April showers wash out Sprint Car racing at Merrittville
Mother Nature has turned Merrittville Speedway’s Spring Sizzler into a spring soaker, a no-show rather than The Show for stock car racing in the region.
Already saturated grounds, combined with a forecast calling for up to additional 15 to 25 millimetres of rain, prompted officials at the dirt track to cancel the unofficial start to the
68th season of racing at the Thorold speedway.
Washed out was a program that included a Southern Ontario Sprints (SOS) tour stop, a bicycle giveaway, an Easter egg hunt, as well as racing in the Mini Stocks, Sportsman and 358 Modified classes.
Speedway owner Don Spiece said the bike giveaway is now taking place Saturday, May 18, to help kick off the Victoria Day weekend, with the SOS tour’s first visit to Merrittville rescheduled to Saturday, June 22, for the Gary Cunningham Memorial.
After hosting an annual test and tune spring inspection and practice on a race-ready track the week before, track officials were looking forward to opening pit and grandstand gates for a Spring Sizzler being presented by Garrison Automotive.
They approached the weekend with their fingers crossed and their eyes on the weather radar.
“We waited as long as we possibly could to see if the weather would change but unfortunately it is not the case,” Spiece said.
While the Easter egg hunt won’t be rescheduled, the first 300 children through the gates at next Saturday night’s season opener will each receive a bag of chocolate. Next weekend’s program marks the beginning of season-long points races in the six classes that compete regularly at the speedway: 6-cylinder, Mini Stocks, Mod Lites, Hoosier Stocks, Sportsman, 358 Modifieds.
Weather permitting, pits open at 5 p.m., the grandstand at 5:30 p.m., with the first heat race going to the green flag at 7 p.m.
Action at New Humberstone Speedway in Port Colborne is scheduled to get underway 1 p.m. Sunday, April 28, with a Dawn of Destruction program featuring a $3,000-to-win 75-lap enduro, flagpole and figure-8 races as well as autocross and a speed boat derby.
Humberstone’s 60th season officially begins Sunday, May 19, with special guest Ken Schrader and a 6:30 p.m. lineup including UMP Modifieds, Sportsman, Late Models, Thunder Stocks, Mini Stocks and 4-cylinder trucks.