Bowman sets the pace in Merrittville’s premier class

Drivers from St. Catharines set the pace in the top two classes in Saturday night dirt track racing at Merrittville Speedway in Thorold.

Mike Bowman overtook Rob Knapp for the lead 12 laps into the 358 Modified feature and remained the front-runner the rest of the way for his first win of the season in the speedway’s premier racing class. Mat Williamson, already a six-time winner at his hometown track this year, moved into second with nine circuits to go in the 35-lapper but couldn’t catch Bowman.

Friesen’s second win in Sportsman wasn’t a flag-to-flag victory, but his turn behind the wheel in the 25-lap feature was almost as impressive. Friesen only needed three laps to pass co-pole sitter Trevor Wright and started pulling away from the field after that.

Matt Farnham from Tonawanda, N.Y., followed up his Action Sprint Tour at Ohsweken Speedway by taking the checkered flag as the winged wonders of the racing world visited Merrittville for the third time this year.

“It’s been a good week with the win at Ohsweken and to back it up here at Merrittville is pretty awesome,” Farnham said in Victory Lane after Josh Hansen and Paul Klager across the finish line in the 20-lap A-Main.

Racing for the top spot in the 20-lap Mod Lite feature was three-wide when Josh Sliter of Ridgeway overtook both Sean Iftody and Jeffery May with eight laps to go. Sliter withstood a challenge from May for the win.

This year’s Triple Crown Challenge in the Mini Stock class wrapped up with Tyler Lafantaisie taking both the win in the 20-lap feature and the overall points title in the three-race series. A last-lap pass of defending division champion John Couture gave Colton Lane his first checkered flag in the 6-Cylinder division.

Fastest company

Following are the top five and heat winners from Saturday night’s racing program:

358 Modified, 35 laps: 1. Mike Bowman, 2. Mat Williamson, 3. Gary Lindberg, 4. Dalton Slack, 5. Fred Carleton. Heat winners: Tim Jones, Slack, Pete Bicknell.

Sportsman, 25 laps: 1. James Michael Friesen, 2. Trevor Wright, 3. Justin Sharp, 4, Brent Begolo, 5. Jordan Cosco. Heat winners: Cosco, Sharp.

Crate Sprint, 20 laps: 1. Matt Farnham, 2. Josh Hansen, 3. Paul Klager, 4. Bailey Heard, 5. Jerry Hill. Heat winners: Brian Nanticoke, Steven Beckett, Liam Martin.

Mod Lite, 20 laps: 1. Josh Sliter, 2. Jeffery May, 3. Brent Begolo, 4. Sean Iftody, 5. Randy Giroux. Heat winners: Giroux, Sliter.

Mini Stock, 20 laps: 1. Tyler Lafantaisie, 2. Jeremy Cooper, 3. Jay Moulton, 4. Anthony Kelly, 5. Tony Kelly. Heat winners: Moulton, Lafantaisie.

V6, 12 laps: 1. Colton Lane, 2. John Couture, 3. Kevin Conley, 4. Jason Irvine, 5. J.J. MacDonald. Heat winners: Lane, Couture.

Two programs are on track for the long weekend. Saturday night’s features six divisions: 358 Modified, Sportsman, Hoosier Stock, Mod Lite, V6, Dirt Vintage. The Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series, the BEI Lightning Series for Sportsman and the $1,000-to-win Insta Panels Duel on the Dirt combined race for Mini Stock go Monday.