THOROLD, ON – While rain sprinkled through the Niagara region Saturday night, Mother Nature finally played with the Merrittville Speedway drivers and fans. All five features went their full distance. St. Catharines, Ontario’s Mike Bowman claimed the win in the final event of Action Sprint Tour Oakwood Transport West series.
The Action Sprint Tour Oakwood Transport West series wrapped up at Merrittville on Saturday night. Sheldon Bender and Johnny Miller started on the front row, but neither driver got very far as the yellow flag came out on lap 1 when Will Marche slowed on the back stretch. Brett Stratford took the lead on the restart as Andrew Hennessy and Mike Bowman entered the top three. Two more cautions on lap 10 and lap 15 kept the field close.
Hennessy and Bowman pressed Stratford who began to fade on the restart, and it was Bowman making a move to the middle while Hennessy tried to take the lead on the outside, who would take the spot from Stratford who fell to third in one set of corners. Bowman looked set to claim win number six on the tour until Will Marche spun as the leader took the white flag, setting up a green, white checkered finish. Bowman timed the restart perfectly and drove away before Hennessy could make a charge, taking the win and taking another step forward in his quest for the National title. Hennessy and Stratford complete the podium with Dale Curran fourth and Miller in fifth.
Bowman has now wrapped up the AST Oakwood Transport West series championship, while Lee Ladouceur has clinched the AST Suprenant Truck Shop East series crown. Seven events remain on the 2023 Action Sprint Tour schedule, including six AST Pinty’s National series events and one East series event. Ladouceur and Bowman are atop the National series standings, but much is left to be decided with Matt Billings, Mathieu Bardier, Adam turner, and many others still in contention for the championship.
Labour Day Classic weekend at Brighton Speedway is next up for the Action Sprint Tour. Please visit www.actionsprinttour.com for race results, points standings, and more information about the 2023 Action Sprint Tour season.
Action Sprint Tour Oakwood Transport West Series
Statistical Report – Saturday, August 26, 2023
Merrittville Speedway – Thorold, Ontario, Canada
A-Main [Started] 25 laps
1. 71-Mike Bowman[7]; 2. 87-Andrew Hennessy[8]; 3. BS39-Brett Stratford[3]; 4. 31-Dale Curran[13]; 5. 20-Johnny Miller[2]; 6. 88-Lance Erskine[5]; 7. 2S-Al Sleight[12]; 8. 28-Cameron Thomson[10]; 9. 72-Tanner Podwinski[9]; 10. 9C-Brian Nanticoke[17]; 11. 71C-John Cadman[4]; 12. 77E-Ashton VanEvery[11]; 13. 29W-Tyler Ward[6]; 14. 97-Sheldon Bender[1]; 15. 51-Trevor Young[16]; 16. 85C-Cam MacKinnon[18]; 17. 11W-Jeremy May[15]; 18. (DNF) 19-Will Marche[14]; 19. (DNS) 14-Broden Weiler
Heat Race 1 [Started] 8 laps
1. 88-Lance Erskine[1]; 2. 97-Sheldon Bender[2]; 3. 71C-John Cadman[3]; 4. 28-Cameron Thomson[5]; 5. 19-Will Marche[4]; 6. 11W-Jeremy May[7]; 7. 85C-Cam MacKinnon[6]
Heat Race 2 [Started] 8 laps
1. BS39-Brett Stratford[3]; 2. 87-Andrew Hennessy[1]; 3. 71-Mike Bowman[4]; 4. 2S-Al Sleight[2]; 5. 31-Dale Curran[5]; 6. 9C-Brian Nanticoke[6]
Heat Race 3 [Started] 8 laps
1. 20-Johnny Miller[4]; 2. 29W-Tyler Ward[1]; 3. 72-Tanner Podwinski[3]; 4. 77E-Ashton VanEvery[5]; 5. 51-Trevor Young[2]; 6. (DNS) 14-Broden Weiler