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Thorold, ONT…Steve Dixon won the 2008 BRP CanAm Late Model Series opener at Merrittville Speedway on Saturday May 17. Dixon found that his 2008 CRS Corvette liked the ragged racer’s edge of the track early and rode that lane to Victory Lane.
Dixon, winner at Merrittville last August, was looking forward to a return engagement on the perfectly groomed, wide, sticky, and fast D shaped track. The return engagement could not have worked out better. Dixon blasted from his sixth starting spot and wagged a short battle with Tim Schram and Pete Bicknell before grabbing the top spot on lap nine. The second generation race car driver from Smethport, PA then rode his beautiful Irons Farm – Fitzsimmons Construction ‘Vette to a return trip to Merrittville’s Victory Lane and third his career Series victory. Dixon’s payday for the WRISCO Racing Aluminum sponsored event was $1600 – his largest ever.
Dixon shared from victory lane, “This Corvette was fast, the track was fast, this is a great way to start the 2008 Series. My plan was to run the bottom, but I had go to the top to get around Tim (Schram) and Pete (Bicknell) and when I did I found the car really liked it up there. I thought about going to the bottom a few times, but I knew somebody was close and using that groove so I stayed on the top. This track is awesome. I’d like to race here every week.”
The action behind Dixon was fast and furious. Pete Bicknell wheeling Paul Grigsby’s “backup” car finished second and raced in that position for most of the contest. Bicknell’s challengers made the event a show. Leading players in that show were pole starting Tim Schram, first timer Kyle Inman, Paul Grigsby, Jim Johnson, and Jon Rivers.
“I just needed a longer leg,” joked Bicknell from the post race inspection area. “That was a lot of fun. Dixon found the top sooner than I did. Once he was there I had to use the bottom and I just could not get it done. I want to thank Paul and his team for letting me drive their car. There isn’t anything I can do about a longer leg, but perhaps they can move the pedal for me at Little Valley or somewhere. I am busy on Saturday nights, but we have been looking at the Series schedule. We need to talk!”
Jon Rivers, winner of a Series event at Merrittville in 2006, wanted another win north of the border, but the handicap of a bad redraw (11th) was too much to overcome. The Basom, NY garageman / racer was “OK” with the final spot on the podium. “The car is in one piece and we will go on to next week’s double header at Little Valley and Woodhull.”
Tim Schram using his typical calm cool and fast style raced in the lead pack all night. The Scio Speed Society representative was scuffled out of the top five for a few laps, but recovered to finish fourth.
Mikey Wonderling was quiet all night until others in front of him opened the door in the last couple of laps and Mikey drove Jim and Sharon Schuyler’s hot rod across the finish line in fifth.
Rounding out the top ten finishers were: Jeremy Wonderling who recovered from a spin on lap four to claim the sixth finishing spot, Dan Cobb seventh in his first ever Canadian start, Jeff Chesebro from 15th at the start, Mike Williams in a last lap charge to ninth, and Glenn Whritenour.
An incident on lap 24 changed to final outcome. Paul Grigsby and Jim Johnson got together as they raced for third. The end result was Grigsby’s car in the “mini moat” and against the retaining wall. Johnson was sent to the rear, but elected to withdraw at that point. “It was just a racing deal. We were racing hard and there was some contact. I was hit from behind and I guess it was Jimmy. That car is wrecked, but this one finished second. A second and third would have been great. Nobody was going to beat Steve tonight,” shared Officer Grigsby from the tech area after the dust and tension had settled.
One of the headline stories was the outstanding drive by Kyle Inman in his first ever Series start. Inman had some laps at Merrittville in a DIRTcar sportsman, but his first start in a BRP CanAm late model was outstanding. The end result does not reflect the great drive the kid from Darien had.
Qualifying race winners were: Dave Dubois, Dixon, Jeremy Wonderling, and Paul Grigsby
WRISCO Aluminum 30 Lap A-Main Finish: STEVE DIXON, Pete Bicknell, Jon Rivers, Tim Schram, Mikey Wonderling, Jeremy Wonderling, Dan Cobb, Jeff Chesebro, Mike Williams, Glenn Whritenour, Wayne Robertson, Matt Cobb, Bob Buono, Beamer Guzzardi, Neil Patterson, Kyle Inman, Larry Knowles, Dave Dubois, Brian Kotarski, Jeff Daymon, Quinn Sutherland, Brett Buono, Jim Johnson, Paul Grigsby, Bob Babbitt, Carl Shetler, John Waters, Dave Miller
BRP CanAm Late Model Series information at www.BRPCanAmSeries.com
Marketing Partners for the 2008 BRP CanAm Late Model Series include: Bicknell Racing Products, Absolute Powder Coating, BC Designs, Brzezinski Racing Products, Can & Bottle Return of Delevan, Ed Carley Motorsports, Close Racing Supply, Cousins Designs, CR Designs & Racing Graphics, Damon’s Dyno’d Race Engines, DART Machinery, DB Embroidery, Doug’s Dirt Diary.com, East Coast Speed.com, F/A Products, Gavenda Race Engines, Genesis Shocks, GG&H Motorsports, Hoosier Tire, ISKY Racing Cams, Landrum Performance Springs, Lazer Chassis by Bernheisel Race Cars, Lias Tire / American Racer, MAHLE Clevite Engine Parts, Bob Mullen’s Pro Speed, National Parts Peddler, Raceway Magazine.com, Performance Friction Brakes, Signs Plus of Kanona, Suzuki Motorcycles & ATV Dealers, Wrisco Industries, Brock Young’s Family
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