Ok folks sorry for a bit of a delay as I arrived home fairly late from the track last night and didnt have the time to fill you all in on the evenings festivities. Really superb night of racing all in all, couldn't of really asked for more from an on track action and close competitive racing standpoint. Lots of great side by side racing all night long. Also it was really nice to see a good crowd again for the 4th week in a row. Sure do see alot more fans turn out at the racetrack when the warmer temperatures occur.

Gonna be a bit of a change this week in that instead of starting with Late Models I'm going with the Thunder Car division where the feature win went to #10 Rick Walt. First feature win since opening night for Rick, so that was nice to see after several top finishes for the 10 team over the last 2 months.. The story of the night was the absence of current point leader #12 Jim Belesky from the active driver roster as "The Prince" continues to recover from a mysterious infection incurred early on in the week. GET WELL SOON JIMMY!! So with "The Prince" out the driving duties of the #12 Malibu would fall to engine buliding guru Rob Hosking, who did an admirable job despite some tough luck in the heat races.

Ok onto the feature race itself, and this one would see pole sitter #21 Desi Walt get out to the early lead, as #80 Doug Shakell and #77 Brian Murray would file into 2nd and 3rd respectively. Murray, would be quick to dispose of Shakell, and by lap 5 he ran down leader Walt and passed her to the high side between 1&2. Also putting on an early charge was #24 Leonard Johnston, who marched from his 9th place starting position to relieve Shakell of third. Murray, in only his 3rd week of competition, was looking stout at the front of the field with laps in the 16.2 sec. range, holding Johnston at bay by almost a half straightaway. The car to now watch was the 10 of Walt, as the division veteran would charge around on the outer groove passing both cousin Desi, then hard charging rookie #55 Shawn Goggins to take over 3rd in the running order.

The race's only caution would appear on lap 14, as #34 Peter Marquardt went around between 3&4 on the nose of the 12 of Hosking..On the restart, leader Murray would get the jump on Johnston, with Walt now working the inside line to also negoiate his way past Johnston upon the exit of turn 2. Just past the midway point battles were forming all over the track, as Goggins really cranked up the heat on Johnston for 3rd, with Desi Walt and #14 "Hurricane" Thayne Hallyburton locked in a door to door for the final top 5 position. On lap 21, the ever alert Rick Walt would make the winning pass, getting to the low side of Murray on the exit of turn 2, and executing his way past after 3 solid laps door handle to door handle.. With the lead now his, Walt was not to be denied on this evening, taking the win by two car lengths over Murray at the checkered. Third place at the line would go to the 24 of Johnston, with Goggins and Hallyburton comprising the remainder of the fast five.

Heat wins went to Walt and Johnston.

It was a really good point night for Walt, who took full advantage of the ailing Prince to cut into the defending point champ's lead by 20 points or so if my calculations are correct..This should cut down the Belesky lead over friend and on track rival Walt to under 20 points approaching mid season championship next weekend.

The tracks featured and highly competitive Wahta Springs Late Model division would put on a whale of a show in their twin 30 lap features, as #11 John Gaunt would capture victory in the first segment, with point leader #57 Ron Quesnelle taking home the trophy in the 2nd feature in his gorgeously prepared Sunrise Toyota Camry.

In the first 30, Gaunt shot out to the early advantage, after getting the jump on #2 "Hometown" Mike Brown from the drop of the green.. Gaunt, was able to open up a marginal lead, with Brown now trapped to the high side, as he was passed by the duo of #10 Gord Shepherd and Ron Quesnelle. On lap 4, Quesnelle would try to pass Shepherd low in 3, but was forced to back out of it as Shepherd's Montana's Cookhouse/BFI Canada Ford Fusion would slam the door shut. Quesnelle, would finally pass Shepherd low in turn 3, with Gaunt still looking cool and collected at the front of the field, parading around the 1/3rd mile tri oval with laps in the 15.1 sec. range.

Approaching lap 20, Gaunt was firmly in control but suddenly he would come under heavy fire from the 2nd place car of #54 Randy Bull of Haliburton.. Bull, hounded Gaunt lap after lap, looking for the veteran driver to slide up the track to allow Bull's gorgeous Camaro the preferred inside line.. While this turn of events was taking place, there was a great dice in behind for the 4th place position, with defending champ #69 Al "Red Rocket" Inglis relieving Shepherd of that position with a brilliant inside pass between 1&2.. By this point in the race, Bull was all over Gaunt's back bumper looking for the lead, when the duo would run up on #4 Glenn Lloyd, and while in the process of trying to put Lloyd a lap down, Bull would make light contact with Lloyd, allowing Gaunt to open up a bigger advantage over the defending Peterborough Speedway champion. This would be all the opening and the only break Gaunt needed to take his 2nd feature win of the season. Bull, would get his night started on the right footing with a solid runner up showing, while Ron Quesnelle, Inglis, and Shepherd rounded out the top 5 in the caution free affair.

