Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
Starting from pole, Peter Becker led flag-to-flag en route to scoring the Pure Stock Gold Rush feature victory on Monday night at Flamboro Speedway.
Becker set the quickest time in time trials at 19.694 seconds to take the pole. Gary Slama qualified second (19.743), followed by Kevin Gallant (19.866), Gillian Hils (19.966) and Andy Wheller (20.053). Ross Winters Jr. qualified sixth, followed by Steve Lovie, Mark Thorne, John Cote, Rob Hoskins, Doug Moir, Keara Gallant, Matt Young, Michael Neumeister, Kyle Neumeister, Jake Gilbert, John Shantz, Wayde Thorne, Nick Clarke, Tyler Mayhew, Blair Mayhew, Ashton Reekie, Paul Ditner and Steve DeLeeuw.
The Gold Rush is a unique event where drivers are going after $300 – but also have opportunity to go for double the pot. The highest qualifier in the field whom elects to give up their starting spot and start from the field can win $6000 if they make it through. While Becker elected to keep the pole, Slama accepted the challenge to go to the back of the field.
Off the drop of the green flag, Becker held the lead ahead of Kevin Gallant, Wheller, Hils, Winters Jr. and Lovie. Winters Jr. made his way up a spot to fourth on Lap 3 ahead of Hils while Lovie continued to run sixth ahead of Cote, Mark Thorne and Hoskins. Moir ran 10th ahead of Slama and Keara Gallant. Slama continued to make his way to the front, passing Moir for 10th at Lap 6. Behind them, Gilbert ran 12th ahead of Young and Kyle Neumeister.
Slama’s run through the field continued as he got alongside Hoskins for ninth, passing him on Lap 8, followed by a pass on Thorne for eighth a lap later. Slama got alongside Lovie for sixth as the caution flew at Lap 13 for Young making heavy contact with the turn three and four wall. With 37 laps to go, Becker led Kevin Gallant, Wheller, Winters Jr., Hils, Lovie, Slama, Thorne, Hoskins, Cote, Moir, Keara Gallant, Gilbert, Neumeister and Shantz.
Becker got a good restart to keep the lead ahead of Kevin Gallant, Wheller, Winters Jr., Hils and Slama. Slama’s run through the field continued as he passed Hils at Lap 15 to move into fifth. Hils now ran sixth ahead of Lovie, Thorne, Hoskins and Cote. Moir ran 11th, followed by Neumeister, Gilbert, Tyler Mayhew, Shantz and Wayde Thorne. Mayhew then got alongside Gilbert for 13th at Lap 18, completing the pass a lap later and bringing Shantz through with him with Thorne looking to get by next.
Further up the field, Wheller’s strong run came to an end at Lap 21 as he began to slow, falling quickly out of the top-10. Meanwhile, Slama was able to get by Gallant for second as Winters Jr. ran fourth ahead of Hils, Lovie, Mark Thorne and Hoskins.
Peter Becker led the rest of the way en route to the checkered flag despite a hard-charging Gary Slama, who was credited with a runner-up. Ross Winters Jr. finished third with Kevin Gallant fourth despite contact between the pair across the finish line. Gillian Hils rounded out the top-five.
Steve Lovie finished sixth, followed by Mark Thorne, Rob Hoskins, John Cote and Doug Moir.
Kyle Neumeister finished 11th, followed by Josh Shantz, Tyler Mayhew, Wayde Thorne, Michael Neumeister, Nick Clarke, Andy Wheller, Ashton Reekie, Jake Gilbert, Blair Mayhew, Keara Gallant, Paul Ditner, Steve DeLeeuw and Matt Young.
