CANTLEY, PQ – Steve Poirier, of St. Mathieu de Beloeil, PQ., has struggled for much of the 2009 season with the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints. Prior to Friday night’s action at Autodrome Edelweiss, the defending series champion had only one victory this season.
On Friday night Poirier dominated the Lasalle Motorsports/Northwood 2 Construction Canadian Sprint Series 25-lap main event to get a much needed boost of confidence and the $1,900 winner’s take. With the victory he became the first repeat winner on the 2009 tour.
“We are really happy to get back to Victory Lane,” said Poirier. “Tonight we were lucky. I don’t think we were the fastest car but we had a good starting position. It is a real relief to finally get a win as I was starting to doubt myself.”
Poirier started on the front row with Brian McDonald lined-up alongside. At the start it was Poirier taking the advantage but only for a moment as the caution flag was immediately displayed for Jared Zimbardi and Anthony Cain. The two came together damaging both cars while sending Zimbardi to the pits on the hook.
Action got back underway with Poirier once again gaining the advantage over McDonald. In just five laps Poirier was a full straightaway ahead of the field as he began catching slower traffic at the back of the pack.
The only red flag of the night was displayed on lap 15 for Lee Ladouceur. Ladouceur got into the outside retaining wall coming off the fourth turn and rolled over two times before landing on all four wheels. He was uninjured in the event.
This bunched the field up behind Poirier for a single file restart. Again Poirier pulled away from the field and very quickly caught lapped traffic. On lap 18, Poirier went to get by April Wilson and attempted to slide up in front of her. He didn’t clear her all the way and slight contact was made.
“I thought I could slide job here cause she (Wilson) she was slower,” said Poirier. “We touched and I felt a little bit of a vibration. I thought to myself that I was going to be in trouble again.”
Poirier came away unscathed other than the vibration but the field quickly caught him including second place running Alain Bergeron and the third place car of Jeff Cook.
Poirier remained flawless even after the bobble that nearly cost him the lead. He was the leader when the caution was displayed on lap 19 for April Wilson as she spun and came to a stop in the middle of turns three and four.
Bergeron and Cook made numerous attempts in the closing laps to track down Poirier but it was to no avail as he held on to the win in his AMB Moteurs powered J&J
Bergeron, of St. Pie, PQ, finished in second after starting third in the field. He was able to close on Poirier but he was never able to challenge him for the lead.
“We had a good car but Steve (Poirier) was a little bit better,” said Bergeron. “He had a good starting position. I don’t know if I started in front of him if I would have been better than him or not. He was good tonight.”
Bergeron nearly lost the second spot as the final caution came out and saved him from being passed by Jeff Cook. Cook worked the high side and took the spot away before the caution moved Bergeron back to second.
“I was trying to run the bottom to close on Poirier,” said Bergeron. “Once I saw Jeff (Cook) up there I knew the line was faster so I moved up there. It was a lot quicker than the bottom.”
Cook, of Antwerp, N.Y., settled for a third place finish with his Rt. 37 Building Supply Maxim ride. He was hoping for a second place but once he showed Bergeron the fast way around he took the line leaving Cook unable to get by.
“I showed him (Bergeron) the nose before that last caution and showed him the line,” said Cook. “After that he ran the faster line. I tried to get underneath him but I had to slow the car down so much to go down there that I couldn’t get a run on him.”
Tommy Wickham, the winner last time out at Edelweiss, finished in fourth in his No. 75 while Lance Yonge ran a steady race to finish in fifth and take over the overall ESS point lead from Justin Barger by the slimmest of margins.
ESS/Edelweiss Notes: The ESS teams went through the stands where a big crowd came out with helmet in hand to collect for Normand Beaudreault who was seriously injured back in June. Over $1,000 was collected for one of ESS’ nicest drivers who is now home recovering in good spirits…Daniel Lampron had motor troubles and never made it out for the A-Main…With Poirier and Bergeron one-two in the finish, they continue to stay one-two on the Northwood 2 Series….A weekend off for the stars and cars before its up to Autodromes Granby and Drummond for two Fondations 4 Saisons A-Mains that pay $2,000 to win and $450 to start.
RESULTS: A-Main: Steve Poirier ($1,900), Alain Bergeron, Jeff Cook, Tommy Wickham, Lance Yonge, Michael Parent, Justin Barger, Rick Wilson, Brian McDonald, Sylvain Erickson, April Wilson, Lee Ladouceur, Paul Pekkonen, David Renaud, Anthony Cain, Jared Zimbardi. DNS: Daniel Lampron.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 1 – Justin Barger, Lance Yonge, Jared Zimbardi, Michael Parent, April Wilson, David Renaud.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 2 – Alain Bergeron, Brian McDonald, Anthony Cain, Paul Pekkonen, Rick Wilson, Sylvain Erickson.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 3 – Tommy Wickham, Steve Poirier, Lee Ladouceur, Jeff Cook, Daniel Lampron.
Econo Transmission/Cobra Coaches Dash – Justin Barger.
Lap Leader – Poirier 1-25.
Winner’s Contengincies:
Lucas Oil $115, Design 500 $100, Saldana Racing Products $50, GME Steering $50, Hank’s Performance Products $50, Kreitz Oval Track Products $50, Racing Optics $30, Rod End Supply $30, Area Auto Racing News $25, Brake Man $25, S&W Awards $20, Ultra Shield $10.
Other Contingencies:
ATL – Cook $100
Leaf Racewear – Wickham $75
Design 500 – Yonge $50, McDonald $50
Keizer Wheels – Barger $50
KSE Racing Products – A. Wilson $50
Zemco Headers – Yonge $50
Joe Hunt Magnetos – Yonge $50
Babe Design – Bergeron $50
M&W Aluminum Products – Cain $40
Rod End Supply – Bergeron $30
Panchos – Yonge $25, Cain $25
DMI – Zimbardi $25
Red Bear Hand Cleaner – Erickson $10
ISC Racers Tape – Pekkonen $10
Ultra Shield – Bergeron $10
Cash Sponsors:
Ohsweken Speedway Winner’s Bonus: – Poirier $100
Les Constructions Ultra Halfway – Poirier $100
WestFront Construction Hard Charger – Cook (8 pos.) $50
Cook’s Contracting Bridesmaid Bonus – Bergeron $50
HG Associates Fast Time – Poirier (11.870) $25
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heats – Barger, Bergeron, Wickham $25.