Father and son karting team couldn’t be beat
Son finishes Merrittville karting season 10- 0, dad wins crew chief award
Joe Priestley no longer races karts, but he still knows how to get around the dirt track at Merrittville Speedway quickly. Just ask his 11- year- old son. With his father as crew chief, Joey Priestley went undefeated to win the points championship in the Quick Ink Custom Screen Printing Performance Manufacturing Junior 2 Division.
Joey collected 10 checkered flags in as many starts during the rain- shortened racing season to take the first track title of his karting career.
Dad’s contribution to the remarkable run did not go unnoticed when the speedway held its 24th karting awards banquet at Club Castropignano in Port Robinson. Joe Priestley, a onetime karter, was honoured as crew chief of the year.
Two other drivers raced to their division championships at the Thorold track this season. Nigel Pendykoski paced the RCM Racing Equipment Junior 1 Division in points and Jaedon Lawson topped the standings in the Superior Petro-Fuels
Travis Majuery won his second straight track championship in the Southern Ontario Modified Lite Racing Association Senior Animal Division.
At the banquet Merrittville’s youngest group of karters — the Designed Wright Signs & Promotional Products St. Catharines Discount Auto Parts Wilder Racing Engines Novice 1 and Novice 2 Combined Divisions — received competition awards, as they do not run for points. Ben Colavecchia, Chris Crowe, Scarlett Gaboury, Gavin Lavallee, Jacob Mamo and Austin Nigh all went home with competition awards.
During the 2017 season member drivers in the Merrittville Speedway Kart Club shared in the more than $ 10,000 in cash point fund and prize awards.
All drivers attending the banquet were eligible to win a Pressure Washer donated by Briggs & Stratton and the winner of the $ 500 prize was Pendykoski.
Draws included prizes from Performance Manufacturing, Slack Karts, and Burris Tire.
Amber White, Lawson, Majuery, Nigh and Priestley each won a new kart body.
The following specialty awards were presented at the season- ending banquet:
Rookie of the year: Nigel Pendykoski, Junior 1; Zach Trotter, Junior 2; Jaedon Lawson, Junior Restricted.
Most improved driver: Ben Colavecchia, Novice 1 and 2; Hana Rothwell, Junior 1; Zach Trotter, Junior 2; Noah Mamo, Junior Restricted.
RCM Racing Equipment sportsmanship award: Scarlett Gaboury, Novice 1 and 2; Logan Iliffe, Junior 1; Owen Kaiser, Junior 2; Davis Grocott, Junior Restricted; Dylan Culp, Senior Animal.
Colleen Curvin was presented the Race Director’s Award. A secondgeneration racing official, Curvin has been a long- time stock car and kart official and was instrumental in helping with the transition after Don Spiece and his family purchased Merrittville Speedway from Pete Bicknell and Randy Williamson and their families.
Final driver standings for 2017: Junior 1 Division: Nigel Pendykoski, Cohen Corbett, Hana Rothwell, Logan Iliffe, Jackson Maytum, Amber White, Madelyn Goulding, Korwin Podwinski, Aiden Lavallee, Noah Kugler, Trevor Evans.
Junior 2 Division: Joey Priestley, Zach Trotter, Owen Kaiser, Spencer Maytum.
Junior Restricted Division: Jaedon Lawson, Noah Mamo, Devon Raayment, Davis Grocott, Aiden Speck.
Senior Animal Division: Travis Majuery, Dylan Culp, Kathleen Lampman, Garry Overholt, Ashley Moore.