Story By: TIM BALTZ / BROCKVILLE ONTARIO SPEEDWAY – BROCKVILLE, ONT – The Eastern Ontario Vintage Stock Car Club made yet another appearance at the Brockville Ontario Speedway and the stars of the 50s and 60s and 70s and 80s classes put on an exciting show on Surprenant Truck Shop night.
Pete Stapper and Jeff Cledgett led their respective divisions in the early laps but they both did not have it easy. In the 70/80 class Steve Billings and Randy Gaudet put the pressure on for the top spot early, while behind them in the 50/60 class Cledgett was fighting off five others with Chris Wilson charging to the front.
Late in the event Matt Barbour charged by Stapper for the lead in the 70/80 class and started to drive away. Chris Wilson also took over the lead on the same lap in the 50/60 race and also began to drive away. At the finish Matt Barbour made his first Vintage start of the year a good one grabbing his first win of 2024. Steve Billings, Ian Gordon, Randy Gaudet and Pete Stapper completed the top 5. In the 50/60 class Chris Wilson went unchallenged to grab the win over Dexter Billings, Jeff Cledgett, Dwayne Emon and Joe Hilts.
It was a historical moment in the 12 lap Novice Sportsman feature event. Matt Mould led the race early on with Melcolm Banks and Blake Smith battling for position in the early laps. Mould and Banks began to put on a show for the top spot and Banks tried every lane to get by. With four laps remaining Banks saw an opportunity to get by as Matt Mould slipped off the bottom in turns 1 & 2. Banks took over the lead and started to drive away. With Banks in front Blake Smith tried all he could to get by Mould for second, but it would not happen. On this night history was made as 12 year old Melcolm Banks would not only grab his first ever win, but become the youngest winner in the history of the speedway. Matt Mould finished up second with Blake Smith, Kent Miller and Logan Brown the top 5.
In the 30 lap DIRTCar 358 Modified feature it was a great battle between a veteran and a driver still searching for that first career win. Jarrett Herbison took the lead on the outside lane and was flying around the speedway on this night with Dylan Evoy and Kyle Dingwall chasing him from 2nd and 3rd. Herbison had a big lead by lap 8 and appeared as if nobody was going to catch him. Kyle Dingwall had other plans as he moved to second on lap 10 and then tried to run down Herbison for the lead. Dingwall would get to the back bumper and the top two put on a great side by side battle for the next 12 laps with neither driver getting the upper hand. With five laps to go Dingwall made the winning move in turn three as he slipped by on the bottom and got by for the top spot in turns three and four. From there Kyle Dingwall put it on auto pilot, as he drove away to score his 2nd win of the season and 22nd of his Brockville Speedway career. Jarrett Herbison finished 2nd once again, while Matt Billings, Kalen Draper and Tristan Draper completed the top 5.
The 25 lap DIRTCar Sportsman feature started off with several multi-car accidents involving title contenders Gavin Eisele and Bobby Herrington. Both drivers were able to make repairs and come back to the race and still have a chance to win. Early in the feature Dylan Moore was the driver in control with Dominick Merkley and Greg Brinklow right there with him. Moore would hold the lead through the first 7 laps before Shane Stearns got by for the top spot and began to pull away. Gavin Eisele was involved in a tangle early in the race and was on the charge to the front taking second from Dylan Moore on lap 10, then ran down the race leader. After a great battle up front Eisele made the pass for the top spot on lap 17, leaving Stearns in second. Behind the top two Bobby Herrington was also on the charge from the tail of the field as he got by both Tyler Stewart and Dylan Moore to move into third with five laps to go. In the end Gavin Eisele would march to his second win of the season. Shane Stearns held on for second with Bobby Herrington finishing third with Dylan Moore coming home fourth, Tyler Stewart rounded out the top 5.
It was a caution free 15 lap Street Stock feature and Charles Marchand was the driver to beat early on. Marchand held a comfortable five car length lead in the early laps with Mike Schonauer and Cory White close behind in second and third. In the mid stages of the race points leader Todd Raabe started to go forward as he moved into the top 5 with 6 laps to go, but time to get to the lead was running out. On this night Charles Marchand would finally get to victory lane for the first time at Brockville. Mike Schonauer, Cory White, Todd Raabe and Stephane Philippe completed the top 5.
