Thorne, Holmes, Mercer and Burbridge kick off Flamboro season with wins

Flamboro Speedway was the first track in Ontario to kickoff their season and the result was some familiar faces once again returning to victory lane.

Per OntarioOval.com reporter Randy Spencer, here is the full report….

By Randy Spencer for Ontario Oval – After 7 long winter months, Bennett Chevrolet Flamboro Speedway officially got the 2014 Ontario Short Track racing scene under way, dropping the green flag on their 53rd season. The weather was overcast, windy and cool but that didn’t stop the Flamboro faithful from enjoying opening night. Eight Ponderosa Nature Resort Pure Stocks, Nineteen Klotz Auto Repair & Engine Machine Shop Mini Stocks, Eight Ponderosa Nature Resort  Pro Four Modifieds and Fifteen Ray’s Towing & Recovery Thunder Cars were signed in to kick things off.

Everyone was chomping at the bit to get their season off to a good start. A little bit of musical chairs should make it an interesting race for points this season. Multi time Mini Stock points champion Dave Bailey has moved up to the Thunder Car division this year and that will leave it wide open for someone to take the crown. There are several racers that hope to wear that crown. Russ Aicken and Mike Holmes both showed they’re ready for a battle this year. If Rob Hoskins can make it out on a regular basis, you can’t count him out either. Danny Shantz wasn’t out for the first night and although registered, the 2013 Pure Stock champion will have a tough time making up lost ground. There are several drivers ready to take the top spot including Wayde Thorne, Shawn Taylor and Gillian Hils, just to name a few. In the Pro Fours, defending champion Brian Nanticoke will be looking to repeat. He will have a tough time against the likes of his brother Dan, Bill  Pearsall, Dan Petit and several other great drivers. In the Thunder Car division, Kevin Gallant will have his hands full trying to repeat. With Dave Bailey joining the division, that mkes it all the harder for back to back championships for Gallant. Brad Collison, Mark Burbridge, Kevin Albers and a host of others will do their best to take home the 2014 championship.

The Pure Stocks got things underway with Wayde Thorne taking the heat. Mike Holmes and Rob Hoskins won their heats in the Mini Stock division, while Bill Pearsall took the Pro F|our heat and Mark Burbridge and Kevin Gallant took checkers in the Thunder Car heat races. Feature time saw Wayde Thorne and Matt Young sitting on the pole for the Pure Stocks. Thorne led for the first ten laps but Shawn Taylor got by and held the lead for a few laps. Heading into turn three on the final lap, Thorne made a great crossover move to get by Taylor and cross the line first taking the first feature checkered flag of 2014.

The Mini Stocks were up next for their 25 laps feature with three top guns up front. Mike Holmes sat on the pole followed by Rob Hoskins and Russ Aicken. An early caution on the first lap as Ashley Holmes got mixed up with Dave Goodacre and Ken Stenhouse coming out of turn two. From their on out, bumper to bumper and door to door excitement saw Mike Holmes leading from start to finish with Aicken and Hoskins close behind. The Pro Fours started out quick but on lap three, Mike Westwood lost and engine going down the front stretch and Dan Petit got caught up in the oil and hit the turn one wall. Robert Mercer led the whole way holding off a charging group that include Dan & Brian Nanticoke and Mark Millard. I believe that was Mercer’s first ever Pro Four feature win. Bill Pearsall who ran away with the heat had mechanical problems and was unable to take the green. The Thunder Car feature would close the night of racing with their 25 lap feature race. Shawn  Chenoweth was out in the brand new London Recreational prepared car for the heat after having some rear end problems in practice. They raced back to the shop to get some parts and made it back for the heat but a few laps in they faced the same issue and his night was over early. Not the way that team wanted to start 2014. Mark Burbridge and Kevin Gallant were up front as the green flag flew. Burbridge like some of the other feature winners led flag to flag picking up his first feature win of the new season. Collison and Albers battled tooth and nail for second and third. All three cars were battling lapped traffic and with five laps to go, Burbridge threaded the needle, slipped through between the #3 and #76 and took Collison and Albers with him. That brought to an end and exciting first night of racing. If that is any indication, we are in for a very exciting year of racing.

