By Tommy Goudge (May 28, 2010) - Kyle Moffit has shown plenty of speed since he began racing weekly at Ohsweken Speedway in August last year. The twenty-two year old from South Dayton, NY translated that speed into a feature win on Friday night, his first at Ohsweken, and first since going to victory lane at what is now Mohawk International Raceway on July 16, 2005. Billy Bleich, Jr. and Trevor Goulding won their second consecutive features in the ESSO Thunder Stocks and ESSO Mini Stocks respectively, while Dave Patton claimed his first ever Bomber division feature win, and Jesse McDonald was chosen by the fans as the winner of the "Gauntlet Race". The large crowd on hand for "Bring Your Neighbour Night" presented by Engine Pro Racing was treated to a fast-paced evening of racing which ended just before 10:30 p.m.
CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING SPRINT CARS
Kyle Patrick and James Evans made up the front row for the second Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car feature of 2010, and when the green flag dropped Patrick took off. Eventual feature winner Kyle Moffit wasted no time getting to the front, and made his way from sixth on the grid to second in the first lap. Jamie Collard - substituting for Mike Ling in the Miles Hill #7x - made his way to the front early as well, taking over third place.
The first fifteen laps ran caution free, with Moffit drawing in on Patrick as the two worked slower traffic at the halfway point. Moffit made his move on lap eleven and began to stretch the lead. The only caution flag of the night flew on lap fifteen when James Evans lost his right rear tire in turn one, but on the restart it was all Moffit, who opened up a large gap and held on for the win despite a bent nose wing. Round one feature winner Dave Dykstra also got by Patrick as the laps waned down, but ran out of time to catch Moffit. Patrick settled for third, followed by Jared Zimbardi, and Collard.
"The bent (nose) wing may have helped us actually," said Moffit in victory lane. "The car was tight before that."
Heat races for the twenty-four car field were claimed by Zimbardi, Dykstra, and John Riegling, while the consolation race went to Jamie Turner. 2009 Corr/Pak champion Tom Huppunen suffered a setback to his hopes of repeating this season for the second week in a row when he tangled with Chris Durand in heat race number three and got upside down. Both drivers scratched for the remainder of the evening.
ESSO THUNDER STOCKS
Jeremy Bean and Chris Dickie started the ESSO Thunder Stock feature from the front row, but the field quickly fanned out two and three wide, with intense racing throughout the top ten until Mike Thorne went for a spin in turn three on lap four. When the race went green again, Lee Winger and Billy Bleich began to separate themselves slightly from the rest of the field until a caution flew again on lap nine for debris.
Back under green flag conditions, Bleich and Winger went at it for the top spot until Winger suffered a flat right rear and went to the pits on lap fourteen. Bleich was never seriously challenged for the rest of the twenty lap distance, despite another caution for debris in turn four on lap nineteen. Bleich took the feature win, while Ryan Dinning, Dave Bailey, Gord Bates, and Mike Thorne rounded out the top five.
Dinning and Jamie Cox took the heat race wins for the nineteen car field. 2009 champion Shayne Pierce looked to be a contender for the feature win until left front suspension problems forced him off the track.
ESSO MINI STOCKS
Mike Taylor and Ethan Martin paced the field to the start of the ESSO Mini Stock feature, but a lap was not completed before Paul Goodale made heavy contact with the backstretch wall after tangling with another car. Goodale narrowly avoided getting upside down, and suffered enough damage to end his race. When the green flag flew again Taylor moved into the lead, but a swarm of fast cars were close behind. Kevin Hilborn took over the lead from Taylor and for awhile looked like he could hold on for the win, but got too sideways on a few occasions, allowing Goulding to catch up. Goulding made his move for the win with just two laps to go, while Hilborn settled for second, followed by Craig Erskine, Mike Evers, and Steve Hess.
Heat races for the twenty car field were claimed by Goulding and Abel Castelein. Former two time champ Castelein suffered another blow to his 2010 championship chances when he was forced to the pit area midway through the feature with his #28 heavily smoking.
BOMBERS
Dave Patton and Matt Jensen started on the front row for the Bomber feature, and Patton took over a lead he would never relinquish at the drop of the green flag. The race was not easy for Patton however, as slower traffic presented a challenge. Twelfth starter and round one feature winner Karl Sault made his way through the pack to finish second, while Jeremy Hughes, Trevor Roszell, and John Cote rounded out the top five.
Heat races for the nineteen car field went to Hughes and Shawn Ireland.
NEXT WEEK AT OHSWEKEN
The first round of the "Battle on the Grand" takes the green flag at Ohsweken next Friday night when the ASCS Patriots take on Ohsweken's Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprints! The ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers, are also part of Friday Night Thunder round three, next Friday, June 4. Gates open at 6:00 with racing starting at 7:45!
FRIDAY NIGHT THUNDER 2010
ROUND 2 RACE REPORT - MAY 28, 2010
OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY
OHSWEKEN, ONTARIO
EVENT SPONSOR - ENGINE PRO RACING
CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING SPRINT CARS
HEAT RACES (8 laps each - Top 4 redraw for feature starting spots, top 5 transfer to A-Feature):
BS&B RADIATOR HEAT RACE #1
1. 35 Jared Zimbardi (Salamanca, NY), 2. 5 Keith Dempster (Alton), 3. 7x Jamie Collard (Burford), 4. 7m Justin Martin (Shedden), 5. 0 Glenn Styres (Ohsweken), 6. 81 Derek Jonathan (Lewiston, NY), 7. 31 John Burbridge, Jr. (St. Williams), 8. 10 Mitchell Brown (Brantford). Time - 1:50.504
BEST WESTERN CAIRN CROFT HOTEL HEAT RACE #2
1. 5d Dave Dykstra (Port Colborne), 2. 33k Kyle Patrick (Tilbury), 3. 01 Mikey Kruchka (Hamilton), 4. 80 Chris Steele (Fenwick), 5. 21x Kevin Job (Campbellville), 6. 11 Jamie Turner (Caistor Centre), 7. 49 Todd Hoddick (Cheektowaga, NY), 8. 3 Wayne Ashton (Kitchener). Time - 1:52.607
GRISDALE RACING PRODUCTS HEAT RACE #3
1. 1a John Riegling (Chatham), 2. 7 Kyle Moffit (South Dayton, NY), 3. 90 James Evans (Beamsville), 4. 14h Jim Huppunen (Welland), 5. 23 Steve Garry (Dundas), 6. 30g Stevin Goldner (Aylmer) DNF, 7. 67 Chris Durand (Port Stanley) DNF, 8. 12c Tom Huppunen (Fenwick) DNF. No Time
CONSI (10 laps - Top 5 transfer to A-Feature)
1. 11 Jamie Turner, 2. 81 Derek Jonathan, 3. 49 Todd Hoddick, 4. 31 John Burbridge, Jr., 5. 3 Wayne Ashton, 6. 30g Stevin Goldner, 7. 10 Mitchell Brown DNF, 8. 67 Chris Durand DNS, 9. 12c Tom Huppunen DNS. No Time
CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING
SPRINT CAR FEATURE (20 laps)
Position. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 7 Kyle Moffit (6)
2. 5d Dave Dykstra (10)
3. 33k Kyle Patrick (2)
4. 35 Jared Zimbardi (3)
5. 7x Jamie Collard (4)
6. 01 Mikey Kruchka (7)
7. 5 Keith Dempster (9)
8. 7m Justin Martin (11)
9. 0 Glenn Styres (13)
10. 14h Jim Huppunen (5)
11. 81 Derek Jonathan (17)
12. 80 Chris Steele (8)
13. 23 Steve Garry (15)
14. 49 Todd Hoddick (18)
15. 1a John Riegling (12) DNF
16. 90 James Evans (1) DNF
17. 21x Kevin Job (14) DNF
18. 3 Wayne Ashton (20) DNF
19. 31 John Burbridge, Jr. (19) DNF
20. 11 Jamie Turner (16) DNF
Time
ESSO THUNDER STOCKS
HEAT RACES (8 laps each)
HEAT RACE #1
1. 8 Ryan Dinning (Caledonia), 2. 55 Mike Thorne (Caledonia), 3. 88 Shayne Pierce (Welland), 4. 83 Lee Winger (Caledonia), 5. 1 Chris Dickie (Brantford), 6. 04 Wyatt Van Wart (Cambridge), 7. 191 Gord Bates (Selkirk), 8. 51 Phil Nyssen (Brantford) DNF, 9. 38 Terry Martin (Ohsweken) DNF.
HEAT RACE #2
1. 44 Jamie Cox (Cambridge), 2. 37 Jeremy Bean (Stoney Creek), 3. k51 Ed McNamara (Sherkston), 4. 108 Billy Bleich (Port Robinson), 5. 17 Rob Disher (Grimsby), 6. 33 Colin Court (Jerseyville), 7. 31 Dave Bailey (Hagersville), 8. 08 Derek Martin (Hamilton), 9. 00 Robbie General (Six Nations).
ESSO THUNDER STOCKS
FEATURE (20 laps)
Position. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 108 Billy Bleich (10)
2. 8 Ryan Dinning (9)
3. 31 Dave Bailey (14)
4. 191 Gord Bates (13)
5. 55 Mike Thorne (4)
6. 1 Chris Dickie (2)
7. 17 Rob Disher (5)
8. k51 Ed McNamara (3)
9. 33 Colin Court (12) DNF
10. 83 Lee Winger (7)
11. 37 Jeremy Bean (1)
12. 08 Derek Martin (15) DNF
13. 88 Shayne Pierce (6) DNF
14. 04 Wyatt Van Wart (11) DNF
15. 51 Phil Nyssen (16) DNF
16. 44 Jamie Cox (8) DNF
17. 00 Robbie General (17) DNS
18. 38 Terry Martin (18) DNS
19. 24k Kyle Magrin (19) DNS
ESSO MINI STOCKS
HEAT RACES (8 laps each)
HEAT RACE #1
1. 6 Trevor Goulding (Welland), 2. 113 Mark Thorne (Waterford), 3. 777x Steve Hess (Ohsweken), 4. 02 Mike Taylor (Burlington), 5. 05 Dave Goodacre (Brantford), 6. 48 Craig Erskine (Brantford), 7. 265 Mike Evers (Caledonia), 8. 58 Baden Curtis (Fenwick), 9. 55 Rob Slater (Dundas), 10. 22 Brittani Myers (Hamilton) DNS.
HEAT RACE #2
1. 28 Abel Castelein (Cayuga), 2. 14 Paul Goodale, 3. 72 Kevin Hilborn (Brantford), 4. 77x Ethan Martin (Ohsweken), 5. 79 Steve Miller (Paris), 6. 11 Mike Giberson (Caledonia), 7. 110 Drew Spencer (Oakville), 8. 99 Robin Elliott (Woodstock), 9. 76 Jamie Goudge (London), 10. 10 Jacob Brown (Brantford) DNF.
ESSO MINI STOCKS
FEATURE (15 laps)
Position. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 6 Trevor Goulding (10)
2. 72 Kevin Hilborn (9)
3. 48 Craig Erskine (12)
4. 265 Mike Evers (13)
5. 777x Steve Hess (8)
7. 02 Mike Taylor (1)
6. 113 Mark Thorne (3)
8. 11 Mike Giberson (5)
9. 79 Steve Miller (4)
10. 58 Baden Curtis (15)
11. 77x Ethan Martin (2)
12. 10 Jacob Brown (19)
13. 22 Brittani Myers (20)
14. 99 Robin Elliott (16)
15. 76 Jamie Goudge (18)
16. 55 Rob Slater (17) DNF
17. 28 Abel Castelein (11) DNF
18. 110 Drew Spencer (14) DNF
19. 05 Dave Goodacre (6) DNF
20. 14 Paul Goodale (7) DNF
BOMBERS
HEAT RACES (8 laps each)
HEAT RACE #1
1. 10 Jeremy Hughes (Burlington), 2. 81 Karl Sault (Dundas), 3. 83 Matt Jensen, 4. 13 Kacey Huffman (Hamilton), 5. 17 Brittany Gyokery (Jarvis), 6. 38 John Cote, 7. 99cc Chris Cowell (Caledonia), 8. 14 Gord Hardy (Cambridge), 9. 777 Rob Twitchett (Hamilton), 10. 88j Jesse McDonald (Caledonia).
