Merrittville Next For BRP CanAm Series

St. Catharines, ONT…The second event of the 2006 BRP CanAm Series will take place Monday May 22 at the Merrittville Speedway in Thorold, Ontario. The Monday night date is a celebration of Queen Victoria Day, a national holiday. Speedway gates will open at 5PM with races starting at 7PM. Joining the BRP CanAm Late Models on the race program are DIRT Modifieds, DIRT Sportsman, and street stocks.

Jeremy Wonderling leads the BRP CanAm Series point standings by virtue of his victory in the Series opener at Black Rock Speedway last month. The second generation racer has been a tear in late model competition at Black Rock since the Series win with three straight wins in weekly competition. However, last week Wonderling blew the engine in his Baldwin Forest Products Shaw Grand Prix. “I was leading when a brand new Morollo engine blew. I went from 13th to the lead in a hurry [seven laps], but then a rod broke and went through the block. That engine turned out not to be a good deal! We finished installing it Friday morning and less than 12 hours later it was junk. This week I have gone to Bill Campbell. I am on my way to his shop right now. I’ll be ready for Merrittville for sure. I even plan on Black Rock tomorrow night if it does not rain,” reported Wonderling from his cell phone on Thursday afternoon.

Larry Knowles finished second at Black Rock and as a result stands second in Series points. Knowles had planned to debut a brand new CAT Rental Stores CRS Monte Carlo at Merrittville; however, the car was not delivered on schedule. Knowles will race the car that he used at Black Rock and has since won with at Woodhull. “There is nothing wrong with our DeWert car, but new is usually better. The new car was promised for May 1st. They just didn’t get it done,” says Knowles.

Randy Hall is third in Series points after his great run in the Black Rock opener. Hall is a Series rookie, but do not be fooled. This young gun has lots of racing experience and knows how to win races. Hall has followed up his great Black Rock run with victories at McKean County Raceway and Freedom Raceway during the past three weeks.

Jon Rivers is fourth in the early point chase and has his 2006 racing program geared for the Series championship. Rivers won a Series event at Genesee Speedway last year and finished 12th in the final point tally. Rivers won the 2005 late model track title at his home track, Genesee Speedway. Rivers’ ride for the new season is a 2006 Rocket GTO from Bob Mullin’s Pro Speed.

Tim Schram rounds out the top five as the Series prepares for its first of two visits to Merrittville Speedway in 2006. “Timid Tim” finished fourth in 2005 Series points. This Scio Speed Society member won the Clevite Engine Parts A-Main at Genesee last year. Schram’s smooth, steady, strong style is certainly of championship caliber. Schram’s Warehouse America – Palmatier Trucking Monte Carlo will be near the head of the line when the gates swing open at Merrittville.

Dave DuBois finished sixth in the Series opener and has won at both Black Rock and Genesee in weekly competition since then. This is the best start to a racing season ever for the fourth year Corfu, NY racer. DuBois will have his Sunnyside Suzuki Rocket Grand Prix fine tuned for the Monday night program.

Dave Miller and Bruce Miller won Series events at Merrittville last year and both plan to repeat on Monday! One of them will not win on Monday, but will have another opportunity on Saturday August 19 when the Series returns to Merrittville.

Darren Kish is the defending Series champion and a former DIRT Pro Stock champion at Merrittville. Kish hopes to parlay his home track advantage for a trip to victory circle Monday night. Kish leads all drivers with five Series wins after 32 Series events.

Todd Rice will be at Merrittville focused on coming back from a difficult outing at Black Rock where he was credited with a very disappointing DNF and 22nd finishing position. Rice had been contending for the top spot before his Black Rock problems started. Rice has finished third in Series point standings in each of the prior three years of the Series.

Jessica Pierce will be the first female to enter a BRP CanAm Series event when she rolls onto the track Monday night in her J & F Race Shop Rocket GTO. Jessica, a late model rookie, has a Woodhull Raceway heat race win and a top ten A-Main finish on her 2006 race log.

Junior Green will make his first ever BRP CanAm Series start on Monday night. Green’s new Huff built Betts powered Monte Carlo has never turned a lap. However, it is rumored by a fellow Scio Speed Society member that Green was sighted testing his newest hot rod on the back roads of Scio. RUMOR ONLY!

These driver plus another 30 some are expected for a Queen Victoria celebration. Join the celebration at Merrittville Speedway on Monday May 22. The gates will open at 5PM; racing starts at 7PM.

The 2006 BRP CanAm Series will visit Black Rock Speedway, Canandaigua Speedway, Cayuga County Fair Speedway, Genesee Speedway, McKean County Raceway, Merrittville Speedway, Ransomville Speedway, and Woodhull Raceway for 12 events in 2006. The 2006 Series will conclude at Black Rock on Saturday October 7 with a $10,000 non-point affair.

Marketing Partners for the 2006 BRP CanAm Series include: Bicknell Racing Products, Bob Mullen’s Pro Speed, Brad Penn Racing Oil, Can & Bottle Return of Delevan, Clevite Engine Parts, Cool Edge Web Designs, Cousin’s Designs, DANA Corporation, DB Embroidery, DIRT MotorSports, DSE1 Race Engines, Ed Carley Motorsports, F/A Products, Hoosier Tire of Canada, Lias Tire – American Racer, Mohawk Speed Shop, Signs Plus of Kanona, Southeastern Transmissions, Suzuki Motorcycle & ATV Dealers of NY & PA, the Young Family, and the host tracks.

For complete BRP CanAm Series news and information see www.brpcanamseries.com. Merrittville Speedway information at www.merrittvillespeedway.com