358-Modified Series Jump-Starts with
Back-to-Back Shows in Ontario
Small Block Series Racers Set out to
Conquer Premier Merrittville Speedway and Cornwall Motor Speedway in Opening
Races
"Feel the Excitement": 358-Modifieds Open at Cornwall
The first of the two races promises a night of excitement for the fans as the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series competitors present opening night for the series and for Cornwall Motor Speedway's 2013 season. The Minute Auto Wash Canadian Nationals presented by Gaetan's Chip Stand on Sunday, May 19, features a 100-lap DIRTcar 358-Modified Series feature, a 40-lap Mohawk Racing Parts Pro Stock Series feature, plus Sportsman, Semi Pro and Mini Stock weekly divisions.
Many weekly competitors in the 358-Modified division at Cornwall Motor Speedway agree that their home track's high-banked quarter-mile clay oval is a thrilling place to race.
"It's a real fast, small, high-banked track with multiple groves of racing even when it's dried out, you can run the top, the bottom, the middle," said driver of the No. 151kb Brian McDonald, who ranked seventh in track points at Cornwall in 2012 and 10th in points for the series."It's definitely a very exciting place to watch racing - it's very fast-paced even when the track is slowed down or a little slick."
McDonald aims to continue running Cornwall Motor Speedway on a weekly basis in 2013, while also running at Brockville Ontario Speedway as a home track and following the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series.
"We didn't do the whole thing last year, just hit or miss," McDonald said of the series, "but we had a few decent finishes so if we do the whole thing we may do well in points."
Adult general admission tickets are just $25 for the DIRTcar 358-Modified
Series opener at Cornwall Motor Speedway, located just across the Seaway
International Bridge. Racing starts at 7 p.m. and gates open at 5:30 p.m. For more information, visit the track website at www.cornwallspeedway.com or call (613) 938-3945. Follow Cornwall Speedway on Twitter, @cornwalspeedway, and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CornwallMotorSpeedway.
D-Track Debut: Round 2 at Merrittville
The excitement won't end Sunday, with 358-Modified Series racers wheeling southwest from Cornwall to take on the challenging Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ontario, the very next day. The Monday, May 20, race night, presented by Zavitz Financial Strategies & Employee Benefits, features a 100-lap DIRTcar 358-Modified Series event plus a Hoosier Stock duel and the first Enduro Qualifier.
Track owner and 23-time 358-Modified Merrittville track champion Pete Bicknell said that even the series' best have their work cut out for them on the D-shaped 3/8-mile banked clay track.
"It's probably one of the hardest tracks to figure out because turn 4 is so tricky," said Bicknell, whose experience at Merrittville and in the 358-Modified division has earned him the nickname "Mr. Small Block." "It just takes experience. It takes lots of laps to figure out. It's something that very few people can come and adapt to right away."
"They say if you can race well at Merrittivllle, you can race well anywhere," Bicknell contended.
On his way to proving that mantra is Merrittville's own Mat Williamson. The 6m pilot collected six top-five finishes out of 12 starts in last year's DIRTcar 358-Modified Series to finish second in points. In track points at Merrittville, Williamson fell just 14 points of the top spot - held, of course, by Pete Bicknell. This year the 23-year-old Williamson is at it again, already first in track points and ready to take on the series.
"I'm pretty excited to have a 358 race start off the year at my home track," Williamson said. "Hopefully we can get in a good run at home and start campaigning on the series in the points battle."
After a successful 2012 season at Merrittville plus success last year at Cornwall making two top-five finishes out of two starts, Williamson hopes these first series races at a couple of his strongest tracks will fuel some momentum going into the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series.
"We run good at Cornwall," Williamson said. "I don't think that we can go there and go to Merrittville and not have a good couple nights on the series. We're still looking for our first series win, so hopefully between those two races we can get it."
Williamson, of St. Catharines, Ontario, said he is also looking forward to some Big-Block Modified shows, and is preparing several Super DIRTcar Series events. Last year, he racked up one top-five finish and two top-tens out of his two starts in the Big-Block Modified tour. Nonetheless, he said the small block still takes precedence in 2013.
"We're going to kind of see where we're sitting in points," Williamson said. "We were going to see if we could solve both series, but there are some conflicting dates so that's where we're going to focus on the 358 tour."
For the second race of the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series, pit gates open at 4 p.m., front gates at 5:30 p.m., and racing begins at 7 p.m. For more information, visit the track website at www.merrittvillespeedway.com or call (905) 829-8266. For the latest news about Merrittville Speedway, follow the track's Twitter updates, @Merrittville, and "like" the Facebook page, www.facebook.com/groups/merrittvillespeedway.
For the latest news and updates about the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series and the other DIRTcar Northeast traveling tours, including the Super DIRTcar Series, follow @DIRTcarNE on Twitter, "like" the DIRTcar Racing Facebook page, www.facebook.com/pages/DIRTcar-Racing/286953054655394. The full DIRTcar 358-Modified Series is available by visiting www.dirtcarump.com/schedule/10844-2.
AT A GLANCE
| What: | DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Round 1 Minute Auto Wash Canadian Nations presented by Gaetan's Chip Stand |
| Divisions: | DIRTcar 358-Modified Series (100 laps) Mohawk Racing Parts Pro Stock Series (40 laps) Sportsman Semi Pro Mini Stock |
| When: | 7 p.m. Sunday, May 19 |
| Where: | Cornwall Motor Speedway, Civic #16981, Cornwall Centre Road, Long Sault, Ontario |
| About the Track: | High-banked quarter-mile clay oval |
| For more information: | www.cornwallspeedway.com or (613) 938-3945 |
| What: | DIRTcar 358-Modified Series Round 2 Zavitz Financial Strategies & Employee Benefits presents a 100-lap DIRTcar 358-Modified Series event plus Hoosier Stock Duel and Enduro Qualifier No. 1 accelerated by Niagara College |
| Divisions: | DIRTcar 358-Modified Series (100 laps) Hoosier Stock Duel Enduro qualifier |
| When: | 7 p.m. Monday, May 20 |
| Where: | Merrittville Speedway, 2371 Merrittville Highway, Thorold, Ontario |
| About the Track: | 3/8-mile banked clay track, unique D-shape |
| For more information: |
www.merrittvillespeedway.com or (905)
829-8266
|
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