Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
The Mayor Warren Paxton was the man on Saturday night at Sunset Speedway as he scored the feature victory. Paxton becomes the fourth straight different feature winner to start the season.
Last week’s feature winner Eric Yorke won the first heat ahead of Chris Allard, Charlie Smith, Paxton, Cory Young, Brandon Crumbie, Stefan Woyslaw and JP Rosevaar.
Opening night feature winner Nic Montanari won the second heat ahead of Andy Kamrath, Gerritt Tiemersma, Terry Woodley, Jake Watson, Steeve Melson, Dave Crumbie, Mike Robinson Jr. and Bob Phinnemore.
The Fast Qualifier’s Dash didn’t go as Woodley wanted as he’d have to pull off on Lap 7 with a problem. Yorke went for the daily double ahead of Montanari, Paxton, Allard, Kamrath, Tiemersma, Smith, Young, Watson, Crumbie and Melson.
Come feature time, it’d be Jake Watson starting pole ahead of Brandon Crumbie, Nic Montanari, Cory Young, Steeve Melson, Dave Crumbie, Chris Allard, Charlie Smith, JP Rosevaar, Warren Paxton, Stefan Woyslaw, Terry Woodley, Bob Phinnemore, Eric Yorke, Andy Kamrath, Gerritt Tiemersma and Mike Robinson Jr.
Jake Watson would put the No. 88 Spira Fire Protection, London Recreational, Academy Construction, Race2way.ca, WURTH Canada, Glenco Automotive, Unique Foods Canada, HYPE Energy, ICELANDIC Glacial, Stewarts Root Beer, PROTEIN2O, AquaHydrate, Cloverleaf Farms, Fast Eddie Race Wear, Northern Ice, St. Jacobs Farmers Market, TSS Top Shops Autobody Supplies, OKTANE Productions, Lucas Oil, GUNK, Process Group, Dominion Sure Seal, WIX Filters, Falken Tires, TOMAHAWKSHADES, ARBodies and Ideal Brake Parts Mustang out front into the lead on Lap 2.
Behind him, Cory Young and Brandon Crumbie battled for second, with Young getting the spot on Lap 4 ahead of Crumbie as Montanari battled Smith for fourth. Montanari then got alongside Crumbie for third on Lap 6, completing the pass a lap later, bringing Paxton and Allard through with him. Crumbie now sixth, though not for long as Smith joined the freight train with a pass at Lap 11, bringing Tiemersma and Yorke through with him.
Closer to the front of the field, Montanari tracked down Paxton for the third spot, getting alongside him at Lap 16. The pair battled side-by-side till the caution flew two laps later for Allard blowing the motor. It marks the second blown motor of the season for Allard. With eight laps to go, Watson led Young, Montanari, Paxton, Smith, Tiemersma, Yorke, Kamrath, Woodley and Crumbie.
Watson got a good restart to maintain the lead for a lap – till Paxton was able to draw alongside on Lap 20. Paxton then put the No. 33 Blue Mountain Honda of Collingwood Honda Civic out front on Lap 21 ahead of Watson, Young and Montanari as Smith and Tiemersma battled for fifth.
Warren Paxton then led the final four laps to pick up the win ahead of Jake Watson, Nic Montanari, Cory Young, Charlie Smith, Gerritt Tiemersma, Eric Yorke, Andy Kamrath, Terry Woodley, Mike Robinson Jr., Brandon Crumbie, Bob Phinnemore, Dave Crumbie and Steeve Melson.
“Shout out to that kid,” Paxton spoke of Watson. “He can drive and ran me clean.”
The win marks a solid comeback for Paxton after being involved in a first lap crash a week ago.
“There wasn’t as much damage as we thought,” Paxton commented. “Big thanks to Andy Kamrath for the hours he put in.”