Josh Verne Jr. started on the pole for the 20 lap Surprenant Truck Shop Crate Sprint Car feature and put on a great performance in the caution free race. Verne pulled away comfortably over Lee Ladouceur Ryan Poole Adam Turner and Guy Gosselin. The track was getting faster as the night went on and even lapped cars did not slow the progress of Verne, as he pursued another Brockville win. Ladoucer and Poole did all they could to track down the Thresea New York driver but Josh Verne Jr. would lead every lap to grab win number three on the year. Ladouceur, Poole, Turner and Gosselin would finish up in the top 5.
The end of the night featured a 25 lap Enduro event. Jonathan O’Rourke would take the lead at the drop of the green flag and use some masterful driving skills on the slick track. O’Rourke would lead every lap to score the victory.
Next week Splash Well Drilling will be on hand for round two of the Sail Panel Series for the 358 Modifieds. The winner of the two race series will get a guaranteed spot into the Outlaw 200 at Fulton in the fall. The DIRTCar Sportsman, Novice Sportsman, Suprenant Truck Shop Crate Sprints and Mini Stocks will be on the card. Racing begins at 7pm.
DIRTcar 358 Modifieds
A Feature 1 (30 Laps): 1. 66-Kyle Dingwall[6]; 2. 38J-Jarrett Herbison[2]; 3. 1M-Matt Billings[5]; 4. 18-Kalen Draper[7]; 5. 17-Tristan Draper[9]; 6. R70-Ryan Arbuthnot[8]; 7. 44-Johnathon Ferguson[14]; 8. 35R-William Racine[12]; 9. 83-Dylan Evoy[4]; 10. 64-Terry McClelland[3]; 11. 23J-Jeff Sykes[13]; 12. 17M-Gavin MacFarlane[11]; 13. 08-Chris Ferguson[1]; 14. 40-Sandy MacFarlane[15]; 15. SS3-Gabriel Cyr[10]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 17-Tristan Draper[4]; 2. 08-Chris Ferguson[1]; 3. 66-Kyle Dingwall[5]; 4. 64-Terry McClelland[2]; 5. SS3-Gabriel Cyr[8]; 6. 23J-Jeff Sykes[7]; 7. 17M-Gavin MacFarlane[3]; 8. 40-Sandy MacFarlane[6]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 83-Dylan Evoy[2]; 2. 38J-Jarrett Herbison[1]; 3. R70-Ryan Arbuthnot[6]; 4. 1M-Matt Billings[3]; 5. 18-Kalen Draper[5]; 6. 35R-William Racine[7]; 7. 44-Johnathon Ferguson[4]
DIRTcar Sportsman
A Feature 1 (25 Laps): 1. 18E-Gavin Eisele[11]; 2. 22S-Shane Stearns[5]; 3. 88Z-Bobby Herrington[12]; 4. 35D-Dylan Moore[1]; 5. 32-Tyler Stewart[8]; 6. 707-Greg Brinklow[3]; 7. 95-Dan Jalbert[13]; 8. 35B-Brennan Moore[6]; 9. 88K-Dylan Kirkland[7]; 10. 18J-Jordan Wood[4]; 11. 98-Domonick Merkley[2]; 12. 91-Kraig Handley[9]; 13. 98D-Paul Donnelly[15]; 14. 39-Cory Lambert[16]; 15. 52-Jessica Power[14]; 16. 20-Nathan Lambert[17]; 17. 16-Matt Barbour[10]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 707-Greg Brinklow[2]; 2. 18E-Gavin Eisele[7]; 3. 35D-Dylan Moore[1]; 4. 35B-Brennan Moore[4]; 5. 16-Matt Barbour[6]; 6. 32-Tyler Stewart[5]; 7. 95-Dan Jalbert[8]; 8. 98D-Paul Donnelly[3]; 9. 20-Nathan Lambert[9]
Heat 2 (8 Laps): 1. 22S-Shane Stearns[3]; 2. 88Z-Bobby Herrington[7]; 3. 88K-Dylan Kirkland[4]; 4. 98-Domonick Merkley[1]; 5. 18J-Jordan Wood[2]; 6. 91-Kraig Handley[5]; 7. 52-Jessica Power[6]; 8. 39-Cory Lambert[8]
