By Randy Spencer – The first long holiday weekend race event was set to go and the weather, threatening looking early on turned out to be a great night of racing at Bennett Chevrolet Flamboro Speedway.
The Lucas Oil Canadian Vintage Modifieds were on hand entering their 49th season of continuous racing and the 11th season with Lucas Oil Products as the title sponsor. The Grisdale Late Models had an increased car count on the night along with the Ray’s Auto Centre & Towing Thunder Cars, the Klotz Auto Repair & Engine Machine Shop Mini Stocks and the BOMB Energy Drink Pro 4 Modifieds.
Racing got underway at 7pm with the postponed feature from May 2nd for the Pro 4 Modifieds. Brian Nanticoke and Craig Shaver led the field to green and an early caution as the 0 and 8 got mixed up and slid to the infield. Dan Petit spun in turn four on lap 12 to bring another yellow. Brian Nanticoke has his car working perfect as he built up a big lead on the rest of the field. Josh Lassaline closed some of the gap but nobody was catching Nanticoke on this night and he crossed the line first for feature win of 2015.
Mini Stocks feature was next and Rick Robinson was strong early on leading the first three laps. Russ Aicken took over the lead on lap four and held it until lap eight when Hudson Nagy got by to take the lead. The two battled for a few laps but Nagy increased the lead and won his first feature of the year.
Shawn Arnott and Brad Collison led the Thunder Cars to their first green of the night. Arnott battled Collison and Mark Burbridge early on with Arnott in the lead. As Arnott led the cars out of four on lap eight, a tire or something broke in the right front, he tagged the wall and limped to the pits. Burbridge took over the lead and beat Collison to the checkered flag.
An exciting first 25 lap feature for the Late Models as Dale Shaw and David Elliott waged a battle most of the race. Elliott was out in front for the first 12 laps but a bump and run move by Shaw coming out of four gave him the lead. Shaw held the lead until lap 20 until Brad Corcoran used the same move on Shaw and took the lead. A great battle ensued for the remainder and Corcoran picked up the checkered flag.
The Pro 4 will be running one heat and one feature it appears from now on and started tonight with Linc Erison and Dan Petit leading the field to green for the 10 lap event. Erison led the first 5 laps but Brian Nanticoke got by and took over the lead. Erison and Robert Mercer didn’t make it easy for Nanticoke however and it was an exciting race throughout.
The Canadian Vintage Modifieds were the last two races before intermission. T.J. Marshall and Jeremy Riopelle were on the pole for the first race. Marshall looked very fast in practice and immediately shot out to the lead. The veteran Ron Easton was on his tail throughout and a tap to the bumper of Marshall moved him aside enough for the crafty veteran to get by, take the lead and hold on for the checkered flag.
The 2014 CVM champion Jason Keen lined up along side Dustin Hood to begin the second race. Keen shot to the front immediately where he would stay for the entire race. Veteran Brian Atkinson wouldn’t make it easy for Keen however and stayed on his bumper until the checkered flag.
After intermission, the Mini Stocks were up first for their second feature of the night. Last years Pure Stock champion who has joined the Mini Stock ranks in 2015, led the first two laps. Another graduate of the Pure Stocks, Gillian Hils took the lead from Taylor on lap three. She moved out to a big lead on the rest of the field and picked up her first checkered flag in a Mini Stock. The 72 of Rich Schwartzenberg had a good run as did Russ Aicken who looks to be getting his new Cobalt figured out.
Father and Son led the Thunder Cars to green in their second feature of the night. Justin Collison was on the inside and dad Brad, the 2014 Thunder Car champion on the outside. Looked like the younger Collison perhaps felt the pressure of dad and got high coming down the front stretch on lap one and slowed and several cars got by. Brad Collison and Mark Burbridge battled early with lots of bumping and banging as these two drivers have past history of some heated battles. Collison led flag to flag in his first night out in 2015 picking up the checkered flag.
Jeff Ruddy and Billy Schwartzenberg were up front for the second Late Model feature of the night. Ruddy was out front early but see to have a push and eventually fell of the pace. Schwartzenberg took the lead and was looking really good early on in his Spira sponsored car. Veteran racer Nick Roth would get by on lap 13 and take over the lead as Schwartzenberg got caught on the outside and several cars including David Elliott, Brad Corcoran, Dale Shaw and Rick Burbridge followed Roth. Elliott was relentless in his pursuit of Roth. Brad Corcoran went around in turn two on lap 24 bringing out the caution with checkers giving Nick Roth a hard fought feature win, his first of 2015.
The Pro 4 Modifieds were up for their regular feature of the night with Josh Lassaline and Dan Petit on the point. Lassaline got out to a half track lead as the rest of the field battled behind. Brian Nanticoke got by Petit and tried hard but didn’t have enough laps to catch the 24 of Lassaline.
The final race of the night was the 25 lap main event for the Canadian Vintage Modifieds. Ron Easton and Jason Keen were up front for this race. Dustin Hood brought out the first caution on lap two as he spun down the back stretch. Jason Keen got a flat coming out of four on lap three and his night was finished. A close battle between Easton, T.J. Marshall and Jeremy Riopelle made for an exciting race. Riopelle and Easton had an exciting side by side run down the back stretch on the final lap with Easton on the outside getting up in the marbles in three and four and going around giving the checkered flag to Riopelle.
