By Randy Spencer – Going into the final round of the Grisdale Triple Crown series for 2014 at Bennett Chevrolet Flamboro Speedway Sunday, Matt Pritiko led David Elliott and Dale Shaw by a slim margain of eight points. Sixteen cars were pit side and after a postponment due to rain the day before, the racers and fans a like were ready for a great afternoon of racing.
Heat racing got underway at 2pm. Pure Stock heat wins went to Shawn Taylor and Gillian Hils. Heat wins in Mini Stocks went to Mike Holmes, Blair Wickett and two for Russ Aicken. Canadian Vintage Modifieds heat wins went to Brian Atkinson and Jason Keen. Four different racers won in Thunder Cars, Kevin Albers, Shawn Chenoweth, Shawn Arnott and Mark Burbridge. Qualifying races for the Late Models went to Rick Burbridge, David Elliott, Matt Pritiko and Robbie Thompson.
After an intermission, the Pure Stocks were up first for feature racing. Bill Rutherford and Wayde Thorne were on the pole. Some of the most exciting and close features this season have been in the Pure Stock division. Thorne led the first four laps but he was overtaken by Shawn Taylor. At the beginning of the night Taylor was first in points in the division followed closely by Gillian Hils, who trailed Taylor by just seven points. With just a few laps remaining, it appeared Taylor was well on his way to another feature win but a flat front tire slowed him down and he relinquished the lead to Hils. Gillian, a Dundas native, picked up her third feature win of the season and will make the point standings a virtual tie going into next weeks racing.
The Mini Stock 25 lap feature was up next with Ken Stenhouse and Mark DaSilva leading the field of 16 to green. Stenhouse held off the field for four laps but Mark Klotz passed him and held the lead for a few laps. Going into the evening Mike Holmes led Russ Aicken by 17 points. Between the two, Aiken and Holmes have picked up wins in 10 of the 14 features thus far in 2014. Aiken won last week and was further back in the pack and had to race for the front to catch Holmes. And that he did. On lap 8, Holmes got by Klotz to take the lead and from there he put some distance between himself and the rest of the pack. Aiken got up to second but try as he may he couldn’t escape lapped traffic to catch the #13 and Holmes, a native of London, picked up his eight feature win of the season.
Next up was the 75 lap main event for the third and final round of the Grisdale Triple Crown series for Late Models. A big thanks to Bill Grisdale and everyone at Grisdale Racing Products for their continued support of racing at Flamboro Speedway. They always put on a great spread in the tower in turn one and today was no different. Sixteen Late Models lined up on the front stretch for driver introductions by Ryan Reynolds and Spencer Lewis. David Elliott was on the pole followed on the inside by Matt Pritiko. Elliott would lead early and started to put some distance from the rest of the field. Thirty laps in Dale Shaw made contact with the wall out of turn two but he wasn’t any worse for the wear. On lap 41, Mat Box brought out the first caution and his day was done. On the restart, Elliott who dominated the first half of the race, still had the lead and was followed closely by Pritiko and Shaw. The three started to breakaway from the rest of the pack.
As the laps would wind down, Pritiko and Shaw couldn’t get by Elliott and as the checkered flag flew it was the Stoney Creek’s David Elliott coming across first followed by Shaw and Pritiko. When the points were tallied, Matt Pritiko of London was the 2014 Grisdale points champion by a mere 3 points over David Elliott. Dale Shaw was third.
Mike “Happy” Gilmour and Bobby Mercer were on the point as the Thunder Cars took the green for their 25 lap main event. Gilmour led the first few laps. “Killer” Kevin Albers took the lead on lap four and held it until lap 18 when Shawn Chenoweth (of Plattsville) would get by to take the lead and he would hold on to pick up another feature victory. The real battle in the last few laps was for second and third as Albers and Shawn Arnott were banging on each others bumpers making it an exciting finish.
