Double duty for drivers at Humberstone track
Is there an equivalent to frequent flyer miles for racing on dirt tracks?
If there is, eight Sportsman drivers racked up an impressive number of credits behind the wheel in two big-payout features Saturday night at New Humberstone Speedway in Port Colborne.
Chad Chevalier, Jordan Cosco, Dylan Davidson, Adam Leslie, Jay Mallory Cody McPherson, Brad Rouse and Zack Sam competed in the Race of Champions Dirt Modified as well as the Race of Champions 602 Sportsman Series in their own class.
With $4,000 waiting at the finish line for the winner the Dirt Modified Series headlined opening night of back-to-back weekend programs honouring the memory of Pete Cosco.
A St. Catharines native, Cosco spent many years racing in Niagara and New York state before purchasing the former Gasport Speedway in 2004 along with his wife and renaming the track New Humberstone Speedway. Cosco was 60 when he died from a brain aneurysm in August 2014.
St. Catharines’ Mike Bowman, on most Saturday nights a regular in the 358 Modified class at Merrittville Speedway, overtook Erick Rudolph of Ransomville, N.Y., with 30 laps remaining in the 75-lap feature and stayed there to pick up the victory the pocket the $4,000 payout.
It was Bowman’s first visit to Humberstone, but he is has firsthand familiarity with Cosco’s contribution to racing in the region.
“I bought my first car from Pete in 2004, and our families have been real close for years,” Bowman said. “It is real special to win here and win this race in Pete’s honour.”
Todd Gordon, McPherson and Rouse rounded out the top five. Rudolph and Bowman won the qualifying heats.
Chevalier, who placed seventh behind Bowman in a field of 17 in the Modified feature, was the driver who could be beat in the main event in the Sportsman class.
Chevalier, from Port Colborne, pulled away from Davidson while in lap traffic following a restart with six circuits remaining for his second Race of Champions tour win of the season and fourth of the year at Humberstone.
Mallory and Davidson set the pace in the heats, and Rouse, Tyler Puchalski and Luke Carleton rounded out the five in the future.
The win was worth $2,000 to Chevalier.
Bobby Tolton of Fergus, Ont., west of Guelph, led a top five of Leroy Buscumb, Olivier Larocque, Jason Coutu and Rob Sauder to the checkered flag in the Mini Stocks feature. Coutu and Buscumb won the qualifiers.
Racers in Late Models, Pro 4 Trucks and Street Stocks took the night off.
Humberstone is back in action tonight when the third annual Pete Cosco Memorial for 358 Modifieds and big blocks headlines full program.