Brother act can’t be beat in Victoria Day Sprint Car feature

Ryan, Cory Turner finish 1-2 as winged warriors take to dirt track at Merrittville

Mother Nature observed the statutory holiday on Monday and took the night off as Merrittville Speedway salvaged a Victoria Day weekend doubleheader with a four-division program.

A forecast calling for rain prompted the Thorold track to pull the plug on Saturday night’s show early in the afternoon, but green and checkered flags, not storm clouds, were the only things in the air two nights later.

Besides racing in Sportsman, UMP Modifieds, Hoosier Stock and a visit by the Southern Ontario Sprint tour, a show presented by Zavitz & Sykora Financial Strategies of St. Catharines featured the first qualifier for a 100-lap enduro that in the past several years has wrapped up the schedule at the 3/8mile clay track.

Nelson Mason was a double winner Monday night. After setting the pace in his qualifying heat, for his firs-ever victory at Merrittville, the Niagara Falls driver won the Sportsman feature in only his third start.

With five circuits remaining, the 25-lap Southern Ontario Sprint main event came down to a battle between brothers Cory and Ryan Turner, from Caistor Centre, near Smithville. Ryan, taking advantage of the bottom of the track following a single-file restart, overtook his brother for the win and family bragging rights.

Donny Lampman, also from Caistor Centre, took the checkered flag in Hoosier Stock, Merrittville’s eight-cylinder racing class, and Leamington, Ont., native Joel Dick emerged from a field of eight as the driver who couldn’t be beaten in UMP Modifieds.

Port Colborne’s Dylan Sliter led a top three of Rodney Rutherford and Jordan Fidler across the finish line in the enduro qualifier.

Merrittville’s 71st season resumes Saturday with racing in five divisions: 358 Modified, Sportsman, Hoosier Stock, Mod Lite, 4-Cylinder. Pit gates open at 5 p.m., grandstands at 5:30 p.m. with the first race set for 7 p.m.

Following are the top five, heat winners, the margin of victory, as well as fastest lap times and starting fields from Monday night’s program at Merrittville Speedway:

Right Choice Auto & Leisure DIRTcar Sportsman, 25 laps

1. Nelson Mason, 2. Jay Mallory, 3. Darrell Farraway, 4. Rob Knapp, 5. Adam Leslie. Heat winners Trevor Wright, Terry Smith, Mason. Margin of victory 0.482. Fastest lap Knapp. 17.431, ninth lap. Field: 19.

Southern Ontario Sprints, 25 laps 1. Ryan Turner, 2. Cory Turner, 3. Jim Huppenen, 4. Travis Cunningham, 5. Liam Martin. Heat winners

Shone Evans, Mitch Brown, Todd Hoddick. Margin of victory 1.470. Fastest lap Ryan Turner, 15.357, 11th lap. Field 21.

Hoosier Stock Canada, 20 laps

1. Donny Lampman, 2. Chris Hale, 3. Dave Bailey, 4. Steve Shaw Sr., 5. Zach Bleich. Heat winners Bleich, Lampman, Shaw. Margin of victory 1.64. Fastest lap Hale, 18.654, seventh lap. Field 21.

UMP Modifieds, 20 laps

1. Joel Dick, 2. Jake Hooker, 3. Wade Purchase, 4. Shawn Gregory, 5. Curtis King. Heat winner Drew Smith. Margin of victory 3.904. Fastest lap Dick, 17.614, 15th lap. Field eight. Track Talk Saturday night’s rainout was the second of the season at Merrittville. The track’s annual test and tune inspection, originally set for April 16, was rescheduled until the following Wednesday … Mat Williamson, of St. Catharines, set the pace in the 358 Modified feature at Ransomville Speedway on Friday night in western New York for his seventh win in 24 starts this season. Mike Bowman and fellow St. Catharines racer Pete Bicknell finished fourth and fifth, respectively.

BERND FRANKE IS A ST. CATHARINESBASED JOURNALIST AND THE REGIONAL SPORTS EDITOR FOR THE STANDARD, TRIBUNE AND REVIEW. REACH HIM VIA EMAIL: BERND.FRANKE @NIAGARADAILIES.COM