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Brachmann Edges Jones on Last Lap in Mod Feature at Merrittville
By Dave Sully
( Thorold , Ontario ) In a race reminiscent of last week’s BRP Late Model event, Chad Brachmann executed a perfect inside pass on Tim Jones in the final turn of the last lap to bag his second thirty-five lap modified feature of the season at Merrittville on Saturday, August 25th, much like Steve Dixon’s move on Jim Johnson in the BRP race. The race saw the end of an amazing streak of one hundred ninety-five straight caution free laps for the modifieds, a remarkable feat at a race track as racy and competitive as the compact Merrittville oval.
It looked for most of the race that the talented, but snake-bitten Jones, a classic low buck competitor, was going to score his first Merrittville win of the season as he ran down runaway leader Larry Lampman to take the front and open a lead himself. However, a controversial caution on lap thirty, the streak breaker, gave Brachmann, from Sanborn , NY , his chance, and he took it.
George Bosse led the first four laps from the pole before Lampman, the defending modified champion from Pt. Colborne, drove by him on the outside in turn two. Lampman then proceeded to open a sizable advantage, while all eyes turned to Jones, who started eighth, but was surely on to something as he motored up to third by lap nine.
Robbie Krull was also attracting attention as he moved into fourth on lap sixteen.
Jones continued to surge, taking over second on lap eighteen, but he seemed a longshot to catch Lampman, who had checked out on the field. With Lampman running outside and Jones running a lower line, the gap between them began to shrink noticeably, and by lap twenty-six he was a scant two cars lengths back. By lap twenty-eight he was breathing down Lampman’s neck before taking the lead at the line.
Jones was pulling out to an advantage when the fateful lap thirty saw Krull, running fourth, suddenly exit the track in turn four after contact with Brachmann, who had worked his way up from ninth to challenge. Krull, who insisted that Brachmann had been leaning on him down the entire backstretch before being spun, retaliated by bumping Brachmann as the cars lined up for the restart and was immediately dismissed from the event. For his part, Brachmann claimed that Krull spun out on his own after pinching him several times previously.
Jones led the restart, followed by Lampman and Brachmann, but before a lap was scored, Dan Miller and Dereck Lemyre got together in turn one, bringing out another yellow. Despite the fact that the lap wasn’t counted, second position was awarded to Brachmann, who was ahead of Lampman when the yellow flag flew, igniting another disagreement, since many believed if the lap didn’t count, the pass shouldn’t either.
When the race finally restarted, Jones led Brachmann, with Lampman third. Brachmann worked Jones for the final five laps, with Jones running the middle, while Brachmann hugged the bottom. Brachmann actually edged in front in turn two on lap thirty-four, but Jones outbraked him in turn three to regain the advantage.
On the final lap Brachmann was able to get the run that he needed to squeeze under Jones in that final turn to take the win, with Jones finishing second. Lampman was not as fortunate as contact with Scott Wood sent him into the moat under the starter’s stand. It was deemed that he never crossed the finish line, and he was scored thirteenth, costing him crucial points in the standings. Wood ended up third, with Fred Carleton, in his second run in the former Adam Ferri entry, and Brian Stevens rounding out the top five.
Of the end of the race, Brachmann admitted that without the caution he wouldn’t have caught Jones and Lampman, adding, “Luckily the caution came out and it put us in a position to win the race.” Regarding his run on the bottom, he noted, “About halfway through, it seemed I could get a much better run off the bottom. I stuck with that and started reeling cars in.” Of the fateful pass for the win, he stated emphatically that he knew he could make the move, saying, “I knew that if I drove it in just a little deeper than Timmy I could get her turned in the center and pick up the throttle a little bit quicker, and it just happened to work out.”
Jones was philosophical about the outcome, as this marked his second strong run in a row after some earlier disappointments. He explained, “The night went really well. It was really unexpected. Starting eighth on a tacky track like that, I didn’t think I’d be able to move ahead. Then I started picking off cars one at a time. The car was really good in the middle of the track. Larry was way out, and I was settling in for second, but he started jumping the cushion and I was running down the middle, so I just kept my momentum going, and finally reeled him in. We just didn’t need the caution on lap thirty. That really killed us because Chad got behind me, and I didn’t know where he was running.” Of the pass by Brachmann in the final turn, he added, “I figured if I got in front of him and took away his line maybe we’d hold him off, but he was already underneath me, and that was it.”
Tyler McPherson took a hard earned win in the twenty-five lap sportsman feature, as he out-dueled a determined Robbie Rounce. Rounce took the lead from the pole, while McPherson the nineteen year old former Hoosier Stock standout from St Catharines, moved up to challenge, claiming second by lap three.
McPherson hounded Rounce on a lap five restart and the two sparred side by side for several laps before McPherson edged in front on lap eight. Rounce stayed strong and four cautions kept McPherson from establishing any breathing room, but the able young driver kept his composure on the four restarts and was able to hold off the persistent Rounce, who has run well at times this season, but has yet to win.
