Niagara Raceway
Netherby Road / Townline Tunnel
Welland, Ontario, Canada

1999 Week 5
July 10, 1999 Niagara Raceway
By: Kim Gregory

Chris Hesmer takes the Final! FIFTH week in a row!

This is the last Speedway event at Welland before the Canadian National Championship on July 24th. A real treat seeing Bobby Richards from Colorado riding here tonight. He looked much more comfortable on this hard clay track (similar to his home track), than on the loose dirt of Paris Speedway last night. He has been racing Speedway for 17 years, many of those in California at a Division One level. Also back, John Busler from Ohio, showing his experience from Lawrenceburg and Bear Creek Speedways.

My first time back at the Welland track this year, not much has changed. Two of my fellow Flat Track buddies from 1978 are still riding as fast as they ever were. John Parker took second in the 600cc Expert Class, and Kert Beigger won the 250cc Intermediate/Expert Class. His son is now 16, and an able competitor in the 250cc Novice Class. Other noteworthy riders in the Flat Track field were Glen Brown and Ryan Rainville, both great speedway riders.

Division Two
Heat One
1st John Busler, 2nd Ryan Rainville, 3rd Aaron Hesmer

Heat Two
1st John Busler, 2nd Ryan Rainville, 3rd Aaron Hesmer
Aaron almost had Ryan on the last corner where Ryan went too wide.

Final
1st John Busler, 2nd Ryan Rainville, 3rd Aaron Hesmer

Division One
Starting gate indicated by (G1), 1 being the inside, 4 at the fence.
Heat One
1st (G1) Jeff Orosz
2nd (G2) John Kehoe
3rd (G3) Freddy Legault
4th (G4) John Mercier
Freddy always has a surprise for us, and this was the heat! He passed Mercier in the last corner, taking third by a bike length. No, Mercier didn't do anything wrong, was on the groove and motoring, but Freddy can do magic when the time is right!

Heat Two
1st (G4) Chris Hesmer
2nd (G2) Gary Hesmer
3rd (G1) Bobby Richards
4th (G3) Andy Harris ( bike troubles)

Heat Three
1st (G3) Jeff Orosz
2nd (G4) Chris Hesmer
3rd (G2) Gary Hesmer
4th (G1) John Mercier
Chris tried on the outside, on the inside, and could not get around Jeff.

Heat Four
1st (G4) John Kehoe
2nd (G3) Andy Harris
3rd (G2) Freddy Legault
4th (G1) Bobby Richards ( layed it down turn three last lap )

Consi
1st (G1) Andy Harris
2nd (G3) Bobby Richards
3rd (G2) John Mercier

Final
1st (G5) Chris Hesmer
2nd (G3) Jeff Orosz
3rd (G2) John Kehoe
4th (G4) Freddy Legault
5th (G1) Gary Hesmer
Chris had the gate from the outside and just stayed in front. John took a couple of laps to get by Freddy, then pressed Jeff hard for his second place spot, but couldn't get by.