Photo Credit: Steve Ruddy Racing Photos
Article Credit: Jonathon Howe
THOROLD, Ont. (August 27th, 2023) – While rain sprinkled through the Niagara region Saturday night, Mother Nature finally played with the Merrittville Speedway drivers and fans. All five features went their full distance. St. Catharines, Ontario’s Mike Bowman claimed the win in the final event of Action Sprint Tour Oakwood Transport West series.
The Action Sprint Tour Oakwood Transport West series wrapped up at Merrittville on Saturday night. Sheldon Bender and Johnny Miller started on the front row, but neither driver got very far as the yellow flag came out on lap 1 when Will Marche slowed on the back stretch. Brett Stratford took the lead on the restart as Andrew Hennessy and Mike Bowman entered the top three. Two more cautions on lap 10 and lap 15 kept the field close.
Hennessy and Bowman pressed Stratford who began to fade on the restart, and it was Bowman making a move to the middle while Hennessy tried to take the lead on the outside, who would take the spot from Stratford who fell to third in one set of corners. Bowman looked set to claim win number six on the tour until Will Marche spun as the leader took the white flag, setting up a green, white checkered finish. Bowman timed the restart perfectly and drove away before Hennessy could make a charge, taking the win and taking another step forward in his quest for the National title. Hennessy and Stratford complete the podium with Dale Curran fourth and Miller in fifth.
Bowman has now wrapped up the AST Oakwood Transport West series championship, while Lee Ladouceur has clinched the AST Suprenant Truck Shop East series crown. Seven events remain on the 2023 Action Sprint Tour schedule, including six AST Pinty’s National series events and one East series event. Ladouceur and Bowman are atop the National series standings, but much is left to be decided with Matt Billings, Mathieu Bardier, Adam turner, and many others still in contention for the championship.
Labour Day Classic weekend at Brighton Speedway is next up for the Action Sprint Tour. Please visit www.actionsprinttour.com for race results, points standings, and more information about the 2023 Action Sprint Tour season.
Action Sprint Tour Oakwood Transport West Series
Statistical Report – Saturday, August 26, 2023
Merrittville Speedway – Thorold, Ontario, Canada
A-Main [Started] 25 laps
1. 71-Mike Bowman[7]; 2. 87-Andrew Hennessy[8]; 3. BS39-Brett Stratford[3]; 4. 31-Dale Curran[13]; 5. 20-Johnny Miller[2]; 6. 88-Lance Erskine[5]; 7. 2S-Al Sleight[12]; 8. 28-Cameron Thomson[10]; 9. 72-Tanner Podwinski[9]; 10. 9C-Brian Nanticoke[17]; 11. 71C-John Cadman[4]; 12. 77E-Ashton VanEvery[11]; 13. 29W-Tyler Ward[6]; 14. 97-Sheldon Bender[1]; 15. 51-Trevor Young[16]; 16. 85C-Cam MacKinnon[18]; 17. 11W-Jeremy May[15]; 18. (DNF) 19-Will Marche[14]; 19. (DNS) 14-Broden Weiler
Heat Race 1 [Started] 8 laps
1. 88-Lance Erskine[1]; 2. 97-Sheldon Bender[2]; 3. 71C-John Cadman[3]; 4. 28-Cameron Thomson[5]; 5. 19-Will Marche[4]; 6. 11W-Jeremy May[7]; 7. 85C-Cam MacKinnon[6]
Heat Race 2 [Started] 8 laps
1. BS39-Brett Stratford[3]; 2. 87-Andrew Hennessy[1]; 3. 71-Mike Bowman[4]; 4. 2S-Al Sleight[2]; 5. 31-Dale Curran[5]; 6. 9C-Brian Nanticoke[6]
Heat Race 3 [Started] 8 laps
1. 20-Johnny Miller[4]; 2. 29W-Tyler Ward[1]; 3. 72-Tanner Podwinski[3]; 4. 77E-Ashton VanEvery[5]; 5. 51-Trevor Young[2]; 6. (DNS) 14-Broden Weiler
2023 ACTION SPRINT TOUR
PINTY’S NATIONAL SERIES
1. Saturday, July 22 – Brockville Ontario Speedway – Winner: Mathieu Bardier
2. Saturday, August 19 – Brockville Ontario Speedway – Winner: Matt Billings
3. Saturday, September 2 – Brighton Speedway
4. Sunday, September 3 – Brighton Speedway
5. Friday, September 15 – Ohsweken Speedway
6. Saturday, September 16 – Ohsweken Speedway
7. Friday, September 29 – Humberstone Speedway
8. Saturday, September 30 – Humberstone Speedway
2023 ACTION SPRINT TOUR
SURPRENANT TRUCK SHOP EAST SERIES
1. Saturday, May 13 – Brockville Ontario Speedway – Winner: Mathieu Bardier
2. Saturday, June 3 – Brockville Ontario Speedway – Winner: Lee Ladouceur
3. Saturday, June 17 – Brockville Ontario Speedway – Winner: Lee Ladouceur
4. Saturday, July 15 – Brockville Ontario Speedway – Winner: Lee Ladouceur
5. Friday, July 21 – Cam-Am Speedway – RAINED OUT
6. Sunday, July 23 – Cornwall Motor Speedway – Winner: Lee Ladouceur
7. Sunday, August 20 – Cornwall Motor Speedway – Winner: Lee Ladouceur
8. Friday, September 8 – Can-Am Speedway
2023 ACTION SPRINT TOUR
OAKWOOD TRANSPORT WEST SERIES
1. Friday, June 9 – Ohsweken Speedway – Winner: Mack DeMan
2. Saturday, June 10 – Merrittville Speedway – Winner: Mike Bowman
3. Sunday, July 2 – Humberstone Speedway – RAINED OUT
4. Friday, July 7 – Ohsweken Speedway – Winner: Mike Bowman
5. Saturday, July 8 – Merrittville Speedway – Winner: Mike Bowman
6. Monday, August 14 – Ohsweken Speedway – Winner: Mike Bowman
7. Wednesday, August 16 – Ohsweken Speedway – Winner: Mike Bowman
8. Friday, August 25 – Ohsweken Speedway – RAINED OUT
9. Saturday, August 26 – Merrittville Speedway – Winner: Mike Bowman
ACTION SPRINT TOUR MEDIA
Website: www.actionsprinttour.com
Facebook: ActionSprintTour
Twitter: @ActionSprints
Instagram: @actionsprinttour
YouTube: GForceTV
About the Action Sprint Tour fueled by Pinty’s: Founded in 2018, the Action Sprint Tour is a traveling Winged Crate Sprint Car Series based in Ontario, Canada. Action Sprint Tour cars are powered by GM 602 crate engines modified specifically to fit a Sprint Car chassis. The 2023 national championship winner will be rewarded with $5,000, while 15th place in the national championship standings will pay $1,000. The champion of each regional championship will also be rewarded with $1,000. Selected events will be broadcast live on GForceTV. The Action Sprint Tour is made possible with the support of Pinty’s Delicious Foods, Surprenant Truck Shop, Oakwood Transport, Trailer Pros Canada, Corr/Pak Merchandising, and Hoosier Tire Canada. Visit www.actionsprinttour.com for more information.