HEAT RACE #2
1. 113 Shawn Ireland (Burlington), 2. 26 Dave Patton (Rockton), 3. 10-4 Trevor Roszell (Waterdown), 4. 474 Ken Sibbich (Brantford), 5. 97 Derek Chechalk (Hamilton), 6. 420 Kyle Andress (Hamilton), 7. 03 Sarah Rutherford (Dundas), 8. 53 Chris Rivers (Cambridge), 9. 13c Corrie Cowell (Delhi).
BOMBERS
FEATURE (20 laps)
Position. # Name (Starting Position)
1. 26 Dave Patton (1)
2. 81 Karl Sault (12)
3. 10 Jeremy Hughes (8)
4. 10-4 Trevor Roszell (6)
5. 38 John Cote (6)
6. 97 Derek Chechalk (9)
7. 83 Matt Jensen (2)
8. 53 Chris Rivers (16)
9. 113 Shawn Ireland (7)
10. 99cc Chris Cowell (13)
11. 13 Kacey Huffman (10) DNF
12. 17 Brittany Gyokery (5)
13. 474 Ken Sibbich (3) DNF
14. 13c Corrie Cowell (18)
15. 420 Kyle Andress (4)
16. 03 Sarah Rutherford (14) DNF
17. 88j Jesse McDonald (19) DNF
18. 777 Rob Twitchett (17) DNF
19. 14 Gord Hardy (15) DNF
UP NEXT @ OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY:
FRIDAY, JUNE 4, 2010
BEST WESTERN CAIRN CROFT HOTEL PRESENTS:
"BATTLE ON THE GRAND" ROUND #1
FEATURING ASCS PATRIOTS VS. CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING SPRINT CARS,
PLUS ESSO THUNDER STOCKS, ESSO MINI-STOCKS, AND BOMBERS
ADULTS $15, SENIORS AND STUDENTS $10, KIDS 12 AND UNDER FREE!
SPECTATOR GATES OPEN @ 6:00 P.M., RACING @ 7:45 P.M.
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Friday, May 28, 2010
IndyCar: Paul Tracy will race in Edmonton
EDMONTON - The field is now full for the two Canadian stops in the 2010 IZOD IndyCar Series. The “Team Oh Canada” field that is.
The Honda Indy Edmonton is elated to announce that Canada’s own Paul Tracy and his KV Racing Technology Team will be on the track at the Honda Indy Edmonton, July 23, 24 and 25.
“To have Paul racing in Edmonton again is very, very exciting,” said Northlands President Ken Knowles. “He’s always been a huge favourite with our fans, and we know that Paul’s a fan of the race track at City Centre Airport. Having Paul and Alex Tagliani, the other key member of Team Oh Canada, race against each other will provide some very exciting moments during the three days in July.”
Tracy, the 2003 ChampCar World Series champion said, “The Honda Indy Edmonton is one of the biggest auto races in all of Canada, and a huge IZOD IndyCar Series event. Competing at Edmonton has been a terrific mental and physical challenge over the years. The fans are not only enthusiastic but they’re also really knowledgeable and they treat me very well, every year. I’m really looking forward to being in Edmonton in late July.”
Team Oh Canada is running promotions with prizes to include access to both team’s garages and hospitality spaces to further promote the Honda Indy Edmonton. Fans attending upcoming races will also be able to collect hero cards of both Paul and Alex, as well as their autographs, and they’ll be given information about the Honda Indy Edmonton and the city of Edmonton.
“We’re inviting IndyCar fans from across North America to take in our event on one of the most challenging courses on the circuit,” Knowles said. “During the next few weeks, fans will be hearing lots more about Paul and Alex promotions allowing contest winners to be part of the drivers’ teams. Fans will also be given the opportunity to bid on Paul and Alex collectibles like gloves, helmets and fire suits during a silent auction.
“Both Paul and Alex are respected athletes and recognized celebrities who will help us draw international attention as well as local fan support for the Honda Indy Edmonton. We’re really looking forward to a great Canadian showdown in Edmonton in a couple of months.”
Tracy has competed in 270 open-wheel events during his career and has established himself as one of the world’s top drivers in open-wheel racing. The resident of Las Vegas, Nevada is among the top 10 in almost every open-wheel career statistical category including wins: 31 (seventh all-time), poles: 25 (ninth all-time), and laps led: 4,231 (seventh all-time).
Media Contacts:
Sid Priddle Randy Kilburn
Media Relations Manager Media Relations Consultant
Honda Indy Edmonton Honda Indy Edmonton
Indy Lights: Hinchcliffe Third in Firestone Freedom 100
Toronto, Ontario (May 28, 2010) – James Hinchcliffe followed up last month’s Firestone Indy Lights Series Long Beach victory with another trip to the podium on Friday as the Canadian claimed third in the ‘Firestone Freedom 100’ at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
The Toronto-born racer turned around a frustrating eighth-place qualifying slot to record his second straight top-three finish of the season behind the wheel of the #2 Team Moore Racing Dallara-Firestone, James completing the podium behind race-winner Wade Cunningham and Charlie Kimball.
Having been forced to wait over a month before returning to competitive action, ‘Hinch’ was glad to be back racing and was keen to put a disappointing early retirement in last year’s ‘Firestone Freedom 100’ firmly behind him.
Initially dropping a spot to ninth on the opening lap of Friday’s 100-mile sprint, James’ pace was obvious when the race finally developed after a handful of laps under the caution thanks to contact between a spinning Jeff Simmons and a helpless Pippa Mann, the pole-sitter.
Hinchcliffe picked off his rivals from sixth at the re-start quickly joining New Zealand’s Cunningham and America’s Kimball in a breakaway trio at the front. He claimed second from Kimball on lap 18 with the duo dicing for position while racing flat-out on the legendary 2.5-mile oval.
James ultimately lost out in the battle for second several laps later, almost hitting the wall as France’s J.K. Vernay played himself into proceedings despite being several laps down on the leaders. The 23-year-old Canadian, once free again, then held his own in third, fending off all advances from behind, equaling his best oval result to-date in the Firestone Indy Lights Series.
“To be able to race up at the front of the field was awesome,” stated Hinchcliffe afterwards. “Last year my motor blew up on the opening lap so this was really my first time racing at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s a really cool feeling to compete here and the crowd today was amazing!
“To get a podium at Indy is terrific so I can’t be too upset about the incident which dropped me back to third. Ultimately it was a good day for points, not least with J.K. Vernay struggling. We just need to maintain our consistency moving forward!”
2010 Top-5 Driver Standings (R4/13): 1st Vernay (FRA) – 157pts, 2nd Kimball (USA) – 152pts, 3rd HINCHCLIFFE (CAN) – 134pts, 4th Plowman (GBR) – 120pts, 5th Saavedra (COL) – 107pts
Round 5 of the 2010 Firestone Indy Lights Series is hosted at the Iowa Speedway on Saturday 19th June – www.indycar.com // ENDS – www.hinchtown.com // Press release issued on behalf of James Hinchcliffe by SM-PR: Tel: +1 514 684 2621 / Cell: +1 514 945 3253 / Email: stuart@sm-pr.com
Auto Clearing Motor Speedway: Racing cancelled for May 29, 2010
RACING THIS WEEKEND CANCELLED ... due to the inclement weather, racing this weekend at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway (Saskatoon, SK) has been cancelled. We will reschedule the WEST Express Foods 125 race to be included in next weekend's action, on June 5. The SKL Trailers Pro Trucks and Cooper Tires Thunder Stocks are yet to be determined. Watch the website for further updates.
www.autoclearingmotorspeedway.ca
Delaware Speedway News and Notes - May 28th, 2010
NASCAR Late Model Triple Crown Begins Tonight!
The stakes in any Delaware Speedway race are always high for the NASCAR Late Models. In a given event drivers are fighting for Delaware Championship points, NASCAR Championship points, not to mention the feature race win craved by so many of these drivers.
Tonight, add Triple Crown points to that list with the first Triple Crown points event of the year set to get underway. The Triple Crown race raises the stakes in a number of ways. First off, it is a separate three-race points series. Performance in these races means a larger share in the minimum $5,000 points fund at the end of the series. Moreover, the Triple Crown race is divided into two twenty-five lap events. Each of those events counts for Delaware Speedway and NASCAR Championship points.
Don't miss a great night of racing with great weather! Also on the card tonight are the Delaware Super Stocks & Demar Aggregates Trucks.
Gates Open 6:00 pm
Practice: 6:00 pm
Time Trials: 7:15 pm
Racing Starts: 8:00 pm
Nascar Canadian Tire Series Weekend Notes (Next Weekend)
TICKETS: Preparations are well underway at Delaware Speedway for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Weekend which runs next Friday June 4 through Saturday June 5.
ADVANCED NCATS TICKETS & WEEKEND PASSES: The advanced discounted tickets for the weekend will close at midnight on Wednesday, June 2nd. Tickets will continue to be available through the speedway website at full price leading up to the event. Adult passes for the Saturday NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Race are currently discounted to $32 and will return to full price of $40 when the advanced window closes.
The best deal of the weekend is the full weekend pass. Weekend passes for adults are currently available for $42 for adults, a savings of $14 off the full gate price. Similar discounts apply to senior and student tickets.
Families should take note, children 12 & under are free to all events in 2010, including the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series weekend!
CAMPING: Camping is on a first come first served basis behind the back straightaway. Campers must register their site when they arrive for the entire weekend for $20. The standard site size is 20’ X 47’ although some larger sites will be made available for RVs. Pre-reservations are not available; the only way to secure your site is to register upon arrival with speedway staff.
Groups of campers wishing to camp together should ensure that the first of their group to arrive is able to register their additional sites. Campers are welcome to arrive as early as Wednesday, June 2.
We look forward to welcoming you to the Delaware Speedway campground!
Prepared by Announcer John Houghton (john@delawarespeedway.com)
Sportscar Boutique - Open House - Saturday May 29
You can also check them out online at http://www.sportscarboutique.com/, or see their ad in Inside Track Motorsport News each month.
Sportscar Boutique
85 Glen Cameron
Thornhill, ON L3T 1N8
Canada
Tel. (905) 731-0700
Brighton Speedway: $25 Car Load Night on Saturday
BRIGHTON, ON - The action gets hot and heavy again this Saturday May 29th as Town and Country Plumbing presents $25 Car Load Night. Bring a car, bring a van, bring a bus! As many people as you can safely get in your vehicle can gain admission for just $25.
Vanderlaan's Building Supplies Pro Late Models, Brighton Automotive Pro Stocks and Bill's Johns Comp 4’s will be joined by the Gord’s Water Vantastics and the Motorsports of Trenton Flat Track 4 Wheelers for their first appearances of 2010.
Ron Piotrowski of Humber Nurseries will also be waiting in victory lane with an extra $100.00 to the winner of the Late Model feature in preparation for the upcoming Humber Nurseries Pro Late Model Challenge with Can Am Speedway.
Bainer's Radiator Canadian Modifieds are also welcome to come and get some testing and tuning done during their hot lap sessions. There has also been a Canadian Modified Dash for Cash added to the race card.
Gates open at 5:30, racing action starts at 7:00 pm. For complete details visit www.brightonspeedway.com.
