By Clayton Johns & Tommy Goudge (Friday, September 16, 2016) | 119 drivers signed in to race in the Night Before The Nationals presented by Burger Barn on Friday. Jared Horstman, Mark Smith, Steve Poirier & Yan Bilodeau visited Mobil 1 Victory Lane.
Jared Horstman led the first of the Twin 15 lap Night Before The Nationals A-Features to the green flag. Dylan Westbrook quickly jumped up to second, while Bryan Howland and Steve Poirier battled for third.
The race was slowed twice, on laps 7 and 10. Westbrook took the lead from Horstman after each restart, but the latter driver consistently maintained his pace and retook the lead. Horstman went back to the outside lane on lap 11, and took the lead from Westbrook for good one lap later after a side-by-side race for the top spot.
Westbrook and Poirier swapped the runner-up spot several times over the final two laps before Poirier came away with that position ahead of Westbrook. Horstman earned a guaranteed starting spot in the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals A-Feature with the Night Before The Nationals victory.
Mark Smith lined up third for the second Twin 15, but wasted no time darting to the lead past pole-sitter Brandon Wimmer in turn one. Yan Bilodeau quickly drove to second, while Jordan Thomas raced into third.
Smith dominated the race, leading by a full straightaway before Bilodeau reeled him in while they raced through traffic. Smith wouldn’t be stopped though, as he navigated through the traffic without incident to claim his guaranteed starting spot in the Canadian Sprint Car Nationals A-Feature.
Empire Super Sprints champion Steve Poirier led all 12 laps of the Dave McLeod Memorial Shootout for his second win of the weekend, following a heat race win earlier in the night. Poirier stayed ahead of NRA Sprint Invaders champion Jared Horstman and Ohsweken Speedway champion Mitch Brown to claim the victory.
Yan Bilodeau started at the front of the 13 lap Kevin Ward Jr. Young Stars Challenge, and held off Southern Ontario Sprints champion Dylan Westbrook for the victory. The youngest starter in the race was 15-year-old Paulie Colagiovanni, while the oldest was 21-year-old Devin Caron.
TWIN 15 #1 (15 laps – NT)
Finish. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 17 Jared Horstman (1)
2. 28fm Steve Poirier (6)
3. 47x Dylan Westbrook (4)
4. 51 Bryan Howland (3)
5. 67p Jordan Poirier (10)
6. 10b Mitch Brown (13)
7. 2m Dustin Daggett (7)
8. 97 Cory Turner (15)
9. 53 Shawn Donath (8)
10. 6 Curtis Gartly (12)
11. 9 Steve Lyons (2)
12. 10p Paulie Colagiovanni (9)
13. 61 Parker Evans (5)
14. 28 Phil Gressman (14)
15. 27z Stan Zanchin (11)
A-Feature Lap Leaders – Jared Horstman (1-7, 12-15), Dylan Westbrook (8-11)
Hard Charger – Mitch Brown (+7)
TWIN 15 #2 (15 laps – 4:00.669)
Finish. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 55 Mark Smith (3)
2. 123 Yan Bilodeau (6)
3. 79 Jordan Thomas (5)
4. 18 Ryan Susice (10)
5. 1z Jessica Friesen (14)
6. 87 Jason Barney (2)
7. f55 Alex Vigneault (4)
8. 2 Kyle Sauder (7)
9. 14 Coleman Gulick (11)
10. 88c Chad Miller (8)
11. 77x Alex Hill (12)
12. 3g Brandon Wimmer (1)
13. 0 Glenn Styres (9)
14. 2w Lee Winger (13)
15. 11j Chris Jones (15)
A-Feature Lap Leaders – Mark Smith (1-15)
Hard Charger – Jessica Friesen (+9)
DAVE MCLEOD MEMORIAL SHOOTOUT (12 laps – 3:02.745)
Finish. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 28fm Steve Poirier (1)
2. 17 Jared Horstman (2)
3. 10b Mitch Brown (3)
4. 47x Dylan Westbrook (5)
5. 97 Cory Turner (4)
6. 87 Jason Barney (14)
7. 2 Kyle Sauder (7)
8. 2m Dustin Daggett (13)
9. 91 Ryan Turner (12)