That brought to a close another exciting night of racing at Bennett Chevrolet Flamboro Speedway. Please make plans to join us next week,May 23rd as the Lucas Oil Can Am Midgets make their 2015 Flamboro Speedway debut celebrating their 50th season. They are also joined by the second appearance of the Ontario Pro Challenge series, the Ray’s Auto Centre & Towing Thunder Cars, the Klotz Auto Repair & Engine Machine Shop Mini Stocks and the Pure Stocks. Pit gates open at 4pm, Grandstands at 5pm and green flag flies at 7pm.
Please check the website, www.flamborospeedway.ca for more details including the schedule, Admission Prices for the grandstands and pits and updated point standings for all divisions.Photos by Derek at Racepulse.com
Unofficial Results
Pro 4 Modifieds Feature #1 (May 2) : #9 Brian Nanticoke, #24 Josh Lassaline, #10 Chris Hale, #91 Robert Mercer, #0 Cliff Hodgkinson, #68 Aaron Turkey, #23 Linc Erison, #93 Dan Petit, #8 Craig Shaver, #63 Mark Lucas (NS)
Mini Stock Feature #1 : #36 Hudson Nagy, #71 Russ Aicken, #72 Rich Schwartzenberg, #61 Chad Ditner, #92 A.J. Miller, #32 Gillian Hils, #42 Rick Robinson, #03 Jake Gilbert, #01 Mark DaSilva, #76 Shawn Taylor, #5 Stepheny Dean, #05 Dave Goodacre, #75 Scott Mast (NF), #97 Blair Wickett (NF)
Thunder Car Feature #1 : #02 Mark Burbridge, #89 Brad Collison, #12 Justin Collison, #77 Mitch Miljanovic, #7 Bobby Mercer (NF), #76 Shawn Arnott (NF)
Late Model Feature #1 : #05 Brad Corcoran, #83 Dale Shaw, #37 David Elliott, #2 Rick Burbridge, #17 Nick Roth, #86 Billy Schwartzenberg, #9 Jeff Ruddy, #29x Steve Cashmore, #58 Paul Dudnuik, #27 Kevin Albers, #29 Jason Wood, #5 Linda Stenhouse, #46 Mike Klotz (NF)
Canadian Vintage Modified Heat #1 : #00 Ron Easton, #15 T.J. Marshall, #88 Jeremy Riopelle, #12 Darren Dryden, #57 Steve Trendell, #36 Rick Schurr, #33 Ian Burney
Canadian Vintage Modified Heat #2 : #18 Jason Keen, #92 Brian Atkinson, #2 Ben Charbonneau, #38 Dustin Hood, #08 Cassidy March, #99 Rick Jones (NF)
Pro 4 Modifieds Heat : #9 Brian Nanticoke, #23 Linc Erison, #91 Robert Mercer, #68 Aaron Turkey, #93 Dan Petit, #0 Cliff Hodgkinson, #24 Josh Lassaline, #10 Chris Hale (NF), #8 Craig Shaver (NS), #15 Dan Nanticoke (NS)
Mini Stock Feature #2 : #32 Gillian Hils, #36 Hudson Nagy, #72 Rich Schwartzenberg, #61 Chad Ditner, #71 Russ Aicken, #42 Rick Robinson, #76 Shawn Taylor, #01 Mark DaSilva, #03 Jake Gilbert, #05 Dave Goodacre, #5 Stepheny Dean, #75 Scott Mast (NF), #92 A.J. Miller (NS), #97 Blair Wickett (NS)
Thunder Car Feature #2 : #89 Brad Collison, #02 Mark Burbridge, #76 Shawn Arnott, #77 Mitch Miljanovic, #12 Justin Collison, #7 Bobby Mercer (NF)
Late Model Feature #2 : #17 Nick Roth, #37 David Elliott, #83 Dale Shaw, #2 Rick Burbridge, #86 Billy Schwartzenberg, #9 Jeff Ruddy, #27 Kevin Albers, #09 Steve Cashmore, #05 Brad Corcoran (NF), #29 Jason Wood, #58 Paul Dudnuik, #5 Linda Stenhouse, #46 Mike Klotz (NF)
Pro 4 Modified Feature : #24 Josh Lassaline, #9 Brian Nanticoke, #23 Linc Erison, #0 Cliff Hodgkinson, #93 Dan Petit, #68 Aaron Turkey, #10 Chris Hale, #91 Robert Mercer (NS)
Canadian Vintage Modified Feature : #88 Jeremy Riopelle, #92 Brian Atkinson, #12 Darren Dryden, #57 Steve Trendell, #2 Ben Charbonneau, #99 Rick Jones, #38 Dustin Hood, #36 Rick Schurr, #08 Cassidy March, #00 Ron Easton (NF), #15 T.J. Marshall (NF), #33 Ian Burney (NF), #18 Jason Keen (NF)
