By Randy Spencer – It was the Annual Kids Ride Night at Bennett Chevrolet Flamboro Speedway this past Saturday and the weather which looked to be threatening earlier in the afternoon turned out great has hundreds of excited kids and their parents descended on the front straight for a chance to get some laps in a real race car. Donations to the McMaster Children’s Hospital were accepted as the kids went through the gate and onto to the track. Thanks to everyone for their donations and to all the racers that donated their time and race cars to drive the kids around the 1/3 mile oval.
Racing got underway at 6:30pm with double qualifying heats for Flamboro’s home divisions. Winners included, Pure Stocks, Shawn Taylor with two, Mini Stocks, Hudson Nagy, Mike Holmes and Mark DaSilva with two, Thunder Cars, Shawn Chenoweth, Dave Bailey, Shawn Arnott and Brad Collison, Canadian Vintage Modifieds, Jason Keen and Daryl Henwood and in the Late Models, Dale Shaw and David Elliott.
During the intermission, there were numerous prizes given away. Kids were given a ticket when they entered and Kids Ride Prize List included, 3 Gift Cards courtesy of Courtney Scott & Mike Larkin, Goodie Bags courtesy of Klotz Auto Repair & Engine Machine Shop, Gift cards & Flamboro Speedway hats courtesy of John ‘Crash’ Myers, Mark DaSilva & Leggat Cadillac in Burlington, Disney “Cars” backpacks courtesy of Amy and Emily Vigna-staff in the pit food concession, Disney ” Cars” Frisbees courtesy of driver Rodney Rutherford and 2 Kids Bikes courtesy of Flamboro Speedway. Thanks to everyone for their time and for the great prizes.
The Pure Stocks had their feature first. Matt Young and Wayde Thorne were on the poll for this one. Thorne led lap one but Shawn Taylor took the lead on lap two. After a huge cloud of steam or smoke in the 76 car during kids rides, the night looked like it may not go Taylor’s way. But he got the problem corrected and won both heats and got the lead in the feature. Taylor got out to a nice lead but Gillian Hils tracked him down and made it interesting throughout the 15 lap race. At the finish Taylor and Hils made it a drag race to the line with Taylor picking up the win by less than a car length.
Mini Stocks were up next with Ashley Holmes and Rick Robinson up front for the 25 lap race. The top two in points, Russ Aicken and Mike Holmes were seventh and thirteenth in the lineup respectively. Hudson Nagy, who sits third in points in his rookie season took the lead followed closely by Aicken. Nagy has really looked good this season and managed to hold off Aicken until lap 10 when the 71 car got by. Nagy wasn’t about to give up however and stayed on Aicken’s bumper. A caution on lap 13 when Chad Corcoran’s car came to a stop in turn four. Another caution a lap later once again brought the pack back to even. Aicken shot out to the lead again but Nagy was right there sticking to his bumper followed closely by Mike Holmes and Mark Klotz. At the finish it was Aicken taking the checkered flag with Nagy very close behind.
The Thunder Cars hit the track next with Bobby Mercer and Kevin Albers on the point. Albers and Mercer were battling for the lead and coming out of two Mercer slid into the infield on his own and flames were coming from underneath the car. The red flag came down and after a brief stoppage Mercer had his car going again to the delight of the fans in attendance. Kevin Albers was now in the lead followed closely by Shawn Chenoweth. On lap 9, Chenoweth got by Albers coming out of turn four to take the lead. He managed to build a fairly good lead and took the checkered flag.
Dale Shaw and David Elliott led the Late Models on to the track for their 25 lap feature. The cars put on a great battle as Shaw led early with Elliott taking over a few laps in. Rick Burbridge and Nick Roth also battled each other hard throughout. David Elliott crossed the line first and picked up the feature win.
The last race of the night was for the Lucas Oil Canadian Vintage Modifieds. Daryl Henwood and Rick Schurr led the field of 15 cars to green in the 25 lap main event. The race ran pretty much caution free and Henwood was out front. By lap 20 Jason Keen had tracked down Henwood and set up for an interesting finish. A caution came out as the 33 car went around in turns one and dropped some fluid. With two laps remaining Keen made his move and got by Henwood and took the checkered flag.
Nice to see a few new faces and some “old” faces return on the night. Mark Thorne, father Of Wayde, made his debut at Flamboro in the #95 Pure Stock. Veteran racer Brad Rodwell made his 2014 debut in the #87 Thunder Car and always nice to see Phil Shaw back in a Vintage Modified. Shaw was a dominant for many years in the #0 car and was in for Adrian Donkers tonight in the #6. Nice to see some drivers out that race part time, Keara Corcoran, Rick Schwartzenburg, Chad Corcoran, David Elliott, Brent Wheller and Jeff Bean. Hope that some drivers who had some hard luck tonight back out, Bill Rutherford, Chad Corcoran, Kevin Gallant and Mike Williams in the CVM didn’t have good luck tonight.
Big thanks to Adam Ross for filling in as announcer tonight. A former racer in the Vintage Modifieds series, Ross writes for Dirt Track Digest and is an announcer on the NASCAR Canadian Tire series.
That brought to a close yet another exciting night of racing! Please make plans to join us this Saturday, August 9th for another action packed and jammed packed night of racing. The Lucas Oil Canadian Can-Am Midgets and the Ontario Pro Challenge series invade Flamboro Speedway and will be joined by our regular weekly divisions, the Grisdale Late Models, the Ray’s Auto Centre and Towing Thunder Cars and the Ponderosa Nature Resort Pro 4 Modifieds.