10. 17x Dain Naida (9)
11. 11r Chase Ridenour (8)
DNS. 10 Jeff Cook (6)
DNS. 14h Jim Huppunen (10)
DNS. 01 Kyle Fraser (11)
KEVIN WARD JR. YOUNG STARS CHALLENGE (13 laps – 3:25.681)
Finish. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 123 Yan Bilodeau (2)
2. 47x Dylan Westbrook (4)
3. f55 Alex Vigneault (6)
4. 10p Paulie Colagiovanni (3)
5. 67p Jordan Poirier (5)
6. 79 Jordan Thomas (11)
7. 00 Dane Lorenc (8)
8. 11r Chase Ridenour (7)
9. 77x Alex Hill (1)
10. 24 Devin Caron (10)
11. 18s Josh Shantz (12)
12. 0c Cole MacDonald (9)
DNS. 10bw Zach Weigand (13)
CREATIVE EDGE SIGNS & GRAPHICS HEAT RACE #1 (8 laps – 1:56.037)
Finish. # Name, Hometown (Starting Position)
1. 55 Mark Smith, Sunbury PA (2), 2. 61 Parker Evans, Owego NY (4), 3. 27z Stan Zanchin, Fort Erie ON (3), 4. 87 Jason Barney, Brewerton NY (10), 5. 2w Lee Winger, Mount Hope ON (6), / 6. 15h Sam Hafertepe Jr., Sunnyvale TX (9), 7. 33k Kyle Patrick, Tilbury ON (5), 8. 90t Matt Tanner, Stephentown NY (7), 9. 31 John Burbridge Jr., St. Williams ON (8), 10. 15aw April Wilson, Joyceville ON (1)
INSTA-INSULATION HEAT RACE #2 (8 laps – 2:03.629)
Finish. # Name, Hometown (Starting Position)
1. 3g Brandon Wimmer, Fairmount IN (3), 2. 10p Paulie Colagiovanni, Cicero NY (1), 3. 51 Bryan Howland, Union Springs NY (7), DQ. 69k Scott Kreutter, Alden NY (6), 4. 18 Ryan Susice, Ransomville NY (8), 5. 1z Jessica Friesen, Sprakers NY (5), / 6. 5d Dave Dykstra, Port Colborne ON (9), 7. 67r Pete Richardson, Vernon NY (10), 8. 0c Cole MacDonald, Waterdown ON (2), DNS. 14h Jim Huppunen, Welland ON (4)
STRICKLAND’S GMC HEAT RACE #3 (8 laps – NT)
Finish. # Name, Hometown (Starting Position)
1. 9 Steve Lyons, Carlisle ON (3), 2. 79 Jordan Thomas, Harding PA (4), 3. 77x Alex Hill, Six Nations ON (1), DQ. 36 Matt Billings, Brockville ON (6), 4. f55 Alex Vigneault, Trois-Rivieres QC (9), 5. 11j Chris Jones, Picton ON (2), / 6. 42w Rick Wilson, Joyceville ON (8), 7. 91 Ryan Turner, Caistor Centre ON (5), 8. 0a Amber Balcaen, Winnipeg MB (10), 9. DNF 01 Kyle Fraser, White Lake ON (7)
O’NEIL’S FARM & GARDEN HEAT RACE #4 (8 laps – 2:02.767)
Finish. # Name, Hometown (Starting Position)
1. 28fm Steve Poirier, Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil QC (1), 2. 2 Kyle Sauder, Archbold OH (3), 3. 14 Coleman Gulick, Binghamton NY (2), 4. 0 Glenn Styres, Ohsweken ON (6), 5. 10 Mitch Brown, Brantford ON (7), / 6. 16 Ryan Ruhl, Coldwater MI (4), 7. 1-10 Jake Brown, Brantford ON (9), 8. 17x Dain Naida, Tecumseh MI (5), 9. 24 Devin Caron, Cornwall ON (8), DNS. 38 Tyler Hendricks, Chatham ON (10)
LONE WOLF FIREWORKS HEAT RACE #5 (8 laps – NT)
Finish. # Name, Hometown (Starting Position)
1. 123 Yan Bilodeau, Victoriaville QC (1), DQ. 33 Brandon Kidd, Manlius NY (3), 2. 17 Jared Horstman, Cloverdale OH (8), 3. 6 Curtis Gartly, Thamesford ON (2), 4. 67p Jordan Poirier, Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil QC (6), 5. 97 Cory Turner, Caistor Centre ON (4), / 6. 80 Chris Steele, St. Catharines ON (10), 7. DNF 5c Conor Mahoney, Waterdown ON (5), 8. DNF 67 Chris Durand, Port Stanley ON (9), 9. DNF 10bw Zach Weigand, Syracuse NY (7)
RENWAY ENERGY HEAT RACE #6 (8 laps – 2:03.874)
Finish. # Name, Hometown (Starting Position)
1. 47x Dylan Westbrook, Scotland ON (2), 2. 53 Shawn Donath, South Onondaga NY (3), 3. 88c Chad Miller, Amsterdam NY (5), 4. 2m Dustin Daggett, Portland MI (8), DQ. 11r Chase Ridenour, Perry MI (1), 5. 28 Phil Gressman, Fremont OH (6), / 6. 00 Dane Lorenc, Lancaster NY (7), 7. 90 Travis Cunningham, Grimsby ON (10), 8. 18s Josh Shantz, St. Agatha ON (4), DNS. 10c Jeff Cook, Antwerp NY (9)