Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
Cayden Lapcevich finished the Sunset Speedway season in victory lane, and he would start off the year in victory lane as he won the season opener feature on May 2.
Lane Zardo would start off the year by winning the first heat ahead of Matt Bentley, Mike Weeda, Dwight Bell, Johnny Morrison, Brendan Adams, Dan Archibald, Jade Franklin, Donny Munce, Ric Watson, Mike Schumilak and Candiss Everingham.
Randy Rusnell won the second heat ahead of Adam Martin, Coltin Everingham, Stan Coe, Chris Howse, Nick Tooley, Ryan Semple, Cayden Lapcevich, Tyler Liscum, Shawn Goggins, Luke Gignac, Paul Allard and Troy Jones.
Ryan Semple would win the b-main ahead of Lapcevich, Adams, Archibald, Munce, Liscum, Gignac, Allard, Gignac, Watson, Jones, Dustin Mombourquette and Candiss Everingham.
The fast qualifiers dash wouldn’t go smoothly as Schumilak would get sideways on the opening lap, leaving Bell nowhere to go but into him. The result would be a wrecked front end for Schumilak, and wrecked tail and right side for Bell. Zardo would take the victory ahead of Rusnell, Bentley, Martin, Weeda, Coe, Morrison, Coltin Everingham, Tooley and Howse.
Come feature time, Cayden Lapcevich would draw pole ahead of Nick Tooley, Randy Rusnell, Chris Howse, Mike Weeda, Adam Martin, Ryan Semple, Johnny Morrison, Brendan Adams, Lane Zardo, Matt Bentley, Stan Coe, Dwight Bell, Dan Archibald, Donny Munce, Tyler Liscum, Luke Gignac, Phil Allard, Shawn Goggins, Ric Watson, Troy Jones, Jade Franklin, Candiss Everingham, Coltin Everingham and Dustin Mombourquette.
Lapcevich would get the advantage on the start, putting the No. 76 Tim Hortons, Cathcart, Springer’s and Troy Cove Marina Super Stock in the lead ahead of Nick Tooley. Tooley would be challenged on the second lap by Rusnell, with Rusnell moving up to second on lap three ahead of Tooley and Howse. Behind them, the battles continued as Weeda and Martin got beside each other for fifth, while Mombourquette headed down pit road. Weeda would grab the fifth spot on lap eight, with Semple moving into sixth behind him. Martin would be left to battle with Zardo for the seventh spot.
Meanwhile, close to the front, Weeda would catch Howse for fourth, getting alongside and completing the pass a lap later. Semple then got alongside Howse for fifth, also completing the pass. The caution would then fly as Adams would go for the spin in turn two. With 18 laps to go, Lapcevich led Rusnell, Tooley, Weeda, Semple, Zardo, Howse, Martin, Coe, Townsend, Liscum, Goggins, Bell, Munce, Gignac, Allard, Franklin, Jones, Coltin Everingham, Archibald, Adams, Candiss Everingham and Watson.
Lapcevich would get a good restart with Rusnell holding down second, as Weeda slipped into third, bringing Zardo and Semple up with him. Adam would get alongside Tooley for sixth, but the caution would fly as Allard went around in turn four. With 18 laps to go, Lapcevich led Rusnell, Weeda, Zardo, Semple, Tooley, Martin, Coe, Bentley, Liscum, Munce, Howse, Bell, Gignac, Coltin Everingham, Adams, Franklin, Jones, Candiss Everingham, Watson, Johnny Morrison and Archibald.
Lapcevich got another good restart to keep the lead ahead of Rusnell, Zardo, Weeda, Semple and Martin. The battle would between Bentley and Tooley for seventh, with Bentley getting the spot as he brought Liscum through with him. Coe would then pass Tooley to move up to ninth.
Towards the front, Zardo continued his strong run to the front, getting alongside Rusnell for second at lap 21 and completing the pass on lap 23.
Though it was all Cayden Lapcevich at the front as he dominated, scoring the season opening victory. Lane Zardo finished second, followed by Randy Rusnell, Mike Weeda, Ryan Semple, Stan Coe, Matt Bentley, Adam Martin, Nick Tooley, Luke Gignac, Chris Howse, Dwight Bell, Dan Archibald, Brendan Adams, Coltin Everingham, Johnny Morrison, Donny Munce, Jade Franklin, Candiss Everingham and Phil Allard.
