DEMPSTER, MCPHERSON, CASTELEIN, AND HILS HONOURED AS 2008 OHSWEKEN CHAMPIONS
By Tommy Goudge (November 15, 2008) –
The 2008 Ohsweken Speedway season was capped off in fine fashion on Saturday night with the annual awards banquet at the Marritt Hall in Ancaster. Keith Dempster was honoured as the inaugural champion of the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division, while Cody McPherson was crowned ESSO Thunder Stocks champion, Abel Castelein claimed the ESSO Mini-Stock title for the second year in a row, and Lee Hils was honoured as the first champion of the Friday Night Fun Stocks.
CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING SPRINT CARS - AWARDS
HARD CHARGER AWARD
Kevin Job (passed 38 cars)
“HARD LUCK” AWARD
Dave Dykstra
DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION AWARD
Bobby Crawford
BEST APPEARING CAR AWARD
John Riegling
MECHANIC OF THE YEAR AWARD
Steve Moulton and crew of Styres Racing team 0, 5, and 77x
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD
Mikey Kruchka
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Brad Malloy
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Ryan Hunsinger
The Top 10 in the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Cars were:
1st - Keith Dempster, Alton...In his 2nd year driving for the Styres team, Dempster competed in all 13 sprint car events run at Ohsweken, including the 7 Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division events. While he did not claim a feature win in 2008, Dempster’s consistency kept him at the top of the standings as he finished no worse than 8th in the Corr/Pak events, with an average feature finish of 4.57.
2nd - Jared Zimbardi, Salamanca, NY…Zimbardi competed in 11 of the 13 sprint car events run at Ohsweken this season, including 6 of the 7 Corr/Pak races. Zimbardi also raced on the Patriot trail full time, which forced him to miss Mid-Season Championship night at Ohsweken, but “The Juice” took advantage of the mulligan rule to stay in the title hunt. Zimbardi won the feature on June 6th and his average feature finish was 4.33.
3rd - Ryan Hunsinger, Brantford…Hunsinger parlayed a last-minute opportunity to drive Miles Hill’s #77x into a very successful season. “The Gunslinger” claimed feature wins on May 30 and July 11 on his way to the Rookie of the Year award in the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division in 2008, with an average feature finish of 6.29.
4th - Kevin Job, Campbellville…Job competed in all 13 sprint car events held at Ohsweken this season, finishing out of the top 10 only twice, and claimed the Southern Ontario Sprints tour feature win on July 18. In Corr/Pak action, he finished out of the top 10 just once, and compiled an average feature finish of 5.86.
5th - Glenn Styres, Ohsweken…”The Ohsweken Flyer” book-ended the Corr/Pak season by winning the feature on opening night, and holding off Dave Dykstra for another victory on August 29. Styres’ average finish in the Corr/Pak events was 8.14.
6th - Rob Pietz, Port Colborne…Pietz competed in 11 of the 13 sprint car events run at Ohsweken this season, including 6 of the 7 Corr/Pak races. Pietz recorded 4 top 5’s in the Corr/Pak events with a best finish of 2nd on May 30 and an average feature finish of 6.5.
7th - Dave Dykstra, Port Colborne…Dykstra showed lots of promise during his first season in a sprint car, during which he competed in 12 of the 13 sprint car events held at Ohsweken, recording his best finish on August 29 when he nearly got past Glenn Styres in the last corner of the last lap but settled for 2nd. Dykstra recorded 2 top 10 finishes in Corr/Pak action, with an average feature finish of 11.0.
8th - Brad Malloy, Niagara Falls…Malloy competed in 12 of 13 sprint car events at Ohsweken in 2008, including 6 of the 7 Corr/Pak events. Malloy celebrated his first ever sprint car feature win on August 22 after a hard fought battle with Glenn Styres in what will go down as one of the best races of the 2008 season. Malloy recorded 2 Top 5’s and an average feature finish of 8.8 this season.
9th - Mikey Kruchka, Hamilton…Yet another rookie competitor finishing in the top 10 in points, Kruchka showed rapid improvement over the course of the season. Kruchka competed in all 7 Corr/Pak events, recording 3 straight top 10 finishes in the last 3 events, including a 3rd place on August 29 for his best finish of the season. Kruchka’s average feature finish this season was 9.7.
