Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
Gord Shepherd started off the season at Sunset Speedway on top – scoring a couple victories right out of the gate. He then faded a bit during the middle of the season, but it seems that he’s set to peak for the playoff season – as he did last year with a victory at the Autumn Colors Classic. He started off this year’s playoffs by scoring the victory in the Velocity 250 Presented by McColl Racing Enterprises Sauble Falls Tent and Trailer Park Limited Late Model Feature at Sunset Speedway.
The Late Models would qualify for the show on the Saturday, which saw Taylor Holdaway come out with the highest average finish across both heat races.
RELATED: Taylor Holdaway Top Qualifier for Velocity 250 Limited Late Model 75 at Sunset Speedway
With a four-car invert, Billy Zardo would start the No. 9 Holmes on Homes, National Exhaust, Big Chute Marina, Round One Transport, Hassell Automotive, Marvin Freiburger Trucking, Smart Screen, Shelby Roofing, Better Contracting and DJ’s Photos & Design Late Model on pole ahead of Travis Hallyburton, Marvin Freiburger, Taylor Holdaway, Chris Morrow, Gord Shepherd, Jason Parker, Lane Zardo, Ernie Fumerton, Thayne Hallyburton, Scott Wylie, Tom Walters, Rick Walt, Tom Gibbons and Nick Ledson.
The drop of the green flag would see Travis Hallyburton put his No. 39 Hillsdale Service Center/H.S.C Powersports/Knightworks Designs Late Model out front, with Billy Zardo and Holdaway battling for second. Holdaway would get the spot on lap two ahead of Zardo, Shepherd and Morrow, while Lane Zardo and Parker ran side-by-side for seventh. Lane would get the spot on lap five ahead of Parker, Goetz, Thayne Hallyburton, Walters and Wylie. Goetz would then get alongside Parker for eighth at lap eighth, with the caution flying two laps later for Mike Westwood spinning in turn three.
Holdaway would get a good restart to put the No. 41 Holdaway Automotive, Imagefactor.ca Motorsports Design and Photography, Wix Filters, Castrol Canada, Kart Start presented by Toyota, Sunshine Super Wash, and Stefko Racing Engines Late Model out front ahead of Travis Hallyburton and Billy Zardo. Shepherd would then get alongside Zardo for third, completing the pass on lap 13. Billy Zardo would now run fourth ahead of Freiburger, Morrow, Parker, Lane Zardo and Goetz.
Freiburger would then get alongside Billy for fourth, completing the pass at lap 16. Billy’s afternoon would total unravel two laps later as going into turn one, the motor would blow, dropping oil on the track as he slid around the backwards. Behind him, Thayne Hallyburton, Lane Zardo, Wylie and Goetz would slide in the oil, each going around for a spin. Thayne would be done with front end damage, while Lane was done with right front suspension damage. Wylie was able to make repairs to his damaged rear-end and continue, while Goetz received no damage.
The restart would see a battle for the lead between Travis Hallyburton and Holdaway, with Holdaway grabbing the advantage on lap 21 ahead of Travis, Shepherd, Freiburger, Morrow and Parker as Goetz and Walters ran side-by-side for seventh. Goetz would get the spot on lap 24 ahead of Walters, Scott Beatty, Fumerton, Joshua Stade, Ledson, Brittney Gresel and Wylie. Goetz would then get alongside Parker for sixth at lap 28.
At the front of the field, Holdaway continued to lead at lap 31 ahead of Travis Hallyburton, Shepherd and Freiburger as Morrow and Goetz ran side-by-side for fifth. Goetz would get the spot on lap 33, with Parker getting alongside Morrow for sixth. Parker and Morrow would continue to battle side-by-side, as Walters and Stade battled for eighth behind them. Stade would get the eighth spot on lap 38 ahead of Walters, Fumerton, Ledson, Wylie, Beatty, Dario Capirchio and Gresel as Frank Davey and Rick Walt ran side-by-side for 16th. Davey would get the spot on lap 42 ahead of Walt.
Further up the field, Morrow would finally clear Parker to take the sixth spot at lap 43. Stade would then move up into seventh ahead of Walters with Parker now ninth at lap 44; Fumerton and Ledson would complete the top-11. Stade would then get alongside Morrow for sixth at lap 45 as Walters ran eighth ahead of the battle between Parker and Fumerton for ninth.
Behind them, Ledson would continue to run 11th ahead of Wylie, Capirchio, Beatty, Gresel, Walt and Davey. Wylie would then get alongside Ledson for 11th at lap 52, completing the pass a lap later. Gresel would then move past Beatty for 14th, before passing Capirchio on lap 59 to move up to 13th.
The caution would then fly a lap later for debris on the track. Under the caution, Morrow, Beatty, Parker and Davey all headed down pit road. With 15 laps to go, Holdaway led Travis Hallyburton, Shepherd, Freiburger, Goetz, Stade, Walters, Fumerton, Wylie, Ledson and Gresel.
Holdaway would get a good restart to keep the lead while Travis Hallyburton and Shepherd battled for second. Shepherd would get the spot on lap 62 ahead of Hallyburton and Goetz as Stade and Freiburger battled side-by-side for fifth. Stade would get the spot on lap 64, with the second caution flying a lap later for Fumerton spinning in turn four.
The restart brought forth a battle for the lead between Holdaway and Shepherd, but the caution would fly two laps later for Parker having a flat tire after contact on the frontstretch with Fumerton.
The restart brought forth another battle for the lead between Holdaway and Shepherd, with Shepherd putting the No. 10s Progressive Waste Solutions, PuzzlePartner, Montana’s Cookhouse, Krueger Electrical Services, Fox’s Bakery & Deli, Shelswell Racing, Desjardins, Shepherd Family Trucking, Hwy 400 Transmission, Castrol, Cowden-Woods Design Builders Ltd., and Classic Towing & Storage Late Model out front with nine laps to go.
Holdaway would now run second ahead of Travis Hallyburton, Stade and Goetz as Freiburger and Walters battled for sixth. Travis would get alongside Holdaway with eight laps to go for second, but was unable to complete the pass.
At the front of the field, Gord Shepherd led the rest of the way en route to scoring the victory ahead of Taylor Holdaway, Travis Hallyburton, Joshua Stade, Nick Goetz, Marvin Freiburger, Tom Walters, Scott Wylie, Nick Ledson, Chris Morrow, Ernie Fumerton and Brittney Gresel. Dario Capirchio finished as the first car one lap down in 13th ahead of Frank Davey, Rick Walt, Scott Beatty, Adam Martin, Tom Gibbons and Mike Wilkinson.
