Column: Bryan Mercer Dedicates First Win Of 2021 To The Memory Of His Dad
Column By: JIM CLARKE / PETERBOROUGH SPEEDWAY – PETERBOROUGH, ONT – It was only a matter of time. The car has been strong and fast. Crew members are working through their pre-race checklist with clock-like precision.
Bryan Mercer was bound to find his way to victory lane during the 2021 season. The question of when was answered Saturday, August 14th at Peterborough Speedway.
After a heat race win and 2nd place finish during qualifying, the No. 81 team started the night’s Late Model feature event from the inside of the front row. From the drop of the green flag, Bryan Mercer was in total control of the field. Running quick, consistent laps he was able to pull away from traffic and had caught the tail-end of the pack with 15 laps on the scoreboard. The only time his pace was slowed came when Dan McHattie – who was running 2nd at the time – coasted to a stop between the 3rd and 4th turns.
Mercer restarted as strong as he’d been running before the yellow flag and held on through the late stages of the race to take his first win of the year. Obviously emotional, the driver used his post race interview to dedicate the victory to his father Ron, who passed away in 2018.
“This one is for my Dad. It’s the first feature race I’ve won since he left us,” said Bryan Mercer, with his Mother Gwen and son Jake standing by his side. “Many of you remember Dad and how much he loved to be at the racetrack. This is a great moment for our family, friends and the team.”
The 2021 Mercer Motorsports schedule for Bryan and Jacob Mercer is proudly supported by Sine’s Flooring, Durmach Precision Tooling, Courtice Septic, Facility Services, Beyond Signs & Design, Mediavandals, Kawartha Metals, Stoney Shores General Contracting, BJ Tackle, Clarke Motorsports Communications, Cobourg Auto Collision, Cressman Tree Maintenance, Eastwood Development, National Shunt Service, Richter Law, Doner Custom Carpentry, Lynch, Rutherford, Tozer Accountants, M & M Food Market – Port Hope, McDonalds Port Hope & Cobourg/AJ Wood, Press Any Key Computer Solutions, Quantrill Chevrolet Buick GMC Cadillac and Ross Funeral Home.
“I really appreciate the support and encouragement we’ve received this year,” the driver said. “Even though this is the first that I’ve raced since the 2017 season, its nice to see so many familiar faces stop by the trailer to say ‘hello’ when we’re at the track.”
The next race for Bryan Mercer and the No. 81 Late Model team will be Saturday, August 21st at Peterborough Speedway. The team will be looking to continue its strong start to the 2021 season. The upcoming event for Jake is Saturday, August 28th at Brechin Motorsports Park.
