Kalen Draper best The BOS veterans for first career Brockville DIRTcar 358

Modified win

By: Tim Baltz

It was a night of firsts this past Saturday night at the Brockville Ontario Speedway

as three drivers claimed their first career feature wins on Splash Well Drilling

night.

Mathieu Bardier was the dominant force at the start of the 25 lap Action Sprint

Tour feature, with Matt Billings, Luke Stewart, Lee Ladouceur and Darren Dryden

making up the top 5 spots early on. Bardier has been fast all season and showed it

as he pulled away from the rest of the top 5 drivers and was in search of his first

series win. It appeared Bardier was going to lead every lap and end the race early

but Darren Dryden sailed off turn 4 while running 5th, bringing out the first yellow

on lap 11. On the restart Bardier continued to show the way but Lee Ladouceur

was on the move as he took 2nd from Billings and tried his best to close in on the

leader. With 5 laps left traffic started to come into play but Bardier would get

through with no issues, leaving Ladouceur behind in the number two spot. After a

championship run that ended because of a bad accident early in the season,

Mathieu Bardier rebounded for his 4th win of the season, but more importantly,

his first ever Action Sprint Tour win. Lee Ladouceur held on for 2nd with

defending series champion Jacob Dykstra edging out Luke Stewart for 3rd at the

line, while Matt Billings completed the top 5. The night was also show-up points

for track regulars in the 1000 RV Crate Sprint Car division for 2022. Ryan Poole

was honored at intermission as the 2022 track champion. Poole won three times

during his title run this year.

The start of the 25 lap DIRTcar Sportsman feature took a few tries to get some

laps in but Bobby Herrington would move from 13th starting spot to grab the lead

from early pace setter Xavier Andrews on lap 5 with Dylan Kirkland, Jessica Power,

who came from 15th to 4th early on and Dan Ferguson making up the top 5.

Herrington was fast on this night, as he put a straight away on Andrews by lap 10,

but Andrews was having his own battle with Dylan Kirkland, who put the pressure

on for the 2nd spot. At halfway it was Herrington still in command but the battle

for second turned into a 3-car battle, as Jessica Power would join the fight as well,

with Evan Reynolds taking the 5th spot after a mistake by Dan Ferguson, which

dropped him to the 6th spot. As the laps wound down it was clear that Xavier

Andrews and the rest of the field were not going to catch the defending track

champion, as Herrington held well over a straight away lead. In the end Bobby

Herrington would notch his 7th win of the season and second in a row. Andrews

would cross in second over Dylan Kirkland, Jessica Power and Evan Reynolds, who

tied his best finish of the season for a second time finishing 5th.

Kalen Draper was looking for some redemption in the 30 lap DIRTcar 358

Modified feature, as he jumped into the early lead over Joe Banks, Lee Ladouceur,

Terry McClelland and Johnathon Ferguson. After a season of struggles the Draper

Racing team has been the hottest team at The BOS, as Kalen’s brother Tristan had

won the last two weeks in a row. Kalen would pull away to a comfortable lead

while some of the high point drivers started to move forward. Johnathon

Ferguson was able to get to third and bring Ryan Arbuthnot and points leader

Chris Raabe into the top 5 also. Draper continued his steady pace as he held the

lead and would not be phased by traffic, as he cleared the lapped cars with no

issues. On lap 23 a quick yellow slowed the field and would test Draper on the

restart. When the green flew Draper once again got to the lead and pulled away

from Ladouceur, Arbuthnot, Raabe and Kyle Dingwall, who made his way to the

top 5 late in the event. With three laps to go another quick yellow slowed the

field as Jarrett Herbison spun off turn 2. On the final restart Kalen Draper would

pull away and get some redemption after having a win taken from him on the

final lap several weeks earlier, as he scored his first career DIRTcar 358 Modified

win. Ryan Arbuthnot got by Lee Ladouceur for second with Chris Raabe and Kyle

Dingwall completing the top 5.