Capital City Speedway: Race Results from Opening Night - May 26, 2010
Capital City Speedway
Opening Night // Wednesday May 26, 2010
Stittsville, Ontario
Late Model Heat #1
1) #17 Justin Holtom
2) #14 Sean Kennedy
3) #88 Tim Dorning
Late Model Heat #2
1) #31 Spencer MacPherson
2) #2 Ken Baird
3) #17 Justin Holtom
Late Model Feature – rained out
Mini Stock Heat #1
1) #27 Doug Mould
2) #44 Daryl Gow
3) #82 Kyle Baker
Mini Stock Heat # 2
1) # 09 Mike Oakley
2) #27 Doug Mould
3) #44 Daryl Gow
Mini Stock Feature
1) #27 Doug Mould
2) #95 Wally Lynch
3) #82 Kyle Baker
4) #28 Nolan Gould
5) #44 Daryl Gow
Thunder Car Heat #1
1) #7 Greg Ogilvie
2) #53 Todd Musker
3) #11 Dave Stinson
Thunder Car Heat #2
1) #7 Greg Ogilvie
2) #53 Todd Musker
3) #11 Dave Stinson
Thunder Car Feature – rained out
Legends Heat #1
1) #55 Kevin Foisy
2) #92 Dave Riopelle
3) #5 Chad Windsor
Legends Heat #2
1) #92 Dave Riopelle
2) #55 Kevin Foisy
3) #5 Chad Windsor
From Jeremy Coulter // General Manager // 613-863-6990 // jeremy@jmmotorsports.ca
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Butler and Donaldson Return to Victory Lane in Night 2 of Sunset Speedway's Grand Opening Weekend - Race Report (May 23rd)
Butler Returns to Victory Lane; ‘Wheely’ Stays Perfect in Night 2 of Grand Opening Weekend
Spencer Lewis
Sunday May 23rd marked the second night of Sunset’s Grand Opening weekend, and highlighting the night’s card of racing was the 2010 debut of the OSCAAR Super Late Model Tour. However, while the popular, high-horsepower monsters dominated the stopwatches, a pair of Donaldson Racing Stable teammates looked to show the capacity crowd that it’s not the size of the motor that counts.
Only one night removed from their respective victories, teammates Kevin Van Der Beek and Kyle ‘Wheely’ Donaldson looked to hold on to their points leads and rack up another pair of victories for their stable.
The Owens Corning Mini Stocks were the first feature on track. Grand Opening Night 1 winner Kevin Van Der Beek (No. 51 Highland Collision Centre/Custom Steering Nissan) appeared to be the man to watch early on in the night, capturing the win in his first of two qualifying heat races. However, in Van Der Beek’s second qualifying heat, an on-track incident with a lapped car left his Nissan 240sx with heavy front end suspension damage.
Van Der Beek was able to answer the bell for the 25-lap A-Main, though it was clear his car’s overall handling had been effected. With Van Der Beek’s car suffering, the door was opened for the rest of the field.
Early on, both Ralph Sikes (No 37. Dwinnell’s DEL. & Movers LTD./irisvisualinc.com Ford) and Ken Donaldson Jr. (No. 03 Custom Steering Nissan) enjoyed their time at the front of the field, though it was not until defending track champion Doug Butler (No. 10 Jeff’s Towing/South Barrie Collision Nissan) made his way to the head of the field on lap 6, that things got interesting.
As 2009’s most dominant Mini Stock pilot took over, it no longer became a question of wether or not Butler had the car to beat, but rather how many cars he could lap while leading the race.
Whilst the New Lowell, ON teenager carved his way through the field, a strong assortment of drivers were making a bee-line through slower traffic, in an attempt to reel in Butler’s Nissan. Those charging towards the front included defending Peterborough Speedway Chase for the Colours champion Mike Smith (No. 06 speedysmith.com Dodge), former Barrie Speedway Charger champion Billy Melenhorst (No. 14 Benzor’s Toyota 4x4 Parts/Tire Guys Nissan) and defending race winner Kevin Van Der Beek.
The three would eventually be joined by 2009 Rookie of the Year Warren Paxton (No. 33 Blue Mountain Honda of Collingwood/CB Services Honda), and would put on their own battle for position, dazzling the fans, as paint, dents and positions were all exchanged between the 4.
Meanwhile, Butler had placed a full straightaway – chok full of lapped cars – between himself and the rest of the field.
At the checkered, Butler would claim his 2nd feature win of the year, followed by Paxton, Van Der Beek, Smith and Melenhorst.
In victory lane, Butler explained that while his car was dialed in, it wasn’t all positives for the defending champion, “The car handled pretty good tonight. It’s just that we’re pushing these cars so hard now, it’s getting to be too much for the tires we’re on. It’s starting to become an issue”
After thanking his sponsors and crew for their support, Butler had a message for his competition, “Keep me on my toes! Keep pushing me. Let’s keep this fun. Work hard to beat me, and we’ll keep putting on a show for these people!’
The Tim-Br Mart Super Stock’s 30-lap A-Main would round out the Sunset support divisions before the OSCAAR tour was set to take to the track. However, as entertaining as the racing action turned out to be, the on-track battles seemed overshadowed by a scary incident involving a trio of cars shortly after the green flag flew.
Upon the drop of the green, Orillia, ON’s Charlie Smith (Orillia Kitchens/Mr. Transmission of Orillia Chevrolet) snatched the lead from outside the front row, though 2 laps later was quickly unseated by “The Upgrade” Rick Walt (No. 99 Rama Moccasin and Smoke Shop Chevrolet).
Walt would begin to put some space between himself and the rest of the field, but would find himself hounded by Edward Cole (No. 27 Brian Rogers Trucking/TTK Tool Chevrolet) until the first caution of the event flew for a fluid spill in turn-2.
The race would take a scary turn only 3 laps after the restart when, after a lap of pressuring Walt from behind, Ken Denhollander (No. 31 Pontiac) would make contact with the left-rear of Walt’s Chevrolet exiting turn-4. The contact would send Walt violently into the front stretch wall, incapacitating the #99 in front of oncoming traffic. Just as the caution light came on to alert the rest of the field of Walt’s stationary vehicle, returning driver Chris Cunnington (No. 68 Cunnington Racing Ford) would make heavy contact with the rear-end of Walt’s prone vehicle, lifting the #99 up on 2 wheels upon impact.
Both drivers would walk away from the incident, though Walt could be seen cradling his right arm shortly after.
After a lengthy red flag to clean up a gasoline spill left from Walt’s split fuel cell, 2x winner Kyle ‘Wheely’ Donaldson (No. 53 Custom Steering/Planet Recovery Chevrolet) would take over the lead from outside the front row, carrying on unchallenged for the remainder of the event.
In victory lane, Donaldson was once again quick to praise his competition, “It’s never easy to come from the rear. Dave [Doucette] was following me those last few laps, he’s a great driver and it’s never easy to beat someone of that calibre’
Later on, after loading his nearly totalled vehicle onto his trailer, Walt had this to say about the incident, “I realize we were kind of holding things up after the restart, but where did he think he was going to go? He was into my [left side] the entire lap before”
When asked about his confrontation with Denhollander in turn-2 during the red flag, Walt responded with a laugh, “It’s funny, because when I got in his window on the track, he was apologizing and explaining that he didn’t mean to turf me and it was all his fault. But as soon as we get back to the pits with his crew around, all of a sudden it’s my fault. It’s real sad, because a guy with a tonne of money just took out 2 unsponsored teams. Neither Chris [Cunnington] or myself have a whack of cash to play with, and this wreck is definitely going to hurt us”
Disappointed yet determined, Walt would add a promise for his competitors and fans alike, “I guarantee you this car will be back for Saturday. Grampa [Merv Walt of the Frame Shop] and I are going to take it home, and I don’t care how much work needs to go into it, we’re going to get this thing fixed and we will be back”
At press time, Denhollander was unable to be reached for comment.
QUICK RESULTS
MINI STOCKS
HEAT 1: Terry Clodd Holland Landing, ON
HEAT 2: Kevin Van Der Beek Aurora, ON
HEAT 3: Mike ‘Speedy’ Smith Port Elgin, ON
HEAT 4: Terry Clodd Holland Landing, ON
HEAT 5: Doug Butler New Lowell, ON
HEAT 6: Rob Krystal Holland Landing, ON
B-MAIN: Pookie Brown Stroud, ON
A-MAIN:
1) Doug Butler New Lowell, ON
2) Warren Paxton Holland Landing, ON
3) Kevin Van Der Beek Aurora, ON
SUPER STOCKS
HEAT 1: Ken Denhollander Barrie, ON
HEAT 2: Jason Elliott Angus, ON
HEAT 3: Kyle `Wheely`Donaldson Queensville, ON
HEAT 4: `The Deuce`Dave Doucette Angus, ON
B-MAIN: Flyin`Frank Davey River Drive Park, ON
A-MAIN:
1) Kyle `Wheely`Donaldson Queensville, ON
2) `The Deuce`Dave Doucette Angus, ON
3) Mark Adams Burlington, ON
Spencer Lewis
Sunday May 23rd marked the second night of Sunset’s Grand Opening weekend, and highlighting the night’s card of racing was the 2010 debut of the OSCAAR Super Late Model Tour. However, while the popular, high-horsepower monsters dominated the stopwatches, a pair of Donaldson Racing Stable teammates looked to show the capacity crowd that it’s not the size of the motor that counts.
Only one night removed from their respective victories, teammates Kevin Van Der Beek and Kyle ‘Wheely’ Donaldson looked to hold on to their points leads and rack up another pair of victories for their stable.
The Owens Corning Mini Stocks were the first feature on track. Grand Opening Night 1 winner Kevin Van Der Beek (No. 51 Highland Collision Centre/Custom Steering Nissan) appeared to be the man to watch early on in the night, capturing the win in his first of two qualifying heat races. However, in Van Der Beek’s second qualifying heat, an on-track incident with a lapped car left his Nissan 240sx with heavy front end suspension damage.
Van Der Beek was able to answer the bell for the 25-lap A-Main, though it was clear his car’s overall handling had been effected. With Van Der Beek’s car suffering, the door was opened for the rest of the field.
Early on, both Ralph Sikes (No 37. Dwinnell’s DEL. & Movers LTD./irisvisualinc.com Ford) and Ken Donaldson Jr. (No. 03 Custom Steering Nissan) enjoyed their time at the front of the field, though it was not until defending track champion Doug Butler (No. 10 Jeff’s Towing/South Barrie Collision Nissan) made his way to the head of the field on lap 6, that things got interesting.
As 2009’s most dominant Mini Stock pilot took over, it no longer became a question of wether or not Butler had the car to beat, but rather how many cars he could lap while leading the race.
Whilst the New Lowell, ON teenager carved his way through the field, a strong assortment of drivers were making a bee-line through slower traffic, in an attempt to reel in Butler’s Nissan. Those charging towards the front included defending Peterborough Speedway Chase for the Colours champion Mike Smith (No. 06 speedysmith.com Dodge), former Barrie Speedway Charger champion Billy Melenhorst (No. 14 Benzor’s Toyota 4x4 Parts/Tire Guys Nissan) and defending race winner Kevin Van Der Beek.
The three would eventually be joined by 2009 Rookie of the Year Warren Paxton (No. 33 Blue Mountain Honda of Collingwood/CB Services Honda), and would put on their own battle for position, dazzling the fans, as paint, dents and positions were all exchanged between the 4.
Meanwhile, Butler had placed a full straightaway – chok full of lapped cars – between himself and the rest of the field.
At the checkered, Butler would claim his 2nd feature win of the year, followed by Paxton, Van Der Beek, Smith and Melenhorst.
In victory lane, Butler explained that while his car was dialed in, it wasn’t all positives for the defending champion, “The car handled pretty good tonight. It’s just that we’re pushing these cars so hard now, it’s getting to be too much for the tires we’re on. It’s starting to become an issue”
After thanking his sponsors and crew for their support, Butler had a message for his competition, “Keep me on my toes! Keep pushing me. Let’s keep this fun. Work hard to beat me, and we’ll keep putting on a show for these people!’
The Tim-Br Mart Super Stock’s 30-lap A-Main would round out the Sunset support divisions before the OSCAAR tour was set to take to the track. However, as entertaining as the racing action turned out to be, the on-track battles seemed overshadowed by a scary incident involving a trio of cars shortly after the green flag flew.
Upon the drop of the green, Orillia, ON’s Charlie Smith (Orillia Kitchens/Mr. Transmission of Orillia Chevrolet) snatched the lead from outside the front row, though 2 laps later was quickly unseated by “The Upgrade” Rick Walt (No. 99 Rama Moccasin and Smoke Shop Chevrolet).
Walt would begin to put some space between himself and the rest of the field, but would find himself hounded by Edward Cole (No. 27 Brian Rogers Trucking/TTK Tool Chevrolet) until the first caution of the event flew for a fluid spill in turn-2.
