BROCKVILLE, ONT -- Rick Wilson has been trying all season long to get a win at the Brockville Ontario Speedway. On Saturday afternoon he was finally able to get the job done.

Wilson pocketed $2,000 as he captured the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprint/Southern Ontario Sprint Can-Am Challenge. Wilson led all 25-laps for his second win of 2008.

“It’s nice to come here (Brockville Ontario Speedway) and get a win in front of my hometown fans,” stated Wilson after the event. “We don’t get to come here that often so it’s always nice to win when we do.”

Wilson started on the front row alongside ESS champion, Steve Poirier. At the green, Wilson beat Poirier into turn one but the caution was immediately displayed as Tim Kelly spun in turn two.

Racing resumed with Wilson again getting the jump on the competition. He led off of turn two with Poirier and Alain Bergeron in pursuit.

“When you start on the pole it is your race to lose and I’ve had that happen before,” stated Wilson. “We started on the pole in the dash and Jeff (Cook) beat us at the start. I had too much gear in it and we changed the car around for the feature.”

The three drivers battled high and low around the slick daytime racing surface with Wilson holding off multiple challenges from Poirier and Bergeron while negotiating the slower traffic.

The trio where slowed when the second and final caution of the event came out on lap seven when Tommy Wickham and Kyle Wilson came together and stopped in turn four.

Action got back underway with Wilson assuming the lead one more time while Bergeron raced by Poirier for second.

Wilson set the pace in his Jereco powered J&J and at the halfway point of the event he found himself in slower traffic at the tail of the field.

With the rest of the field closing in, Wilson made several daring moves to maintain the race lead. He was flawless and both Poirier and Bergeron struggled to make their way through the traffic.

“You had to move the lapped cars around a little bit,” said Wilson. “By doing that they blocked the other guys and held them up a little bit.”

Poirier closed in with two laps to go but he was unable to get by the Joyceville Jet giving him his first ESS win of the season.

“He (Poirier) was right there with me the whole race,” said Wilson. “He was there but when I went where he was I was just as good. I just watched where he was and if I needed to I was able to move around and hold him off.”

Poirier, of St. Mathieu de Beloeil, Que., came to the line in second aboard his AMB powered J&J ride denying him his 11th win of the season.

“Ricky (Wilson) was very good tonight,” commented Poirier. “Ricky was very good in traffic and I wasn’t that good. I wasn’t going to be able to catch him.

“I missed the setup a little bit because I thought the track was going to have a little bit more bite than it did.”

Bergeron, the 2006 champion, ended the season on a positive note as he drove his way to a third place finish after starting fourth. He challenged both Poirier and Wilson for much of the race.

“The car was very good tonight,” said Bergeron. “I think I had something for Rick and Poirier but the lapped cars were tough. I was a little better than them on the top of three and four but I couldn’t get by the lapped cars to make up enough ground on them.”

Kevin Job, of Campbellville, Ont. finished in fourth with Lee Ladouceur, of Alexandria, Ont., completing the top five.

Can-Am Challenge Notes: Three interesting entries were Brockville modified competitor Paul Pekkonen, Sportsman star Tyler Rand and off-road racer Sylvain Eriksen in their maiden voyages with winged 360 sprint cars. All three drivers looked at home in their new mounts and they will be running both ESS and SOS events in 2009…Brian McDonald had to switch mounts and give up his 9th place starting position with power steering troubles, he came through the field for a fine 6th place finish…SOS competitor Bill Baldwin had engine troubles all day…A great crowd came out on a chilly, but sunny afternoon.

RESULTS

Can-Am Challenge A-Main (25-laps): Rick Wilson ($2,000), Steve Poirier, Alain Bergeron, Kevin Job, Lee Ladouceur, Brian McDonald, Michael Parent, Tommy Wickham, Chris Jones, Kayle Robidoux, Jeff Cook, Bubby Kerrick, Tim Kelly, Kyle Wilson, April Wilson, Sylvain Eriksen, Paul Pekkonen, Tyler Rand, Bill Baldwin (DNS)

Heat 1 (10-laps): Alain Bergeron, Jeff Cook, Chris Jones, Kyle Wilson, Bubby Kerrick, Sylvain Eriksen

Heat 2 (10-laps): Steve Poirier, Tommy Wickham, Tim Kelly, April Wilson, Tyler Rand, Michael Parent

Heat 3 (10-laps): Rick Wilson, Brian McDonald, Kevin Job, Lee Ladouceur, Paul Pekkonen, Kayle Robidoux

Rust Check Dash (4-laps): Jeff Cook.