Make sure you join us next week as the Grisdale Late Models make their first appearance of 2014, joined by the Klotz Auto Repair & Engine Machine Shop Mini Stocks, the Ponderosa Nature Resort Pure Stocks, the Ray’s Towing & Recovery Thunder Cars and the Ponderosa Nature Resort Pro Four Modifieds. Pit gates open at 4pm, Grandstands at 5pm and green flag flies at 6pm. Admission prices for the grandstands are as follows. Adult $14.60, Senior & Student $12.00, Children (12 and under) $3.00, Family Ticket (2 Adults and up to 4 children) $32.00. HST EXTRA. Admission price to the Pits is $30.00 for non members, Members (with pit pass) $25.00 HST is included. ($25.00 member pit pass entitles you to $5.00 discount and applies to all 2014 events including specials) NEW Pit Memberships will be available at Pit Gates.

Unofficial Results 

Pure Stock Heat : #6 Wayde Thorne, #7 Matt Young, #76 Shawn Taylor, #00 Rodney Rutherford, #32 Gillian Hils, #31 Rebecca Corcoran, #48 Steve Deleeuw, #3 Andrew Sterling (NS)

Pure Stock Feature : #6 Wayde Thorne, #76 Shawn Taylor, #32 Gillian Hils, #00 Rodney Rutherford, #48 Steve Deleeuw, #32 Rebecca Corcoran (NF), #7 Matt Young (NF), #3 Andrew Sterling (NS)

Mini Stock Heat #1 : #13 Mike Holmes, #71 Russ Aicken, #12 Darren Dryden, #75 Scott Mast, #44 Scott Simmons (J), #88 Jake Watson, #62 Ashley Holmes, #03 Jake Gilbert, #05 Dave Goodacre, #24 Tyler Mayhew

Mini Stock Heat #2 : #37 Rob Hoskins, #5 Ken Stenhouse, #01 Mark DaSilva, #36 Hudson Nagy, #61 Chad Ditner, #42 Rick Robinson, #72 Rick Schwartzenburg, #10 Courtney Scott, #50 Chad Corcoran (NS)

Mini Stock Feature : #13 Mike Holmes, #71 Russ Aicken, #37 Rob Hoskins, #44 Scott Simmons, #12 Darren Dryden, #61 Chad Ditner, #50 Chad Corcoran, #5 Ken Stenhouse, #01 Mark DaSilva, #36 Hudson Nagy, #03 Jake Gilbert, #05 Dave Goodacre, #72 Rick Schwartzenburg, #10 Courtney Scott, #62 Ashley Holmes (NF), #75 Scott Mast (NF), #88 Jake Watson (NF), #42 Rick Robinson (NF), #24 Tyler Mayhew (NS)

Pro Four Heat : #38 Bill Pearsall, #93 Dan Petit, #9 Brian Nanticoke, #8 Mark Millard, #68 Mike Westwood, #91 Robert Mercer, #15 Dan Nanticoke, #23 Linc Ericson

Pro Four Feature : #91 Robert Mercer, #15 Dan Nanticoke, #8 Mark Millard, #9 Brian Nanticoke, #23 Linc Erison, #93 Dan Pettit (NF), #68 Mike Westwood (NF), #38 Bill Pearsall (NS)

Thunder Car Heat #1 : #02 Mark Burbridge, #27 Kevin Albers, #7 Bobby Mercer, #77 Mitch Miljanovic, #33 Mike Gilmour, #76 Shawn Arnott, #89 Shawn Chenoweth (NF)

Thunder Car Heat #2 : #31 Kevin Gallant, #13 Brad Collison, #17 Tristan Gill, #49 Dave Bailey, #14 Rob Istead, #3 Jack Myers, #5 Linda Stenhouse, #18 Kacey Huffman (NF)

Thunder Car Feature : #02 Mark Burbridge, #13 Brad Collison, #27 Kevin Albers, #31 Kevin Gallant, #17 Tristan Gill, #7 Bobby Mercer, #49 Dave Bailey, #33 Mike Gilmour, #77 Mitch Miljanovic, #14 Rob Istead, #76 Shawn Arnott, #3 Jack Myers, #5 Linda Stenhouse, #18 Kacey Huffman, #89 Shawn Chenoweth (NS)