Back-to-back wins for winged warrior
TRACK TALK
Sprint Cars were the toast of tracks in Niagara on the weekend, and no one had more reason to celebrate than Dylan Westbrook.
The 18-year-old from Oakland, Ont., southwest of Brantford, was the driver who couldn’t be beat Saturday when the Empire Super Sprints raced at Merrittville Speedway and the following night when Crate Sprint Cars visited New Humberstone Speedway.
A.J. Lewis and Aaron Turkey led a 20-car field to the green flag Sunday in Port Colborne, where Turkey set the pace early before ceding the front-runner position to Holly Porter six laps into the 20-lap A Main feature.
Westbrook was about to overtake Jerry Hill for the fourth spot when two cars spun out bringing out the caution flag at the midway point of the race.
The hard-charging Westbrook continued to make his way to the front of the field following the restart. He overtook Jerry Hill for fourth, then passed Jesse McDonald and then Turkey for second and then set his sights on Porter.
Westbrook surged into the lead after Porter gave up the bottom of the clay track with two laps remaining. He remained in front the rest of the way holding off Turkey and Porter for the win.
Hill and McDonald rounded out the top five in the A Main at Humberstone, while Turkey, Shone Evans and McDonald led the way in the qualifying heats.
At Merritville Westbrook took over the lead from Matt Billings 10 laps into the 25-lap feature pocketing $2,075 and earning his first victory on the Empire Super Sprints (ESS) circuit.
“Finally! I always wanted to win ESS, that has been a goal for a while,” he said in victory lane. “ESS has always been the premier club and they have so many good teams and a win against them is pretty cool.”
Ryan Susice, fresh from a 10thplace finish in the 35-lap 358 Modified feature, Jason Barney, Shawn Donath and Billing also posted topfive finishes.
Mod Lites and Sportsman took the night off Saturday at Merrittville to make room in the pits for 29 Sprint Cars and the 32 beaters in an enduro qualifier that was won by Rob Goulding of Port Colborne.
No place like home
Sunday night’s program at Humberstone was only the third of a season that has already featured four rainouts, and two hometown hotshoes made the most of the opportunity.
Chad Chevalier and fellow Port Colborne driver Olivier Larocque took checkered flags in the Sportsman and Mini Stocks divisions, respectively.
Chad Homan of Macedon, N.Y., east of Rochester, won the Late Model feature and Mitch Dumont set the pace in 4-cylinder trucks. Max Chichuck earned his second win in as many starts in Round 2 of the Minivans of Mayhem Series. A total of five minivans took part with Jeremy Cooper and Neil Martens the top also-rans.
There was no action in Street Stocks, the eight-cylinder division at Humberstone.
In the sportsman feature, Adam Leslie led Cody McPherson off the start with Justin Sharp overtaking Dave Flannigan Jr. for third place on Lap 4.
Chevalier, steadily working his way from the middle of the pack, took the lead away from Leslie following a restart on Lap 16 remaining there the rest of the way for his second win of the season at Humberstone.
Rounding out the top five were McPherson, Brad Rouse, Leslie and Sharp.
Chris Storm, Rouse and Dylan Davidson won the three qualifiers.
Rob Pietz took the lead from outside pole-sitter Jeff Dayman off the start of the 20-lap Late Model feature, with Tim Gillespie’s spin on Turn 4 five circuits in bringing out the first caution.
Pietz led Chad Homan and Sam Pennacchio after the restart. Homan made his move nine laps later by going underneath Pietz exiting Turn 1 and holding on for the win.
Pietz, Pennacchio, Paul Grisby and Dayman also finished in the top five, while pace-setters in the heats were Dayman and Homan.
Fabio Oliveri and Larocque shared the front row for the Mini Stocks feature with Larocque showing the way early and never relinguishing the lead despite hitting lapped traffic.
Larocque also won a heat, as did defending points champion Kyle Haynes, while Leroy Buscumb, Oliveri, Haynes and Cole Hardy, the winner the night before at Merrittville, rounding out the top five.
Dumont led from the green flag in the 15-lap truck feature holding off fellow St. Catharines racer and reigning track champion Dylan Llord for his first win at the Port Colborne track.
Danny Wurster, Taylor Vanderzanden and Nate Monahan also placed in the top five. Kyle Tomaski won the lone qualifier but was not in the starting field for the feature.
Racing returns to Humberstone, weather permitting, next Sunday with a Canada Day $1,000-to-win Showdown special in all classes honouring the memory of Harold Sonnenberg.
Also on the program are The Race of Champions Sportsman Tour’s first visit of the season north of the border and a 40-lap, $1,000-to-win enduro. Pit gates open at 4:30 p.m., grandstands at 5 p.m. with the first race set for 6:30 p.m.
Track celebrates Canada Day
Drivers in all five racing classes will be hoping to take the checkered flag — in addition to the Canada Day cake — when action is back on track Saturday at Merrittville Speedway.
Before a fireworks show ends the special holiday program, fans will be treated to $1 hotdogs, entertainment from the Shoot From the Hip Tragically Hip tribute band, a midway of vendors and bouncey castles for the children.
Fans can also check out the pit area by taking a ride on the new Fan Tram from 5:30 until 6:30 p.m.
Back after a one-week absence is the Sportsman division, which will feature a $1,000-to-win, 40-lap main event. Normally, features in the popular class are 25 laps.
There also will be heats and features in Mini Stocks, Hoosier Stocks, Mod Lites and 358 Modifieds.
Both the grandstand and pit gates will open at 3 p.m. with show time set for 7 p.m.