Third generation racer goes the distance
Erick Rudolph wins $8,500 100-lap battle of big blocks
Simcoe Day was no holiday for lap trackers in the scoring tower at Merrittville Speedway.
There was action in only three divisions — usually, there are six on the program — but each was an extra-distance race.
Nowhere was this truer than in 358 Modified, the premier class at the Thorold track. Some drivers competed in a 10-lap “last-chance race” before qualifying for the 100-lap feature.
And that was on tap of two practice laps, two more for time trials and eight for heats.
Erick Rudolph overtook Gary Lindberg, Saturday night’s feature winner, with six laps remaining for the win — and the $8,500 prize. The third-generation racer from Ransomville, N.Y., completed the race in 36:27.144 and his margin of victory over Lindberg was 0.497 seconds.
Billy Decker, who placed fourth in the feature, clocked the fastest time around the 3/8th mile D-shaped track in time trials, 16.638 seconds.
Port Colborne’s Chad Chevalier defended his Bellinger Electric Lightning Series championship by pacing the field in the 40-lap, $2,000-to-win Sportsman feature.
Jeremy Cooper from St. Catharines went home with his first checkered flag of the season, and
the $1,000 prize, after the dust settled following the 40-lap Insta Panel Duel on the Dirt combined race in Mini Stock.
Top five and secondary winners from Monday’s program at Merrittville
Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series, 100 laps: 1. Erick Rudolph, 2. Gary Lindberg, 3. Ryan Susice, 4. Billy Decker, 5. Mat Williamson. Heat winners: Decker, Matt Sheppard, Demetrios Drellow, Williamson. Last chance showdown: Fred Carleton.
Sportsman, 40 laps: 1. Chad Chevalier, 2. James Michael Friesen, 3. Cody McPherson, 4. Brent Begolo, 5. Kyle Inman. Heat winners: Friesen, McPherson, Zachery Payne, Dave DiPietro, Last chance qualifiers: Justin Sharp, Kyle Inman. Low cash dash: Derrick Borkenhagen.
Mini Stock, 40 laps: 1. Jeremy Cooper, 2. Tyler Lafantaisie, 3. Kyle Rothwell, 4. Craig Vlasic, 5. Cole Hardy. Heat winners: Lafantaisie, Tony Kelly, Rothwell.