CANTLEY, QUE � Lee Ladouceur has had his fair share of tough luck in his first full season running with the 25th Anniversary Tour for the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints.
On Friday night at Autodrome Edelweiss, things finally went the 30-year-old�s way in the Northwood 2 Construction/Lasalle Motorsports 25-lap A-Main. The event was part of the SMAC Magazine Canadian Invasion series as well as being the first of three Riverside Bar and Grill point races.
Ladouceur, of Alexandria, Ont., picked up his first career ESS win even with the right rear lug nut completely off the car and a bent bird cage.
�This is unbelievable,� stated Ladouceur. �Brian (McDonald) has given me the chance to run the Sprint Car this and I�ve got some good finishes but this one is definitely my best one.
�I really have to thank my crew guys, those guys do an awesome job and I was able to get this win because of them.�
Ladouceur got out in front at the drop of the green flag. He started on the outside of the front row in his Eagle chassis No. 51. He passed the pole-sitter, Justin Barger, as they exited the second turn to take the lead.
�The car was really fast at the beginning,� said Ladouceur. �I�m not sure how fast it would have been in traffic right away. I�m definitely glad I started right up front.�
The red flag was displayed on lap three when Jeff Cook lightly rolled his Maxim in turn two. His car was rolled back onto its wheels and he was able to continue.
By the eighth circuit, Ladouceur found himself in slower traffic at the tail of the field. He worked high and low to get through the slower cars with ease.
With five laps remaining in the event, Ladouceur began feeling a vibration in the rear of the car. This may have been when the right rear lug had come off.
�The car started to really have a vibration,� commented Ladouceur. �If you have a loose wheel sometimes you can break the center of it (wheel) and you�ll go right over. I decided it was worth the chance.�
The chance was worth it as Ladouceur held on for the win which earned him a solid $2,150 payday for his efforts.
Tommy Wickham of Constantia, N.Y., was able to shake off the unlucky bug as well as he brought his Ingles Performance/C&J Farms Jimmy D�s powered J&J home in the runner-up finish after starting fourth.
The last time Wickham competed at Edelweiss he led most of the event until having an engine expire, the team used that setup to get him a runner-up finish.
�We really hit something the last time we were here,� commented Wickham. �We were leading and lost the motor that night. Tonight we put that same setup in the car. It was really good and I think we might have had something for Lee (Ladouceur) if we didn�t get caught behind some lapped cars.�
Barger, of Montrose, faded back and was forced to hold off Steve Poirier for the third position. Barger battled tight conditions in his Ohsweken Speedway/Cortland Auto Body Maxim.
�I expected the car to be a little bit slicker than that,� said Barger. �I really needed more stagger on the car. I just held on for third.�
Poirier, the current Canadian Invasion and overall point leader, came home in the fourth position. Jessica Zemken, of Sprakers, N.Y., was able to move from the eighth starting position to finish in fifth.
Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints Northwood 2 Construction/Lasalle Motorsports A-Main: Lee Ladouceur ($2,150), Tommy Wickham, Justin Barger, Steve Poirier, Jessica Zemken, Lance Yonge, Brian McDonald, Anthony Cain, Michael Parent, Normand Beaudreault, Jeff Cook, Chris Jones, Tim Kelly, Bubby Kerrick, Alain Bergeron, Justin Harris, Daniel Lampron, Chuck Hebing, Doug Emery, David Renaud.
Lap Leader – Ladouceur 1-25.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 1 (10 laps): Alain Bergeron, Chuck Hebing, Doug Emery, Anthony Cain, Normand Beaudreault, Michael Parent.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 2 (10 laps): Chris Jones, Jessica Zemken, Steve Poirier, Lee Ladouceur, Brian McDonald, Bubby Kerrick, Justin Harris.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 3 (10 laps): Lance Yonge, Jeff Cook, Tommy Wickham, Justin Barger, Daniel Lampron, Tim Kelly, David Renaud.
M. Gilles Mason/Walt’s Hobby Dash (4 laps): Postponed until September 19th.
Cash Sponsors:
Northwood 2 Construction/Lasalle Motorsports A-Man: Ladouceur $275
Ohsweken Speedway Winners Bonus: Ladouceur $100
National Parts Peddler Halfway: Ladouceur $100
Lane’s Yamaha Hard Charger: McDonald (7 pos.) $50
Cook’s Contracting Bridesmaind Bonus: Wickham $50
HG Associates Pole Award: Barger $50
AMB Moteurs Fast Time Award: Ladouceur (12.138) $50
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers: Bergeron, Jones, Yonge $25.
Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints/Northwood 2 Construction A-Main – Lee Ladouceur ($2,150), Tommy Wickham, Justin Barger, Steve Poirier, Jessica Zemken, Lance Yonge, Brian McDonald, Anthony Cain, Michael Parent, Normand Beaudreault, Jeff Cook, Chris Jones, Tim Kelly, Bubby Kerrick, Alain Bergeron, Justin Harris, Daniel Lampron, Chuck Hebing, Doug Emery, David Renaud.
Lap Leader – Ladouceur 1-25.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 1 – Alain Bergeron, Chuck Hebing, Doug Emery, Anthony Cain, Normand Beaudreault, Michael Parent.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 2 – Chris Jones, Jessica Zemken, Steve Poirier, Lee Ladouceur, Brian McDonald, Bubby Kerrick, Justin Harris.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 3 – Lance Yonge, Jeff Cook, Tommy Wickham, Justin Barger, Daniel Lampron, Tim Kelly, David Renaud.
M. Gilles Mason/Walt’s Hobby Dash – Postponed until September 19th.
Cash Sponsors:
Northwood 2 Construction/Lasalle Motorsports A-Man- Ladouceur $$275
Ohsweken Speedway Winners Bonus – Ladouceur $100
National Parts Peddler Halfway – Ladouceur $100
Lane’s Yamaha Hard Charger – McDonald (7 pos.) $50
Cook’s Contracting Bridesmaind Bonus – Wickham $50
HG Associates Pole Award – Barger $50
AMB Moteurs Fast Time Award – Ladouceur (12.138) $50
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers – Bergeron, Jones, Yonge $25.
Winner�s Contingencies:
Lucas Oil $115, Griffin Thermal Products $100, Design 500 $100, Mangus Pumps $100, GME Steering $80, Hank�s Performance Products $50, Kreitz Oval Track Products $50, Saldana Racing Products $50, Racing Optics $30, Rod End Supply $30, Brake Man $25, Auto Racing News $25, Ultra Shield $10, Pepsi Cola $5
Other Contingencies:
Weld Racing Hard Luck � Cook $100
ATL � Barger $100
M&W Aluminum Products � Wickham $75
Leaf Racewear � Poirier $75
Design 500 � Zemken $50, Bergeron $50
Keizer Wheels � McDonald $50
KSE Racing Products � Kelly $50
Zemco Headers � Zemken $50
Joe Hunt Magnetos � Emery $50
Rod End Supply � Wickham $30
VMAC Racing � McDonald $25
DMI � Hebing $25
Luther�s Way Out Grafix � Poirier $25
ISC Racers Tape � Beaudreault $10
Ultra Shield � Wickham $10
Pepsi Cola � Bergeron, Jones, Yonge $5.