Hollywood ending denied by engine problems
Collision with only three laps to go keeps racer out of winner’s circle after hospital stay
Leroy Buscumb’s bid to dominate Round 1 of the Triple Crown Series in Merrittville Speedway’s 4-cylinder class went up in smoke.
Seventeen laps into Saturday night’s marquee race, the defending series champion – and the overall points winner in the 4-cylinder division at the Thorold track – appeared headed to finish the weather-expedited program parked in victory lane.
Considering Buscumb wasn’t able to race last weekend due to a health scare that kept him in hospital, a checkered flag on his first night back behind the wheel would have been a Hollywood ending.
Lap traffic got in the way of art imitating life and, in the end, got the better of the racer from Welland.
With three laps to go, and Buscumb’s Volkswagen steadily increasing its gulf from the pack, Brandon Pidgeon’s car developed engine problems, right in front of the front-runner.
The fast-charging Buscumb got lost in the smoke from the slowermoving car, though only for an instant. But that was enough to cause contact, with Buscumb rear-ending Pidgeon’s car with enough force to break his own radiator.
In the pit area Pidgeon immediately apologized for denying the Wellander a victory in the open- ing round of the three- round series, but Buscumb said there was nothing to be sorry about.
“There was so much smoke I couldn’t see you.”
Damage of the VW wasn’t limited to the rad. The collision also bent the frame at the front of the car.
“I won’t be racing next week,” Buscumb said, shaking his head while assessing the damage under the hood.
Kyle Haynes of Caledon went on to win the main event in the mini stocks class following the restart. Kyle Rothwell and Tyler Lafantaisie, both from Welland, Mike Sadusek from Niagara Falls and Robert Goulding rounded out the top five.
It was Haynes’ second win of
the 2015 season.
MOD LITES DAMAGED
Buscumb wasn’t the only frontrunner unable to finish a race under threatening skies in Thorold.
Jamie Gilbert, in the lead for much of the 20-lap modified feature, rolled his car several times after making contact with Paul Klager on the backstretch.
While Klager was able to finish the race, Gilbert’s car caught fire and had to be towed off the track.
Gilbert was unhurt in the spectacular crash, declining to receive treatment from paramedics who rushed to the scene in an ambulance.
“Oh, that was nothing. I hurt my wrist, but that was from helping push another car,” the Welland driver said.
Gilbert, whose career dates back to 1999 when he competed in the 4-cylinder class and includes considerable seat time in the sportsman class as well, expects to be back on the track next week despite the extensive damage to his racer.
“Of course, I may be back with No. 53 on that side and No. 91 on the other,” Gilbert quipped, referring to a car he raced last year.
He said he still has spare parts from that car, “like the sides.”
A collision also prevented Steven Beckett from completing the feature in the open-wheel class. The 16-year-old Fonthill rookie’s racer sustained suspension damage after spinning out in a turn and coming into contact with another car on the caution.
The early exit was the Grade 10 Centennial Secondary Student’s second in as many weeks.
“Parts will have to be replaced again, but what are you going to do? That’s racing,” Beckett’s father Terry and pit crew member said.
In the end, the top five were Josh Sliter, from Ridgeway; Jeffrey May, the defending points champion from Mount Hope; Rob Misener, Welland; Dylan Davidson, St. Catharines; and Klager, Beamsville.
The win was Sliter’s third of Merrittville’s 64th racing season.
GARDEN CITY PACE-SETTER
Twenty-two-time track champion Pete Bicknell was a flag-to-flag winner over fellow St. Catharines racer Mike Bowman to earn his first victory of the year in the 358 modified feature. Tommy Flannigan, St. Catharines; Mark D’Illario, Smithville; and Tyler McPherson, St. Catharines; also finished in the top five.
Ridgeway’s Gary Lindberg led Port Colborne’s Chad Chevalier across the finish line for his fourth victory of the young season in the sportsman class. Lindberg also has two wins at New Humberstone Speedway so far this year.
Rounding on the top five in Saturday night’s battle for sportsman bragging rights were Brent Begolo, Thorold; Brad Rouse, St. Catharines; and Austin Wood, Thorold.
Mark Fawcett, Canfield; Rob Murray, St. Catharines; Kyle Pelrine, Smithville; Jack Myers, and Jason Fontaine, Port Colborne; set the pace in the Hoosier stocks division. The win was the second of the season for Fawcett, the reigning points champion in the 8-cylinder class.
RUSH TO FINISH
A caution flag from Environment Canada, in the form of a warning of severe thunderstorms, didn’t go unheeded by track officials.
In an effort to outrace the rain, intermission was cancelled and the five victory lap presentations were delayed until after the completion of the 358 modified feature.
The strategy worked, with some time to spare. The entire show wrapped up in about in about two hours, and most fans had left the parking lot and were on their way home when it started raining.
Saturday’s Merrittville was sponsored by Archer Truck Services, which has locations in St. Catharines and Welland.
New Humberstone Speedway in Port Colborne wasn’t as lucky when it came to weathering rain forecast for Niagara. Continued rain forced cancellation of Sunday night’s fivedivision program.
The Go Nuclear Late Model Tour, presented by The Reeb House, had been highlighted as the main event. Also on tap were qualifying heats and features in 4-cylinder trucks, mini stocks, sportsman and street stocks.