Head of the class
Chippawa’s Hunter Bauer already has points race wrapped up
WELLAND — Hunter Bauer has turned this year’s points race in the Niagara Motorcycle Raceway’s 50cc chain-drive division into a game of follow the leader.
The young r i der f r om Chippawa has yet to lose a feature race in the entry-level category. He won his seventh in a row Saturday night, beating Austin Barath, also from Chippawa, and Gabriel Ferron of Niagara Falls across the finish line.
Bauer increased his points lead over Barath to 161- 120 with two races remaining in this summer’s schedule, effectively sewing up the overall championship as each win is worth 23 points.
Point leaders also set the pace in the 50cc shaft- drive, and 65cc divisions. Jordan Molnar of St. Catharines defeated Olivia Farkas of Dain City and Scott Maguire to remain atop the 50cc category with an 11- point lead over Farkas, 153- 142. Maguire is third in points with 128.
Dustin Brown of Muskoka took the checkered flag in last weekend’s 65cc feature race and has so far accumulated 158 points. Mark Long of Port Colborne placed second to improve to 126 points on the year, while thirdplace finisher Jacob Rainville has 137 points to remain second in the points race.
Tyler Brown, also f rom Muskoka, denied Dustin Brown a chance to celebrate a two-win night with a first-place finish in the Welland track’s 85cc class. Adam Wagner of Wainfleet placed third.
Tyler Brown leads the division in points, with 155. Welland’s Dustin Lambert, who did not race Saturday night, has 126 points while Wagner has 92.
In addition to the Canadian speedway championship, which was won by Mike Hammond of Cambridge who pocketed the $1,000 first prize, Week 7 of the Niagara Motorcycle Raceway’s season featured the first action of the year in the all- terrain vehicle class.
Shawn Waite of Trenton beat three riders f rom the area across the finish line — Chris Vanderweide, Fenwick, Ben Shoalts, Wainfleet, and Richard White, Lowbanks — as well as Kyle Whaley, who also made the trip to Welland from Trenton.
While Hammond won the national speedway, Division 1, championship by topping Saturday’s 19- rider field and defending his title, the points championship in this class remains up for grabs.
With one race left on the schedule, the overall winner will either be Aaron Hesmer of Brantford, who has 150 points, or Hammond, 149. Glen Brown of Muskoka, in third with 107 points after seven races, is out of the running for a point title.
Saturday’s full program, featuring the John Wilson Memorial Race and the return of the powerful 750 bikes, will be last one until the season wraps up Sept. 8.