Winning comeback
Chris Evans takes three track titles after missing much of 2016 recovering from broken thumbs
Chris Evans was an old dog who could not be curbed this season in motorcycle racing at Welland County Speedway.
Try as they might, and they tried mightily, young pups could not prevent the Canadian Motorcycle Cycle Hall of Famer from taking three track championships as belated presents for his 54th birthday.
When the dust settled on points races at the dirt track on Netherby Road in Welland, the veteran rider from Jordan Station topped the standings in 450 Expert, 450 Open as well as 750 Expert.
He edged Dustin Brown of Muskoka by two points, 168-166; in 450 Expert despite missing opening night of the season. Evans topped the division with five victories, including the last three in a row to ride into the off-season on a winning note.
His battle with Brown for the points championship was just as close in Open Expert. Evans raced to a division-high four victories on his way to winning the track title 164-162. The points race in 750 Export was limited to the Saturday, June 10, feature, which was won by Evans who led a top three of Justin Jones and Don Taylor across the finish line.
Evans graduated to flat-track racing from motocross and trials 39 years ago, but the West Park Secondary School graduate’s need for speed is showing no signs of slowing down.
“I don’t always beat them, but I can. If the bikes are working right and I can get good starts, and I get everything right, I can still get there first,” he told Postmedia News while celebrating 450 Expert and Open Expert victories a night after this 54th birthday in July.
“The day I come off this track without a smile on my face is the day I’m leaving the track forever.”
There was plenty for Evans to smile about in what was essentially a comeback season. He was forced to spend much of 2016 on the sidelines recovering from two broken thumbs.
Josh Dolan, fellow Wellander Taia Little, Logan Wilson of Rockwood and Sam Manyon of Akron, Ohio, also will receive two track championships when Welland County Speedway holds its annual awards banquet Saturday, Nov. 9.
Dolan took three checkered flags and beat Ancaster’s Matty Ward by a 176-169 margin in the Open Intermediate points race, and edged Ward 182-170 to top the rider standings in 450 Intermediate.
Little, 13, of Welland set the pace in 85 cc and Youth 250 Novice in her second year competing at her hometown track.
In 85 cc, the Diamond Trail Public School student raced to three victories and topped Blake Silenzi, also of Welland, 180-158 in points.
She had six eight wins in Youth 250 Novice, a division that she won, with 204 points overall.
Silenzi, with 164; was top runnerup in the points race.
Wilson earned two victories this season in Open Expert bettering Rodrick Scott of Wainfleet by 13 points in Open Novice, 176-163.
It was the same 1-2 finish atop the 450 Novice point standings: Wilson, 183; 161.
Wilson, with three victories; was the winningest rider in the division this year.
Manyon, with two first-place finishes and one second; topped Boyd Deadman 66 points to 56 in the three-race Vintage series, and Manyon finished 25 points ahead of Chris Murray of St. Catharines. 181-156; to once again end the year class of the Veterans class.
Rounding out 2017 points champions in the flat-track classes are Liam Caskie, Brantford, 50 cc, chain-drive; Maguire Scott, Welland, 65 cc; and Steve Kovacs, Windham Centre, Ont., Lightweight Vintage.
Jeff Orosz of Caistorville led a top three of Kyle Legault, Welland; and Nicolas Fafard, Wellandport; to the checkered flag in the lone race of the season in the Speedway Switching to four wheels from two, Chuck Graham of Enbrun, Ont., finished first overall in both ATV racing divisions this year.
He beat Huntsville’s Kris Boothby 169 points to 124 in Open ATV and edged Boothby by eight points, 143-135; in Production ATV.