Photo Credit: Ashley McCubbin
Taking the lead on a mid-race restart, Taylor Holdaway didn’t look back en route to scoring the feature victory in the Sauble Falls Tent and Trailer Park Late Model feature at Sunset Speedway.
In time trials, it’d be Tom Walters laying down the quickest lap at 15.086 seconds behind the wheel of the No. 47 Knightworks Design, Pro Floor Barrie, The Bakers, Wild Wing Barrie, Truckers Tax, Uncle Bud and Competition Automotive Late Model. Nick Goetz was second quickest (15.092), followed by Sean Cronan (15.127), Travis Hallyburton (15.127) and Chris Morrow (15.133).
Ryan Kimball was sixth, followed by Taylor Holdaway, Paul Maltese, Dwayne Baker and Kevin Cornelius. Mike Bentley was 11th, followed by Thayne Hallyburton, Britney Gresel, Lane Zardo, Al Inglis, Jordan Latimer, Danny Benedict, Ernie Fumerton, Billy Zardo, Mike Wilkinson and Gord Shepherd.
Walters took the early lead in the feature ahead of Goetz, Cronan and Morrow as Travis Hallyburton and Kimball battled for fifth. Kimball got the spot on Lap 3, bringing Maltese through with him.
At the front of the field, Goetz got alongside Walters for the lead, putting the No. 24 Lake Huron Rod & Gun, Mondo Car Wash, Boston Pizza, Super 8 Motel, Lord Elgin Fish & Chips, Rosener’s Service Centre, Roberto’s Pizzeria, Great Lakes Concrete, Austin Graphics, Pierson Motors of Kincardine and ImageWraps.ca Late Model into the lead at Lap 8, before the caution flew for Bentley stopping in turn three.
With 27 laps to go, Goetz led Walters, Cronan, Morrow, Kimball, Maltese, Holdaway, Travis Hallyburton, Baker, Gresel, Thayne Hallyburton, Cornelius, Inglis, Lane Zardo, Shepherd, Billy Zardo, Benedict, Wilkinson, Latimer and Fumerton.
The first restart resulted in another caution after Walters got into the outside frontstretch wall, following contact with Morrow.
The second restart saw a battle for the lead between Goetz and Cronan, with Cronan putting the No. 84 Late Model out front on Lap 11 ahead of Goetz and Kimball as Maltese and Holdaway battled for fourth.
Goetz was then able to get back alongside Cronan at Lap 13, taking the lead two laps later before the caution flew once again for Gresel slowing in turn three. With 20 laps to go, Goetz led Cronan, Kimball, Holdaway, Maltese, Baker, Travis Hallyburton, Cornelius, Shepherd, Thayne Hallyburton, Inglis, Lane Zardo, Latimer, Morrow and Wilkinson.
The restart saw a battle for the lead once again between Goetz and Cronan. This time, it didn’t fare out too well as Cronan got loose down the backstretch, getting into Goetz, sending the pair up into the outside wall. Behind them, Gresel, Fumerton, Thayne Hallyburton, Billy Zardo, Wilkinson and Morrow had nowhere to go, each getting damage in the incident.
Kimball was now scored as the leader behind the wheel of the No. 3 GTA Racing Design, The Landing Strip, For Your Eyes Only, Spencer Lewis Promotions Late Model ahead of Holdaway, Maltese, Baker, Travis Hallyburton, Cornelius, Shepherd, Thayne Hallyburton, Inglis, Lane Zardo, Latimer, Benedict and Wilkinson.
Holdaway got a good restart to put the No. 41 Bay Auto and Truck Parts, Holdaway Automotive, Image Factor Motorsports Design and Photography, KartSTART presented by Toyota, Yamaha Motor Canada, Wix Filters, Castrol Canada, Sunshine Super Wash, and Stefko Racing Engines Late Model out front ahead of Baker and Kimball as Maltese and Cornelius battled for fourth.
Behind them, Travis Hallyburton ran sixth as Shepherd and Thayne Hallyburton battled for seventh, ahead of Inglis and Lane Zardo’s battle for ninth. The battle lasted till Lap 23 when Inglis got loose underneath Zardo going into three, spinning around to draw the caution flag.
With 13 laps to go, Holdaway led Kimball, Cornelius, Maltese, Travis Hallyburton, Shepherd, Thayne Hallyburton, Lane Zardo, Benedict, Latimer, Wilkinson and Inglis.
The first attempt at a restart brought forth a caution for Maltese spinning in turn two, collecting Shepherd with him.
The second attempt went cleanly, with Holdaway regaining the advantage ahead of Baker, Cornelius, Kimball, Travis Hallyburton, Thayne Hallyburton, Benedict and Lane Zardo. The caution then flew once again, though, as Inglis and Maltese both spun in turn two after Shepherd took them three-wide.
Holdaway got a good restart to maintain the lead ahead of Baker and Kimball as Cornelius battled Travis Hallyburton for fourth. Cornelius got the spot on Lap 28 ahead of Travis Hallyburton, Thayne Hallyburton, Lane Zardo, Danny Benedict and Mike Wilkinson as Maltese and Latimer ran side-by-side for 10th. Maltese got the spot on Lap 31, with Shepherd getting alongside Latimer for 11th. Wilkinson then tried his hand at passing Benedict for eighth with three laps to go, but was unable to complete the pass.
Taylor Holdaway picked up the win ahead of Dwayne Baker, Ryan Kimball, Kevin Cornelius, Travis Hallyburton, Thayne Hallyburton, Lane Zardo, Danny Benedict, Mike Wilkinson, Paul Maltese, Gord Shepherd, Jordan Latimer, Al Inglis and Billy Zardo.
“I messed up in qualifying – missed my marks a little, and we were lucky to miss that big one,” he said. “Kind of felt like Daytona last night with the XFINITY race. I don’t know what happened what there. They got sideways and I just braked, hoping not to get hit from behind when they’re spinning in front of you. I can’t thank all my crew enough for working as hard as they do.”