The race would take a scary turn only 3 laps after the restart when, after a lap of pressuring Walt from behind, Ken Denhollander (No. 31 Pontiac) would make contact with the left-rear of Walt’s Chevrolet exiting turn-4. The contact would send Walt violently into the front stretch wall, incapacitating the #99 in front of oncoming traffic. Just as the caution light came on to alert the rest of the field of Walt’s stationary vehicle, returning driver Chris Cunnington (No. 68 Cunnington Racing Ford) would make heavy contact with the rear-end of Walt’s prone vehicle, lifting the #99 up on 2 wheels upon impact.
Both drivers would walk away from the incident, though Walt could be seen cradling his right arm shortly after.
After a lengthy red flag to clean up a gasoline spill left from Walt’s split fuel cell, 2x winner Kyle ‘Wheely’ Donaldson (No. 53 Custom Steering/Planet Recovery Chevrolet) would take over the lead from outside the front row, carrying on unchallenged for the remainder of the event.
In victory lane, Donaldson was once again quick to praise his competition, “It’s never easy to come from the rear. Dave [Doucette] was following me those last few laps, he’s a great driver and it’s never easy to beat someone of that calibre’
Later on, after loading his nearly totalled vehicle onto his trailer, Walt had this to say about the incident, “I realize we were kind of holding things up after the restart, but where did he think he was going to go? He was into my [left side] the entire lap before”
When asked about his confrontation with Denhollander in turn-2 during the red flag, Walt responded with a laugh, “It’s funny, because when I got in his window on the track, he was apologizing and explaining that he didn’t mean to turf me and it was all his fault. But as soon as we get back to the pits with his crew around, all of a sudden it’s my fault. It’s real sad, because a guy with a tonne of money just took out 2 unsponsored teams. Neither Chris [Cunnington] or myself have a whack of cash to play with, and this wreck is definitely going to hurt us”
Disappointed yet determined, Walt would add a promise for his competitors and fans alike, “I guarantee you this car will be back for Saturday. Grampa [Merv Walt of the Frame Shop] and I are going to take it home, and I don’t care how much work needs to go into it, we’re going to get this thing fixed and we will be back”
At press time, Denhollander was unable to be reached for comment.
QUICK RESULTS
MINI STOCKS
HEAT 1: Terry Clodd Holland Landing, ON
HEAT 2: Kevin Van Der Beek Aurora, ON
HEAT 3: Mike ‘Speedy’ Smith Port Elgin, ON
HEAT 4: Terry Clodd Holland Landing, ON
HEAT 5: Doug Butler New Lowell, ON
HEAT 6: Rob Krystal Holland Landing, ON
B-MAIN: Pookie Brown Stroud, ON
A-MAIN:
1) Doug Butler New Lowell, ON
2) Warren Paxton Holland Landing, ON
3) Kevin Van Der Beek Aurora, ON
SUPER STOCKS
HEAT 1: Ken Denhollander Barrie, ON
HEAT 2: Jason Elliott Angus, ON
HEAT 3: Kyle `Wheely`Donaldson Queensville, ON
HEAT 4: `The Deuce`Dave Doucette Angus, ON
B-MAIN: Flyin`Frank Davey River Drive Park, ON
A-MAIN:
1) Kyle `Wheely`Donaldson Queensville, ON
2) `The Deuce`Dave Doucette Angus, ON
3) Mark Adams Burlington, ON
No Last Lap Heroics Needed As Watson Nets Second Victory of 2010 - Sunset Speedway Race Report (May 22nd)
No Last Lap Heroics Needed As Watson Nets His 2nd Win of 2010
Spencer Lewis
17-year old phenom Brandon Watson looked much more dominant in his 30-lap feature win on Saturday night than he had 7 days prior. Gone were the scrambles to create opportunities in the dyeing stages of the race, the last lap heroics and the shocked looks on the faces of the Sunset faithful. Instead, there was Watson, in clean air, swatting off challengers like hornets in a Tim Hortons drive-thru.
The evening’s A-Mains began, as usual, with the Owens Corning Mini Stock division. The packed entry-level class was set for a 25-lap affair, and right from the word “go”, it was apparent the evening belonged to rookie Kevin Van Der Beek (No. 51 Custom Steering/Highland Collision Centre Nissan).
After capturing wins in both of his qualifying heats, the Aurora, ON resident appeared both confident and collected heading into the A-Main. Van Der Beek would take the lead on lap 1, and hold the top position to the checkered flag, surviving a pair of restarts before the first lap was completed.
Upon collecting his first ever feature victory, Van Der Beek appeared happy, yet unsatisfied. “I guess the car was alright tonight”, shrugged the Donaldson Racing stablemate.“We’re definitely hoping to make a run for the championship this season, so long as things keep going our way”
Van Der Beek would go on to thank his sponsors, as well as his crew, including defending Kawartha Speedway Thunder Car champion Kyle Donaldson, Kyle’s father Ken and team engineer Stickman Pariseau.
The Tim-Br Mart Super Stocks were next to take over the 3/8 mile oval, with an A-Main set for 30-laps of green flag racing. The previous week’s winner, Kyle Donaldson (No. 53 Custom Steering/Planet Recovery Chevrolet) entered the tilt on a 5 race (4 heats, 1 feature) winning streak.
Similar to the class’ first race of the 2010 season, Donaldson and new rival Jason Elliott (No. 22 Great Canadian Wiring Co/Woodward Service Centre Chevrolet) wasted little time in breaking away from the rest of the 21 car field.
In no time, the surging leaders were met with a volley of lapped traffic, sending both cars scrambling to find a lane sans obstruction.
As the leaders bobbed and weaved around the slower cars, the rest of the top-5 were waging all-out war for the third spot. Rookie ‘Doomsday’ Danny Archibald (No. 07 Weld It Creations/Steve’s Towing Chevrolet) and veterans “The Deuce” Dave Doucette (No. 44 Superior Machining & Repairs Ltd/D.B. Mobile Sandblasting & Spray Painting Chrysler) and Paul Maltese (No. 28 Presto Appliance & Repair/Graham Contracting & Landscaping Chevrolet) brought the fans to their feet, utilizing every useable groove on the racetrack in search of an advantage.
Up front, Elliott would not be able to pull closer than a car length from Donaldson’s bumper, before the flag-to-flag affair came to a close...handing Donaldson his 2nd victory of the young season.
Wheely’ was officially followed across the line by Elliott, Archibald, Maltese and Doucette.
In victory lane, Donaldson was quick to deny that his second victory came any smoother than his first. “I don’t know if it looked easy, but I can tell you that anytime you have Jason Elliott chasing you down, it’s far from easy.”
This was really fun” added the former Sunset champion. When asked about the multitude of lapped cars, ‘Wheely’ made it clear that slower traffic is simply part of the game, “It wasn’t all that different dealing with the lapped cars. You just have to choose the right line, and guide the car through”
When the topic turned to Donaldson’s readiness to accept defeat should his winning streak come to an end, the young veteran deadpanned, “Absolutely. You’d be a fool to not be prepared to lose when the competition is this fierce.
As Donaldson cleared the track, on his way to post-race technical inspection, it was time for the main event of the evening.
One week earlier, young phenom Brandon Watson (No. 9 Shear Metal Products/Huronia Landscaping Chevrolet) brought the fans to their feet with an incredible last lap pass around leader Jason Witty. For his second act, Watson was intent to control the race long before the final circuit.
The 17-year old would find himself starting inside the front row of the 23 car field. It took no more than a single lap for Watson to assume sole control of the race lead.
The Stayner, ON driver would find himself pressured early on by veteran Al Inglis (No. 69 Innovative General Contracting/Byers Hobby & Welding Dodge) but would use his smooth hands and top notch cornering to sail away from his grizzled counterpart.
As Watson settled into traffic, shortly before the halfway mark, Inglis would see his spot inside the top-3 evaporate, as a freight train of cars made up of ‘The Bully’ Dwayne Baker (No. 48 St. Onge Recreation/B&B Towing Chevrolet), ‘Mr. Excitement’ Chris Morrow (Morrow Electric/Robert Ford Collision Centre Chevrolet) and Stompin’ Tom Walters (No. 47 McColl Racing Enterprises Chevrolet) would catch Inglis out of the groove, and knock him back to 4th place in a quest to track down the young leader.
The race would find it’s flow marred by a trio of cautions only laps past the halfway point. It was on these restarts that Watson would find himself challenged more than at any other time in the race. On the final 2 restarts, Morrow, a 7-time Sunset champion in his own right, would pull to within a car length and a half of Watson’s bumper, only to have Watson pull away by a half straightaway after the first corner, much like he did on lap 1.
After the final green flag of the night, Watson would go unchallenged for the remaining 9 laps, clinching his 2nd checkered flag of the season – along with the Sunset Limited Late Model points lead. The remainder of the top-5 would be filled by Morrow, Walters, Baker and week-1 runner up Jason ‘Bam Bam’ Witty (No. 19 Matco Tools/Larue’s Haulage Chevrolet).
In victory lane, surrounded by family and crew, Watson admitted the second trip to victory lane was a tad easier than the first. “The car was handling really well tonight. I think the extra seat time absolutely helped me learn the best way around the new configuration”.
Although, the teenager admitted the late-race restarts had him prepared for the worst, “I knew Chris [Morrow] was coming. I could see he was right there, I just didn’t know how fast he was. But, we were able to get a good restart and that let us hold on to the lead.”
Watson would go on to thank the fans, his sponsors and crew before reminding the packed house he would return with his OSCAAR Super Late Model for Sunday’s 50-lap tour race.
QUICK RESULTS
MINI STOCKS
HEAT 1: Warren Paxton Holland Landing, ON
HEAT 2: Kevin Van Der Beek Aurora, ON
HEAT 3: Rob Krystal Holland Landing, ON
HEAT 4: Mike ‘Speedy’ Smith Port Elgin, ON
HEAT 5: Kevin Van Der Beek Aurora, ON
HEAT 6: Doug Butler New Lowell, ON
B-Main: Pookie Brown Stroud, ON
A-Main:
1) Kevin Van Der Beek Aurora, ON
2) Mike ‘Speedy’ Smith Port Elgin, ON
3) Warren Paxton Holland Landing, ON
SUPER STOCKS
HEAT 1: Jason Elliott Angus, ON
HEAT 2: Kyle ‘Wheely’ Donaldson Queensville, ON
HEAT 3: ‘Doomsday’ Danny Archibald Barrie, ON
HEAT 4: Kyle ‘Wheely’ Donaldson Queensville, ON
A-Main:
1) Kyle ‘Wheely’ Donaldson Queensville, ON
2) Jason Elliott Angus, ON
3) ‘Doomsday’ Danny Archibald Barrie, ON
LIMITED LATE MODELS
HEAT 1: ‘Mr. Excitement’ Chris Morrow Anten Mills, ON
HEAT 2: Brandon Watson Stayner, ON
HEAT 3: Keith McLeod Barrie, ON
HEAT 4: Al Inglis Orillia, ON
A-MAIN:
1) Brandon Watson Stayner, ON
2) ‘Mr. Excitement’ Chris Morrow Anten Mills, ON
3) Stompin’ Tom Walters Bradford, ON
Spencer Lewis
17-year old phenom Brandon Watson looked much more dominant in his 30-lap feature win on Saturday night than he had 7 days prior. Gone were the scrambles to create opportunities in the dyeing stages of the race, the last lap heroics and the shocked looks on the faces of the Sunset faithful. Instead, there was Watson, in clean air, swatting off challengers like hornets in a Tim Hortons drive-thru.
The evening’s A-Mains began, as usual, with the Owens Corning Mini Stock division. The packed entry-level class was set for a 25-lap affair, and right from the word “go”, it was apparent the evening belonged to rookie Kevin Van Der Beek (No. 51 Custom Steering/Highland Collision Centre Nissan).
After capturing wins in both of his qualifying heats, the Aurora, ON resident appeared both confident and collected heading into the A-Main. Van Der Beek would take the lead on lap 1, and hold the top position to the checkered flag, surviving a pair of restarts before the first lap was completed.
Upon collecting his first ever feature victory, Van Der Beek appeared happy, yet unsatisfied. “I guess the car was alright tonight”, shrugged the Donaldson Racing stablemate.“We’re definitely hoping to make a run for the championship this season, so long as things keep going our way”
Van Der Beek would go on to thank his sponsors, as well as his crew, including defending Kawartha Speedway Thunder Car champion Kyle Donaldson, Kyle’s father Ken and team engineer Stickman Pariseau.
