Howdy all...well I let em talk me into it again.
Big thanks tonight to the BrianFinch Automotive people for making the night at Delaware a part of their summer festivities!
Also, shout out to a certain Crazy Lady...who couldn't make it tonight. I understand last week, some guy a couple rows up said "Yes...YOUR Stephen", then she threw her back out while kicking the guy's ass....or...well...something like that. I didn't see it, and you know how rumors fly. ;D
Anyway. Onward...
Challenger Trucks
Heat 1
Comes dowen to a last lap battle between 75-Depuis and 01-Bloemendal. Some good bumper banging. Bloemendal prevails
1st Bloemndal, 2nd Depuis, 3rd 4-Hosang
Heat 2
Great 3 way battle between 1-Thompson, 33-Rijnen, and 9-Fothergill, at one point going three wide down the backstretch for the lead. Fothergill on the high side wisely backs out.
1st Rijnen, 2nd Rijnen, 3rd Fothergill
Truck Feature
Highlights were an amazing battle for 2nd place between Showler, Rijnen and Thompson. Lowlights were seeing 9-Fothergill get black flag stop-and-go'd twice...one was iffy...a delay of race for intentionally drawing caution. This was early. Then when he was barrelling back to the front, he blew a tire in turn 1 and got hard into 4-Hosang. Flagman called him for rough driving.
1st to 77-Zagarodny, 2nd to 56-Showler, 3rd to 33-Rijnen, 4th to 1-Thomson, 5th to 97-Adriaensen
Peterbilt SS
Heat 1
Not much of note. 93-Meyer goes around halfway down the backstretch, with a little help from 51-Rabideau.
1st to 5-Mairs, 2nd to 9-Dejesus, 3rd to Rabideau.
Heat 2
1 Dadson takes the lead, and with an early side by side run for 2nd between 3-Perkins and 99-Nagy. Good battle there, but nagy slides back on a tough upper groove.
1st to Dadson, 2nd to Perkins, 3rd to 77-Lake
SS Feature
Off the hop, Mairs, Dadson, Rabidau and 99-Nagy form a lead pack and begin to put some distance in while the rest of the field sorts itself out. By the midway point, 11-Lidster, and 98-Morneau are challenging the front group. Good battle up front as Dadson tries to make the pass on Mairs but can't quite do it. A little further back 52-Clark and 77-Lake put on a good side by side fight fight going on for 7th. At one point up at the front, Rabidau challenges and gets by Dadson to take 2nd, but as Dason slides back, Rabidau has a tire go out on him.
1st to Mairs, 2nd to Nagy, 3rd to Lidster, 4th to Morneau, 5th to Dadson
APC LM
Heat 1
77-verhoeven grabs an early lead while 38-Hooker and 4-Urlin battle for 2nd. hooler falls back and 3-Vanderwyst gets around.
1st to Verhoeven, 2nd to Urlin, 3rd to Vanderwyst.
Heat 2
Starts out with 33 Rijnen in the lead, but he soon falls to 10-Kennedy. Kennedy takes 52-Sheridan and 28-Robblee with him.
1st to Kennedy, 2nd to Robblee, 3rd to Sheridan.
LM Feature
1st lap shmozzle sees the 28 car of Robblee bouncing off of guys like a pinball, and sends everyone every which way. At the restart, its Robblee at the back while 20-Lindsay and 52-Sheridan take off, closely followed but 4-Urlin and 3-Vanderwyst. 10-Kennedy is in 5th and on the move.
Then a series of cautions...rough night for these guys. By the time they get sorted out and rolling again, the order is Sheridan, Lindsay, Urlin, Kennedy and Verhoeven. Lindsay and Urlin have a little side by side battle for 2nd, but Urlin does the "turn right" move in turn 4 and sends Lindsay back doen the line. Now Kennedy's in second and closing in on Sheridan, but gets caught up with a lap car and ends up spinning around. He goes to the back.
Meanwhile, Robblee's moved his way back up to a respectable 5th place...but by now the feild has started to spread out a bit. SHeridan's well in front...but now he's got a tire going down. Verhoeven's pushing for 1st and eventually gets by. Sheridan starts going backwards and ends up losing that tire right when he was with Robblee, and they both go around. Rough night for the 28 car. (an interesting side note - The 15 year old kid with me said, "if the 52 car KNEW he had a tire going flat, shouldn't he get the same penalty as the 9 truck did for spinning out?" I had to admit...there's a certain logic there.)
Anyway, after that, Verhoven and Urlin begin to put some distance in, and thats the way it stayed. (Good last lap duel between 42-Ramsay and Lindsay for 3rd) Final order is 1st verhoeven, 2nd Urlin, 3rd Lindsay, 4th Ramsay, and 5th to Rijnen.
Chaos Cars
And at the end of the night the Chaos Cars took to the track, OPP (complete with working cherry light) used outrageous and entirely questionable tactics to best the Red Baron, Youngblood, Kramer, Kasakstan Crunch, One Eyed One Horned Purple Car Eater (or whetever they called it)...and Fred, in what can be best descriabed as a slalom/obstacle course race. The Snot Rod was notably absent. This scribe also wishes to go on record as saying Fred got ROBBED on the last lap!
(get em next time Fred)
Thanks for the report as always!.
haha, +1....great job shadow!
I ve been up all night looking in the rule book for this mysterious "Courtesy Caution Lap". Thus far, been unable to find it. I even checked page 28! and still can't find it. Some where the rule states that "If there is not a full field of cars, and a car enters the pits for a tire change/repair, and extra lap of caution will be granted to allow the team to make repairs"
I was also interested in finding the "He made a great save and kept his momentum" rule that was instituted earlier this year when Dan Delisle lost control, and caused a caution and was exempt from being an accident car. But alas, I also didn't see that rule in the rule book either. Which makes sense, because track officials clearly forgot that "Made a good save, and kept momentum" rule too when the 10 spun in turn four after his contact with a back marker and kept momemntum.
This is the straw that broke the camels back. The credibility of the race officals have been questioned before,but last night was clear evidence that the race track, or certain officials, indeed does play favourites.
I think an explaination of why rules are made up on the spot do not apply to everyone and every team in every division. Its their ball game, and their rules, I understand, but to play by the same rules would be too much to ask,
I am calling for the resignation of the Race Director if no explaination is given. My money can be spent at a different entertainment venue for me and my family from here on in
I ve been up all night looking in the rule book for this mysterious "Courtesy Caution Lap". Thus far, been unable to find it. I even checked page 28! and still can't find it. Some where the rule states that "If there is not a full field of cars, and a car enters the pits for a tire change/repair, and extra lap of caution will be granted to allow the team to make repairs"
I was also interested in finding the "He made a great save and kept his momentum" rule that was instituted earlier this year when Dan Delisle lost control, and caused a caution and was exempt from being an accident car. But alas, I also didn't see that rule in the rule book either. Which makes sense, because track officials clearly forgot that "Made a good save, and kept momentum" rule too when the 10 spun in turn four after his contact with a back marker and kept momemntum.
While I dont go to Delaware,the "courtesy lap caution" is a common "unwritten" rule at many local tracks,I know at varney the race director tries to watch cars being repaired in the pits and will even extend the yellow up to 3 laps if neccessary.
As for the "Made a good save, and kept momentum" was he avoiding a previous wreck?If that is the case,then most tracks will also allow you your spot back.If not,well who knows?? ???