10th - John Riegling, Chatham…One of the most experienced drivers in the field, Riegling was able to claim the 10th spot in the standings by just 2 points over Bob Crawford and Jim Price, who finished tied for 11th. “J.R.” competed in 10 sprint car events at Ohsweken in 2008, including all 7 Corr/Pak events. His best finish was a 10th place on August 22.
ESSO THUNDER STOCKS - AWARDS
HARD CHARGER AWARD
Cody McPherson (passed 100 cars)
“HARD LUCK” AWARD
Mike Thorne
DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION AWARD
Rob Disher
BEST APPEARING CAR AWARD
Thunder Stock – Glen Leinen
MECHANIC OF THE YEAR AWARD
Mikey Granton and crew of Cody McPherson #777
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD
Ryan Dinning
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Terry Osmond
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Mark Saul
The Top 10 in the ESSO Thunder Stocks were:
1st - Cody McPherson, St. Catharines...The young driver of the #777 had a dream season in the ESSO Thunder Stock division. McPherson competed in all 14 Thunder Stock events at Ohsweken in 2008, finishing out of the top 3 only once - when a flat tire on July 11 forced him off the track before the race was completed - although he still managed to salvage an 8th place finish that night. McPherson scored 8 feature wins at Ohsweken this season, with an amazing average feature finish of 2.0.
2nd - Ryan Dinning, Caledonia…Finishing 12th in points in 2006 and 4th in 2007, Dinning improved his points finish for a 3rd straight season. Competing in all 15 Thunder Stock features in 2008, Dinning finished outside the top 11 in a feature just 3 times, and recorded 6 Top 5 finishes. His average feature finish was 8.93.
3rd - Glen Leinen, Hannon…2008 was Leinen’s 2nd season behind the wheel of a Thunder Stock, and while he couldn’t match his results from 2007, the driver of the #9 did record 5 Top 5’s and 9 Top 10’s in 15 events this year, with an average feature finish of 8.5.
4th - Rob Disher, Grimsby…Disher missed opening night, but competed full time for the rest of the season, running 14 features in all. A smooth and consistent driver, Disher recorded 1 Top 5 and 9 Top 10’s, with an average feature finish of 10.57.
5th - Brad Bacher, Hagersville…The defending Thunder Stock champ fought through some adversity this season to finish in the top 10 in Thunder Stock points for a 5th consecutive season. Competing in 12 of the 15 races, Bacher finished in the Top 5 on 5 occasions and recorded an average feature finish of 9.17.
6th - Mike Thorne, Caledonia...Thorne finished 6th in points for the 2nd year in succession this season. Competing in all 15 events, Thorne recorded 6 Top 10 finishes, the best of which was a 6th place on opening night. The young driver could well have taken home a feature win or two were it not for flat tires and other gremlins derailing many of his best runs. Mike's average feature finish this season was 12.4.
7th - Michelle Johnson, Caledonia...Johnson competed in 14 Thunder Stock events this season, recording 6 Top 10 finishes along the way, including a 7th place in the Mid-Season Championship feature. Michelle's average feature finish was 12.21 this year.
8th - Terry Osmond, Cambridge...This year marks the first season since 2004 that Osmond has not finished 5th or better in the standings. Terry started the season with 2 wins and 7 Top 10 finishes in the first 8 events, but ran into trouble and had to miss Double Feature night, dropping him behind in the points in the process. In total, Osmond recorded 8 Top 10's in 13 races, with an average feature finish of 10.62.
9th - Chris Dickie, Brantford...After finishing 11th last season, Dickie moved into the top 10 in the final points tally this season with 3 Top 10 finishes in 14 races. His best finish was a 6th place in the Mid-Season Championship race, and he recorded an average feature finish of 13.5.
10th - Brian Pescetti, Stoney Creek...Pescetti was just starting to get into a groove when a crash put the #62 out of action for 3 weeks in August. The young driver did record a feature win on June 27, with 3 Top 5's and 7 Top 10's in 12 races this season, recording an average feature finish of 11.17.
