1 Word WILD!  😮

I'll just start by saying their is no way in hell I will remember all of the chaos today so feel free to add to the report.

The day started with a last chance for the Limited Late Models. I think there were 8 cars fighting for 4 transfer spots. The racing was tight as the 13 of Varney's Bob Tolton was trying to hold on to the third transfer spot by really hugging the bottom. The top groove hasn't been the greatest of late and no one was getting by. Finally it looked like Tolton lost it, MAY have had some help, I had a bad angle to see, but backed hard into the front stretch wall. Bob was hurt and the ambulance was called but he did return to the track later but didn't hear what his injury was. Glad to see he was OK. Sorry the day was too long to remember who won that but it may have been the 66 of Crowe. Correct me if I'm wrong.

The next cars to hit the track were the Modifieds. I think 17 cars took the green, a far cry from the measly 9 that raced Friday. The stand out new arrival was 2008 Delaware Modified champion Mark Watson. Mark picked his way slowly to the front and finally passed the 8 of Gary Maclean for the lead near the lap 40 mark of the 50 lap race. It was a great battle for second but I think it was the 12 of McLellan that took the spot. Third went to the 8, 4th to 46 of Darrin Kearnen and 5th to Delaware regular Dan Prudhomme.

Now to the headline event, the 108 lap Open Late Model race. Nineteen cars took the green with the number 95 of Simone on the pole with 2008 Kawartha track Champion McHattie on his outside. Simone lead early but McHattie had trouble and fell back. There was alot of bumping at the back of the pack but the 31 of McWhirter was moving to the front from his 5th starting spot. He eventually made it to the point but had to head to the pits with mechanical trouble. Now the 9 of Watson was leading followed by the hard charging 81 of Mercer. Mercer kept trying to slip under the 9 out of 2 but they eventually made contact and were sent to the rear. After the caution it was the 70 of Morgan's turn to take the point but that was short lived as he was spun by I think the 95 of Simone on the start. Now it was time for Saturdays heat winner, the 10 of Balson to lead the field to the green but by now Mercer, easily the fastest car there, was picking his way through traffic until he was again hounding the leader but the two made contact in corner 2 with the 10 taking the worst of it, being hit by Simone. Now the 38 of Kirk Hooker took the lead and it was one he would not relinquish, even with the constant hounding of the 9 of Watson. Mercer charged through the field for the third time to take third followed by a resurgent McHattie in 4th. There were a few hot drivers after this one but the best, or worst, was still to come.

Thirty Thunders took to the track next. A few too many and something I think they should change for next year. Why you ask. First the 12 of Belesky and ?? got together in 3 with the polish prince taking the worst of it.  Second, early in the race the 29 of Flamboro's Steve Cashmore was sent sliding sideways down the front straight collecting 9 other cars including 88 of Walters, 96 Mackenzie and the 28 of Crowe. The ambulance was again called as well as the local fire department as the 96 of Mackenzie was feeling pretty rough. Heard that Cashmore and Belesky ( he can tell you for sure ) went to the hospital as well. Think all drivers were back at the track before nights end. Some continued after the big one but a couple cars need some TLC before next season. I think it was the biggest pileup I've seen at AC and I've been to all 16. The race was won by the 30 of Todd Davenport followed by the 72 of Randy Rusnell and the 44 of Dave Doucette.

The next race was the Oscaar SLM and it was easily won by the 70 of Hanley. Fairly uneventful race but there was alot of banging going on near the rear of the field. Second went to the 22 of your 2008 champion Watson followed by 27 Passer, 50 Cuzilla and 7 of Tiemersma. The 88 of Woolsey had a great run going in 3rd but tried to pass the 7T of Dunford down the back straight. Dunford came down hard and spun himself, TJ was there, but in JUST ONE of scorings brutal calls today, the 88 was sent to the back and couldn't get back to the front.

The mini-stock race was dominated by Peterborough/Kawartha cars won by the Kawartha champion Jason Juriga, followed by his teammate the 2 of Too Moroney and the 27 of Peterborugh champ Mike Wallace. If anyone can add to this please do. The Limited Late Model race had so much to remember, the mini-stocks are a blur right now.Good to see bake82 and barrie97ps make the show but both had trouble and were near the back of the field. Had a good talk with bake82 ( Kyle ). Nice to put a face to the name and will look for you if we ever make it back to Ottawa.

