Dave Pouliot won his first National of the season at Flamboro Downs, near Hamilton, ON, in round five action of the 2018 Harley-Davidson Canada Flat Track Series presented by Parts Canada. The Kawasaki-backed Quebecer took control early and held off Dustin Brown of Utterson, ON, for the win over 15 laps in a big evening for the classic Rotax single cylinder powered flat track “framer” combination around “Canada’s Fastest Half Mile.”
Pouliot now leads the Open Expert series as the National Championship heads to the mid-point of the 12 event schedule.
Another classic race design netted third, Michigan-based American Stephen Vanderkurr completing the podium aboard a Harley-Davidson XR750 twin.
Veteran part-time National racer Dominic Beaulac of Trois-Riviere, Quebec, was a pre-race favorite, but a first-try jump start moved him to the back of the second start grid on his Rotax-framer. From there, the aggressive Beaulac charged up to earn fourth.
Missing from the race was reigning overall Flat Track Canada Champion Brodie Buchan of Leamington, ON. The Honda-backed Expert was scheduled to ride a borrowed Rotax-Framer in the main event, but injured his left arm in a crash during the twice-restarted “Dash for Cash” race.
Already the victor in two Feature races in 2018, Buchan’s injury throws his Championship chase in to question for the Parts Canada/Phibbs-baced rising star. Next weekend, the series has a rare double-header oval/TT combo at famed four-wheel venue Ohsweken Speedway.
The “Dash for Cash” ended with a wild battle between Pouliot and Beaulac, but Beaulac ended inches behind rival Pouliot at the finish line in a photo finish.
In the eight lap DTX Expert race, Tyler Seguin of Welland, ON, jumped into an early lead aboard his Parts Canada-backed Honda moto crosser. Class points leader Buchan worked up from a bad start to put pressure on the leader, but couldn’t make a pass stick. Seguin too his first DTX win of the year from Buchan, Pouliot third on his John Parker Racing built entry.
Fourth in DTX belonged to Brown on a Sehl Yamaha. In a tight battle for fifth place in DTX, former number one Don Taylor of Port Colborne, ON, on a KBR Honda just edged Luke Rahm’s Honda.
Following the main event, Pouliot didn’t want to be considered the man to beat for the Title, but admitted that “things are shaping up for the rest of the season.” Pouliot’s bike was built over the course of a year by mentor Parker, with backing form Moto Vanier.
Post win, Parker confirmed that the classic Woods-Rotax racer was created with “no budget, brand new build, it’s an exact replica of the bike that I won all those races with in 1999.”
For runner up Brown, just 16-years-old and second in the standings, the result came from “focusing on improvements with me and the bike, and doing my best to be consistent. I feel like I’m becoming a consistent rider, and I can put together a good run for the rest of the season.”
Third overall Vanderkurr appreciated the attention he received for racing a classic H-D twin against the classic singles. “I knew we could do well”, explained the Amsoil/RK -backer American, “but it is a challenge with this bike against the lighter bikes.”
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