The Tim-Br Mart Super Stocks were next to take over the 3/8 mile oval, with an A-Main set for 30-laps of green flag racing. The previous week’s winner, Kyle Donaldson (No. 53 Custom Steering/Planet Recovery Chevrolet) entered the tilt on a 5 race (4 heats, 1 feature) winning streak.
Similar to the class’ first race of the 2010 season, Donaldson and new rival Jason Elliott (No. 22 Great Canadian Wiring Co/Woodward Service Centre Chevrolet) wasted little time in breaking away from the rest of the 21 car field.
In no time, the surging leaders were met with a volley of lapped traffic, sending both cars scrambling to find a lane sans obstruction.
As the leaders bobbed and weaved around the slower cars, the rest of the top-5 were waging all-out war for the third spot. Rookie ‘Doomsday’ Danny Archibald (No. 07 Weld It Creations/Steve’s Towing Chevrolet) and veterans “The Deuce” Dave Doucette (No. 44 Superior Machining & Repairs Ltd/D.B. Mobile Sandblasting & Spray Painting Chrysler) and Paul Maltese (No. 28 Presto Appliance & Repair/Graham Contracting & Landscaping Chevrolet) brought the fans to their feet, utilizing every useable groove on the racetrack in search of an advantage.
Up front, Elliott would not be able to pull closer than a car length from Donaldson’s bumper, before the flag-to-flag affair came to a close...handing Donaldson his 2nd victory of the young season.
Wheely’ was officially followed across the line by Elliott, Archibald, Maltese and Doucette.
In victory lane, Donaldson was quick to deny that his second victory came any smoother than his first. “I don’t know if it looked easy, but I can tell you that anytime you have Jason Elliott chasing you down, it’s far from easy.”
This was really fun” added the former Sunset champion. When asked about the multitude of lapped cars, ‘Wheely’ made it clear that slower traffic is simply part of the game, “It wasn’t all that different dealing with the lapped cars. You just have to choose the right line, and guide the car through”
When the topic turned to Donaldson’s readiness to accept defeat should his winning streak come to an end, the young veteran deadpanned, “Absolutely. You’d be a fool to not be prepared to lose when the competition is this fierce.
As Donaldson cleared the track, on his way to post-race technical inspection, it was time for the main event of the evening.
One week earlier, young phenom Brandon Watson (No. 9 Shear Metal Products/Huronia Landscaping Chevrolet) brought the fans to their feet with an incredible last lap pass around leader Jason Witty. For his second act, Watson was intent to control the race long before the final circuit.
The 17-year old would find himself starting inside the front row of the 23 car field. It took no more than a single lap for Watson to assume sole control of the race lead.
The Stayner, ON driver would find himself pressured early on by veteran Al Inglis (No. 69 Innovative General Contracting/Byers Hobby & Welding Dodge) but would use his smooth hands and top notch cornering to sail away from his grizzled counterpart.
As Watson settled into traffic, shortly before the halfway mark, Inglis would see his spot inside the top-3 evaporate, as a freight train of cars made up of ‘The Bully’ Dwayne Baker (No. 48 St. Onge Recreation/B&B Towing Chevrolet), ‘Mr. Excitement’ Chris Morrow (Morrow Electric/Robert Ford Collision Centre Chevrolet) and Stompin’ Tom Walters (No. 47 McColl Racing Enterprises Chevrolet) would catch Inglis out of the groove, and knock him back to 4th place in a quest to track down the young leader.
The race would find it’s flow marred by a trio of cautions only laps past the halfway point. It was on these restarts that Watson would find himself challenged more than at any other time in the race. On the final 2 restarts, Morrow, a 7-time Sunset champion in his own right, would pull to within a car length and a half of Watson’s bumper, only to have Watson pull away by a half straightaway after the first corner, much like he did on lap 1.
After the final green flag of the night, Watson would go unchallenged for the remaining 9 laps, clinching his 2nd checkered flag of the season – along with the Sunset Limited Late Model points lead. The remainder of the top-5 would be filled by Morrow, Walters, Baker and week-1 runner up Jason ‘Bam Bam’ Witty (No. 19 Matco Tools/Larue’s Haulage Chevrolet).
In victory lane, surrounded by family and crew, Watson admitted the second trip to victory lane was a tad easier than the first. “The car was handling really well tonight. I think the extra seat time absolutely helped me learn the best way around the new configuration”.
Although, the teenager admitted the late-race restarts had him prepared for the worst, “I knew Chris [Morrow] was coming. I could see he was right there, I just didn’t know how fast he was. But, we were able to get a good restart and that let us hold on to the lead.”
Watson would go on to thank the fans, his sponsors and crew before reminding the packed house he would return with his OSCAAR Super Late Model for Sunday’s 50-lap tour race.
QUICK RESULTS
MINI STOCKS
HEAT 1: Warren Paxton Holland Landing, ON
HEAT 2: Kevin Van Der Beek Aurora, ON
HEAT 3: Rob Krystal Holland Landing, ON
HEAT 4: Mike ‘Speedy’ Smith Port Elgin, ON
HEAT 5: Kevin Van Der Beek Aurora, ON
HEAT 6: Doug Butler New Lowell, ON
B-Main: Pookie Brown Stroud, ON
A-Main:
1) Kevin Van Der Beek Aurora, ON
2) Mike ‘Speedy’ Smith Port Elgin, ON
3) Warren Paxton Holland Landing, ON
SUPER STOCKS
HEAT 1: Jason Elliott Angus, ON
HEAT 2: Kyle ‘Wheely’ Donaldson Queensville, ON
HEAT 3: ‘Doomsday’ Danny Archibald Barrie, ON
HEAT 4: Kyle ‘Wheely’ Donaldson Queensville, ON
A-Main:
1) Kyle ‘Wheely’ Donaldson Queensville, ON
2) Jason Elliott Angus, ON
3) ‘Doomsday’ Danny Archibald Barrie, ON
LIMITED LATE MODELS
HEAT 1: ‘Mr. Excitement’ Chris Morrow Anten Mills, ON
HEAT 2: Brandon Watson Stayner, ON
HEAT 3: Keith McLeod Barrie, ON
HEAT 4: Al Inglis Orillia, ON
A-MAIN:
1) Brandon Watson Stayner, ON
2) ‘Mr. Excitement’ Chris Morrow Anten Mills, ON
3) Stompin’ Tom Walters Bradford, ON
Matt Pritiko strong at Delaware Speedway
LONDON, ONTARIO - Urlin Motorsports Late Model driver Matt Pritiko has made an immediate impression on not only his team, but the fans of Delaware Speedway this season. Pritiko, with the first two races of the season now behind him is very upbeat about the kickoff to his Late Model season.
"It really has been a good start for us," Pritiko said of his season so far. "As a rookie, I have to start at the back, but that has been good for me, it helps me learn more."
In the opener, Pritiko started the first heat in 10th and moved to sixth, then in the feature he started 11th and he moved to fourth, and sat fifth in points.
Last week, he had similar results with a fifth place finish in the heat. "We had another great Friday night," Pritiko said. "In the feature, we started at the back of the field because of my rookie status, and I was fighting a handing problem and a carburetor float issue near the end. I was able to get to fifth and hold on to that position. I am really looking forward to this weekend, which kicks off the first round of the triple crown race - even though I will have to start at the back again.
In addition to a new style of racing, Pritiko has picked up a number of new sponsors this year. They include, Global Warranty, Hype Energy, Rogers, Spencer Steel, CIBC, One Goal Elite Soccer, McColl and Tilco.
Matt Pritiko Fast Facts: Matt Pritiko is one of Canada's up and coming stars of motorsport. He is from London Ontario. In 2009, Pritiko made the switch from sedan race cars to stock cars, making his debut as Sunset Speedway. He then moved over to Delaware Speedway in preparation for the 2010 season. In 2007, Pritiko completed his rookie season in Koni Challenge, finishing 15th in the standings, with a top five and four top tens. Pritiko was a member of Sunoco's Team Ultra 94 and collected 1 win, 2 poles and five podiums in the Bridgestone F2000 Series. In 2002, Pritiko is was 2nd in F125/80cc in the Point Pelee Championships and took home the 2002 Most Sportsmanlike award. Pritiko is supported by Burwell Auto Body.
Release prepared by Russ Bond Agency, Inc. (www.russbondagency.com)
Lockhart Truck Center Joins Pro Stock Tour as Race Sponsor
(Halifax, NS, May 26, 2010) – The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour is pleased to announce that Lockhart Truck Center has come on board as a major sponsor for the 2010 season. The Lockhart Truck Center 100 is set to run on July 3rd, at Scotia Speedworld, located just outside of Halifax, NS. Lockhart Truck Centre is Nova Scotia’s premier heavy truck dealer, servicing the Maritimes since 1985.
Lockhart have been a long time supporter of local racing, however this is their first partnership with the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour. “We look forward to being a partner with the Maritime Pro Stock Tour.” Said David Lockhart, President of Lockhart Truck Center. “Lockhart's enjoys supporting local racing and wishes fans and racers our best for the upcoming season.”
The Lockhart Truck Center 100 replaces the long standing Forbes Chevrolet 100, that fans and racers alike have become accustomed to in early July. The Maritime Pro Stock Tour would like to thank Forbes for their many years of support and some incredible racing history.
The Lucas Oil 100 kicks off the 10th anniversary season of the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour at Scotia Speedworld on Saturday, June 5th at 4:00pm. Tickets are $25 for adults, $5 for youth 8-15 years, children 7 and under are free. Tickets available at the gate on race day, or on line at www.ticketatlantic.com, Ticket Atlantic Box Office, participating Atlantic Superstores and charge by phone 902. 451.1221 (Service charges apply)
About Lockhart Truck Center:
Lockhart Truck Centre is Nova Scotia’s premier heavy truck dealer, servicing the Maritimes since 1985. Lockhart offers the complete Western Star line up of premium line haul and heavy-duty vocational applications and a new level of customer service that makes Lockhart Truck Centre your number one choice for sales and service. Their knowledgeable factory trained staff are ready to serve you with customized solutions tailored to your business. Visit www.lockharttruckcenter.ca for more information.
About the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour:
The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour (CPST) is the highest level of stock car racing in Canada. The Tour is recognized in the industry as one of the healthiest stock car racing series in North America. CPST visits four tracks throughout the Maritimes during its May through September season. The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour is owned and operated by Maritime Pro Stock Tour Limited. For more information, call our administration office at 902.481.2531 or click www.maritimeprostocktour.com
About CARQUEST Auto Parts:
With nearly 4000 locations in North America, CARQUEST Auto Parts supplies the professional automotive service repair industry as well as do-it-yourselfers with replacement parts, tools and equipment.
Lockhart have been a long time supporter of local racing, however this is their first partnership with the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour. “We look forward to being a partner with the Maritime Pro Stock Tour.” Said David Lockhart, President of Lockhart Truck Center. “Lockhart's enjoys supporting local racing and wishes fans and racers our best for the upcoming season.”
The Lockhart Truck Center 100 replaces the long standing Forbes Chevrolet 100, that fans and racers alike have become accustomed to in early July. The Maritime Pro Stock Tour would like to thank Forbes for their many years of support and some incredible racing history.
The Lucas Oil 100 kicks off the 10th anniversary season of the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour at Scotia Speedworld on Saturday, June 5th at 4:00pm. Tickets are $25 for adults, $5 for youth 8-15 years, children 7 and under are free. Tickets available at the gate on race day, or on line at www.ticketatlantic.com, Ticket Atlantic Box Office, participating Atlantic Superstores and charge by phone 902. 451.1221 (Service charges apply)
About Lockhart Truck Center:
Lockhart Truck Centre is Nova Scotia’s premier heavy truck dealer, servicing the Maritimes since 1985. Lockhart offers the complete Western Star line up of premium line haul and heavy-duty vocational applications and a new level of customer service that makes Lockhart Truck Centre your number one choice for sales and service. Their knowledgeable factory trained staff are ready to serve you with customized solutions tailored to your business. Visit www.lockharttruckcenter.ca for more information.