At the line it was McPherson and Rounce, followed by Justin Sharp, previous week’s winner Rob Knapp, who made a gallant run from fifteenth, and Alan Sleight, who came from eleventh to complete the top five.
Third generation driver, eighteen year old, Brent Begolo, a hometown driver from Thorold , scored his first ever Hooisier stock win, besting a strong field. The son of former modified champion Jim Begolo, and grandson of Merrittville “Wall of Famer,” Geno Begolo, took the lead just before a lap eight caution after starting in the seventh position and then cruised to the win. Jeff Dayman, former champion Rob Murray, veteran Kirk Wilson, and Kevin Knapp followed him across the line.
Paul Klager from Beamsville returned to his winning ways, scoring his eleventh win of the season in the open wheel lite division, prevailing in a tight battle with his teammate and recent hot shoe Shawn Sliter. With the win he essentially clinched the title for the year. Andy Tallman, Syracuse visitor Jeff Barker, and Wayne Robins completed the top five.
Finally, Trevor Goulding from Welland recorded his second win of the season in the mini stocks as he seized the lead from a determined Garnet Wilson on lap nine and then drove away to the win. Wilson held on for second, ahead of Tony Kelly, Evan Curtis, and Aaron Wiley.
NOTES: Despite dire predictions and a half hour delay caused by an afternoon downpour, the show went off with dispatch and no other rain threatened the event……The penalty was announced for Darren Zumpe’s on track indiscretion last week, when he drilled Mat Williamson following their sportsman heat. Zumpe was suspended for two weeks. He will be eligible to return for the sportsman tour event on September 8th………..Jason Corliss took a scary looking flip in his open wheel lite car in turn four on the first lap of the feature, ending up on his roof. He appeared shaken but otherwise OK after the encounter…………In an attempt to stem the tide of drivers intentionally causing cautions, the cars of Bill Bleich Jr. and Rob Disher were parked for doing just that in the Hoosier Stock Feature……..McPherson’s sportsman win takes on huge significance as point leader Mike Bowman had a rough night and ended up finishing twenty-first. McPherson was only a few points back in third place entering the night, which makes the final point race the pivotal event of the year in determining the champion.
Results:
L. St. Amand Modified Finish: (35 laps) Chad Brachmann, Tim Jones, Scott Wood, Fred Carleton, Brian Stevens, Pete Bicknell, Rick Richner, George Bosse, Ken Cosgrove, Chris Steele, Boyd Mactavish, Larry Lampman, Dereck Lemyre, Dan Miller, and Robbie Krull. Heat winners were Miller and Stevens.
Original Pizza Logs Sportsman Finish: (25 laps) Tyler McPherson, Robbie Rounce, Justin Sharp, Rob Knapp, Alan Sleight, Chad Chevalier, Jim Johnstone, Mat Williamson, Travis Braun, Brandon Easey, Mark D’Ilario, Luke Carleton, Norm Mark, BJ Willard, Wayne Conn, Bill Bleich, Rick Bellante, Brad Rouse, Jesse Pontello, Graham McKay, Mike Bowman, Tim Lipsitt, Nick Cupolo, and Paul Gaboury. Heat winners were Bowman, Rounce, and Conn.
Hoosier Stock Finish: (20 laps) Brent Begolo, Jeff Dayman, Rob Murray, Kirk Wilson, Kevin Knapp, Russ Davidson, Vince Fargnoli, Paul Wichert, Peter Reid, Cody McPherson, Barry Blanchard, Kevin Kocarik, James Small, Dan Eden, Jason Fontaine, Mike Dooley, Rob Disher, Gord Bates, and Bill Bleich Jr. Heat winners were Wilson, Knapp, and Reid.
Lucas Oil Open Wheel Lite Finish: (20 laps) Paul Klager, Shawn Sliter, Andy Tallman, Jeff Barker, Wayne Robins, Dave Russell, Adam Leslie, Jamie Gilbert, Wally Billing, Kory Howe, Kellie Mason, Jeff Johnson, Derek Bredin, Dan Russell, Lorne Collings, Bob Bredin, Ray Sliter Jr., Roger Shenstone, Joey Mastroiani, Mike Virginia, Malvin Jeffrey, Josh Sliter, and Jason Corliss. DNS Rick Brubacher. Heat winners were Tallman, Howe, and Gilbert.
Turn 4 Collision Mini Finish: Trevor Goulding, Garnet Wilson, Tony Kelly, Evan Curtis, Aaron Wiley, Brandon Iuduciani, Jocelyn Wiley, Charlie Lynch, Mark Saul, Mike Giberson, Baden Curtis, Carey Gore, David Lopes, Abel Castelein, Rob Overholt, Greg Wilson, Terry Larmet, and Ken Kadwell. Heat winners were Iuduciani and Gore.
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