Weekend feast for local auto racing fans
The first long racing weekend of the season is here and tonight’s Merrittville Speedway program kicks off three straight nights of action.
The modifieds will sit tonight out with the BRP Can-Am late Model Series in town to kick off its 2008 schedule. On Sunday, the 360 sprint series will highlight the Humberstone Speedway card. A pair of holiday 50-lap Lucas Oil Modified Shootout events will round out the week.
Merrittville’s loaded Victoria Monday program also features a 40-lap sportsman feature, a 25-lap Duel on the Dirt street stock event and the first Konzelmann Enduro qualifier of the year. On Friday, the modifieds will make the short trip across the river to Ransomville Speedway for the Memorial Weekend 50-lapper.
The most intriguing event of the racing smorgasbord may be tonight’s BRP Can-Am Late Model feature. That series was originally scheduled to begin at Black Rock Speedway in April, but a central New York storm postponed that race until mid-June.
The championship points race for the former superstock class will now begin tonight but a point leader will be throwing one of the late models into the turns when the green flag waves.
With the mods AWOL, Pete Bicknell will be in action with the full-fendered group tonight, a week after sweeping the modified season openers at both Merrittville and Ransomville. He’ll be in a car owned by veteran campaigner, Paul Grigsby.
The 19-time Merrittville champion got his start in the old late-model division in the mid-1970s but the cars you’ll see this evening bear little resemblance to that class.
“Those late models were the forerunners of the pro stocks,” Bicknell explained.
“Those cars were faster just because we used such a big motor compared to what this series is allowed. The one big advantage these guys have is their great suspension.”
Mr. Small Block did manage to sneak a little practice time in before tonight’s baptism by fire.
“I tested the car here a few weeks ago when nobody knew who was in it,” Bicknell revealed. “I thought if I was a complete disaster, I wouldn’t embarrass myself, but it was great. I was comfortable right away.”
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