About the CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour:
The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour (CPST) is the highest level of stock car racing in Canada. The Tour is recognized in the industry as one of the healthiest stock car racing series in North America. CPST visits four tracks throughout the Maritimes during its May through September season. The CARQUEST Pro Stock Tour is owned and operated by Maritime Pro Stock Tour Limited. For more information, call our administration office at 902.481.2531 or click www.maritimeprostocktour.com
About CARQUEST Auto Parts:
With nearly 4000 locations in North America, CARQUEST Auto Parts supplies the professional automotive service repair industry as well as do-it-yourselfers with replacement parts, tools and equipment.
AIM Autosport heads to Lime Rock Park
WOODBRIDGE, ON - AIM Autosport is heading to Lime Rock Park in Connecticut this weekend with a lot on its mind and something to prove. There is a new technical partner on board and the team is also coming off it's best result, a second place at Virginia International Raceway (VIR), the team's first podium in almost two years, so the pressure is on. But they have also had a month off to think about that and what it will take to stay at the front and make a move up the points standings.
It has been just over a months since the race at VIR and other than the test days at Limes Rock Park that followed, everyone at AIM has been working diligently to get the Pacific Mobile No. 61 Ford Riley prepared for this weekend's race.
"We were quick at the series half day test at Lime Rock right after the VIR race", commented Ian Willis. "The weather will be quite different at the race however, as the test day was in the 40’s and we certainly expect much warmer weather on Memorial Day. Add in the fact it is a one day event, we will have to make some quick decisions on changes to adjust for the weather."
Willis continued, "Fortunately, this is all new to the other teams as well so we get here on a fairly even basis. We just need to be smart, and on this tight, short circuit, do our best to stay out of trouble."
While the crew has been busy with the car, Mark Wilkins and Burt Frisselle did the usual training - which included some golf in Hawaii for Burt and a few days at The Nordschleife for Mark, plus the chance for both at a class win in the six hour event at Laguna Seca.
"Spending time at the driving school at the Nurburgring Grand Prix circuit and doing laps on the full Nordschleife circuit was amazing", Wilkins said. "It is always great to be in a fast car on a fast circuit, but sometimes it is good to step away from the competition and relax, even if it is at speed. The race at Laguna just got me back into the rhythm and on the podium, now I am ready for Lime Rock."
"I was glad to get back to Hawaii, my second home", Frisselle commented. "This was an opportunity to refresh and get in some serious training, and yes, some golf between races. From here we have a lot of races in a short period of time so we had to take advantage of this break. I am looking forward to getting back into the Pacific Mobile No 61 Ford Riley and picking up where we left off at VIR."
AIM's business development team was also busy this past month and with driver training and conditioning in mind, welcomed Biosign Technologies Inc., as a new technical partner. The company provides biomedical systems designed to measure, analyze and help fine tune a driver’s response to stress brought on by exposure to significant g-forces and high temperatures. AIM's goal is to assist in improving and expanding Biosign’s health monitoring services to include diet, endurance, heat, and exhaustion management. The Biosign Technologies Inc., brand will appear on the No. 61 Ford Riley starting with the race at Lime Rock Park.
The GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series presented by Crown Royal Cask No. 16 will have back-to-back races the next two weekends starting with the Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park on Monday, May 31st at 2:30 p.m. (ET). The race will be broadcast live on SPEED TV and on MRN (Motor Racing Network) affiliates on the Sirius Satellite Network.
The series then travels to Watkins Glen, New York for the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen on Saturday, June 5th. Details on that event to follow.
AIM Autosport Facts: Established in 1995, AIM Autosport’s mandate is to identify, train and manage emerging motorsport talent. AIM has provided many young drivers with a solid foundation on which to build a career in professional racing. The success of the AIM driver development programs has been achieved through the dedication of our employees and the ongoing support of our commercial and technical partners. Away from the track, AIM Autosport serves the needs of the racing community with a purpose-built preparation shop situated in the Toronto suburb of Woodbridge, Ontario. AIM fields the No. 61 Ford Riley with drivers Mark Wilkins and Burt Frisselle in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series. The team also competes in the Star Madza Championship presented by Goodyear and the Cooper Tires presents the USF2000 Series powered by Mazda. Both series are an integral part of the new Road to Indy driver development series. AIM won the 2008 Star Mazda Championship with driver John Edwards.
Photo Credit: Kevin Hinton // From Chris Jameson // Level Ten Communications
Triple Crown returns to Delaware Speedway this Friday night
LONDON, ON - Delaware Speedway is bringing back the popular Triple Crown racing series with the first event of 2010 part of a great night of racing on Friday May 28th. The Triple Crown gives racers another opportunity to earn NASCAR points (if they are NASCAR members) and to accumulate Delaware Speedway points. For the fans, it’s yet another exciting Late Model series. The second Triple Crown race goes July 23rd and the third, August 20th. Complete rules and format are available at www.delawarespeedway.com.
May 28th’s events at Delaware are sponsored by O’Tools Rent or Buy. O’Tools has been a proud supporter of Delaware Speedway for the past several years and is the Official Supplier of the golf carts used throughout the facility by event staff and race officials.
In the NASCAR Late Model Series, Mark Watson and Ron Sheridan will both be looking to repeat their wins this season. Watson, a former champion in the PowerAde Open Wheel Late Model Division, is coming off of a win in the second race of the season. That followed a strong showing during the season opener in which he led the majority of the race before his night came to an abrupt end in lap 25. Sheridan will use this week’s race, along with the June 4th event, to not only help erase the five point deficit between him and points leader Jesse Kennedy, but also as a tune up in preparation for his first appearance in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, during the Delaware 200 on June 5th.
Steve Smith hopes to continue his run toward his goal of a 2010 Super Stock Championship. Smith’s decisive win in the season opener has given him a strong start. 2009 division champion Jason Lidster currently sits fourth in the standings, tied with 2009 championship runner-up Darrell Lake, and trails Smith by only 12 points. Stephen Richmond, who recently won the 2010 Alan Kulwicki Memorial Scholarship for the Lee College of Engineering at the University of North Carolina – Charlotte, finds himself in second place, just five points back.
Paul Fothergill is the defending champ in Demar Aggregate Trucks and last week’s winner. Fothergill finds himself sitting 18th in the 2010 points standings after two events this season. Michelle Korcina of Ailsa Craig, a rookie competitor in 2009, leads the truck division by seven points over Gary Adriaennsen who won this season’s opening race.
The main gate opens at 6 pm Friday night and racing starts at 8!
Tickets have been going fast for Delaware’s Summer Showdown presented by Auto Parts Centres, July 7th, featuring NASCAR Sprint Cup racers Kyle Busch, David Reutimann and Regan Smith. Don’t miss this opportunity to see the “big boys” get shown how it’s done by Delaware Speedway’s NASCAR Whelen All-American Series favourites.
For more information on Delaware Speedway or these events: Joe Czernai, General Manager 519.851.5006 // Lisa Brandt, Publicity 226.448.7227 // Public and Media Relations, Delaware Speedway www.delawarespeedway.com
WEIDNER JOINS COMPASS360 FOR MUSTANG CHALLENGE RUN - Veteran Porsche Racer Switches to Ford Power with a Goal of Race Wins
(Lime Rock, CT) -- Compass360 Racing (C360R) today announced the addition of a Mustang Challenge effort to its stable, which will run alongside the team's championship-winning Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge program. Marv Weidner, who drove one of the team's Honda Civic Si's at Barber Motorsports Park earlier this year, has been signed to run most of the remainder of the Mustang Challenge season, including races at Lime Rock Park, Watkins Glen, Mid-Ohio and New Jersey Motorsports Park.
"I'm really thrilled to add a Mustang Challenge program to our rapidly-expanding portfolio," commented Team Principal Karl Thomson. "I'm a big fan of the series, as it provides a perfect launching point for a driver wanting to move up to the pro ranks from club racing. The spec cars are very evenly matched, and the series offers a great deal of support, including carrying a comprehensive spares package which is available to all competitors. The first two seasons have featured a lot of great racing, and I think Marv is really going to enjoy going to wheel-to-wheel with the series' regulars.
"Weidner will pilot the #33 LMI/Compass360 Racing entry, with Bob Lutz and John Eversley as Crew and Car Chief, respectively. The family connections to the team is very close, as both men's sons are paired in C360R's #75 Honda Civic Si, which competes in Grand-Am's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge. Zach Lutz and Ryan Eversley won the most recent round, at VIR, a few weeks ago, and currently sit fourth and fifth in the driver's standings.
"This is a great series and a great car and a great opportunity," enthused Weidner. "We expect to do well in a bunch of races this year and use this program to learn several of the major road tracks used by Grand-Am so that I'm ready to compete in the Continental Tire Championship in 2011." You can read details of the event on Weidner's blog at http://leapingtigerracing.blogspot.com/
The Mustang Challenge event at Lime Rock begins with practice on May 28th, with qualifying and the race on Saturday the 29th. Race recap videos of every event are available at http://mustangchallenge.com/ and http://youtube.com/user/themustangchallenge
Compass360 Racing (C360R) is the motorsports division of Compass360 Branding Communications, a firm offering marketing expertise to clients in diverse industries across North America. The team, with support from Honda of America, fields four front-running Honda Civic Si's in Grand-Am's Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge, and won series Championships in 2009 and 2007. The team also fields three Hondas in the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship with support from Durabond. For details visit http://c360r.com/.
Ohsweken Speedway: Bring a friend for free on Friday
Ohsweken Speedway’s fifteenth anniversary season kicked off in style last Friday with great weather and great racing. This week Engine Pro Racing presents the second round of Friday Night Thunder 2010, and it’s “Bring Your Neighbour” Two for One Admission Night at the Speedway! A full card is on tap, including the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars, ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini Stocks, and Bombers, plus a “Gauntlet Run”.
The third season for the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division began with a large field of thirty-one cars signed in to the pit area. At the end of the night it was third year Sprint Car driver Dave Dykstra standing in victory lane. Kevin Job contended for the feature win as well but settled for second, while Jared Zimbardi, Dain Naida, and Jim Huppunen also got their seasons started on the right foot with top five finishes. Defending track champion Tom Huppunen will look to get back up front after a spin last week resulted in the #12c finishing eleventh.
The Rookie of the Year battle is already taking shape as well: Six first year Sprint Car drivers were in action last week, and three qualified for the feature. Chris Steele was the highest finishing rookie last week, with an impressive tenth place run.
The ESSO Thunder Stocks division featured another exciting night of racing last week, with Billy Bleich holding off Ryan Dinning, Jamie Cox, and Lee Winger for the win. Dave Bailey rounded out the top five, while defending champ Shayne Pierce recovered from a flat tire to salvage a sixth place finish. Meanwhile, Wyatt Van Wart and Phil Nyssen were two of the rookies who got their first tastes of Thunder Stock action last week.
The 2010 ESSO Mini Stock season kicked off with Trevor Goulding getting the feature win when Abel Castelein couldn’t make it through post-race inspection. Kevin Hilborn, Craig Erskine, Steve Hess, and Paul Goodale also started their seasons on good notes with top five finishes. Jake Brown got the early jump on the Rookie of the Year title, as he was the only first year driver able to start the feature.
A large field of twenty Bombers signed in last Friday, and when the dust settled Karl Sault was in victory lane starting his title defense off well. Newcomer Trevor Roszell placed second, while Kacey Huffman, Derek Chechalk, and Mike Kirk rounded out the top five. Sault and other bomber drivers will also be part of the special “Gauntlet Run” scheduled for this Friday, a race that is sure to become a fan favourite.
Advanced reserved seat tickets for the World of Outlaws Sprint Cars July 30 and 31, and Canadian Sprint Car Nationals September 16, 17, and 18 are on sale now! Please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com and call 1-888-720-RACE to order yours today!
Ohsweken Speedway's Friday Night Thunder returns this Friday, May 28 when Engine Pro Racing presents “Bring Your Neighbour” Two for One Admission Night featuring the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars, ESSO Thunder Stocks, ESSO Mini-Stocks, and Bombers.
Friday Night Thunder at Ohsweken offers affordable exciting family entertainment just a short drive away from most Mid-Western Ontario locations. Friday Night Thunder Adult General Admission is $10, while Seniors and Students are $8, and Kids age 12 and under are FREE! Please visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com for more information.
