Gary Lindberg Scores Victory For Third Time In 2019 On Saturday Night At Merrittville

Story By: STEVE PETTY / MERRITTVILLE SPEEDWAY – THOROLD, ONT – For the third time in the 2019 season, Ridgeway, Ontario’s Gary Lindberg celebrated in victory lane after winning the S&W Service Centre 358 Modified feature as Exclusive Imprint presented night one of the Civic Holiday doubleheader at Merrittville Speedway Saturday night.

Brent Begolo from Thorold, Ontario scored his first David Chevrolet DIRTcar Sportsman feature of the season. Kyle Pelrine from Beamsville, Ontario won his first Hoosier Stock feature. Jeffery May from Mt. Hope, Ontario scored his first feature win of the season in the Doidge Builders Mod Lites. John Couture scored his fifth win of the season in the Dave’s Auto and Speed Centre V6. Andy Imbeault from Port Colborne, Ontario scored the Vintage Car win.

Rob Knapp and Rick Richner were on the front row for the S&W Service Centre Modifieds feature with Richner showing the way. Early race restart would see Richner back in the lead with Carleton and Bicknell battling for second. Bicknell would take second and would go after race leader Richner. Bicknell would take the lead on the outside on lap eight as Ryan Susice battled and passed Richner for second place. Gary Lindberg would take over third from Richner on lap 11 as Mat Williamson entered the top five. Susice would take the lead away from Bicknell on lap 14. Lindberg would pressure Bicknell and would complete the pass to move into second on lap 22 and would start to go after Susice. Off a lap 26 restart, Lindberg would take the lead away from Susice. A trio of late-race cautions would bunch the field back up as Lindberg would take control off the restart. Lindberg would go on to score the feature win.

Jordan Cosco and Jay Mallory were on the front row in the 25-lap feature for the David Chevrolet DIRTcar Sportsman with Cosco showing the way. Cosco, Mallory, and Paul Gaboury would start to pull away as Dave DiPietro and Ryan Ferri raced inside the top five. Mallory would take the lead away from Cosco on lap five as DiPietro would make it a three-car battle for the top spot. Cosco would regain the lead on lap eight as DiPietro would fall in the clutches of Brent Begolo, as Begolo entered the top five on lap 10. Begolo would go three-wide with DiPietro and Mallory and would battle for several laps. Begolo would work the outside of the racetrack to take the lead away from Cosco on lap 22. Begolo would go on to score the win, his first of the season.

Zack Bleich and Rob Disher were on the front row for the Hoosier Stocks feature event with Disher showing the way. Kyle Pelrine worked in second with Billy Bleich Jr, Jason Fontaine, and Bryce Richardson racing inside the top five. Pelrine would take the lead away with Bleich racing in second and Rob Murray racing in third. Pelrine would continue to show the way as Bleich and Murray battled for several laps for second place. Pelrine would hold off Bleich and Murray to earn the victory.

Craig Martin and Rob Misener were on the front row in the main event for the Doidge Building Centres Mod Lites with Misener showing the way. Tyler Winger and Chris Watson got together on the front straightaway to bring out the races’ first caution on lap two. On the restart, Jeffery May would take the lead away as Josh Sliter challenged Misener for second place. Sliter would spin while going for second on lap seven to bring out the caution. The restart would see May start to pull away from the field as Randy Giroux and Chris Watson battled for second place. May would go on to score his first victory of the season.

Rob Shaw and Tina Ronning shared the front row for the Dave’s Auto and Speed Centre V6 feature with row two starters Kevin Conley and John Couture making it four-wide off the start to take over the top two positions. Couture would clear Conley for the lead at the end of lap one as the top two pulled away from the field. Couture would hold off Conley to score the feature win.

Night two of the Thunder on the Dirt Vintage Car series would see Andy Imbeault take the lead off the start from qualifying heat winner Mark Shadwell and would pull away from the field. Imbeault would win his second straight Thunder on the Dirt Vintage Car Series event. Qualifying heat races were won by Mark Shadwell and Kevin Lawes.

NEWS AND NOTES: 82 cars signed in pitside for the racing action.

Merrittville returns to action on Monday, August 5, Bobcat of Hamilton and Baron Roofing & Siding presents the Big Block Modified Super DIRTcar Series as well as the BEI Lightning Series for Sportsman plus the $1,000 to-win Insta Panels Duel on the Dirt combined race for the 4 Cylinders. Join us starting at 4 pm for a pre-race Chicken BBQ from John Michaels Banquet Centre. Pit and Grandstand gates will open at 4 pm with racing beginning at 7 pm.

Follow Merrittville Speedway on social media including Facebook (facebook.com/MerrittvilleSpeedway), Twitter (@Merrittville), and online at www.merrittvillespeedway.com

RACE RESULTS – EXCLUSIVE IMPRINT NIGHT

S&W Service Centre 358 Modifieds: GARY LINDBERG, Mat Williamson, Ryan Susice, Pete Bicknell, Mike Bowman, Fred Carleton, Scott Wood, Todd Gordon, Rick Richner, Tom Neale, Tyler Willard, Dalton Slack, Bill Podwinski, Tanner Podwinski, Rob Knapp

Qualifying Winners: Rob Knapp, Rick Richner

David Chevrolet DIRTcar Sportsman: BRENT BEGOLO, Brad Rouse, Jordan Cosco, James Michael Friesen, Dave DiPietro, Chad Chevalier, Jay Mallory, Dylan Davidson, Paul Gaboury, Ryan Ferri, Robbie Johnston, Trevor Wright, Derek VanMil, Nathan Peattie, Vince Fargnoli, Taylor Vanderzanden, Luke Carleton, Noah Mamo, Did Not Start: Boyd MacTavish, Ray Hockridge

Qualifying Winners: Jordan Cosco, Jay Mallory, Ryan Ferri

Hoosier Stocks: KYLE PELRINE, Billy Bleich Jr, Rob Murray, Justin Ramsay, Jason Fontaine, Brad Sheehan, Bryce Richardson, Rob Disher, Zack Bleich, Chris Schneider, Cody White, Robin Mortensen, Jeff Larmet

Qualifying Winners: Bryce Richardson, Jason Fontaine

Doidge Building Centres Mod Lites: JEFFERY MAY, Tyler Winger, Josh Sliter, Chris Watson, Randy Giroux, RJ Pietz, Rob Misener, Chris Perry, Cheeseburger Iftody, Marty deMoel, Dave Cornish, Brent Begolo, Craig Martin

Qualifying Winners: Tyler Winger, Brent Begolo

Dave’s Auto & Speed Centre V6: JOHN COUTURE, Kevin Conley, Rob Shaw, Josh Dymtrow, Tina Ronning, JJ MacDonald, Jayda Gruhl, Dave Hahl, Cameron Lane

Qualifying Winner: Rob Shaw