The final feature of the night was the 25 lap main event for the Canadian Vintage Modifieds. Brian Atkinson lined up along side John Karley as the cars took the green. Atkinson shot out to the lead and would hold it for three laps. Heading down the front stretch on lap four, Atkinson made a quick left turn and skid to a stop in the infield and his night was done. Karley assumed the lead and held it for the remainder of the race. The white flag flew and as the cars entered turn one and Daryl Henwood blew his engine and slid hard into the wall. A large hole in the block and engine parts on the track were the proof of the blown engine. The race finished under caution and Karley was the winner. As he crossed the line and entered turn one, Karley got into the oil and slid into the wall damaging his tie rod. Karley, a Kitchener native, limped to victory lane as the feature winner.
That brought to a close yet another exciting night of racing! Big thanks to Spencer Lewis for helping out as guest announcer. Please make plans to join us this Saturday, August 23rd for another action packed and jammed packed night of racing. The Main Event of the evening will be the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series, presented by Meinike Car Care Centre, with a 100 lap feature. Also on hand, our regular weekly divisions, the Klotz Auto Repair and Engine Machine Shop Mini Stocks, the Ponderosa Nature Resort Pure 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.
Unofficial Results
Pure Stock Heat #1 : #76 Shawn Taylor, #32 Gillian Hils, #6 Wayde Thorne, #64 Nathan Taback, #00 Bill Rutherford, #51 Derek Moesker, #44 Sam Heibein, #73 Jordan Morris, #07 Michael Kenny, #31 Rebecca Corcoran (DNS)
Pure Stock Heat #2 : #32 Gillian Hils, #76 Shawn Taylor, #51 Derek Moesker, #6 Wayde Thorne, #73 Jordan Morris, #00 Bill Rutherford, #44 Sam Heibein, #64 Nathan Taback, #07 Michael Kenny, #31 Rebecca Corcoran
Pure Stock Feature : #32 Gillian Hils, #00 Bill Rutherford, #6 Wayde Thorne, #76 Shawn Taylor, #44 Sam Heibein (-1J), #07 Michael Kenny, #31 Rebecca Corcoran, #51 Derek Moesker (P), #64 Nathan Taback (P), #73 Jordan Morris (P)
Mini Stock Heat #1 : #71 Russ Aicken, #5 Ken Stenhouse, #26 Mark Klotz, #01 Mark DaSilva, #36 Hudson Nagy, #61 Chad Ditner, #62 Ashley Holmes, #03 Jake Gilbert, #24 Tyler Mayhew (DNS)
Mini Stock Heat #2 : #13 Mike Holmes, #20 Gerrit Tiemersma, #97 Blair Wickett, #3 Gehrig Halliday, #77 Phil Givens, #37 Rob Hoskins, #7 Matt Young, #88 Jake Watson (DNF)
Mini Stock Heat #3 : #71 Russ Aicken, #26 Mark Klotz, #36 Hudson Nagy, #5 Ken Stenhouse, #01 Mark DaSilva, #61 Chad Ditner, #62 Ashley Holmes, #03 Jake Gilbert (DNS), #24 Tyler Mayhew (DNS)
Mini Stock Heat #4 : #97 Blair Wickett, #13 Mike Holmes, #3 Gehrig Halliday, #20 Gerrit Tiemersma, #77 Phil Givens, #37 Rob Hoskins, #88 Jake Watson, #7 Matt Young
Mini Stock Feature : #13 Mike Holmes, #71 Russ Aicken, #26 Mark Klotz, #20 Gerrit Tiemersma, #97 Bliar Wickett, #37 Rob Hoskins, #3 Gehrig Halliday, #77 Phil Givens, #36 Hudson Nagy, #5 Ken Stenhouse, #61 Chad Ditner, #88 Jake Watson, #01 Mark DaSilva, #03 Jake Gilbert, #62 Ashley Holmes, #7 Matt Young, #24 Tyler Mayhew (DNS)
