Shadow Report - Great Canadian 200

Wow folks, what an amazing day.

Great race...35 cars, a couple front to back to front stories, revenge, payback, heartbreak, villainy, unpredictable finish even with 5 to go, Hulkamania in the pits....and a few Delaware first timers that had no idea what kind of meat grinder they were about to drop themselves into when they pulled in this morning. Not to mention a helluva 6th place run by one of our regular runners who usually isn't even in the picture.

Plus the weather was great, the crowd was hot and Richmond Row was havin a blast!

It was the perfect race day.  ;D ;D ;D

Special Guests
We welcomed back some of our own members of the Delaware wandering minstrels, like Doerr, Verhoeven, Kennington, Hathaway, Mark Watson, Lloyd Rawlings etc, and its always great to see all those guys in the house at the same time! We also had a few touring drivers:

81-Mercer - Kawartha
63-Calvin Warren - Varney
18-Derek Clark - Lucas Oil Series
4 - Craig Zurbrigg - ex ALSTAR LM
44-Laking - Flamboro
3-Kennington
61-Hathaway
03-MacGinness - Flamboro
9 - Brendan Watson (traveller)
96-Prudhomme Lucas Oil Series
49 Rob Clarke - regular OSCAAR runner.

Thanks for making the trip guys...the fans salute you  ;D  ;D  ;D

Time Trials

33 cars answered the call for Timed laps even though there were 35 in attendance. 22-Ramsay had motor trouble and the crew had to do some "back to the shop for parts" scrambling to be able to start scratch in the feature. 9-Watson was out with clutch issues and they were also thrashing and unable to make the call. Same deal for them starting scratch. Fast qualifiers were Kennington  Sheridan Robblee, Urlin, Kennedy, Mark Watson, Pritiko, Hathaway, Thompson, Doerr.

Beginnings

So our front row is Sheridan and Robblee, followed by Urlin and Kennedy, then Watson and Thompson. We started straight up by time trials except that Kenington had to start 10th due to the "chase" thing and the fact that he didnt run any Friday nights.

34 cars take the green flag in front of a huge crowd of waving fans, but when green flies and they crank it up, it takes exactly half a lap for caution to fly. In this case its Doerr going around in two, opening up the festivities and causing an enduro-style scramble for everyone else to avoid him. And they do.

On the restart its Sheridan taking the lead with Urlin, Robblee and Kennington in tow, and it continues thus until 8-Jacobs finds his old parking spot in the turn 3 grass to bring out the caution again.

The Messy Stuff

Then we get a series of failed restarts. At the lap 12 restart its 46-Martin going around going into 3 and collecting 69-Rawlings and 33-Grover. And when Martin hopped out it was 35-Jacques he was shaking his fist at.

Restart lap 23 and 63-Warren is up in the turn 1 fence.

Lap 25 restart and 44-Laking is sent hard into the pit wall tire at the turn 4 end of the frontstretch. Laking is upset at Pritiko and might have had the quote of the day when they stuck the mic in his face and he simply said "Its only 20 laps in. What the hell is wrong with these guys?"

Now we get a few laps of green in, and we've also been informed that caution laps have basically stopped counting already. Sheridan still has the lead and hes followed by Urlin, Robblee, Kennedy, Kennington, 72-Thompson, 81-Gresel, 77 Verhoeven and 25 Powell.

Bummer

Heartbreak early for Richmond row as Stephen in the 10k suddenly slows dramatically after a great run and heads it in. He's broken a fan shroud or something and the car is overheating. Richmond is out.

(remember this, you'll need it later.)

On lap 35 Verhoeven slows for some reason, and finds himself stuck in the outside lane and just trying to drop down to pull it in. He ends up having to buffalo his way down to the low side in turn 3 and almost causes another pile up in the process, but he makes it in and they stay green until lap 39 when there's another tie up. 96-Prudhomme, Warren, and Jacques are around together in turn 2. Jacques goes back on the hook.