Winged Crate Sprints
A Feature 1 (20 Laps): 1. 1V-Josh Verne Jr[1]; 2. 51L-Lee Ladouceur[2]; 3. 00-Ryan Poole[4]; 4. 9-Adam Turner[3]; 5. 93-Guy Gosselin[5]; 6. 52J-Brett Horner[8]; 7. M52-Marc Surprenant[7]; 8. 4K-Jamie Kay[6]; 9. 77-Liam Ladouceur[9]
Heat 1 (8 Laps): 1. 1V-Josh Verne Jr[5]; 2. 51L-Lee Ladouceur[2]; 3. 9-Adam Turner[4]; 4. 00-Ryan Poole[3]; 5. 93-Guy Gosselin[9]; 6. 4K-Jamie Kay[8]; 7. M52-Marc Surprenant[7]; 8. 52J-Brett Horner[6]; 9. 77-Liam Ladouceur[1]
Vintage Modifieds
50/60’s (20 Laps): 1. 333-Chris Wilson[5]; 2. 38-Dexter Billings[3]; 3. 6-Jeff Cledgett[1]; 4. 72-Dwayne Emon[2]; 5. 83V-Joe Hilts[4]; 6. 28G-Greg Hale[19]; 7. 12-Tim Charland[14]; 8. 85-Tim Bailey[15]; 9. 95-Wade McAllister[20]; 10. (DNS) 80-Steve Barber; 11. (DNS) 37-Matt Barbour; 12. (DNS) 8-Chris Pryer; 13. (DNS) 17IG-Ian Gordon; 14. (DNS) 40-Tim Hegarty; 15. (DNS) 54-Kyle Grundy; 16. (DNS) 79-Chris Hale; 17. (DNS) 96-Randy Gaudet; 18. (DNS) 10-Paul Billings; 19. (DNS) 84-Steve Billings; 20. (DNS) 63-Pete Stapper
70/80’s (20 Laps): 1. 37-Matt Barbour; 2. 84-Steve Billings; 3. 17IG-Ian Gordon; 4. 96-Randy Gaudet; 5. 63-Pete Stapper; 6. 79-Chris Hale; 7. 10-Paul Billings; 8. 8-Chris Pryer; 9. 40-Tim Hegarty; 10. 54-Kyle Grundy; 11. (DNS) 80-Steve Barber
Heat 1 70’s 80’s (8 Laps): 1. 84-Steve Billings[1]; 2. 63-Pete Stapper[5]; 3. 10-Paul Billings[2]; 4. 79-Chris Hale[3]; 5. 54-Kyle Grundy[4]
Heat 2 70’s 80’s (8 Laps): 1. 17IG-Ian Gordon[1]; 2. 37-Matt Barbour[2]; 3. 96-Randy Gaudet[3]; 4. 40-Tim Hegarty[4]; 5. 8-Chris Pryer[5]; 6. (DNS) 80-Steve Barber
Heats 50’s 60’s (8 Laps): 1. 6-Jeff Cledgett[1]; 2. 72-Dwayne Emon[3]; 3. 38-Dexter Billings[2]; 4. 83V-Joe Hilts[5]; 5. 333-Chris Wilson[6]; 6. 12-Tim Charland[4]; 7. 85-Tim Bailey[8]; 8. 28G-Greg Hale[7]; 9. 95-Wade McAllister[9]
Novice Sportsman
A Feature 1 (12 Laps): 1. M75-Melcolm Banks[2]; 2. 28-Matt Mould[1]; 3. 18B-Blake Smith[3]; 4. 42-Kent Miller[5]; 5. 9-Logan Brown[4]; 6. 82-Nicolas Mainville[6]; 7. 80D-Damien King[7]; 8. 5-Mark Johnston[8]
Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 82-Nicolas Mainville[4]; 2. 9-Logan Brown[3]; 3. M75-Melcolm Banks[2]; 4. 80D-Damien King[1]
Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 28-Matt Mould[1]; 2. 42-Kent Miller[3]; 3. 18B-Blake Smith[2]; 4. 5-Mark Johnston[4]
Street Stocks
A Feature 1 (15 Laps): 1. 07M-Charles Marchand[1]; 2. 45-Mike Schonauer[3]; 3. 19-Cory White[5]; 4. 10-Todd Raabe[8]; 5. 125-Stephane Philippe[7]; 6. 9-Sylvain Gauthier[2]; 7. 64-Jonathan Galipeau[9]; 8. 01-Vincent Charbonneau[6]; 9. 11-Steve Brady[4]; 10. 71-Francis Gauthier[10]; 11. 66-Thomas Reid[11]
Heat 1 (6 Laps): 1. 10-Todd Raabe[6]; 2. 01-Vincent Charbonneau[5]; 3. 11-Steve Brady[3]; 4. 9-Sylvain Gauthier[2]; 5. 64-Jonathan Galipeau[4]; 6. 66-Thomas Reid[1]
Heat 2 (6 Laps): 1. 45-Mike Schonauer[2]; 2. 07M-Charles Marchand[1]; 3. 125-Stephane Philippe[5]; 4. 19-Cory White[4]; 5. 71-Francis Gauthier[3]