Family fun and Excitment on Dibbit’s Excavating Fan Appreciation Night!
For Immediate Release
June 5, 2011
By – Elaine Burke
On a night where Mother Nature probably had other plans, drivers, fans and staff waited out the early Saturday showers and overcast skies for what turned out to be a great night of family fun and exciting racing! Dibbits Excavating sponsored the night’s events on Saturday June 4th bringing out lots of their shiny heavy machinery that they have been using over the past 5 years to help improve the Speedway facility and allow us to race even on a wet night like Saturday.
On this evening the fans had the chance to head to the track surface at intermission to meet all the drivers and get a close-up look at the race cars during the Brighton Automotive Fan Appreciation session. After Intermission and the track was cleared adventurous souls in their street cars, pickup trucks and SUVs then tried their luck at racing in the Larry’s Towing Spectator One-on-One racing event. It was, at times, heartpounding as pairs of vehicles took this challenge very seriously while they made their away around the track in a 1 lap one on one elimination style race where the victor would move on to the next. Mike Freeman in his Dodge Intrepid and James Turgeon in his Chevy pick-up made it to the 2-lap final round where Freeman would be victorious taking home the $100 prize and trophy.
The Bill’s Johns Comp 4 division was the first of the night’s four features. Terry Hough (#32) would take the early lead while last weeks winner Warren Mowat (#46) quickly began to make his way through the pack. By lap 7 Mowat and Mark Packer (#66) was be hot on Hough’s tail as they started to head into lapped traffic in lap 7, Mowat would make the pass for the lead around Hough on lap 9. The first caution of the night came on lap 10 for debris on the track but Mowat maintained his lead on the restart although closely challenged by Hough and Packer. Mowat took control and soon stretched out his lead to win his 3rd feature of the year. In the winner’s circle interview Mowat was extremely happy saying “this is getting to be a dream season!”
The first race of The Rona of Trenton Triple Crown Series saw the Bainer’s Radiator Canadian Modifieds racing 3 wide on the first lap as Mat Vanderlinden (#9) lead the way followed by Henry Schneider (#7). Schneider took over the lead on lap 2 and was able to stretch his lead to ¼ of a lap. While behind Vanderlinden, Terry Loxley (#8), Dan Ferguson (#11) and Shane Ostrander (#00) continued to battle for 3rd with some thrilling side-by-side racing action. Vanderlinden continued to apply pressure and just past the midpoint of the race on lap 18 he was able to slip under the young Schneider while Ferguson held solidly in 3rd place. On lap 25 the three battled furiously when Vanderlinden experienced mechanical difficulties and was forced to retire from the race, moving Schneider into 1st, Ferguson in 2nd and Ostrander in 3rd. Ferguson, hot on Schneider’s trail, was pressuring him patiently, waiting to make his move or for Schneider to make a mistake but it wasn’t to be on this night. Schneider took his first ever features win in this Canadian Modified division and was awarded the Campbellford Chrysler Driver of the week award for the success. . “I remember 4 years ago I won a feature in the Stinger class – it took a long time for my next one, but here I am!” Henry reports.
In the Vanderlaan’s Late Model feature, Jason McCrory (#49) and Adam Nayler (#42) led the 14 car field to the green flag! However it was not to be for the pole sitters as McCrory got turned in corner one on lap two and Nayler spun in lap 3. Greg Belyea (#25), Rob Perry (#23) and Beau Brown (#75) would now all battle for the lead. Belyea was able to stretch his lead on lap 6 while Charlie Sandercock (#57) came from deep in the field to 3rd to challenge Perry. Sandercock took 2nd on lap 7 and sets his sights on Belyea then and there. Lap 15 saw Sandercock tuck his nose down low coming out of corner 4 and passed Belyea on the back stretch he would then hold off Belyea for the next 10 laps to win his first feature of the season. “Had a few close ones in the last few weeks and I finally got one” a very happy Sandercock says in victory lane!
In the Brighton Automotive Pro Stock division, Jay O’Hara (#83) shot out the gates on the opening green and took an early lead as Leslie Mowat (#2), Brandon Gregory (#01) and Hector Asmar (#18) battle for 2nd place racing 3-wide. O’Hara got loose in lap 2, Asmar took over the lead followed closely by Gregory but on lap 3, in the heat of racing hard into turn 1 Adam Whaley’s #12 car broke a rear end causing a spectacular rollover between corner 1 and 2. The driver was okay; however the same could not be said for the car as it is towed off. When the dust settled and the green flies again it would not take long for point’s leader Doug Anderson (#72) to take the lead on the restart in lap 4. The dry slick track proved to be tricky as several drivers spun around and some fancy evasive action by drivers to avoid collisions kept everyone on the edge of their seats. In lap 13, Anderson broke a transmission coming out of turn 4 leaving O’Hara and Asmar to vie for 1st place. Only 11 cars are left out of 19 cars starting in what seemed to be a survival of the fittest race. In a race plagued by cautions, O’Hara would hold on and win his first ever feature event followed by Dale Locke (#13) and Asmar. “I’ve been close several times (over the years)”, says O’Hara, “but this is my first feature win.”
Join us next week as Vanderlaan’s Building Supplies presents the fast and furious Southern Ontario Sprint Cars plus Late Models, Canadian Modifieds, Pro Stocks and Comp 4 as the points battles heat up! Gates open at 5:30 and racing starts at 7:00 PM sharp! For complete details on these events or others visit www.brightonspeedway.com or email info@brightonspeedway.com
Bainers Rad Can. Modified Feature 1. Henry Schneider (Picton, ON), 2. Dan Ferguson (Bloomfield, ON), 3. Shane Ostrander (Carrying Place, ON), 4. Nathan Bosma (Trenton, ON), 5. Terry Loxley (Trenton, ON),
Bill Johns Comp 4 Feature:1. Warren Mowat (Trenton, ON), 2. Terry Hough (Brighton, ON), 3. Mark Packer (Trenton, ON), 4. Travis McLean (Trenton, ON), 5. Zac McBride (Baltimore, ON),
Brighton Auto Pro Stock Feature:1. Jay O'Hara (Brighton, ON), 2. Dale Locke (Stirling, ON), 3. Hector Asmar (Deseronto, ON), 4. Cory White** (Belleville, ON), 5. Leslie Mowat (Trenton, ON),
Vanderlaans Pro Late Models Feature:1. Charlie Sandercock (Belleville, ON), 2. Greg Belyea (Frankford, ON), 3. Corey Earl (Picton, ON), 4. Rob Perry (Trenton, ON), 5. Caley Weese (Carrying Place, ON),
Photo Tags:
Photo 1:
Fans enjoying themselves on the track during fan appreciation on Saturday Night meeting their favorite drivers and getting autographs
Photo 2:
Jay O’hara speeds out of corner two during qualifying action on the fight of his first ever feature win!