Davey wins, points picture tightens

By: Thayne Hallyburton

A large crowd filled the Barrie Speedway grandstands, braving the abnormally cold temperatures on August 18th. Even though it was a cold evening off the track, on it, sparks were flying all night as the TQ midgets were in town for their one and only trip to the “Greatest Show on Asphalt.”

The LUCAS OIL CAN-AM Midgets put a fantastic show Saturday night. There was some great passes up front at the beginning with the 01 slowing when they took the green. The #94 of Lucas Smith ducked to the inside and made a great move to get bye, going into turn one. The #40 of Tyler Mackereth would assume the early lead with the #00 of James Gray hot on his heels. The pair was running ridiculously fats laps of 13 seconds flat. Gray would go to the outside of the Mackereth in three and four and would zip bye for the lead.

There was nothing that could touch Gray on this night as he opened up a half-track lead in ten laps running 12.9. Mackereth, who was sitting in second, had his lap times fall off tow 13.3 seconds. The #74 of Rob Neely would start to pick cars off one bye one working his way up form fifth to second as he slipped bye Mackereth in turn 1. Neely could not close the gap however and Gray was able to put it on cruise control the rest of the race as it would go caution free to the end. Neely would finish up in second and Mackereth would grab the last podium position. The #48 of Darren McLennan and #3 of Todd Cresswell would round out the fast five. 

Gray had high praise for Barrie Speedway, “It was awesome racing here. It is such a great track and nice, clean facility. No wonder NASCAR wanted to collaborate with Barrie Speedway. said Gray, “We just unloaded a fast car and all I had to do was turn the steering wheel because the car was on rails tonight.”

Heat wins went to Gray and Smith and the B main win went to the #12 of David Balych.

The XCOPPER Thunder Car’s took to the track for a special 50 lapper and the usual suspects were up front battling it out again. From the drop of the green flag the #50 of Larry Woodward would take the lead, with the sharp looking #25 car of Darcy Gribbon right on his bumper. The pair were running around the 1/3 mile tri-oval in 16.1 seconds. This race would have many cautions in it, with the first one coming on lap two as rookie Thunder Car driver Brandon Crumbie spun coming out of corner two. We would stay caution free up until lap 17 when with Woodward still leading, the #42 of Troy Potts would get into the #9 of Chris Burrage sending him around and both drivers to the back.

The race would restart, but just two laps later the third place car of Leonard Johnston would lose a wheel in three and four, bringing out the caution yet again. These cautions were really helping the big three, #00 Darryl St. Onge, #44 Dave Doucette and #49 Frank Davey get through the field after starting near the back. Davey would lead Doucette and St. Onge to the front, picking off one at a time on the outside. Just before the halfway point of the race the three would all clear Woodward and it would now be a three horse race to crown the winner. Davey was turning lap times in the 15.7 range and he had Doucette right on his bumper. St. Onge was a car length back.  On lap 32, Doucette would try to get bye Davey on the outside after Davey got loose coming out of 2. Davey was strong though, holding off Doucette. This battle allowed St. Onge to get back into it though. Just when they were really starting to go at it the second caution on the night for smoke coming from the #48 of Kyle Baker. This would tighten the three Thunder Car goliaths up. On the restart Davey would get a good jump on the other two, but again Doucette would close up on his bumper. This truly would be a dog fight. Last week Doucette won at the line bye a nose, and he was setting Davey up the same way as last week. Davey and Doucette took the white flag nose-to-tail and Doucette made his move to the outside, but he drove it into three too hard and Davey would grab the win, with Doucette finishing right behind him, St. Onge finished a car length back to snag third. The #2 or Ed Tremblay and #97 of Brad Holden would round out the top five.

Davey was not very happy with his car after and felt patience is what won him the race, “The car was junk tonight. I attribute my win to maintenance and patience. I just waited for the lanes to open up in front of me and then I took them,” said Davey.

Heat wins went to Darryl St. Onge, Brad Holden, Dave Doucette and #42 Troy Potts.

The LUCAS OIL Pure Stock ‘A’ class ran 40 laps on this night with a familiar car in victory lane. The #20 of Anna Milligan would jump out to the early lead over the #97 of Thayne Hallyburton and the #25 of Darrin McMinn. Milligan was running lap times in the 17.6 second range. #26 Bill Walt would pass the #45 of Derek Surerus for second on lap ten.  At this point in the race, you could throw a blanket over the top 12 as no one was getting away. This is usually a recipe for cautions and this time would be no different, as a chain reaction crash starting with Surerus and the #33 of Dave Glaze getting together sending the #97 of Thayne Hallyburton, Glaze and the # 9 of Brandon Watson spinning. Watson’s night would end because of this, as the young prodigy’s car was on the hook with heavy right front damage.

When the race restarted the #114 of Horst Ziebell was the beneficiary of that crash as he would be right on Milligan’s bumper. Ziebell would waste no time going to the front as he immediately overtook Milligan for first, running lap times in the 17.4 second range as he took the halfway sign from the starter. The #64x of Beau Burrows in the sleek looking Honda CRX would be right on Ziebell’s bumper.

There’s was little stopping Beau Burrows on this night as he would begin to stretch a couple car lengths over Walt and Ziebell. The surprise on the night was Dave Glaze. After being involved in that lap twelve crash, he came all the way form the back of the pack, into the top five. Glaze found a way around Ziebell and began to run Burrows down, but unfortunately, it was too little, too late, as Beau Burrows would take the win with glaze coming in second and Bill Walt grabbing the last spot on the podium. The #63x of Dave Burrows and the #24 of Tom Milligan rounded out the fast five.     

Burrows’ car looked to be on rails tonight and Beau attributes that to a new tire, “The car was on rails tonight. I could put it high, low, even sideways. We put a new right front tire on it and it really made the CRX go,” commented Burrows.

Heat winners were #114 Horst Ziebell, #63x Dave Burrows with two and #33 Dave Glaze.

The YANCH HEATING & AIR Charger division was the only Barrie Speedway regular division not running an extended feature this evening.  From the drop of the green it was #29 pink Chevette of Tia Dale pulling away from the field running consistent 18.6 second lap times.  The 84 of Jerry Slavish was lurking just behind, making quick work of #56 Jeff Heighington and #28 Jason Buchanan. Slavish would then make his move to the outside of Dale through turns three and four and would be able to wrestle the lead away from her. The #117 of John Crossman, would also get around Dale two laps later.

The 84 would begin to stretch his lead on Crossman, but the #57 of Mitchell Casey was coming, turning lap times in the range of 17.9 second to Slavish’s 18.1’s. Casey maneuvered past Dale into third and began to run down Crossman, but the checkers flew before he could get around him. Slavish would take the win on this night with Crossman getting second and Casey bringing it home third. #15 Mike Burtoo and #49 Mike Woodward would make up the rest of the top five.

Slavish credited the win to a good handling car and starting near the front, “I had a great handling car tonight, and starting 6th really helped as the faster guys had to work harder and took longer to get to the front,” said Slavish. 

Heat wins went to #55 Shawn Monette with two, #57 Mitchell Casey and #8 Rick Drinkwater.