ESSO MINI-STOCKS - AWARDS:
HARD CHARGER AWARD
Abel Castelein (passed 64 cars)
“HARD LUCK” AWARD
Wyatt Van Wart
DEDICATION AND DETERMINATION AWARD
Rick Emberson
BEST APPEARING CAR AWARD
Kevin Hilborn
MECHANIC OF THE YEAR AWARD
Dan Stewart #27 Crew
MOST IMPROVED DRIVER AWARD
Mitchell Brown
SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Rob Slater
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Brent Hill
ART HILL MEMORIAL AWARD
Mike Evers
The Top 10 in the ESSO Mini-Stocks were:
1st - Abel Castelein, Cayuga...Abel claimed his 2nd consecutive ESSO Mini-Stock track championship this season, claiming 4 feature wins along the way to match his total of a year ago. Castelein competed in all 14 Mini-Stock events in 2008, finishing out of the top 6 only twice, with 11 top 5 finishes and an average finish of 4.36.
2nd - Mitchell Brown, Brantford...Brown avoided the "Sophomore Slump" in a big way this season, scoring 4 feature wins and 9 Top 5's in 13 races, including the 42-lap Art Hill Memorial in August. He finished the season with 8 consecutive Top 10 finishes and an average feature finish of 5.31.
3rd - Rick Emberson, Paris...The 2005 track champion fought through adversity with his "Purple People Eater" #86 this season, including a rollover on Mid-Season championship night. Amazingly, the car was back on track after missing just 1 race, while Rick jumped behind the wheel of the Miller #79 to keep his points position intact. Despite the problems, Rick ended the season with 7 Top 5's and 13 Top 10's in 14 races, and an average feature finish of 6.29.
4th - Kevin Hilborn, Brantford...After falling to 10th in points last season, Hilborn was back in the Top 5 this season. Always a consistent finisher, Hilborn drove to victory lane for the first time ever on September 26, while also recording 10 Top 5's and 14 Top 10's in 14 races, with an average finish of 4.14.
5th - Brent Hill, Ohsweken...Hill was a rookie in name only this season, driving like a veteran all year, and finishing the season with 10 straight Top 10 finishes. Hill recorded 2 feature wins, 4 Top 5's, and 11 Top 10's in 14 races, with an average feature finish of 7.57.
6th - Chase Hess, Ohsweken...Hess is another driver who quickly found his rhythm this season, recording 5 Top 10's in the first 8 races, including a feature win on June 6. Hess ended the season with 6 Top 5's, 10 Top 10's, and an average feature finish of 9.07.
7th - Mark Thorne, Waterford...Thorne recorded 6 Top 10 finishes in a row to start the season, but ran into trouble on Mid-Season Championship night and never quite recovered. He ended the season with 5 Top 5's and 7 Top 10's in 14 races, and an average feature finish of 10.64.
8th - Dan Stewart, Hamilton...The middle of the season went a long way toward Stewart's Top 10 finish in the points standings as he recorded 5 Top 10 finishes in a row between June 20 and July 18. In all, Stewart ended the season with 2 Top 5's, 8 Top 10's, and an average feature finish of 9.64.
9th - Mike Giberson, Caledonia...One of the most popular drivers at Ohsweken, "The Pinball" recorded Top 10 finishes in half of the 14 events he competed in this season. His best finish was 8th, a spot where he finished twice, including in the Art Hill Memorial race in August, and he finished the season with an average feature finish of 11.36.
10th - David Goodacre & Rick Robinson (Team 05 Racing), Brantford...Robinson and Goodacre split the driving duties in the #05 again this season, combining for 1 feature win, 4 Top 5's, and 6 Top 10's. Their combined average feature finish was 10.71.
FRIDAY NIGHT FUN STOCKS - AWARDS
The Top 3 in the Friday Night Fun Stocks were:
1st - Lee Hils, Dundas...Lee was not in attendance on opening night, but competed full time in the new Fun Stock class for the rest of the season, collecting 6 feature wins along the way. Lee never finished worse than 3rd in any of the 14 races he competed in, despite the level of competition rising over the course of the season. Hils’ average finish was 1.64!
2nd - Chris Hils, Dundas...Hils competed in all 15 Fun Stock events in the division's inaugural season, the only driver to do so. He recorded a feature win on June 6 and finished in the Top 5 on 10 occasions.
3rd - Karl Sault, Dundas...Sault won the first ever Fun Stock feature and went on to claim 3 more feature wins in 2008, along with 11 Top 5 finishes in 14 races.
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Tommy Goudge
Ohsweken Speedway Media
media@ohswekenspeedway.com