In the 2nd 30, it was #8 Dave Lewis careening out to the early lead from the outside pole after manuvering around #55 Steve Quesnelle from the onset. Quesnelle, would quickly find a challenge to the outside for the runner up position, and that came in the form of the 10 of Shepherd. The two veterans duelled for a solid 3 laps door handle to door handle, as Shepherd eventually wrestled away the position. On lap 6, the bizarre occured when leader Lewis spun on his own accord racing out of turn 4, as Steve Quesnelle (with nowhere to go) piled into the left front of the prone Lewis ride. Actually nice job by Quesnelle for almost avoiding the contact, as the 55 was able to continue, with Lewis taking his place at the rear of the field.

This turn of events would now make the 10 of Shepherd the new race leader, as the Quesnelle brothers now locked themselves in a dogfight for 2nd, with the 69 of Inglis and 2 of Brown battling for 4th place in behind. Inglis, would make a remarkable save when he and Brown brushed together while racing down the backstretch, with Inglis eventually seizing away the position. Inglis' charge to the front was not done there however, as he would then take 2nd from Quesnelle, executing a clean inside pass while racing into corner 3. With the top 3 of Shepherd, Inglis, and Quesnelle now running in nose to tail fashion, the best battle was again for 4th, as Bull would negoiate an inside pass of Steve Quesnelle while racing out of 4.

On lap 19, Bull would continue his strong showing, passing Ron Quesnelle between 1&2 to take over 3rd place in the running order.. I think Quesnelle even brushed the wall out of 2 while trying to fend off the valiant Bull challenge. On lap 23, the race would take a dramatic turn, as Inglis who had been looking to the inside of leader Shepherd for a couple laps prior, dove down to the inside of the 10 entering turn 1, with Inglis getting his left side tires down into the grass and turning Shepherd in the apex of said corner.. To me it appeared that Shepherd also pinched the 69 off a little bit, but this one was pretty much a racing deal, as both drivers were summoned arrears deemed involved cars. This would set a totally new front row for the restart, with Bull and Ron Quesnelle manning those positions.. The two drivers battled side by side for nearly 5 laps when they would lightly brush together between 1&2, thus slowing down the Bull momentum and allowing Quesnelle to clear the 54 by a single car length. Quesnelle, would march on to claim his division leading 10th feature win of the season, as Bull duplicated his runner up showing earlier in the evening, in what was the best point night for him to date. #11 John Gaunt would cap off a solid point night of his own with a 3rd place result, as Inglis, and Shepherd rounded out the top 5.

For the 2nd week in a row the St.Onge Recreation Pure Stocks would produce a first time Barrie Speedway feature winner, as rookie #400 Justin Holmes would take the win in the 25 lap main. Holmes, starting from 9th in the 28 car field, would take the lead just shy of lap 10, from #16 Bryan Penny with an outside pass on the exit of turn 2. After a series of three mid race cautions, Holmes took charge once again by a single car length up front, as point leader #39 Travis Hallyburton dove down inside last weeks feature winner #31`Jack Horner entering turn 1 to progress to 2nd in the running order..The race's final caution would fly on lap 22, as #23 Terry Tompkins came to a halt between turns 1&2 in the borrowed ride usually campaigned by #76 Ian Burney.

Unfortunately for the 39 of Hallyburton, he was docked three positions for jumping the previous restart, forcing him back to 5th in the running order (his position at the time of the infraction)..This time the young lion Holmes would find #02 Shawn Murray to his outside, as the rookie looked to hold back Murray, a former division champ already with 5 feature wins to his credit this season. Holmes, was able to clear Murray after two laps side by side, and from there he would take the win, making a proud papa of father Jason, a former Thunder Car driver at the track. Murray, would hold on to finish 2nd after starting 17th on the grid, while #11 Adam Misener would record his first ever podium with a 3rd place result. Barrie newcomer Horner would bring it home in 4th, while Hallyburton managed to hold on to the final top 5 spot at the checkered..

Heat wins went to Hallyburton, and #13 Dave "Gipper" Glaze with a pair each, while Murray, and #91x Kyle Lethbridge picked up the others..

Also on hand were the Ontario Legends who put on a pretty decent show, including a caution free 25 lap feature.. Long time series dominator #24 Andy Warbutton would pick up the feature win, after claiming both earlier heat races to cap off his hat trick on the evening. #4 Bill Mason would finish a strong 2nd, after coming out on top of a thrilling mid race battle with #2b Matt Barton who finished 3rd. Part time NCATS driver Gary Klutt would finish up 4th in his #31 Legend, while #33 Paul Pierik rounded out the fast five.. Bit disappointed that Legend point leader #79 Adam Cuthbertson was a no show, as he really could of provided the challenge the 24 car so desparately needed.. I understand Adam got married this weekend, taking along with him 2 or 3 more Legend cars that likely would of showed.. Guess I gotta give him a "free pass" on that one.. 😀 Hope to see you up at BSW next year Adam!!

Once again sorry to my loyal readers for the result only report last weekend.. Been having alot of computer grief of late, and sometimes this site just wont let me post and type my findings in an expedient manner. I hope this full race report makes up for SOME of my past trangressions.. 😉 THERE YOU HAVE IT.. FROM THE CHEAP SEATS