Cayden Lapcevich scores Super Stock feature victory at Sunset Speedway

In what is becoming a continuing trend this year at Sunset Speedway, Cayden Lapcevich would score the victory in the 30-lap Super Stock feature on Saturday night. It marks Lapcevich’s series-leading third victory this season. Interestingly, Lapcevich has a pattern going this year where he wins, then finishes third, then wins and finishes third again.

Lapcevich also visited Sunset’s victory lane during the Super Stock off-week, scoring his first career OSCAAR Hanover Holiday Modified feature win.

The night didn’t start off smoothly as Billy Anderson Jr. would go for the spin on the first lap of the first heat, collecting Steve Cashmore and Johnny Morrison. Randy Rusnell picked up the win ahead of Lane Zardo, Dan Archibald, Dennis Cybalski and Mike Weeda.

Lapcevich would grab the win in the second heat ahead of Paul Geniole Jr., Stan Coe, Chris Howse, Coltin Everingham, Nick Tooley, Adam Martin, the 88, Dave Doucette and Donny Munce.

The b-main didn’t start off well as Donny Munce would have to pull off the first lap due to mechanical issues under his ride. Then the 88 would go for a spin then pulled off with a flat. Morrison picked up the win ahead of Doucette, Martin and Cashmore.

Archibald wouldn’t have a good ‘Dash for Cash’ as he headed off the track with problems on lap two. Rusnell went for the daily double ahead of Lapcevich, Zardo, Geniole Jr., Cybalski, Weeda, Howse, Coe, Everingham, Tooley and Anderson.

Come feature time, Mike Weeda started the No. 6 Blue Giant, Humberview Farms, Sunny Maple Farms, Ken’s Lawnmower Repair, Goodfellow Farms, Kenspin Ltd. and Cedar Land Farms Mustang on pole with Paul Geniole Jr. to his outside. They’d battle early for the top spot, however there’d also be a caution at lap one as Lane Zardo would suffer a flat tire after going three-wide with Cayden Lapcevich and Nick Tooley on the start.

On the restart, Weeda and Geniole Jr. battled side-by-side once again, with Weeda getting the advantage on lap two. Lapcevich would then get alongside Geniole Jr., completing the pass for second at lap three while Dan Archibald, Stan Coe and Randy Rusnell rounded out the top five.

Lapcevich then ran down Weeda, getting alongside him for the lead at lap five, and then was able to put the No. 76 Tim Hortons, Troy Cove Marine and Springers Meats Toyota in the lead at lap six. Geniole Jr. would slip into second, bringing Archibald and Rusnell with him as Weeda battled with Coe for fifth. Weeda was able to hold the spot off, leaving Coe in sixth ahead of Howse, Zardo, Cybalski, Doucette and Morrison.

Rusnell continued his charge to the front, getting alongside Archibald for third at lap 12. The pair would battle hard, getting into each other along the way, with Rusnell finally able to complete the pass at lap 17. By that time, Weeda still held down fifth, however though had Zardo, Coe, Howse and Cybalski on his tail. Zardo would get alongside Weeda at lap 18, completing the pass two laps later. Meanwhile, Nick Tooley would come down pit road with mechanical issues, done for the night.

Zardo then chased down Archibald and began to search for a way by, high or low. The battle would turn ugly on lap 26 as Zardo made the move to go low down the frontstretch, while Archibald countered by coming down to block. The pair would make contact, resulting in Archibald going for the spin. Archibald would attempt to retaliate under caution, resulting in a black flag for rough driving. As for being an involved car, Zardo would have to restart tail end of the field.

With four laps to go, Lapcevich led Geniole Jr., Rusnell, Weeda, Coe, Howse, Cybalski, Doucette, Morrison, Martin and Zardo. The first couple attempts to restart the feature did not go well as a result of “jumping the start” and “miscommunication whether to go green or not”.

Once the race got restarted, though, it was all Cayden Lapcevich at the front of the field as he cruised to victory lane while Randy Rusnell would get by Paul Geniole Jr. on the final lap to grab second.  It marks a great comeback for Lapcevich after wrecking coming to the checkered flag three weeks ago in a battle with Rusnell.

“We just tried some stuff and it ran just as good,” Lapcevich commented in victory lane. “It was good on the short run and that just played to our advantage.”

For Rusnell, it marks his sixth straight top-five as he has finished no worse than third this year. Geniole’s third mark his best finish of the season to date. Chris Howse scores his first career feature top-five with a fourth, while Weeda rounded out the top-five.

Stan Coe finished sixth, followed by Dave Doucette, Lane Zardo, Dennis Cybalski, Johnny Morrison, Coltin Everingham and Steve Cashmore.