Race down memory lane highlights Nostalgia Night
A wall of fame induction, a race down memory lane featuring vintage cars and an autograph night will highlight dirt track racing this weekend in Niagara.
Weather permitting, Steve DeVos, a driver with more than 100 career victories, and Barry Davidson, the starter at Merrittville Speedway for nearly 30 years, will be inducted into Thorold track’s wall of fame in a 7 p.m. ceremony Saturday.
As well, two CAA Niagara Dedication to Racing Awards will be presented as celebration of the speedway’s 67th season continues with Nostalgia Night.
Action on the track will reflect the historic theme with vintage cars from different eras battling for full-throttle bragging rights.
Highlighting the five-division show and wrapping up the night will be the 50-lap Jerry Winger Memorial for the Modified 358 racing class.
Dating back nearly six decades, the race honours the memory of an up-and-coming track championship who died due to illness in 1959.
Heats and features in Pure Stock V6, Mini Stocks and Sportsman round out the Nostalgia Night program. Hoosier Stocks and Mod Lites are taking the week off.
While Merrittville celebrates the past this weekend, the focus at New Humberstone Speedway will be on the present the following night.
The Port Colborne track is giving fans the chance to meet and mingle with drivers with an autograph night.
All five of Humberstone’s classes — Pro 4 Trucks, Mini Stocks, Thunder Stocks, Late Models, Sportsman — will be going to the green flag in a show starting at 6:30 p.m.
George Winger was the first winner of the Jerry Winger Memorial in the modern era. Recent winners include Pete Bicknell of St. Catharines and Chad Brachmann on Sanborn, N.Y., both former track champions in Merrittville’s premier racing class, as well as Mike Bowman, also from St. Catharines.
Bowman, winner of the Jerry Winger Memorial each of the past two years, is one of the hottest hotshoes at Merrittville heading into the weekend. He has raced to victory in the last two Modified features and has three wins overall at his hometown track this season.
Topping the division in points and victories in Mat Williamson of St. Catharines. The five-time winner has 444 points, 16 more than Brachmann and 26 more than Gary Lindberg of Ridgeway. Bowman and Ryan Susice of Ransomeville, N.Y., have 412 and 390 points, respectively.
Port Colborne’s Adam Leslie
leads Thorold’s Brent Begolo 342-336 in the Sportsman points race. Welland’s Paul Gaboury, 332 points; Niagara Falls’ James Michael Friesem, 326; and St. Catharines’ Jay Mallory, 309; are also very much in the running to end the year with a track title.
Begolo and Friesen each have two wins, one more than Jordan Cosco, Cody McPherson and Leslie.
There is no racing this weekend at Welland County Speedway. Motorcycle racing at the track in Welland returns Saturday, July 21.
Following are the top five in points in the four other racing classes at Merrittville Speedway:
Hoosier Stock: 1. Rob Murray, St. Catharines, 452, four victories; 2. Dave Bailey, Hagersville, 426, two victories; 3. Kyle Pelrine, Beamsville, 376; 4. Dave Small, St. Catharines, 370; 5. Brad Sheehan, St. Catharines, 286, two victories.
Mod Lites: Begolo, 468, six victories; 2. R.J. Pietz, Port Colborne, 392, one victory;
3. Chris Watson, Welland, 378, one victory;
4. Josh Sliter, Ridgeway, 322, one victory; 5.
Tyler Winger, Wainfleet, 347.
Mini Stock: 1. Alex Riley, Thorold, 370; three victories; 2. Cole Hardy, Welland, 355, one victory; 3. Jay Moulton, St. Catharines, 320; 4. Vincent Pagnotta, Welland, 278; 5. Anthony Kelly, Niagara Falls, 266, two victories.
Pure Stock V6: 1. Adam Plazek, Caistor Centre, 412, six victories; 2. John Couture, Niagara Falls, 392, two victories; 3. Chris Mussat, 336; 4. Tina Ronning, 328; 5. Alana MacDonald, 282.