Spectator gates open @ 6:00p.m., with the first race taking the green flag at 7:45p.m. this Friday, May 28.
By Tommy Goudge
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
SPEEDWAY 660: LeisureFamilyRV.com to sponsor Street Stock division
Fredericton, NB – Speedway 660 is pleased to announce that Leisure Family RV.com has signed on to sponsor the weekly Street Stock Division. The Leisure Family RV.com Street Stock Division will be entering its 17th year of entertaining fans at Speedway 660.
Leisure Family RV.com has been a great supporter of Speedway 660 over the years. “We are really excited to have Leisure Family RV.com back on board in a big way” said Speedway co-owner Chris Johnston, “The folks at Leisure Family RV.com group are great to work with and they really know their RV business”
Leisure Family RV.com becomes only the second company in the last decade to sponsor the long standing Street Stock division at Speedway 660. COAST TIRE had held the title in recent years.
“Racing and RV’ing go hand in hand and we can’t express how excited we are to be able to carry on the tradition of weekly Street Stock Racing at Speedway 660. The weekly product at Speedway 660 is second to none and with our three dealerships inside of a 2hr drive from Speedway 660 we feel this is a great partnership to allow us to build new relationships with the race fan community. ” said Dave Dobson, General Manager RV World in Fredericton.
The Leisure Family RV.com Street Stock division will see action this Saturday night at the Riverview Ford Lincoln Season Opener. Racing starts at 7:00pm.
Speedway 660 is the place for “Wic KID Family Fun”. The 1/3 of a mile high-banked paved oval features three classes of racing on a weekly basis: Coastal Blending & Packaging Pro Stocks, Martin’s Home Heating Sportsman, and Leisure Family RV.com Street Stocks. Over 70,000 people are expected to attend events during the 2010 season. Speedway 660 is located off highway 7 on Route 660 in Geary, NB, and is within minutes of Saint John and Fredericton.
Leisure Family RV Centers operates RV dealerships in Fredericton, Saint John and Moncton. Through this partnership they are able to service the RV public in any of those locales with RV Sales, Service, Rentals and Parts. Together, the dealerships represent over 15 industry leading manufacturers including Winnebago, Coachmen, Starcraft, and Cititation. All dealerships offer propane stations, dump stations, easy highway access, and service facilities to handle everything from a fold down camper to the largest recreational vehicle on the road today. Member dealerships include RV World in Fredericton, Leisure Time RV Sales in Saint John, and Moncton RV Center in Moncton.
For further information, please contact: Chris Johnston, Co-owner // Phone 506-455-3181 or chris.johnston@speedway660.com
Preview: Rocky Mountain Rally
The forests in Kananaskis Country and the Porcupine Hills will be alive with activity this weekend as the Rocky Mountain Rally hosts the best rally drivers in North America for the second round of the Canadian Rally Championship.
Thirty cars are scheduled to take the start on Stephen Avenue Mall Friday May 28. The cars will be on display from 11Am until they are started at 12:06, a minute apart.
Darkhorse series leader Bruno Carré is among the teams battling for the win against the powerhouse teams of Patrick Richard and Alan Ockwell in their Subaru Canada backed STi and Antoine L'Estage and Nathalie Richard (Patrick's sister) in their Rockstar EVOX.
The series regulars are supported by a myriad of local teams, including 2009 Canadian PGT champions Hardy Schmidtke and Adam Vokes who will be debuting their new open class car at their home event.
Spectators will have the chance to see rally cars in their natural environment this year. In lieu of bringing the cars into the city for the spectator stages the organizers are bringing the spectators to the forest. Only an hour's drive from downtown Calgary, The Jumping Pound Forest Demonstration Loop will be the spectator location this year. Located in the middle of a challenging 5 Km stage, the spectators will see the cars pass three times Friday evening, with the first pass just after 6 pm.
Saturday's stages west of Claresholm in Southern Alberta feature amazing scenery and roads that will decide the winner of the event. The Skyline Ranch hosts the service park and the awards ceremony.
For more information: www.RockyMountainRally.com // The Canadian Association of Rallysport: www.CarsRally.ca // h/t Shawn Bishop www.rallysport.ca
TW Steel Proudly Unveils Dario Franchitti Edition
Amsterdam, The Netherlands (26 May, 2010) – TW Steel, the Dutch watchmaker specializing in oversized watches, has unveiled the fruits of its collaboration with brand ambassador Dario Franchitti in the form of the ‘TW Steel Dario Franchitti’ execution – set to retail in early July.
Franchitti, two-time IndyCar Series Champion and the 2007 Indianapolis 500 winner, took a personal role in the design and development of the TW607 (45mm) and TW608 (48mm) editions that bare his name and reflect his passion for watches.
Based on TW Steel’s existing TECH style, the ‘Dario Franchitti’ edition is made of high-grade 316L steel featuring black PVD-coated screws on the bezel. The pillars that connect the bezel and the case-back are similarly adorned with black PVD. Franchitti’s famous helmet colours of blue, green and red – based on the Scottish and Italian flags to reflect his heritage, also feature boldly on the watch along with his leading race car numbers.
On the striking black dial the number 10, Dario’s current race car number with Target Chip Ganassi Racing and the one he carried to his 2009 IndyCar Series title success, is highlighted in red, while the numbers 2 and 7 are equally stunning in green – in recognition of the ‘27’ he carried on his race car on the way to his first IndyCar Series title and his ‘Indy 500’ victory in 2007.
‘Franchitti’ appears in blue on the tachymeter ring while Dario’s logo, signature and title successes feature on the case-back recognizing one of the leading talents of the IZOD IndyCar Series.
“It was an absolute pleasure to work with Dario on the design of this execution,” reflected TW Steel’s Chief Design Officer, Ton Cobelens. “There is always a challenge in producing a ‘signature’ edition as you have to carefully blend personal taste with commercial appeal. As a connoisseur of timepieces though, Dario knew the direction he wanted to go in and we worked very well together. Ultimately I think we have created an extremely appealing watch, both for Dario’s fans and the consumer at large, which proudly represents TW Steel and Dario Franchitti.”
“This was a project I took extremely seriously but simply had a lot of fun doing,” Franchitti stated. “I think the end result is amazing and perfectly reflects in its design elements the key associations in my career. The colours and numbers highlighted are easily identifiable to my fans but equally I just think it’s a great looking watch. It was a privilege to work with Ton (Cobelens) and TW Steel as it was fascinating to be involved in the design process – not least for an ardent watch lover like myself. I’m really looking forward to people’s reaction while proudly wearing my own edition!
”Having qualified for this year’s ‘Indy 500’ on the front-row on Saturday (22nd May), Dario then made his way directly from the renowned Indianapolis Motor Speedway to a launch party for his watch, hosted by one of Indianapolis’ premier watch and jewelry outlets, Reis Nichols.
TW Steel, celebrating its fifth anniversary in 2010, continues to develop and lead the oversized watch market. A family-owned company, headed by 27-year-old Chief Executive Officer and co-owner, Jordy Cobelens, ‘The Watch in Steel’, has emerged as an innovative, bold lifestyle brand – now available in over 50 countries worldwide.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Fastline Motorsports encouraged by test sessions; Lapcevich finds early success in “Bucket”
May 25, 2010, GRIMSBY, ON – Fastline Motorsports enjoyed its best pre-season test sessions ever when Jeff Lapcevich turned laps at Kawartha Speedway, Delaware Speedway, and Mosport International Raceway recently. You might say the Grimsby, Ontario, driver found success in Bucket with his NASCAR Canadian Tire Series entry.
The team recently named Rob Torrey from North Carolina its crew chief for the Tim Hortons Chevrolets driven by Lapcevich. Torrey is known by most in racing circles only as ‘Bucket’.
A newcomer to the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Bucket has extensive experience working with race teams in various capacities. He has turned wrenches on NASCAR Nationwide Series cars and most recently he served as crew chief with a prominent NASCAR Mexico team.
Bucket’s impact on the team’s cars was felt immediately. After working on the Fastline cars in North Carolina the team traveled to Kawartha Speedway in Peterborough for its first test of the year. Lapcevich was unofficially the fastest car of the week.
“It’s been a long time since we’ve been the fastest car at a test session,” says Lapcevich. “I’m excited for the season to start. Bucket is a great fit with our crew, and the cars have never felt better.”
Following the Kawartha Speedway test the team participated in practice sessions at Delaware Speedway and the tricky Mosport road course with different cars. Lapcevich was near the top in both sessions.
“We’ll start the season with a great deal of confidence,” says Lapcevich. “It’s been a long time since I’ve felt we were this prepared to go racing. Both the oval car and the road course car feel great.”
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series kicks off at Delaware Speedway on June 5th. The second race on the schedule is at Mosport the following weekend. Lapcevich scored his best career NASCAR finish last fall at Riverside Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, when he came home second.
The goal for 2010 is victory. If the past is indication it’s only a matter of time before Lapcevich finds the elusive win. The talented stock car racer has wins throughout North America in various forms of motorsports. The addition of Bucket was made to rediscover Fastline Motorsports’ winning tradition.
“The team has been great to work with,” says Bucket. “They brought me here to help them win races, and from what I’ve seen there’s no reason to think we can’t do it.”
Lapcevich’s last stock car win came in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series’ predecessor CASCAR Super Series in Edmonton in 2006. The win was the last in a series of dominant performances for Lapcevich on road courses. Since the arrival of NASCAR on the Canadian racing scene Lapcevich has been shut out of the win column, but he believes they are close.
“The last few years we’ve been close at times, but I think we have a package we can be consistent contenders with,” he says.
Lapcevich will run most of the Canadian Tire Series this year with the exception of the western swing and one race in Quebec. With the possibility of a points title out of reach the team will focus solely on winning races.
“We don’t have to points race,” says Bucket. “We know we won’t be in the chase for the championship, so we can run every race for the win and take chances with pit strategy we couldn’t otherwise.”
Fastline Motorsports also improving online presence
Along with a new crew chief the team is excited to re-launch its website LapcevichRacing.com just in time for the season’s first race at Delaware Speedway. The new source for information about the Hamilton, Ontario-based team is more interactive and informative, and it will feature live updates during every race weekend so fans can keep track of Lapcevich’s performance throughout his events.
“We know our fans can’t always get to every race, so we’re working on a website where we can get them as close to the action as we can,” says Lapcevich. “We plan to have pictures and results on the site throughout our race weekends for people to experience the season with us.”
The new site with live weekend updates will launch on June 5th with the opening of the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season at Delaware Speedway in London, Ontario. For more information on Fastline Motorsports visit LapcevichRacing.com.
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JR Motorsports - Canadian Steve Arpin Charlotte Nationwide Series Preview
EVENT – TECH-NET Auto Service 300 (200 laps / 300 miles)
TRACK – Charlotte Motor Speedway (1.5-mile quad-oval)
DATE – Saturday, May 29, 2010
TV / RADIO – ABC (coverage begins at 2:00 p.m. EST) / PRN (broadcast begins at 2:00 p.m. EST)
Steve Arpin
No. 7 JRM Chevrolet
“I haven’t raced with the 7 team for a couple weeks, but I was able to test the new car with them at Daytona last week. Racing these cars is still a new challenge for me. My races at Darlington and Richmond were tough, but I’m looking forward to Charlotte. It’s a different style track from the ones I’ve been racing on with the No.7 team. Right now, I just want to learn as much as I can. Running on a new track gives me plenty of opportunity to do that.
“There will be a lot of Cup drivers in this race too. That will give me the chance to get in line and gain some insight during the practice sessions. We haven’t had the best of luck the past few races, so we haven’t had the finishes we deserve. This is all part of the growing process, but I’m hopeful for a top-15 finish at Charlotte.
ARPIN APPEARANCE – Canadian Steve Arpin returns to the seat of the No. 7 JRM Chevrolet at Charlotte, marking his first NNS race at the 1.5-mile speedway. Arpin’s three previous starts for the No. 7 team this season came at Talladega, Richmond and Darlington. He notched his best finish of 25th at Richmond. Additionally, the 26-year-old has two wins, three top-five and four top-10 finishes in six ARCA starts this year.
MEDIA CONTACT: Heath White, JR Motorsports/ Public Relations
Our web server is down...