Nick Merkley led the start of the 12 lap Street Stock feature over Peter and Todd

Raabe. Merkley had a fast car but behind him, it was trouble for points leader

Brett Horner. The two-time feature winner, would lose a right rear tire heading

down the back stretch ending his night early. On the restart it was Merkley once

again in control but Peter Raabe would make his move and take the lead on lap 3,

with brother Todd Raabe moving to second. On lap 6 Todd Raabe would make his

move for the top spot and start to author a dominant performance. From there it

was no contest as Todd Raabe would march on to score his division leading third

win of the season over Peter Raabe and Keith Riddell.

Jordan Wood led the opening laps of the 12 lap Novice Sportsman feature but

Holly Denard was also on the move and put pressure on the race leader in the

opening laps. Wood led the opening three laps until last weeks winner Matt

Pruner spun in turn 3. On the restart Jordan Wood remained the race leader but

Holly Denard was making her move for the lead. Denard tried the high lane in turn

three and pulled alongside the race leader. The top two made contact forcing

Denard off the speedway and the yellow flew. Denard would return for the next

restart, but Jordan Wood’s night would end early with right rear suspension

damage. This left Paul Donnelly in front on the restart but Stephane Fournier,

who picked up his first career win a few weeks back, was on the charge and

looking for the top spot. Donnelly would not be phased as he held off Fournier in

the final laps. Fournier even bounced off the front stretch wall to try and get by

the leader, but his shot at a win would have to wait another week. Paul Donnelly

would march to his first ever win and become the 9th different winner in the

division, breaking the previous record of 8 winners in 2015. Stephane Fournier

and Sandy MacFarlane completed the podium.

Next week The DIRTcar Sportsman North Canada Region gets back underway for

round three of the series. The DIRTcar 358 Modifieds will be on the card along

with Novice Sportsman and the Supernant Truck Shop Mini Stocks. Racing gets

underway at 7pm. For news, results and updated points visit our website at

brockvillespeedway.com. For instant updates give the speedway a follow-on

Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

DIRTcar 358 Modified (30 laps)

KALEN DRAPER, Ryan Arbuthnot, Lee Ladouceur, Chris Raabe, Kyle Dingwall,

Tristan Draper, Johnathon Ferguson, Chris Herbison, Joe Banks, Terry McClelland,

Jarrett Herbison, Madison Mulder, John Mulder, Steve Bilow, (DNS) Jeremy

LaSalle

Heat Winners: Kalen Draper and Joe Banks

DIRTcar Sportsman (25 laps)

BOBBY HERRINGTON, Xavier Andrews, Dylan Kirkland, Jessica Power, Evan

Reynolds, Dan Ferguson, Justin Saunders, Michael Dillon, Brennan Moore, Xavier

Perrin, Cedric Gauvreau, Geneva Sheffield, Domonic Merkley, Ricky Thompson,

Trent Wallace, Shane Stearns, Greg Brinklow, Chris Ferguson, Tyler Stewart

Heat Winners: Tyler Stewart and Brennan Moore

Action Sprint Tour (25 laps)

MATHIEU BARDIER, Lee Ladouceur, Jacob Dykstra, Luke Stewart, Matt Billings,

Ryan Poole, Seth Roy, Tyeller Powless, Darren Dryden, Brian Nanticoke, Paul

Pekkonen, Noelle Teal, Jonah Mutton, Dan Deyo, Johnny Miller, Tim Bailey, Brock

Cullen

Heat Winners: Luke Stewart, Brian Nanticoke and Matt Billings

Street Stock (12 laps)

TODD RAABE, Peter Raabe, Keith Riddell, Nick Merkley, Sam Rechzin, Curtis

Merkley, Brett Horner

Heat Winner: Nick Merkley

Novice Sportsman (12 laps)

PAUL DONNELLY, Stephane Fournier, Sandy MacFarlane, Mario Dupuis, Cory

Lambert, Matt Pruner, Holly Denard, Keira Turner, Jordan Wood, Shawn Hodge,

(DQ) Gavin MacFarlane

Heat Winners: Jordan Wood and Holly Denard