came together.
The restart had Jones back out front before Hay closed in on the leader – so close that it resembled super speedway drafting. The two would exchange slide job after slide job until Hay took the lead for good on lap 21.
After a scaring moment when the #10 driven by Lynn Knepper took a wild wide flipping-end-over-end off of turn-one, on Friday night. Lynn along with the help from many of the other teams was able to repair his car for the final night. Steve White took his STARS East championship car to the BRP shop Saturday morning for a new front end. White also returned for Saturday night’s final event.
Heat wins went to Derek Wagner, Kory Howe, S. White, Matt Hay, Rod Jones and Stephane Raymond, Mark Marcucci, and Clayton Brewer III won consolation races.
In the Saturday Night conclusion, Mikey Hay took the lead on lap 2 from Paul Klager and never looked back, surviving seven caution periods on his way to victory. Klager finished second with STARS North stand-out driver Josh Sliter taking third.
The 25-lap race began with Paul Klager leading the way. Hay immediately was asserting himself for the lead, pressuring Klager before racing to his outside. On lap 2 Hay made the move to Klager’s outside only for the first caution to fly for an incident in turn 1 when Paul MacGinley spun collecting Tim White. On the restart Hay took the lead and Klager settled into second, until lap-19 for the spin of Kory Howe.
The restart was the final one for Hay and Klager to face off; however Hay could not be challenged when green flag racing returned. Klager closed within a car of Hay but was unable to make a serious bid.
Heat wins went to Steve White, Joe Garafolo, Tracy Fritter, Rod Jones, Derek Wagner, Shawn Sliter and Mark Marcucci, Jared Turnbull, Tim White won consolation races.
J&S Heating & Air Conditioning International Championship Bonus $500: Mike Hay
NYDCA Award: Derek Wagner
International Modified Lite Manufacture Award: Eddie Crutchfield of Leader Race Cars.
Modified Lite STARS $1000 Bully Dog Performance Award: Mike Hay
Modified Lite STARS Wilwood Brake of the Race: Tracy Fritter & Shawn Sliter
Modified Lite STARS RaceCeiver Race Saver of the Race: Jason Corless
Greg Panunte beat fellow front row starter Jesse Penner to the initial green flag of the 50 lap Sportsman Super DIRTcar Series Event Saturday Night. before Penner took control before a multicar incident slowed the field on lap 1.
After going back to green, Brad Rouse eventually landed in top spot before a second caution on lap 2. Back out front on the restart Rouse was off to a couple car lead over BJ Willard and Rob Knapp who were battling early for the runner up spot.
Knapp took control of second on lap 10 as Rouse was leading the field into lap traffic until Willard was able to get by Knapp with Willard able to close in on Rouse.
Just as the halfway point was reached, caution slowed the field with Rouse back in front when action resumed. Willard became the new leader on lap 26 around the high side as Rouse kept to the bottom groove. Cody McPherson would follow his cousin through and would take second to start lap 30.
Caution on lap 32 saw Cody McPherson as the new leader on the restart with Rouse back to second and Willard third. Comfortable leads separating the top runners with 15 laps to go until Willard would get out of shape losing a number of positions.
McPherson sliced his way through lap traffic – opening up a lead of some 3 seconds until caution slowed the field with 5 laps to go.
Rouse took control on the restart unfortunately making contact with McPherson into Turn 1. Greg Panunte ended up as the leader on the restart with Tim Sears Jr. challenging Panunte in the final laps with both drivers switching lanes several times. One final try from Sears paid off – beating Panunte by a car length at the finish.
J&S HEATING & AIR CONDITIONING MODIFIED LITE FEATURE SATURDAY NIGHT (25 laps) Mikey Hay, Paul Klager, Josh Sliter, Jason Corless, Steve White, Joe Garafolo, Derek Wagner, Chris Steele, Rod Jones, Matt Hay, Doug Williams, Mark Marcucci, Randy Hollingshead, Tim White, Paul MacGinley, Rick Brubacher, Kory Howe, Tim Devendorf, George Englert, Jeff Teeters, Shawn Sliter, Clayton Brewer, Tracy Fritter, Jared Turnbull.
SPORTSMAN SUPER DIRTcar SERIES EVENT (50 laps) – Tim Sears, Greg Panunte, Rob Knapp, Darrell Farraway, Dave Marcuccilli, BJ Willard, Brent Begolo, Gary Lindberg, Mathieu Desjardins, Josh Van Brocklin, Adam Leslie, Adam Hilton, Jason Moore, Justin Wright, Cody McPherson, Len Dignard, Brent Kelsey, George Bosse, Larry Czinege, Paul Williamson, Shane Pecore, Jenna David, Jessica Power, Robbie Rounce, Brad Rouse, David Flannigan, Jesse Penner, Ray Hockridge, Ron MacAulay, Tyler McPherson.
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