Williamson captures memorial race at Humberstone
St. Catharines drivers take modified, Dirt 602 features
St. Catharines driver Mat Williamson stayed hot in winning the $4,000 Pete Cosco Memorial for the modifieds at New Humberstone Speedway Sunday.
Another St. Catharines driver, Brad Rouse, picked up the win in the $2,000 Race of Champions Dirt 602 Series event.
For Rouse, it was his third Humberstone checkered flag of the season. Chad Homan from Macedon, N.Y., won his sixth Pro Fabrication RUSH Late Model feature of the season. Dave Bailey from Hagersville captured his fifth JC Auto Thunder Stocks feature of the season.
Evan Curtis from Port Colborne won his second Cosco Haulage Mini Stocks feature, while Brian (Go Fast) Teeple of Thorold won his first career Mike Knapp Ford Pro 4 Truck feature.
Erick Rudolph and Jeff McGinnis were on the front row for the 75-lap Pete Cosco Memorial with Rudolph leading the way at the start. McGinnis, Shane Pierce, Rick Richner, and Phil Vigneri III raced inside the top five early on. Chris Bellamy spun in Turn 1 to bring out the race’s first caution on Lap 11.
On the restart, Rudolph retook the lead with Williamson, Ryan Susie and Gary Lindberg in pursuit. By Lap 17, Lindberg moved into second place and set his sights on race leader Rudolph.
The red flag was out for a wreck on Lap 33 that involved Chad Brachmann, Steve Lewis Jr. and Fred Carleton, who emerged healthy from the crash.
On the restart, Williamson took the lead away from Rudolph. The pair pulled away from Jeff McGinnis with Gary Lindberg challenging McGinnis for the final spot on the podium.
Lindberg made his pass on Lap 68 to move into third place.
Williamson and Rudolph battled for the lead for the much of the second half of the race with Rudolph trying unsuccessfully to get around Williamson in the closing laps.
“It is very emotional to get the win tonight,” Williamson said in victory lane.
“Racing with Erick (Rudolph), I was lucky to get by him. He passed me to get the win in this race a few times, and tonight I was able to pass him and beat him.”
Tyler Puchalski and Robbie Johnston were on the front row of the Race of Champions Dirt 602 Sportsman Series with Puchalski taking the lead early. Rouse moved into second place. Jordan Cosco grabbed third away from Johnston on Lap 8, and on the following lap, Rouse passed Puchalski.
Johnston came to a stop in Turn 2 to bring out the race’s first caution on Lap 18, erasing Rouse’s lead on the field. Chad Chevalier moved around Cosco to take over fourth place before going after Puchalski
for third.
Rouse pulled away to earn his third Humberstone checkered flag of the season.
Rouse was the fifth winner on the Race of Champions Dirt 602 Series in 2018.
In the Pro Fabrication RUSH Late Models feature event, Chad Homan drove to the outside of Rob Pietz to take the lead which he held for final 10 laps to earn the victory, his sixth of the season.
Dave Bailey scored the win, his fifth of the season, in the JC Auto Thunder Stocks 20-lap feature. Barry Beck Jr. was second.
Evan Curtis held off Jay Moulton to win
the 20-lap feature for the Cosco Haulage Mini Stocks.
Teeple held off off Danny Wurster to score his first career win in the Mike Knapp Ford Pro 4 Trucks.
News and notes: More than $23,000 was paid out to the modified drivers including over $8,500 in lap sponsorships … Next Sunday night, the Action Sprint Tour returns for its third visit of 2018 as Rankin Construction will present the racing action. The Sportsman, Thunder Stocks, Mini Stocks and Pro 4 trucks will round out the race card, which will conclude with fireworks … It will be the final points show of the season for the Sportsman. Showtime is at 6:30 p.m. All kids in attendance can check out the activities with the Humbee’s Kids Club happening at 5 p.m. each race night on the second floor of the VIP Tower.