(2:52 p.m. - Tuesday) Our web host is having a technical issue with their system. As a result, the Inside Track homepage and Pit Board Forum are inaccessible for the next little while. They've assured us they're working on it. We apologize for the inconvenience. The Inside Track Breaking News Blog is on the Blogger system and is therefore not affected.
- GregM
DIRTcar: Ladouceur breaks ice in Pro Stock Series opener at Cornwall
Photo by Rick Young // www.rickattheraces.com
Cornwall, ONT – May 23, 2010 – The Hoosier Tire-VP Racing Fuels Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Championship Series event at Cornwall Motor Speedway was moved ahead three months in the schedule this year. That only gave two-time defending track champion Joey Ladouceur an earlier start on his bid for a second overall division title in DIRTcar Racing Northeast's top full-fender traveling show.
Second-generation standout Ladouceur forged the sixth and final lead change on lap 34 of the headline 'Minute Auto Wash 50' en route to capturing his second straight tour race Sunday at Cornwall, worth $1,000 and an automatic starting berth at Syracuse during the Super DIRT Week Pro Stock Championship in October.
"It's not getting any easier, the boys really gave me all I could handle tonight," said Ladouceur, 34, after making sure the 2010 Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Championship Series began just the way it ended last season. The Alexandria, Ont. favorite scored a decisive victory on home soil at Brockville Ontario Speedway in the October '09 Series finale, although he hopes that the final point standings are just a little different this time around.
Rallying to take second-place ¾ of a straightaway behind Ladouceur at the stripe was four-time defending Mr. DIRTcar Champion Pete Stefanski, Louie Jackson and Corey Wheeler. Ricky Thompson rounded out the original top-five yet was stripped of his fifth-place points and earnings following post-race inspection that uncovered a rev limiter chip infraction.
"For a while it was Louie, then for a while it was Dave (Bissonnette). It was just good, hard racing. The track was decent tonight, better than it was last week, and hopefully it continues to get better," remarked Ladouceur, who settled for runner-up honors last season behind Stefanski on the final Mr. DIRTcar points chart despite posting a tour-high total of five feature wins.
While Ladouceur led the entire distance in last autumn's 50-lap finale at Brockville, he wasn't quite as dominant in the spring lid-lifter despite leading 33 of the 50 circuits to kick off the 16th season of Pro Stock Series competition. Top touring regulars Jackson and Bissonnette had plans of their own on a warm Sunday evening at the racy quarter-miler.
Pole-sitter Ladouceur out-dragged front row partner David Papineau and opened up a sizable advantage over Jackson just five laps in, looking just as confident as he did a year ago when leading all 50 to score a convincing win at Cornwall. The first of eight yellow flags flew on lap eight, and it was just what Jackson needed as he took to the high side past the leader on the ensuing restart.
Ladouceur quickly retaliated and ducked the Coffrage 20-20 no. 92 Minimax Express/Cadillac STS/Stinger X entry back under for the lead on lap 13, but Jackson gathered up his Adams Marina no. 18 Keegan Smoke Shop/Chevrolet Monte Carlo/Black Widow mount and regained the point one lap later. While Ladouceur and Jackson continued to swap the top spot, veteran Bissonnette steered his way to the front, finally reeling in the leaders just shy of the halfway mark.
And just as Steve Johnston looped his ride between the third and fourth turns, Bissonnette salvaged his first lead while the field completed lap 24 under caution. At the midway point, Bissonnette and Ladouceur continued to head the pack while Jackson, Eastern New Yorker Buddy Hencke and Stefanski filled out the front-five.
A seventh yellow for the second consecutive spin by Papineau on lap 29 prompted the remaining restarts to begin single-file, with the leaders still able to pull away back under green. Ladouceur took advantage of Bissonnette getting boxed in behind the lapped car of Dion Oakes and blasted high to grab his fourth lead of the night.
Bissonnette was not yet done, charging under Ladouceur with 10 to go but coming up just short as the lapped car of Ryan Stabler spun directly in his path as the leaders rounded turn one. Ladouceur quickly slid high to avoid the incident yet the 'Bulldog' wasn't as fortunate, making contact with Stabler to force him pitside and out of contention for the remaining circuits.
After starting 28th on the 30-car grid, Thompson was solidly in the top-five and trying to pressure runner-up Jackson on the last lap 41 restart. Wasting little time as the final laps clicked off, Stefanski skirted under both Jackson and Thompson to pick up valuable points in quest of an unprecedented fifth championship trophy.
"It was close for so long, Dave finally got caught up with that lapped car when it spun, don't know if I could've got back by without switching lanes again," said Ladouceur, following his 14th career Series triumph, which puts him into third-place all alone behind only Stefanski (23) and Jipp Ortz (17). "Dave really showed some muscle there, I had no choice but to go back to the outside when he met up with traffic. Don't know if I could've held him off if I got off the bottom, he was plenty fast and is gonna be tough to beat (here) this year."
The 2010 Mr. DIRTcar Pro Stock Series resumes next month when autodromes Granby and Drummond host a big back-to-back doubleheader for the Northeast's top traveling teams on June 25-26. Ladouceur dominated the special in Drummondville last summer while Granby officials anxiously await the first ever tour stop at their spacious half-miler.
PHOTO GALLERY: OSCAAR at Sunset Speedway - May 23, 2010 by www.davefranksphotos.com
This is an OSCAAR Super Late Model photo gallery from Sunset Speedway on Sunday, May 23, 2010. Thanks to Dave Franks for sharing his work. You can see Dave's website here.
G1 Racing has strong start to season
The G1 Racing team had a strong start to the season this Saturday as both Genesis Coupes showed remarkable improvement in speed and handling. With a field of 38 cars, John Lockhart qualified 11th and Bob Attrell took the 7th row in 14th place. The race began with a dramatic start as a BMW's hood came loose and sharp plastic littered the track. Both Genesis Coupes took advantage of the mayhem and were soon closing the ranks. The #88 AutoTrader car and the #87 Castrol car had the speed and handling to throw down the gauntlet for the rest of the season. Bob Attrell posted a very respectable 1:34.4 fastest lap and went on to take a top ten finish – rounding out the first race of the year with a ninth place position.
Bob Attrell driving the AutoTrader Genesis commented: "The season looks to be much more exciting for the team. There are not as many problems as last year and if you're not dealing with problems, you can work on performance. We' re really excited about this season and the improvements we've seen."Sunday's race saw John Lockhart vying for the Hard Charger Award. Due to technical problems he started at the back of the grid in 27th position. Throughout the race he made some incredible advances to work his way up to 13th position at the chequered flag. Bob Attrell also put in a good performance on Sunday demonstrating the strength of the Genesis Coupe as a race car. With the recent arrival of the team's new technical director Sasha Anis, and the strong results on the first weekend, the team has a renewed energy to secure a podium place. The next race on the calendar takes place at Mosport International Raceway – June 11-13.
About G1 RacingG1 Racing is one of Canada's premier touring car racing teams. Formed in 2009 with a partnership of JL Racing and Hyundai Genesis Coupe Racing, the team competes in top-rate, competitive, professional racing. In 2010, G1 Racing will compete in the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship campaigning three factory supported Hyundai Genesis Coupes. Building on the 2009 development year, G1 Racing will run the entire series with drivers Bob Attrell, Sasha Anis, and John Lockhart.
For Videoblogs, Race Photos and more visit: www.g1racing.ca
Bob Attrell driving the AutoTrader Genesis commented: "The season looks to be much more exciting for the team. There are not as many problems as last year and if you're not dealing with problems, you can work on performance. We' re really excited about this season and the improvements we've seen."Sunday's race saw John Lockhart vying for the Hard Charger Award. Due to technical problems he started at the back of the grid in 27th position. Throughout the race he made some incredible advances to work his way up to 13th position at the chequered flag. Bob Attrell also put in a good performance on Sunday demonstrating the strength of the Genesis Coupe as a race car. With the recent arrival of the team's new technical director Sasha Anis, and the strong results on the first weekend, the team has a renewed energy to secure a podium place. The next race on the calendar takes place at Mosport International Raceway – June 11-13.
About G1 RacingG1 Racing is one of Canada's premier touring car racing teams. Formed in 2009 with a partnership of JL Racing and Hyundai Genesis Coupe Racing, the team competes in top-rate, competitive, professional racing. In 2010, G1 Racing will compete in the Castrol Canadian Touring Car Championship campaigning three factory supported Hyundai Genesis Coupes. Building on the 2009 development year, G1 Racing will run the entire series with drivers Bob Attrell, Sasha Anis, and John Lockhart.
For Videoblogs, Race Photos and more visit: www.g1racing.ca
Brighton Speedway: Sprints and Late Models kick off their seasons
May 23, 2010 - Anticipation was high as fans filled the stands on the first long weekend of the summer! There had been a buzz about Brighton Speedway all week long as the excitement grew for the Vanzuylen Tire and Alignment and Rock 107 season opener for the Southern Ontario Sprints and the Vanderlaan Building Supplies Pro Late Models and fans weren’t to be disappointed when the time arrived!
With just a few clouds hanging overhead the first green flag few at 7pm sharp on the Bainer’s Radiator's Canadian Modifieds and the action was non-stop until the final checker flag flew on the Brighton Automotive Pro Stock feature.
Bill's John's Comp 4's were the first feature event of the night and was a closely contested 4 car battle for most of the event. In the end it was Brandon Gregory from Trenton narrowly beating out the 2009 Comp 4 champion Kyle Sopaz. Next up was the Canadian Modifieds for the 35 lap Rona of Trenton Canadian Modified Triple Crown event. Dan Ferguson of Bloomfield raced to an early lead and didn't look back to pick up round 1 of the Triple Crown event and the Campbellford Chrysler Driver of the Week honours.
The Southern Ontario Sprints were the third feature to hit the clay track that had now began to slick over, creating a hard packed race surface to contend with. In the early going it was Ohsweken teammates Glen Styres, Keith Dempster and Joyceville's Rick Wilson battling it out through a few early race cautions. However eventually mechanical problems would end both Styres and Wilson’s night leaving Dempster seemingly on his own and navigating through lapped traffic.
It appeared Dempster was in the clear for his 8th feature win at Brighton Speedway when a late race charge saw Picton’s Tyler Rand pass Adam West at the white flag and chase down Dempster who was now in some lapped traffic. Coming out of the final corner it was Demster up high and Rand down low for a photo finish that had Dempster beating out Rand by a foot! "This is a tough place for lapped traffic," said Dempster from Victory Lane. "We like to come up here and support Brighton Speedway and the fans here. I have to thank the crew - there's about eight of them over there, and they make it easy for us to drive these race cars. These wins are for them."
For the first time in almost a decade, Late Models would take the track as a headline division at Brighton Speedway. After winning their respective heats Caley Weese of Carrying Place and Andrew Hennessy of Picton lead the cars to the green flag. The two battled it out for the first few laps as Hennessy took the lead but it wasn’t long before Greg Belyea of Frankford came from his fourth place starting position to take over the lead. Once there he would set the pace for the remainder of the 25 lap feature taking the checker for the season opener.
The last feature of the night provided some of the most excitement! Both Kraig Handley of Picton and Doug Anderson of Trenton worked their way through the large field to make their way to the front. Handley was in control and lead the majority of the 20 lap event until on the last lap when coming out of turn two and trying to avoid a lapped car he opened the door for Doug Anderson to lead the last half a lap and take his second feature win in as many weeks.
Join the action next week as Town and Country Plumbing presents $25 Car Load Night. Bring a car, bring a van, bring a bus! As many people as you can safely get in your vehicle can gain admission for just $25. Pro Late Models, Pro Stocks and Comp 4’s will be joined by the Gord’s Water Vantastics and the Motorsports of Trenton Flat Track 4 Wheelers for their first appearances of 2010. Gates open at 5:30, racing action starts at 7:00 pm. For complete details visit www.brightonspeedway.com.
Attached Photos
Photo #1 - Late Model action as Frankford drivers #25 Greg Belyea and #29 Phil Potts battle it out in qualifier action
Photo #2 – SOS qualifier action has #0 Glen Styers and #42 Rick Wilson has two drivers that hold the most feature flags in Sprint car action at Brighton Speedway.
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