Putting karts before horsepower
Dirt track racing’s farm club received major league treatment in the spotlight Saturday night at Merrittville Speedway.
Karts were on display behind the grandstand and in the infield where they were racing on the oval as the Thorold track promoted its karting program.
Now in its 25th season, karting, the introduction to racing at Merrittville, has graduated many drivers to stock car racing over the years.
“This season we have quite a few former or current karters who have moved up,” said Don Spiece, the speedway’s owner. “Noah Mamo, Trevor Wright, Ryleigh Sliter, Austyn Werstoh, Tyler Winger, Randy Giroux, Alex Riley, Daniel McKay, Anthony Kelly are just some of our recent graduates.
“When you look at the rest of our lineup, where do you start?”
How about with Mat Williamson, who won his second Modified 358 feature in as many weeks, or Pete Bicknell, with more than 20 track championships and victories on both sides of the border to his credit?
They top an impressive who’s who of karting graduates that includes, but is not limited to, Steven Beckett, Mike Bowman, Tom Neale, Vincent Pagnotta, Dave Small, Ryan Susice, Chris Watson and Scott Wood.
In five years Owen Kaiser, 11, of Thorold hopes to add his name to that list. He would like to jump right from karts to NASCAR, but would race Sprint Cars if he can’t break into the big time right away.
Owen, who is competing in Junior 2 in his fifth season in karts, said a good night on the inside track at Merrittville is not defined by taking home a checkered flag.
“I like hanging out with my friends at the track, I like having fun,” said Owen, whose younger brother Toby, 5, can’t wait to get behind the wheel, too.
“Ah, maybe, next year,” Brad Kaiser, their father, said after some thought.
Owen so far has avoided injury, but his kart hasn’t been so lucky. Last week it made contact in a race — “It broke the car,” the
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“I grew up watching racing and being able to race so now it’s giving back to other drivers.”
COLE HARDY
Mini Stocks race series sponsor
budding hotshoe said matter-offactly — and the body had to be replaced.
“I usually hold my breath the first few laps,” admitted the father, who finances the race team and along with Toby makes up the pit crew.
“Toby helps out, he’s our tire guy.”
That doesn’t mean Brad and wife Adrienne are thinking about parking their son’s kart or never letting their youngest son get into a kart.
“Stuff happens, but stuff happens at hockey, too,” the father said.
Tuesday night karting at Merrittville features a division for adults, but Brad Kaiser, who has never raced, doubts he’ll be taking some turns around the track any time soon.
“You’re so busy taking care of the kart, you don’t have time for anything else,” he said with a laugh.
Successful sponsorship
It’s better to give than to receive.
Boy is it ever!
Just ask Cole Hardy. In an effort to “give something back to racing” and increase car counts in the Mini Stock division, the 23-year-old racer from Welland decided to sponsor a three-racing series for the track’s 4-cylinder class.
Round 1 in Hardys Racing Triple Crown Series took place Saturday night, and Hardy was rewarded for his generosity with the victory in the feature.
He held off Thorold’s Alex Riley, the Week 1 winner at Merrittville, and Welland’s Tyler Lafantaisie in a 20-lapper that, thanks to Hardy and his family and friends, offered a larger payout.
“The payout’s a little bigger and I got plaques made for victory lane, and at the year trophies for the top three in points,” he said of his race team’s involvement in sponsoring the series.
The three-year Mini Stocks veteran welcomed the chance to support racing at his hometown track.
“I grew up watching racing and being able to race so now it’s giving back to other drivers,” he said. “Just to help out the sport, and keep it here.”
Before the feature, Hardy was asked to rate his chances of winning the Hardys Racing Triple
Crown.
“There are a lot of competitors out here,” he said. “I’m just out here like last year, I’m here to have fun and help everybody out, just have a good time.”
Anthony Kelly of Niagara Falls and Nick Masi of Niagara Falls rounded out the top five.
Last, and very fast
Turns out the driver who wound up going the fastest in the Hoosier Stock feature was also the one who went the farthest.
Tenth in a field of 10 was as far back as Dave Bailey of Hagersville could start in the 20-lap race without coming on the track directly from Merrittville Highway.
The two-time defending points champ didn’t let that stop him from picking off the front-runners, one by one.
Just five laps in, Bailey trailed only Jason Fontaine of Port Colborne. By the 15th lap, it was Bailey setting a pace that neither Fontaine nor the Week 1 winner,
Rob Murray of St. Catharines, were able to match.
Rounding out the top five were Billy Bleich Jr. of Port Robinson and Kyle Pelrine of Smithville.
Starts, stops, success
James Michael Friesen was a double winner in the 25-lap Sportsman feature.
Not only did the St. Catharines driver overtake Paul Gaboury of Welland and Rob Knapp of Niagara Falls in the caution-filled race, he also was — hands down and accelerator down — the hard charger of the night.
Friesen started 10th in the field of 25, and Knapp led most of the way until restarts started whittling away at his lead.
Brent Begolo of Thorold, who set the pace in the Mod Lite feature only two races before, finished fourth, just ahead of Greg Panunte of Port Colborne. Order of finish in the Mod Lite main event was Begolo, Josh Sliter, Ridgeway; Tyler Winger, Ridgeway; R.J. Pietz, Port Colborne; and Chris Watson, Niagara Falls. Jeff Larmet of St. Catharines won the 12-lap feature in the 6-cylinder division in a car owned by Steve Conway of Niagara Falls. NOTES: Pete Bicknell drove a memorial lap in honour of former track owner and Merrittville Speedway Wall of Famer Bryant Irvine who died last month at age 81. … The Ignition Night fundraiser in support of Husky’s Race Car Driver Appreciation Night has been postponed to
June 15.