Green Flag...finally

Finally we get a green flag run. On the restart 81-Gresel gets the better of Thompson and Kennington and shoots into 5th. But its not over yet because Thompson and Kennington want the spot back and a furious battle ensues for it. Gresel gets slightly out of shape and Thompson and Kennington both take the spot back. Now the order up front is still Sheridan, Urlin, Robblee, Kennedy, Kennington and Thompson. Verhoeven is back out at this point but still seems to be having trouble.

At the 50 lap mark, Kennington is starting to exert some pressure and is trying Kennedy hard for 4th, at one point tapping Kennedy and getting him out of shape, but Kennedy stays ahead and keeps the spot. Right now the battle to watch is Gresel and Powell who are duking it out for 7th.

Now they've laid down enough green flag laps that now the leaders are coming up on lap traffic and it looks like things are going to get more interesting, but then 03-Macginnis loops it around in turn 2 and tags 27-Box to bring out the yellow. Then on the restart its the 63 car again, this time on the backchute and taking out some tire barrier and a garbage can. Caution. (at this point I'd sorta lost interest in the particulars of each crash and was busy yacking, until my ears caught something about a garbage cat....I said to the guys around me "What the hell is John talking about?" Mickey Brydges asked me to put that in the report...there you go Mickey. )

Now its a lap 59 restart and we get a few more green flag laps in. Sheridan is living up to his nickname and laying down some distance on 2nd place Urlin. Robblee is still stout in 3rd and followed by Kennedy, Kennington and Thompson. But the Rocket has a contender as Urlin reels him in and begins to mount a charge. Don't know if Sheridan slowed or if Urlin got faster, but now by the mid 70 lap marks, Urlin is welded to Sheridan and keeping steady pressure. The two of them take off.

Lap 85 and 2-Stewart goes around on the frontstretch, hitting the inside wall to bring out the yellow. (and none too happy at Verhoeven)

Here's where the fun  really starts. 

Now is when the here's a curve. Every great race has a moment that grabs everyone, and sets it up for what's yet to come...and turns what starts out as a a random series of incidents into an event that gets everyone paying attention. In this case its 2 incidents. First, when they come off 3 to get the white flag this time around, 1st place Sheridan has suddenly has to veer onto pit road with a tire problem....and he has exactly 3/4ths of a lap to get it changed and get back onto the track before they cross the line for the green. The 52 team rises to the occasion and while the field is powering through turn 4 towards the green, Sheridan is rocketing down pit lane with a new tire, and beats them by scant seconds...to a roar of appoval from the crowd.

The second thing is a little more unfortunate if you're a Jesse Kennedy fan. At the restart on this one, its a heartbreaker as Thompson sends Kennedy around going into 3. Kennedy goes into the wall pretty hard and the wreck collects a couple other guys. Is Kennedy steamed at having the chance to win number 3 taken away. Well yes he is and there's a standoff in the pits over it.

More on this later...because its not over.

More green

Now with Sheridan working his way from the back, the race is all Urlin's, and he wastes no time in building a lead. He never quite gets away from 2nd place Robblee but for the moment, he's by himself.

By the halfway markers, its Urlin way out front, then Robblee, Kennington, Hathaway, and Gresel. 78-Watson is pushing Gresel and knocking on the door really loud. And at lap 103, they throw the competition yellow.

After 5 minutes we're good to go and the starting oder is Urlin, Robblee and Kennington 1,2,3 and Gresel / 78 Watson, followed by Powell / 9 Watson.

We also notice the 10k car is out again...which is interesting because now Stephen Richmond is sitting beside me in the grandstands. Seems Jesse has decided to drive relief now that the overheating problem is over.

Urlin is still the class of the field and continues his great run out front. By lap 134 he, Robblee and Kennington have nearly a full straight on everyone else, and the real race is for 4th between Powell, Gresel and 78 Watson. At this point Robblee begins to close in on Urlin again. Robblee seems to be better the longer the run goes. By lap 154, there's a breif caution when Gresel goes around in turn 3 and backs into the fence.

It continues thus. Urlin in front, Robblee, Kennington, and now Powell in 4th.  Lo and behold, Sheridan is up into 5th. Sheridan's the one under the gun and really needs to get past Powell. The two of them go at it tooth and nail for a while doing some great side by side racing. Eventually Sheridan has enough...he's got to go, and uses the bumper to get by Powell. Sheridan into 4th on lap 179.

