Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
For the first time, a non-Sunset Speedway car has won the year-end invitational at Sunset. 2014 Sauble Speedway Limited Late Model Champion Jason Parker would make the mid-race pass on Taylor Holdaway before leading the rest of the way en route to scoring the victory at the Velocity 250 this past weekend.
After running the qualifying heats on Saturday, the top 16 drivers were set. The rest of the field – eight drivers – would be determined from a consolation race. The consolation race didn’t start off pretty with Marcus Keeler spinning on lap one, collecting Paul Maltese, Scott Sled and Ron Lawrence in the process. Then on the restart, there’d be another incident involving J.P. Joisasse, Ernie Fumerton, Britney Gresel and Keeler; Josiasse would be done for the event. The third caution would come out when Sled’s hood would fly off of his car. Billy Zardo picked up the win ahead of Mike Bentley, Scott Beatty, Mike Brown and Gresel.
The Late Model feature would start out with Thayne Hallyburton on pole as he’d jump out to the early lead ahead of Taylor Holdaway before the first caution flew at lap two for Shawn McGlynn getting into the wall after running three-wide with Mike Brown and Mike Bentley. Under caution, Jeff Walt came down pit road, climbing out of the car to give way to his brother Rick Walt. With 73 laps to go, Thayne Hallyburton led Taylor Holdaway, Ian Bourque, Marvin Freiburger, Tom Walters, Gord Shepherd, Jason Parker, Josh Stade, Dwayne Baker, Travis Hallyburton, Jason Hathaway, Ernie Fumerton, Nick Goetz, Frank Davey, Sean Grosman, Jason Witty, Billy Zardo, Britney Gresel, Scott Beatty and Kyle Passer.
With action throughout the field – sometimes three-wide – there was no question that contact would happen resulting in cautions. The second caution would fly at lap 10 for Grosman going around in turn two, with the third caution flying two laps later for McGlynn around in turn two. Thayne Hallyburton continued to hold serve ahead of Holdaway for the time being, while Shepherd was able to move himself up to third ahead of Parker, Freiburger, Walters and Stade as Bourque fell back through the field. While big brother led, Travis Hallyburton had himself solidly in ninth, followed by Baker.
On the restart, Holdaway was able to clear Thayne Hallyburton to take over the lead as he was looking for his third straight victory in a row. Parker moved himself up to second with Shepherd and Walters in toe before the caution flew at lap 37 for Brown and Goetz getting together. Thayne Hallyburton now ran fifth ahead of Freiburger, Stade, Travis Hallyburton, Beatty, Goetz, Zardo, Witty, Gresel, Fumerton, Gibbons, Brown, Baker, Bentley, Grosman and Bourque.
The restart brought forth tough racing in the back half of the pack, bringing forth contact. Bentley would get in the middle of some of it and at lap 42, would exit track left, done for the afternoon. Parker was able to use the restart to his advantage, getting by Holdaway for the lead as Shepherd, Walters and Thayne Hallyburton held serve. Travis Hallyburton continued to make his way through the field, moving into sixth before the caution flew at lap 47 for Freiburger’s flat tire.
The restart would come with 28 laps to go and from there, it was all Jason Parker as he would lead all the way to the checkered flag to score the victory. Gord Shepherd would get second with a late pass on Taylor Holdaway, with Scott Beatty and Tom Walters rounding out the top-five. Thayne Hallyburton finished sixth ahead of Travis Hallyburton, Nick Goetz, Billy Zardo, Josh Stade, Ian Bourque, Sean Grosman and Ernie Fumerton.
