Crédit photo :Don Simpson Steve Bernier Can Run with the Best in the Super DIRTcar Series
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By now, most have heard or read about the outstanding win by Danny Johnson at Tuesday’s Battle of the Plattsburgh 100. But Steve Bernier of St. Hyacinth, QC, put on a good show, racing in his small block power 358 Modified against the boys in their Big Blocks.
Bernier rebounded from the disappointing results at Autodrome Granby. Bernier was consistent all day, having a good hot lap session and time trials, respectively, producing a fourth-place showing in his group.
Steve’s heat race also gave him some banner results coming across the line just 1.022 seconds behind Tim Fuller, proving that he was definitely on his game that day and that all systems were good with the small block running flawlessly.
During the redraw, Steve drew the 10th place starting position. With current points leader Matt Sheppard starting second and runner-up in point Erick Rudolph starting in the fourth position, it was clear that Steve had his work cut out for him that night.
With Bernier well rehearsed in the track characteristics as a weekly regular in the 358 modified class at Airborne, Steve began moving forward from the drop of the green flag.
By lap ten, he had moved into the 8th position where he got stuck behind the 20 of Brett Hearn. Lap after lap Bernier tried going high and low on the track in order to get by the slower Hearn car.
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
As the laps quickly fell, you could clearly see that every time Steve had an opening to get by Hearn, slower traffic blocked the opportunity.
Finally, Hearn was forced into the pits just after the midway point in the race with car problems, clearing the way forward for Bernier.
By lap 70, Steve was now up to 7th place and still driving hard but track and tire conditions were changing in a big way as more and more rubber coated the track, making it more difficult to pace.
With two laps to go, the yellow flag came out, grouping up the field for a final dash to the finish.
With the drop of the green flag on lap 98, Steve tried to hold off the hard charging 66 car of Carey Terrence but would cross the line in 8th place just .5 seconds behind Terrance and 3.64 seconds behind race winner Danny Johnson.
A great race result considering six of the seven cars in front were running Big Blocks motors; proof that Steve Bernier of St. Hyacinth, QC, can run with the best.
Crédit photo : Don Simpson
As the laps quickly fell, you could clearly see that every time Steve had an opening to get by Hearn, slower traffic blocked the opportunity.
Finally, Hearn was forced into the pits just after the midway point in the race with car problems, clearing the way forward for Bernier.
By lap 70, Steve was now up to 7th place and still driving hard but track and tire conditions were changing in a big way as more and more rubber coated the track, making it more difficult to pace.
With two laps to go, the yellow flag came out, grouping up the field for a final dash to the finish.
With the drop of the green flag on lap 98, Steve tried to hold off the hard charging 66 car of Carey Terrence but would cross the line in 8th place just .5 seconds behind Terrance and 3.64 seconds behind race winner Danny Johnson.
A great race result considering six of the seven cars in front were running Big Blocks motors; proof that Steve Bernier of St. Hyacinth, QC, can run with the best.