Shenanigans

Suddenly leader Urlin, who owns the race by this point, drifts high and Robblee gets under him for the lead! Urlin tries to drop back into line but Kennington muscles him back up and now Urlin is in 3rd. Then going into one Urlin hammers Kennington (dang you could hear the bang of the collision up in the cheap seats), and now Kennington is around in 2 and none too happy at Urlin. Caution and (I think) a black flag for Urlin. Kennington brings it in too and Urlin finds himself sitting on pit road waiting for the dude with the stop sign to let him go...when Kennington roars up behind him and just hammers him.

Now with Robblee out in front, the same thing that happened to Sheridan earlier happens to him. White flag lap and has to duck into the pits for a bad tire! The 28 team also rises to the occasion and the 28 is back out just as the green is being dropped....to a cheer from the crowd!

Now the Urlin/Kennington business has left Sheridan in 2nd and he inherits the lead the moment Robblee ducks in. (to a cheer from the crowd...there's a lot of that going on today.) They take off for the green and Sheridan is in command, but with Thompson and Powell battling hard for 2nd. That battle lasts a few laps and lets Sheridan open up a lead. Thompson manages to keep 2nd...for the time being.

Now the order is Sheridan, Thompson, Powell, Verhoeven and 78-Watson. There's a reshuffle when Powell gets around Thompson and brings Verhoeven and Watson with him. But Robblee and Urlin are already back up into the fray now. Urlin muscles Thomson out of the way to re-take 5th with Robblee right behind him. All this is serving to allow Sheridan some breathing room up front, but now Powell is coming on strong.

Revenge

Now Powell's making a move on Sheridan. He tucks in and actually gets alongside a couple of times, but no dice. Sheridan holds on until lap 196 when some of the fast guys tangle in 2. Kennington, Urlin, 9-Watson and Verhoeven are all caught up.

At this moment, when all eyes are on that, the 10k car with Kennedy behind the wheel comes out of nowhere in the caution slowdown and hammers Thompson in the side on the backstretch. The 10k actually rides up, hooked onto the 72, and when he gets free he veers up and hammers Thompson a second time, this time leaving the 72 mashed into the wall with 4 laps to go. Jesse didn't even bother waiting for the black flag and just pulled it in. Big pit-side p**s off ensues, and wasn't anyone happy with that turn of events. And actually left me, a pretty hardcore Kennedy fan, scratching my head and going "holy crap...wow"

The Run to the Checkers

So now with all these guys out, the restart order is Sheridan, Powell, Robblee, then 78-Watson with (no its not a typo) 8-Jacobs alongside in 5th spot.

Now on lap 197 Its Sheridan. Powell pulls alongside. Then its Watson and Robblee...also side by side for 3rd. Powell's pushing and then pushes too hard, getting into Sheridan and putting him around on the frontstretch and into the wall. (O my god...Ho-ly Mackinaw [in my mind its always Leafs voice Joe Bowen] )

Caution and Sheridan is OUT. Black flag for Powell? You bet your ass. That leaves...you guessed it, Steve Robblee in the lead!

Well Powell goes in for his penalty and leaves a 50 foot streak of rubber and smoke when he peels out of there mad. He's at the end of the line with 2 to go.

Now on this restart, there's one more caution. Not for shenanigans this time but for the real deal, as Rob Clarke loses his brakes on the frontchute and pirouettes HARD into the turn 1 wall. Ouch. Red flag. (Rob was OK)

Restart with 2 to go. Its Robblee, 78 Watson, 9 Watson, Verhoeven and Jacobs. Watson and Watson are too busy with each other to mount a charge, but 9 manhandles his way past for 2nd on the last turn. Last lap accident on the frontstretch involving Jacobs and the 2 Siskinds cars, but that doesn't matter. Steve Robblee has won the race, followed by Brendan Watson, Mark Watson, Jay Doerr (way to go man!) and Jason Hathaway. 6th place to Marc Jacobs.