Please check the website, www.flamborospeedway.ca for more details including the gate times, schedule, Admission Prices for the grandstands and pits and updated point standings for all divisions.
Photos by Super Nova Photos
Unofficial Results
Mini Stock Heat #1 : #01 Mark DaSilva, #5 Ken Stenhouse, #62 Ashley Holmes, #42 Rick Robinson, #05 Dave Goodacre, #24 Tyler Mayhew, #17 Blair Mayhew
Mini Stock Heat #2 : #36 Hudson Nagy, #26 Mark Klotz, #71 Russ Aicken, #13 Mike Holmes, #03 Jake Gilbert, #61 Chad Ditner, #72 Rich Schwartzenburg, #50 Chad Corcoran (DNF)
Mini Stock Heat #3 : #01 Mark DaSilva, #5 Ken Stenhouse, #42 Rick Robinson, #62 Ashley Holmes, #05 Dave Goodacre, #24 Tyler Mayhew, #17 Blair Mayhew (DNF)
Mini Stock Heat #4 : #13 Mike Holmes, #71 Russ Aicken, #26 Mark Klotz, #36 Hudson Nagy, #03 Jake Gilbert, #61 Chad Ditner, #72 Rich Schwartzenburg, #50 Chad Corcoran (DNF)
Mini Stock Feature : #71 Russ Aicken, #36 Hudson Nagy, #13 Mike Holmes, #61 Chad Ditner, #5 Ken Stenhouse, #01 Mark DaSilva, #26 Mark Klotz, #03 Jake Gilbert, #42 Rick Robinson, #72 Rich Schwartzenberg, #05 Dave Goodacre, #24 Tyler Mayhew, #62 Ashley Holmes (DNF), #50 Chad Corcoran (DNF), #17 Blair Mayhew (DNS)
Pure Stock Heat #1 : #76 Shawn Taylor, #32 Gillian Hils, #7 Matt Young, #00 Bill Rutherford, #6 Wayde Thorne, #31 Keara Corcoran (DNF), #95 Mark Thorne (DNF)
Pure Stock Heat #2 : #76 Shawn Taylor, #32 Gillian Hils, #6 Wayde Thorne, #7 Matt Young, #31 Keara Corcoran, #95 Mark Thorne, #00 Bill Rutherford (DNS)
Pure Stock Feature : #76 Shawn Taylor, #32 Gillian Hils, #6 Wayde Thorne, #7 Matt Young, #95 Mark Thorne, #31 Keara Corcoran, #00 Bill Rutherford (DNS)
Thunder Car Heat #1 : #89 Shawn Chenoweth, #27 Kevin Albers, #76 Shawn Arnott, #7 Bobby Mercer, #8 Mike Gilmour, #41 Bruce Wheller, #5 Linda Stenhouse
Thunder Car Heat #2 : #49 Dave Bailey, #13 Brad Collison, #37 Jeff Bean, #87 Brad Rodwell, #31 Kevin Gallant (DNF), Steve Perry (DNS)
Thunder Car Heat #3: #76 Shawn Arnott, #89 Shawn Chenoweth, #27 Kevin Albers, #8 Mike Gilmour, #7 Bobby Mercer, #41 Bruce Wheller, #5 Linda Stenhouse
Thunder Car Heat#4 : #13 Brad Collison, #49 Dave Bailey, #3 Kevin Gallant, #37 Jeff Bean, #87 Brad Rodwell, Steve Perry (DNS)
Thunder Car Feature : #89 Shawn Chenoweth, #27 Kevin Albers, #49 Dave Bailey, #76 Shawn Arnott, #13 Brad Collison, #8 Mike Gilmour, #7 Bobby Mercer, #41 Bruce Wheller, #37 Jeff Bean, #5 Linda Stenhouse, #87 Brad Rodwell (DNF), #31 Kevin Gallant (DNF), Steve Perry (DNS)
Canadian Vintage Modified Heat #1 : #18 Jason Keen, #00 Ron Easton, #19 John Karley, #6 Phil Shaw, #12 Darren Dryden, #99 Rick Jones, #14 Jerrid Morphy, #7 Mike Williams (DNF)
Canadian Vintage Modified Heat #2 : #29 Daryl Henwood, #92 Brian Atkinson, #57 Steve Trendell, #44 Rick Schurr, #47 Patrick Reulens, #5 Ian McIntyre, #38 Dustin Hood, #33 Ian Burney
Canadian Vintage Modified Feature : #18 Jason Keen, #57 Steve Trendell, #29 Daryl Henwood, #00 Ron Easton, #92 Brian Atkinson, #19 John Karley, #47 Patrick Reulens, #6 Phil Shaw, #12 Darren Dryden, #44 Rick Schurr, #5 Ian McIntyre, #99 Rick Jones, #14 Jerrid Morphy, #38 Dustin Hood, #33 Ian Burney, #7 Mike Williams (DNS)
Late Model Heat #1 : #83 Dale Shaw, #37 David Elliott, #17 Nick Roth, #61 Brent Wheller, #2 Rick Burbridge, #9 Jeff Ruddy, #74 Al Bowman (DNF)
Late Model Heat #2 : #37 David Elliott, #83 Dale Shaw, #2 Rick Burbridge, #61 Brent Wheller, #17 Nick Roth, #9 Jeff Ruddy, #74 Al Bowman (DNS)
Late Model Feature : #37 David Elliott, #83 Dale Shaw, #2 Rick Burbridge, #17 Nick Roth, #9 Jeff Ruddy, #61 Brent Wheller, #74 Al Bowman
