Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
“A bit surprised, but I’m happy about it.”
After continuing to get stronger as last year went on, Nic Montanari came out of the gate in impressive fashion as he would score his first career Mini Stock feature victory at Sunset Speedway.
Andy Kamrath won the first heat ahead of Brandon Crumbie, Warren Paxton, Samantha Shaw, Dave Crumbie, Stefan Woyslaw, Terry Woodley and Erik Yorke. The heat featured some contact as Woodley went for the spin, courtesy of contact from Brandon Crumbie. However, the veteran was able to get it back going before a caution flew.
Montanari won the second heat ahead of Cory Young, Jake Watson, Gerritt Tiemersma, Mike Robinson Jr. and Cameron McGlashan.
Andy Kamrath went two in a row, picking up the win in the Dash ahead of Montanari, Young, Paxton, Brandon Crumbie, Watson, Shaw, Tiemersma, Dave Crumbie, Robinson Jr., McGlashan and Woyslaw.
With qualifying complete, it’d be Gerrit Tiemersma starting on pole ahead of Cameron McGlashan, Stefan Woyslaw, Nic Montanari, Mike Robinson Jr., Samantha Shaw, Cory Young, Jake Watson, Dave Crumbie, Warren Paxton, Brandon Crumbie, Andy Kamrath, Terry Woodley, Eric Yorke and Steeve Melson.
Tiemersma put the No. 17 First Choice Roofing Mustang out front on the drop of the green flag, while McGlashan battled Montanari for second. Montanari took the spot on lap five ahead of McGlashan as Young and Shaw battled for fourth. Young grabbed the advantage, getting alongside McGlashan for fifth and passing him on lap seventh. Paxton moved up into sixth on lap eight, followed by Kamrath up to seventh a lap later.
As a result, McGlashan was now eighth, running ahead of Shaw and Brandon Crumbie as they battled for ninth. Crumbie got the advantage, getting alongside McGlashan for eighth when the caution flew for Woyslaw and Dave Crumbie getting together in turn two.
Nic Montanari got a good restart to put the No. 98 HIGHWAY TECHNOLOGY, SELECT DELIVERY, DR.JAY PERTOFF AT MAPLE RIDGE DENTAL AND PERMATEX Mini Stock out front, while Tiemersma battled Young for second. Young got the spot on lap 12, with Kamrath passing Tiemersma for third on lap 15.
Tiemersma now ran fourth ahead of Paxton, Brandon Crumbie, Woodley, Watson, Shaw, Robinson Jr. and McGlashan. Robinson Jr. would go off the track on lap 18 with a problem, moving McGlashan up to 10th ahead of Yorke, Dave Crumbie and Woyslaw.
The rest of the race would go clean without incident or battling for position as Nic Montanari picked up the win ahead of Cory Young, Andy Kamrath, Gerrit Tiemersma, Warren Paxton, Brandon Crumbie, Terry Woodley, Jake Watson, Samantha Shaw, Cameron McGlashan, Eric Yorke, Dave Crumbie and Stefan Woyslaw.
“I’m happy with this,” Montanari said. “I didn’t expect it. I saw Kamrath inching closer and closer, so glad I was able to keep it there.”
Montanari added that during the off-season, it was “mostly bodywork” that they worked on and his secret to victory was “running on really old tires because I’m slower on new”.
