A change of shoes, a change of luck?

A new pair of shoes may bring good luck to a finance minister delivering a budget, but not for a race car driver trying to win a checkered flag.

At least it didn’t for Dave Bailey of Hagersville.

Asked in victory lane Saturday night what contributed to his second win of the season at Merrittville Speedway, he said it all came down to “changing shoes.”

“Not brake shoes, foot shoes,” the two-time 8-cylinder track champion at three southern Ontario dirt tracks quipped.

Bailey had been wearing a pair that he bought for last November’s awards banquet, but recently changed back to his “black shoes.”

The Hagersville hotshoe’s been well-heeled ever since. He followed up his win at Merrittville with his second victory of the year at New Humberstone Speedway one night later.

Port Colborne’s Jason Fontaine and Bailey were the polesitters and they remained out front for the 20-lap feature. Bailey cleared Fontaine in the late going holding on for the win.

In addition to back-to-back track titles at Humberstone and Merrittville, Bailey is the reigning points king at Ohsweken Speedway.

Cody McPherson of St. Catharines also followed up a firstplace finish at Merrittville with a feature win at Humberstone.

He overtook Port Colborne’s Greg Panunte with five laps to go in the completion of the June 10 Sportsman feature to win his first of the season at Humberstone.

Sunday night’s marquee race at the Port Colborne dirt track, the 30-lap Bob St. Amand Sr. Memorial, also featured the Sportsman class.

Niagara Falls’ James Michael Friesen and St. Catharines’ Jay Mallory were the pole-sitters with Friesen jumping into an early lead.

He remained the front-runner until Chad Chevalier passed him two laps after a restart.

With three laps remaining Friesen regained the lead going on to win his second in a row at Humberstone.

“It is special to win tonight,” he said in victory lane. “I grew

up knowing the St. Amand family and it is an honour to win on the night to honour Bob Sr.”

The checkered flag isn’t the only flag on the race, however. Results are unofficial until completion of a technical review.

Also winning his second in as many weeks at Humberstone was Olivier Larocque in Mini Stocks. The Port Colborne driver never looked back after overtaking Jay Moulton following a caution early in the 15-lapper.

Chad Homan of Maceon, N.Y., near Rochester, made the most of a restart 13 laps into the Late Model feature. He reeled in front-runners Rob Pietz and Sam Pennacchio setting the pace the rest of the way for his third checkered flag of the season.

Mitch Dumont of Welland won his second in a row, and third of the season, in the 15-lap main event in Humberstone’s Pro 4 Truck division. The hard-charging Dumont took the lead with two laps to go.

Following are the top five finishers and heat winners from Sunday night’s racing program at Humberstone Speedway:

Sportsman, completion of June 10 feature: 1. Cody McPherson, 2. James Michael Friesen, 3. Adam Leslie, 4. Jay Mallory, 5. Jordan Cosco.

Sportsman, 30 laps, unofficial pending technical review: 1. James Michael Friesen, 2. Chad Chevalier, 3. Brad Rouse, 4. Cody McPherson, 5. Adam Leslie. Heat winners: Dylan Davidson, McPherson, Greg Panunte.

Late Models, 20 laps: 1. Chad Homan, 2. Jeff Dayman, 3. Sam Pennacchio, 4. Rob Pietz, 5. Tim Gillespie. Heat winners: Dayman, Adam Ferri.

Thunder Stock, 20 laps: 1. Dave Bailey, 2. Jason Fontaine, 3. Ken Sargent, 4. Billy Bleich Jr., 5. Kyle Pelrine. Heat winners: Bailey, Pelrine.

Mini Stock, 15 laps: 1. Olivier Larocque, 2. Cole Hardy, 3. Jeremy Cooper, 4. Jay Moulton, 5. Evan Curtis. Heat winners: Cooper, Moulton

Pro 4 Trucks, 15 laps: 1. Mitch Dumont, 2. Craig Vlasic, 3. Adam Nicholls, 4. Jay Dupuis, 5. Matt Cayoutte. Heat winners: Terry Ronning, Dylan Llord.