By Randy Spencer – The Lucas Oil Can Am Midgets and the Ontario Pro Challenge made a return visit to Bennett Chevrolet Flamboro Speedway this past Saturday and the Klotz Auto Repair and Engine Machine Shop Mini Stocks had a rare night off. Some exciting action was witnessed by the great crowd out to enjoy a beautiful night of weather at Hamilton’s asphalt arena.
Action got underway at 6:30 with heat races. Winners included, Bill Pearsall and Craig Shaver in the Pro 4 Modifieds, in Thunder Cars, Shawn Chenoweth won two with Brad Collison and Rob Istead also winning, Dale Shaw and David Elliott were victorious in the Late Models, Dale Wilson and Mike Westwood picked up wins in the Ontario Pro Challenge series while Adam Racine and Barry Dunn picked up heat wins with Adrian Stahle winning the Can Am Midget B Feature.
After a brief intermission we got right into the features. Mike Gilmour lined up along side Kevin Albers as they took green in the 25 lap Thunder Car feature. Shawn Arnott got by early and started to put some distance between himself and the rest of the field. Shawn Chenoweth of Plattsville, managed to track him down and got passed on lap 13 to take the lead and pick up another feature victory.
Late Models were next to hit the track for their 25 lap main event. Jeff Ruddy and Rick Burbridge were on the pole for this one. Dale Shaw and David Elliott were just three points apart, atop the Late Model standings going into the race. Shaw was charging hard to make his way to the front but got involved with leader Jeff Ruddy on the backstretch and both cars went around bringing out the caution. Shaw was able to continue but Ruddy had to retire to the pits. This enabled Elliott to take the lead as Shaw had to take up spot at the back of the pack. Tried as he would, Shaw couldn’t make up the lost positions and Elliott (of Ancaster) held off the pack to pick up the feature win.
The Pro 4 Modifieds lined up for their 15 lap feature race. Dan Petit and Josh Lassaline were on the pole and Lassaline, who has been gaining valuable experience started to make some distance between himself and the rest of the pack as the green flew and the race progressed. Bill Pearsall was being held back and looked like a cork in a bottle at times. Once he burst out from the pack he quickly gained on Lassaline. A caution when Aaron Turkey took a hard lick into the turn one wall brought out a caution. That’s all Pearsall needed and the veteran dominated from there on out and picked up another impressive feature win. Nice to hear how happy and appreciative he was in victory lane. Nice win Bill and that moves him into first place in the current Pro 4 Modified standings.
Seventeen Can Am Midgets hit the track for their 25 lap feature and as Josh Paxton used to say, “Only the best go four abreast” and the Midgets did just that as they saluted the crowd prior to taking the green flag. Four cars didn’t make the call for the feature and that was almost five. Apparently Tyler Turnbull lost an engine in practice but the team scrambled and changed the engine so he could make it out. Chris Holman and Tyler Turnbull were on the front row for this one. An early caution on lap one as several cars in the middle of the pack stacked up sending them to the rear of the field. Rookie Craig Pitchell spun in turn one on lap 9 bringing out another caution. Holman was leading till that point but as the field was back to even and he was unable to hold off Darren McLennan and he was the new leader followed closely by Rob Neely. With just two laps to go three cars were involved in a mishap in turn four and that brought out the caution setting
up a green, white, checkered finish. Another caution on the restart kept everyone on the edge of their seats waiting to see how this one would turn out. McLennan tried hard to make a move around the veteran Neely but it just wasn’t meant to be as Neely (of Milton) crossed the line first.
The final race of the night was the 30 lap feature for the Ontario Pro Challenge. Dale Wilson and Kyle Batty were on the point for this race. Just two laps in, veteran Tim Norris who has owned Flamboro over the years spun to the infield. As he tried to renter the racing surface his car came to a stop and the caution flew. The starter disqualified Norris and he was sent to the pits. A tight battle for quite a few laps after the restart between Wilson, Dennis Thomson and Josh Nicholson until Wilson’s car let out a lot of smoke and oil from turn four all the way around to the exit in turn two. This brought a lengthy delay as the track was cleaned. On the restart, Batty took the lead and battle with Thomson. Two cautions, one on lap 19 the other on 25 tightened the pack. Batty managed to hold off the veteran Thomson and Batty, a Stouffville native, picked up the feature win.
That brought to a close yet another exciting night of racing! Please make plans to join us this Saturday, August 16th for another action packed and jammed packed night of racing. The 3rd and final round of the Grisdale Racing Products Triple Crown for Late Models, with a champion being crowned. Also on hand, the Lucas Oil Canadian Vintage Modifieds and they will be joined by our regular weekly divisions, the Klotz Auto Repair and Engine Machine Shop Mini Stocks, the Ray’s Auto Centre and Towing Thunder Cars and the Ponderosa Nature Resort Pure Stocks.
