Well the good news is, the season started off, literally, with a bang. Great show tonight. Everything clickety-clacked right along and the show was over about 9:30.

The bad news, as far as "the Shadow Report" goes, is that my current work situation leaves me basically unable to report the entire evening. Pretty much just the features. I'll keep doing the report every week, but it won't likely be as detailed as in the past.

Anyway, what a night. Pretty decent crowd for opening night...and what a beautiful night it was. Hardly a cloud in the sky, and not even really cold. Track management proved that they've got everything under control now and are ready to bring us the 2007 racing season.

To all the naysayers from way back in January, I hereby put my thumbtips in my ears, and waggle my fingers heartily at you...with a nice juicy raspberry to round it out.

To all the guys who kept the faith, I hoist my coffee cup to you! Cheers.

Onward....

Delaware Street Stocks

We tune in about 8 laps into the feature. Ray Morneau has built a lead, and 93-Mayer, 89-Monaghan, 99-Nagy and 3-Perkins follow behind.

Morneau keeps on pulling away till he's built up a pretty huge lead. 87-Oulette and Perkins are having a great battle for 5th. Oulette eventually gets around him.

Then on lap 20, disaster strikes for Monoghan, when something breaks loose in the rearend of the orange Camaro as he powers down the frontstretch toward turn 1. Unable to steer, Dan manages to get it stopped in turn 1 before he gets to the big wall at the end. Caution.

At the restart, the order is 98, 93, 99, 3, , 87, 88-Timmermans, 2-Rijnen and 77-Lake. Once they get rolling, there's a good duel between Perkins and Timmermans for 6th. Perkins prevails.
The final order at the finish is Morneau, Mayer, Nagy, Ouelette, Rijnen, and Perkins.

Now I didn't get to see how Monaghan was doing the rest of the night, but he did win his heat. Aside from that, the race was the Ray Morneau show. Maybe Monaghan might've had something for him, but he would have been the only one tonight.

In other notes, congratulations are in order for Stephen Richmond on the completion of his first race in a full size car. The car looked pretty slick out there...a nice metallic blue with the Jeff Gordon style number 24. Some fo the other guys new liveries were on display at practice, but this was a first viewing for this particular car...and it even looked good after the race was over!

Likewise for number 51-Jeremiah Rabideau, the other Camaro out there. You may have seen it in practice and it looked like a butt ugly Enduro refugee, but the car was done up right tonight, with a nice blue paint with yellow trim.

Powerade Modifieds

We start the feature with 88-Shipway on the pole with 1-Newman alongside, followed by 3-Cox and 7-Starr.

Going into turn 1 on te first lap, there's a hearty puff of smoke from someone near the front, and back marker 19-Scott goes around. It looked like he slipped in something. When the pack gets around to turn 3, someone gets out of line and there's cars everywhere. Involved are Shipway, Newman, 6-Vieria, 96-Prudhomme and 25-Costa. Red flag to clean up a blocked speedway, and it looks like some of those guys are done for the night.

At the restart, Cox takes the lead with 20-Watson right behind. The two pull away, but Cox can't shake Watson who tucks right in behind him. The secon pack is now Starr, 72-Thompson, 39-McCullogh, and Newman.

The front two put some serious distance behind them, while the second pack battles amongst themselves. Newman particularly, stages a good battle with McCullogh, and a the halfway marker, finally gets around him and into 4th.

Toward the end, Newman gets around Thompson as well. They maintain this order until the end, though Cox begins to pull away from Watson in the closing stages. In the end its Cox, Watson, Starr, Newman and Thompson.

APC Late Models

Its my understanding that the LM heats were quite entertaining. Congrats to Jesse Kennedy and Kirk Hooker on their heat wins.

At the start, its 42-Stewart on the pole, with 7-Delisle alongside, followed by 52 Sheridan and 6-Pearn. Stewart takes the lead at the green with Sheridan in tow. Sheridan keeps working on the back bumper of Stewart, but can't get around. Meanwhile, Kennedy and Urlin are staging a battle of their own further back. Looked like Urlin got into the back of Kennedy, but only succeeded in spinning himself out. Caution and black flag for Urlin, and Hooker's in for a tire change.

On lap 9, it becomes apparent that somethings up on Stewart's machine. Lots of sparks coming up from under the left front. Sheridan still can't get around him though. This goes on for a couple of laps until the caution flies for 48-Ramsay and 27-Box, who get mixed up in the 3 and 4. On the slowdown, it becomes REALLY apparent that something wrong with the 42 car...you could hear whatever it was dragging like a busted muffler. Stewart stays out for another lap but finally gives it up. Sheridan inherits the lead. Kennedy pulls it in so his guys can look under the car for some reason. 

A the restart its Sheridan up front and putting some distance in, while 77-Verhoeven, Pearn and Lindsay battle for 2nd. Pearn tries hard, giving Verhoeven repeated bumper rubs, but no dice. That 77 car is strong.

About this time, things begin to go south on the 10 car as Kennedy falls off the pace. Sharidan's still pulling away, and Verhoeven, Pearn, and Lindsay are still bumper to bumper.

At the end its Sheridan, Verhoeven, Pearn, Lindsay, Delisle, and Clarke.

A couple notes: In the victory lane interview, they were talking about Sheridan not running the full season here at Del. Not sure what the plan is, but that struck me as sort of odd.

Also, Clarke did not seem to have brought his best game tonight. I'll bank on him being tougher in weeks to come.

End report. Thanks for listening!