Canadian Vintage Modified Heat #1 : #92 Brian Atkinson, #57 Steve Trendell, #21 Chris Milwain, #15 T.J. Marshall, #38 Dustin Hood, #33 Ian Burney, #29 Daryl Henwood (DNF)
Canadian Vintage Modified Heat #2 : #18 Jason Keen, #12 Darren Dryden, #19 John Karley, #14 Jerrid Morphy, #00 Jeremy Riopelle, #6 Adrian Donkers, #44 Rick Schurr
Canadian Vintage Modified Feature : #19 John Karley, #18 Jason Keen, #15 T.J. Marshall, #00 Jeremy Riopelle, #6 Adrian Donkers, #12 Darren Dryden, #21 Chris Milwain, #57 Steve Trendell, #38 Dustin Hood, #29 Daryl Henwood (DNF), #14 Jerrid Morphy (DNF), #33 Ian Burney, #44 Rick Schuur (DNF), #92 Brian Atkinson (DNF)
Thunder Car Heat #1 : #27 Kevin Albers, #33 Mike Gilmour, #7 Bobby Mercer, #49 Dave Bailey, #76 Shawn Arnott, #14 Rob Istead, #5 Linda Stenhouse
Thunder Car Heat #2 : #89 Shawn Chenoweth, #02 Mark Burbridge, #13 Brad Collison, #8 Steve Perry, #41 Chad Corcoran, #74 Kelsey Lamont, #37 Jeff Bean
Thunder Car Heat #3: #76 Shawn Arnott, #27 Kevin Albers, #7 Bobby Mercer, #14 Rob Istead, #49 Dave Bailey, #33 Mike Gilmour, #5 Linda Stenhouse
Thunder Car Heat#4 : #02 Mark Burbridge, #89 Shawn Chenoweth, #13 Brad Collison, #8 Steve Perry, #41 Chad Corcoran, #37 Jeff Bean, #74 Kelsey Lamont (DNF)
Thunder Car Feature : #89 Shawn Chenoweth, #76 Shawn Arnott, #27 Kevin Albers, #13 Brad Collison, #02 Mark Burbridge, #49 dave Bailey, #7 Bobby Mercer, #33 Mike Gilmour, #14 Rob Istead, #41 Chad Corcoran, #37 Jeff Bean, #5 Linda Stenhouse, #74 Kelsey Lamont (DNF), #8 Steve Perry (DNF)
Late Model Heat #1 : #2 Rick Burbridge, #21 Matt Pritiko, #27 Doug Pokupec, #83 Dale Shaw, #17 Nick Roth, #07 Todd Campbell, #9 Jeff Ruddy, #58 Paul Dudnick
Late Model Heat #2 : #37 David Elliott, #27x Mat Box, #56 Robbie Thompson, #23 Jake Ott, #15 Matt Lockwood, #36 Trevor Monaghan, #38 Bill Pearsall, #74 Al Bowman
Late Model Heat #3 : #21 Matt Pritiko, #17 Nick Roth, #83 Dale Shaw, #9 Jeff Ruddy, #27 Doug Pokupec, #2 Rick Burbridge, #07 Todd Campbell, #58 Paul Dudnick
Late Model Heat #4 : #56 Robbie Thompson, #37 David Elliott, #27x Mat Box, #15 Matt Lockwood, #23 Jake Ott, #36 Trevor Monaghan, #74 Al Bowman, #38 Bill Pearsall (DNF)
Late Model Feature : #37 David Elliott, #83 Dale Shaw, #21 Matt Pritiko, #2 Rick Burbridge, #27 Doug Pokupec, #15 Matt Lockwood, #17 Nick Roth, #36 Trevor Monaghan, #07 Todd Campbell, #58 Paul Dudnick, #23 Jake Ott (DNF), #74 Al Bowman, #56 Robbie Thompson (DNF), #27x Mat Box, #9 Jeff Ruddy (DNF), #38 Bill Pearsall (DNF)
Final Grisdale Triple Crown Points
1. Matt Pritiko 359
2. David Elliott 356
3. dale Shaw 348
4. Rick Burbridge 329
5. Robbie Thompson 329
6. Nick Roth 327
7. Matt Lockwood 322
8. Doug Pokupec 319
9. Paul Dudnick 304
10. Al Bowman 293
11. Shawn Chenoweth 218
12. Jake Ott 214
13. Todd Campbell 200
14. Mat Box 104
15. Trevor Monaghan 103
16. Brent Wheller 103
17. Jeff Ruddy 97
18. Bill Pearsall 92
