Hello once again!! Just a quick synopsis about point night #10 at Barrie Speedway, as well as a quick paragraph on the TQ Midgets, which drew one of the better crowds this season at the High Line. The first 30 lap feature would start off a little rough for the Wahta Springs Late Models, with a couple quick cautions to appear. The first was when #2 "Hometown" Mike Brown slowed in turn 2 with mechanical issues.. The 2nd was for a pretty major pile up in turn 2 on lap 11. From what I could tell, the 69 of Inglis would get a piece of #74 Roy Manary racing out of turn 2 while racing for 2nd, Manary slid partially crossways and #10 Gord Shepherd also got into the back of the 74. The result would send Manary spinning, as the field stacked up in behind and #02 John Gaunt, #14 "Hurricane" Thayne Hallyburton, #5 Mike "The Hulkamaniac" Langley, and #57 Ron "The Dominator" Quesnelle all caught a part of it, with only Gaunt being unable to continue. From there, early race leader #24 Leonard Johnston found #91 Andre Pepin to his outside for the restart, as Johnston powered out front by a single car length, with the 10 of Shepherd slipping to 2nd along the inside of Pepin in turn 1. Just past midway, Shepherd would make the winning pass on Johnston along the inside of turn 3&4, as Quesnelle, after his earlier misfortune would claim 3rd from Pepin on lap 19 with an inside pass in turn 2. Quesnelle, would later take 2nd from Johnston, but could only close in Shepherd but not slip past.. Give 1st to Shepherd, 2nd to Quesnelle, 3rd to Johnston, 4th to Pepin, and 5th to Inglis.
The second 30 went caution free, and to be honest didn't feature much passing amongst the top 3, as the tandem of Brown, Inglis, and Johnston broke away from the pack to finish in that order. Brown, after a hard crash two weeks ago, claimed his 1st feature win of the season in the same Peter Schotanus car campaigned by Glenn Watson at the High Line last month. There was some hotly contested action just outside of the top 3 however, as Hallyburton, Shepherd, and Quesnelle jockeyed around for positioning 4 through 6 a few times. At the checkered it was Brown, Inglis, Johnston, Shepherd, and Quesnelle who would be the fast five.
The story of a 30 lap caution free affair in the Canestoga Property Maintenane Thunder Cars was the performance of rookie #16 Bryan Penny, who led for the first 19 laps from his pole positioning, after getting the best of #55 Shawn Goggins from the drop of the green. The first of the front runners to find Penny's back bumper was #00 Darryl St. Onge, as the 2009 track champ would make a clean outside pass of Penny in turn 1, as #44 Dave "The Deuce" Doucette would follow that move one lap later to claim 2nd. In somewhat a reversal of last weekend it was Doucette chasing St. Onge to the stripe this time, as St. Onge would take his fourth feature win by 2 car lengths at the finish. Doucette, would come to the stripe in 2nd, as #10 Rick Walt, #39 Travis "The Enforcer" Hallyburton, and Penny would round out the top 5.
Heat wins went to Doucette with a pair, St. Onge, and Hallyburton.
The St. Onge Recreation Pure Stocks would go caution free for the 4th week in a row, covering a string of now 90 laps and counting, as another 1st time feature winner in 2013 was crowned as #09 Dean Curry took the win in his Markdale Salvage/Eagle's Oil Tech/ Vortex Brake Pads Dodge Neon. Curry, would take the lead on lap 9, getting inside #63 Jamie Cairns in turn 3 to take control of the point. #10 Doug Butler would execute a late race charge from his 13th place starting position to finish 2nd, while point leader #77 Mike Gettliffe would round out the podium. Last weeks winner #400 Justin Holmes would finish 4th, with #63 Jamie Cairns holding on to record his first top 5 of the season.
Heat wins went to Curry, Butler, Gettliffe, and Holmes.
The 25 lap TQ Midget A main would start off a little rough with two early cautions, the most eventful when the front two cars of #3 Todd Cresswell and #48 Darren McLennan collided in turn 2, with Cresswell sent for a spin as #16 Chris Holman came to rest against the outside retaining wall while trying to avoid, thus ending his night early. From there it was #40 Mack Deman who inheirited the lead and took control with blistering laps in the 12.9 second range, holding a 5 car length lead over longtime Barrie dominator #82 James Gray who had claimed runner up positioning from #12 David Balych. Also quick towards the front was #43 Adrian Stahle, as he too would work around Balych, leading the way for point leader #74.Rob Neely and #39 Corey Moseker to follow a short while later. It was pretty clear nobody had much for Deman on this evening though, as he would take the Barrie win for the second year in a row by that same 5 car length advantage over Gray at the checkered. Stahle, would have a solid point night in finishing 3rd, while Neely, and Moseker rounded out the fast five.
Heat wins went to Neely and Deman, while Moseker captured the B main.
I do have a question if any TQ Midget folks are out there.. What exactly is the reasoning for starting double file for heat races and the B main, yet only single file for the features?? As a long time fan that always perplexes me.. The action was far better using the double file format as I viewed it.. In fact if it was double file the outcome of that feature could of been a little different if Gray had a better shot at Deman from the outside. It just seemed on that 2nd restart Deman really broke away from Gray, and the race was pretty hum drum beyond that point, even with some other decent battles inside the top 10. And not saying Deman jumped the start at all as he had a bullet underneath him the entire night, just that the race might of been more interesting using the double file format you use in heats and the B main. Something to ponder perhaps?? And feedback or opinions from someone "in the know" with the TQs would be greatly appreciated..
Well that's absolutely all I got for now.. I hope you all enjoy the rest of the weekend and see you next weekend. FROM THE CHEAP SEATS!!! 😉