Drivers faced off to a fast race track on Saturday night at Brockville Ontario Speedway, but it was Kalen Draper who was the first to tame the track in the DIRTcar 358 modified division.
Track championships were on the line, but for those who were not in contention to win a title, a feature win was still up for grabs. Before the feature events, a special eight-lap Dutchmen’s Dash for Cash for the DIRTcar 358 Modified and DIRTcar Sportsman took to the speedway.
The races featured all winners from this season at Brockville. Draper took the lead early and never looked back to secure the DIRTcar 358 Modified win. Bobby Herrington took the lead late in the going and claimed the DIRTcar Sportsman win.
Mario Dupuis led the way early on in the 12-lap Novice Sportsman feature with Matt Pruner and Holly Denard chasing him. Dupuis had a fast race car and was in search of his second win of the season. Keira Turner brought out a late race caution when she lost a left front tire in turn three.
On the final restart, Dupuis would pull away and go unchallenged to claim his second win of the year.
Matt Pruner, Holly Denard, Gavin MacFarlane and Paul Donnelly completed the top five. Veteran Shawn Hodge claimed the season long championship.
Domonick Merkley led early in the 25-lap DIRTcar Sportsman event. But a tangle involving Merkley, Trent Wallace, Brennan Moore and Evan Reynolds would slow the field before the end of lap one. Once the race got going, it was Dan Ferguson leading the way over Josh Powers and Shane Stearns.
Powers wasted no time grabbing the lead a couple of laps later and began to pull away, but a familiar face would provide a challenge to former Vintage modified driver. It was the 2021 and newly crowned 2022 champion Bobby Herrington who moved to second and quickly closed in on the leader.
Powers would keep the lead as both cars were evenly matched. Behind the top two, Jessica Power would move to the number three spot with Dylan Kirkland and Xavier Andrews completing the top five.
Herrington tried everything he had to get by Powers through the remainder of the event, but the rookie was up to the task and would hold on to become the third multi-time winner, claiming his second career DIRTcar Sportsman win.
Herrington claimed another runner-up finish with Jessica Power, Dylan Kirkland and Xavier Andrews in the top five. Herrington became the fourth driver in track history to win back-to-back DIRTcar Sportsman titles.
Veterans Chris Herbison and Jeff Sykes led early in the 30-lap DIRTcar 358 Modified feature. The top two pulled away from the rest of the field while young guns — Tristan Draper, Johnathon Ferguson and Jarrett Herbison — filled out the top five spots.
Draper continued his charge towards the front of the field as he moved past Sykes to take over the number two spot on lap 16, as he closed in on the leader. Title contenders Chris Raabe and Ryan Arbuthnot were in traffic throughout the 30-lap contest and tried their best to make it to the front of the field.
Late in the event, Ferguson spun in turn one, clipping the back bumper of Raabe and the caution flew.
Both cars continued on, but had to restart from the back of the field. On the restart Draper continued to show the way, but Kyle Dingwall was right there to challenge with Jeff Sykes retaking the number three spot and the battle was on.
Over the final laps, Draper would pull away and would survive one late race restart to go to victory lane for a third time. Dingwall crossed in second with Sykes, Arbuthnot and Jarrett Herbison. Raabe would claim his first DIRTcar 358 Modified championship, joining Paul Moreland and Kyle Dingwall, as the only drivers to have track championships in both sportsman and modified divisions at the speedway.
358 Modified Feature (30 Laps)
Tristan Draper, Kyle Dingwall, Jeff Sykes, Ryan Arbuthnot, Jarrett Herbison, Chris Herbison, Johnathon Ferguson, Lee Ladouceur, Kalen Draper, Steve Bilow, Chris Raabe, Joe Banks
Sportsman Feature (25 Laps)
Josh Powers, Bobby Herrington, Jessica Power, Dylan Kirkland, Xavier Andrews, Ricky Thompson, Dan Ferguson, Michael Dillon, Trent Wallace, Sandy MacFarlane, Brennan Moore, Shane Stearns, Chris Ferguson, Domonick Merkley, Greg Brinklow, Evan Reynolds
Novice Sportsman (12 Laps)
Mario Dupuis, Matt Pruner, Holly Denard, Gavin MacFarlane, Paul Donnelly, Keira Turner, Shawn Hodge, Jordan Wood, Cory Lambert, (DNS) Jeremie Goyette