THOROLD, Ont. (April 20, 2024) – Cool temperatures and a stiff breeze did not deter a large crowd from attending the Spring Sizzler at Merrittville Speedway on Saturday night. Dylan Westbrook took the lead early in the 25 lap Southern Ontario Sprints A-Main and stayed there to claim his first win of the season.
DJ Christie and Dylan Westbrook made up the front row for the A-Main, but miscommunication during the pace laps led to a melee which knocked several competitors out of the race before it began. The second attempt to start the race was smoother, and Westbrook quickly took command.
Jason Barney put on a show by charging through the field with impressive dive-bomb maneuvers entering the third turn, and eventually made his way to the second position. Barney, a regular with the Empire Super Sprints series, gave Westbrook a challenge after a late restart but ended up settling for the runner-up spot. Ryan Turner also charged from deep in the field to finish third, while Christie took fourth and Mike Bowman rounded out the top five.
Creative Edge Heat Race wins went to Christie, Westbrook, and Eric Gledhill. Westbrook also claimed the Ackland Insurance Quick Time Award, while Ryan Turner was The Drivers Project Hard Charger Award winner. A fast field of 23 cars competed in the opening round of the 2024 SOS season, including ESS regulars Jason Barney and Jordan Poirier.
The next SOS event is scheduled for Saturday, June 15 at Southern Ontario Motor Speedway. Please visit www.southernontariosprints.ca for race results, points standings, and more information about the Nitro 54 Variety Southern Ontario Sprints presented by Tammy 10 Media.
Nitro 54 Variety Southern Ontario Sprints presented by Tammy Ten Media
Statistical Report – Saturday, April 20, 2024
Merrittville Speedway – Thorold, Ontario, Canada
A-Main [Started] 25 laps – NT
1. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[2]; 2. 87-Jason Barney[11]; 3. 15-Ryan Turner[14]; 4. 5-DJ Christie[1]; 5. 71-Mike Bowman[7]; 6. 28-Jordan Poirier[12]; 7. 19-Allan Downey[6]; 8. 94-Todd Hoddick[10]; 9. 12DD-Darren Dryden[9]; 10. 70MM-Dale Curran[17]; 11. 87X-Shone Evans[8]; 12. 68-Aaron Turkey[20]; 13. 9-Liam Martin[3]; 14. 81-Derek Jonathan[22]; 15. (DNF) 88H-Josh Hansen[4]; 16. (DNF) 7NY-Matt Farnham[16]; 17. (DNF) 17-Cory Turner[21]; 18. (DNF) 71B-Brent Begolo[18]; 19. (DNF) 90-Travis Cunningham[15]; 20. (DNF) 7-Eric Gledhill[5]; 21. (DNF) 94X-Scott Hall[23]; 22. (DNF) 77T-Tyeller Powless[13]; 23. (DNF) 11-Jamie Turner[19]
Awards
The Drivers Project Hard Charger ($150) – Ryan Turner (+11)
Ackland Insurance Quick Time ($100) – Dylan Westbrook (13.771 seconds)
Creative Edge Heat Race 1 [Started] 8 laps – 1:52.217
1. 47X-Dylan Westbrook[4]; 2. 19-Allan Downey[2]; 3. 71-Mike Bowman[1]; 4. 94-Todd Hoddick[3]; 5. 77T-Tyeller Powless[7]; 6. 7NY-Matt Farnham[6]; 7. 11-Jamie Turner[8]; 8. 81-Derek Jonathan[5]
Heat Race 2 [Started] 8 laps – NT
Creative Edge Heat Race 2 [Started] 8 laps – NT
1. 5-DJ Christie[2]; 2. 88H-Josh Hansen[4]; 3. 87X-Shone Evans[6]; 4. 87-Jason Barney[5]; 5. 15-Ryan Turner[1]; 6. 70MM-Dale Curran[7]; 7. (DNF) 68-Aaron Turkey[3]; 8. (DNS) 94X-Scott Hall
Heat Race 3 [Started] 8 laps – 1:52.503
Creative Edge Heat Race 3 [Started] 8 laps – 1:52.503
1. 7-Eric Gledhill[1]; 2. 9-Liam Martin[4]; 3. 12DD-Darren Dryden[2]; 4. 28-Jordan Poirier[3]; 5. 90-Travis Cunningham[5]; 6. 71B-Brent Begolo[6]; 7. 17-Cory Turner[7]
About: The Southern Ontario Sprints series sanctioned its first race in 1996, making it one of Canada’s longest-running motorsports sanctioning bodies. The Nitro 54 Variety Southern Ontario Sprints presented by Tammy Ten Media 2024 schedule will see the organization competing at five racing facilities in Canada and the United States. Visit www.southernontariosprints.ca for more information and news for the traveling winged 360 Sprint Car tour based in Ontario, Canada