DRUMMONDVILLE, QUE � Alain Bergeron brought the Autodrome Drummond crowd to their feet as he slid by Michael Parent in the final corner on the last lap of the Fondation 4 Saison 25-lap A-Main event.
It was Bergeron�s third Lucas Oil 25th Anniversary Empire Super Sprint tour win of the season and his second at the Quebec oval this season.
�It makes me really happy to win here again,� said Bergeron, a native from nearby St. Pie, Que. �This track is very close to home. I love racing here especially when the track is really fast like it was tonight.�
Jessica Zemken and Lee Ladouceur started on the front row of the event with Ladouceur beating Zemken into turn one to take the lead.
Ladouceur remained the leader while Bergeron was making a strong charge up through the field in his Don Ott powered ride after starting on the inside of the fourth row.
Bergeron�s race to the front was aided by a red flag on lap 13. Tim Kelly spun in turn two with Norman Beaudreault getting off the top of the speedway while doing a series of rolls. He was uninjured but he was unable to continue the event.
�The red flag helped me out a lot,� stated Bergeron. �Lee (Ladouceur) was fast when he was leading and without that I may not have been able to get to him.�
Racing resumed with Ladouceur still the leader while Bergeron was already running in the third position.
Bergeron worked over Zemken and finally took second on lap 16. He then set his sights on Ladouceur as they both battled in slower traffic.
Bergeron made several attempts to get by Ladouceur and it wasn�t until lap 23 that he was able to take the lead for the first time. Ladouceur attempted to get by a slower car and went to the outside. This opened the lane for Bergeron to drive by both of them on the bottom.
�It is always good to be the car in second in that situation,� commented Bergeron. �I tried the bottom earlier in the race and it was good down there. I preferred the top but when the bottom opened that was my chance.�
Bergeron�s lead was short lived as Michael Parent got a run in turns one and two and drove by Bergeron on the bottom of the speedway as he found himself pinned behind slower traffic.
On the final lap Parent led going down the back straightaway and he decided to work to the outside of turns three and four. This opened the door for Bergeron who dove low and slid up in front of the young driver to take the lead as they exited the turn.
�He (Parent) went in on the top and he gave me the bottom,� stated Bergeron about the final corner. �I slid up in front of him. It was a good move to win the race.�
At the checkered it was Bergeron taking home the top position with an obviously disappointed Parent coming home in second with his Fisher powered Eagle forcing him to wait a bit longer for his first ESS victory.
�In three and four I was faster on the outside,� said Parent. �I saw Alain (Bergeron) come up in front of me. I never even thought about the slide job. I�m young still and need to learn.�
Steve Poirier moved through the field from the 13th starting position to finish in third. The driver out of St. Mathieu de Beloeil, Que., was the fastest car at the end of the event, but he ran out of time to challenge the top two for the win.
�I tried the top on the last lap and I saw Bergeron give Michael (Parent) the slide job,� said Poirier. �Maybe if I had gone to the bottom on the last lap I could have driven by both of them.�
Ladouceur, of Alexandria, Ont., was forced to a backup mount after his car started leaking water. He was able to cross the line to finish in fourth. His teammate, Brian McDonald, of Cornwall, Ont., was awarded a fifth place finish after Jessica Zemken went to her pits and failed to go to the scales after the event.
RACE RESULTS (8/30/08)
Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints Fondation 4 Saison A-Main (25 laps): Alain Bergeron, Michael Parent, Steve Poirier, Lee Ladouceur, Brian McDonald, Lance Yonge, Jeff Cook, Kayle Robidoux, Mike Stelter, Tim Kelly, Justin Barger, Tommy Wickham, James Hanson, Daniel Lampron, Curtis Bradshaw, Normand Beaudreault, Anthony Cain, David Renaud, Eric Lefebvre, Jessica Zemken (did not go to scales)
Lap Leaders: 1-22 Ladoceur, 23 Bergeron, 24 Parent, 25 Bergeron
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 1 (10 laps): Jeff Cook, Michael Parent, Lee Ladouceur, Kayle Robidoux, Steve Poirier, Eric Lefebvre, Curtis Bradshaw
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 2 (10 laps): Alain Bergeron, Lance Yonge, Jessica Zemken, Daniel Lampron, Justin Barger, Tim Kelly, David Renaud
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 3 (10 laps): Mike Stelter, Anthony Cain, Brian McDonald, Normand Beaudreault, Tommy Wickham, James Hanson
Walt�s Hobby Dash Coffrage Daniel Lampron (4 laps): Alain Bergeron, Mike Stelter, Anthony Cain, Lance Yonge, Michael Parent, DNS � Jeff Cook
Bonuses:
Fondations 4 Saisons: Bergeron $200
Ohsweken Speedway A-Main Winner�s Bonus: Bergeron $100
National Parts Peddler Halfway Bonus: Ladouceur $100
Les Constructions Ultra Blue Collar Award: Michael Parent $100
Lane�s Yamaha Hard Charger: Poirier $50
HG Associates Pole Award: Zemken $50
AMB Moteurs Fast Time Award: Parent (15.405) $50
Cook�s Contracting Bridesmaid Bonus: Parent $50
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heats: Cook, Bergeron, Stelter $25