Now for the best race of the night for everything. Great racing, huge crashes and red flags. It had it all. First the great racing. It was almost a foregone conclusion that the 47 of Walters was going to be crowned 2008 AC champ again and it looked to be the case until a hard charging Jason Witty of Sunset took advantage of some of the numerous cautions to pick his way to the front. He hounded Walters for at least 10 laps even giving him a few nudges out of 2 before he eventually got underneath and the two raced side by side for 4 or 5 laps until Tom's tires seem to fall off and Witty began to pull away. A long green run had it looking like Witty was untouchable but the yellow came out for Witty. With 5 to go the rearend started to let go with huge fireballs erupting under the car entering each corner. The officials finally had to throw the caution for safety sake with two to go and Witty had to park it. He was a gracious loser in the pitside interview and probably got the best ovation of the night. The battle he and Tom had for the lead was one of the best I've seen at the Classic in years. Now the carnage and of that there was alot. The first that comes to mind was a bit strange. The 35 of Tolton punted the 69 of Inglis in 3 sending him backwards into the wall. The 69 then rammed the 35 under caution and then Inglis had some not so subtle words about the 35 in his interview. This is where it got weird. I guess the starter didn't like what he heard so he pranced to the infield to have a chat with Inglis. HOLDING UP THE GODDAMN SHOW FOR AT LEAST 5 MINUTES. He is something special. After that came to an end racing resumed only to have a 4 car pileup in 2 involving the 34 Tremble, 14 Horner, 55 of Rankin and 2 of Brown with the 14's rear bumper on the roof of the 55. All drivers were OK but yet another red flag, think there were 6 or 7 today. Amazingly the 2 continued after getting a new rad but the front end was destroyed as he rear ended the 55 hard in the chain reaction crash. The last big wreck caused the most ruckus. Near the end of the race, only 2 to go, the field was pretty thinned out and the 35 of Tolton was amazingly in 4th. Going into 1 on the last lap he punted the 03 of Caprichio, who was now in 3rd, and the 03 went hard and head on into the turn one wall. Dario was OK but after the race went thru the window net of the 35 who was waiting to go pitside. That cleared up but the melee spilled over into the pit with a women, carrying a young child   >:(  ( smartin up lady ) tried to get at Tolton. By then Security was around the now large mob in the 35 pit. There was alot of yelling but that was about it. Think Tolton stayed in the car for at least 10 minutes and wouldn't get out. Probably a good thing, he isn't what I would call a heavyweight. The wrecking wasn't over yet though. On the restart the 23 of Baker and 99 of Burke got together out of 2 ( it was a bad corner today ) and the 99 climbed the wall, stayed in the park, so to say, but took down half of the Pepsi sign. The race was won by Walters followed by the 25 of Dave Waite, out for the first time this year and third went to the 66 of Peterborough LLM champ Crowe. Witty was the class of the field though.

The 4-funs were won by our banned member Lance Foster ( lancey11) followed by the 4 of Mark Kehoe. Third was the 65N of ??

Again a great job by Spencer, Glen and Peter Dalliday with the announcing and pit reporting. I don't really have too many complaints about the weekend that really stand out other that I really think Peterborough need a new starter. I have never seen or heard so many negative complaints from the stands in my life. And I think all of it was warranted. He grandstands far too much and sometimes I wonder what race he is watching, if at all, after some of the lunatic calls he makes.

I would venture to say the smoothest run AC yet. The cautions were long sometimes but you can't blame the track for the way some of these guys were driving. Only 363 days til AC 17.

See you there.

That's it, I'm sick of typing. Please fell free to add and correct as I'm sure I've forgotten some stuff or made some errors.

all i can add is, ministock finish,first to 1 juriga, 2 moroney, 27 wallace, 66 smith, 4 swindels. other ptbo cars if 01 bobby love and 41 of tyler junkin got somewhere in top 10 aswell

first corner of the first lap, 9 of neil hannah(driving the car the won AC 2007) got bumped and went sideways and hit in the door and got the wall and was beyond repair. later on the 64x of burrows had engine or overheating problems for the second year in a row

and 65n is nate mitchell

Great report slapdown, thanks for writing it all down.