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
Pro 4 Modified Heat #1 : #38 Bill Pearsall, #8 Craig Shaver, #23 Linc Erison, #10 A.J. Emms, #58 Aaron Turkey, #93 Dan Petit, #9 Brian Nanticoke, #24 Josh Lassaline, #91 Robert Mercer, #15 Dan Nanticoke
Pro 4 Modified #2 : #8 Craig Shaver, #38 Bill Pearsall, #10 A.J. Emms, #24 Josh Lassaline, #68 Aaron Turkey, #9 Brian Nanticoke, #23 Linc Erison, #93 Dan Petit, #91 Robert Mercer (DNF), #15 Dan Nanticoke (DNF)
Pro 4 Modified Feature : #38 Bill Pearsall, #24 Josh Lassaline, #23 Linc Erison, #8 Craig Shaver, #93 Dan Petit, #9 Brian Nanticoke, #10 A.J. Emms, #68 Aaron Turkey (DNF), #91 Robert Mercer (DNS), #15 Dan Nanticoke (DNS)
Thunder Car Heat #1 : #89 Shawn Chenoweth, #76 Shawn Arnott, #49 Dave Bailey, #27 Kevin Albers, #7 Bobby Mercer, #5 Linda Stenhouse
Thunder Car Heat #2 : #13 Brad Collison, #33 Mike Gilmour, #14 Rob Istead, #41 Chad Corcoran, #34 Gregg Rauscher, #74 Kelsey Lamont (DNS)
Thunder Car Heat #3: #89 Shawn Chenoweth, #27 Kevin Albers, #76 Shawn Arnott, #49 Dave Bailey, #7 Bobby Mercer, #5 Linda Stenhouse
Thunder Car Heat#4 : #14 Rob Istead, #13 Brad Collison, #33 Mike Gilmour, #41 Chad Corcoran, #34 Gregg Rauscher, #74 Kelsey Lamont (DNF)
Thunder Car Feature : #89 Shawn Chenoweth, #76 Shawn Arnott, #13 Brad Collison, #27 Kevin Albers, #49 Dave Bailey, #33 Mike Gilmour, #7 Bobby Mercer, #34 Gregg Rauscher, #41 Chad Corcoran, #5 Linda Stenhouse, #14 Rob Istead (DNF), #74 Kelsey Lamont (DNS)
Can Am Midget Heat #1 : #37 Adam Racine, #16 Chris Holman, #99 Daniel Bois, #84 Tyler Turnbull, #20 Rob DiVenanzo, #49 Lucas Smith, #91 Brandon Zavarella, #6 Craig Pitchell, #3 Todd Creswell (DNF), #94 Ryan Fraser (DNF), #22 Chris Bauman (DNS)
Can Am Midget Heat #2 : #63 Barry Dunn, #40 Mack Deman, #74 Rob Neely, #12 David Balych, #48 Darren McLennan, #43 Adrian Stahle, #44 Tom Kyle, #14 Dylon Smith, #7 Jeff Blackburn (DNS), #4 Josh Shantz (DNS)
Can Am Midget B Feature : #43 Adrian Stahle, #49 Lucas Smith, #44 Tom Kyle, #91 Brandon Zavarella, #14 Dylon Smith, #6 Craig Pitchell
Can Am Midget Feature : #74 Rob Neely, #48 Darren McLennan, #40 Mack DeMan, #16 Chris Holman, #37 Adam Racine, #84 Tyler Turnbull, #12 David Balych, #49 Lucas Smith, #91 Brandon Zavarella, #63 Barry Dunn, #14 Dylon Smith, #6 Craig Pitchell, #20 Rob DiVenanzo, #3 Todd Cresswell, #43 Adrian Stahle, #99 Daniel Bois, #44 Tom Kyle, #4 Josh Shantz (DNS), #7 Jeff Blackburn (DNS), #94 Ryan Fraser (DNS), #22 Chris Bauman (DNS)
Ontario Pro Challenge Heat #1 : #3 Dale Wilson, #38 Kyle Batty, #00 Ken Lillycrop, #6 Dan Alder, #33 Brian Steffanis, #14 Tim Shanahan, #8 Peter Hattin
Ontario Pro Challenge Heat #2 : #91 Mike Westwood, #66 Josh Nicholson, #02 Dennis Thomson, #88 Tim Norris, #24 Justin Billington, #20 Mike Taylor (DNF)
Ontario Pro Challenge Feature : #38 Kyle Batty, #02 Dennis Thomson, #66 Josh Nicholson, #91 Mike Westwood, #33 Brian Steffanis, #24 Justin Billington, #8 Peter Hattin, #14 Tim Shanahan, #6 Dan Alder, #3 Dale Wilson (DNF), #00 Ken Lillycrop (DNF), #20 Mike Taylor (DNS), #88 Tim Norris (DQ)
Late Model Heat #1 : #83 Dale Shaw, #37 David Elliott, #2 Rick Burbridge, #9 Jeff Ruddy, #61 Brent Wheller, #58 Paul Dudnick, #74 Al Bowman, #17 Nick Roth (DNF)
Late Model Heat #2 : #37 David Elliott, #83 Dale Shaw, #2 Rick Burbridge, #9 Jeff Ruddy, #58 Paul Dudnick, #74 Al Bowman, #61 Brent Wheller (DNS), #17 Nick Roth (DNS)
Late Model Feature : #37 David Elliott, #2 Rick Burbridge, #83 Dale Shaw, #61 Brent Wheller, #58 Paul Dudnick, #74 Al Bowman, #9 Jeff Ruddy (DNF), #17 Nick Roth (DNF)
