Brooms Come Out On Friday Night At Varney
Race fans filled the grandstands for a rare Friday Night of Invitational racing at Varney Motor Speedway this past weekend as the Canada Day holiday was celebrated with two nights of racing at Ontario's fastest oval track. While several competitors from other area tracks took advantage of the opportunity to run at Varney on a night that their home-tracks do not run, it would be Varney Speedway regular drivers who would steal the show. In fact, all feature races ,except one, were wone by a driver who had also won their two previous qualifying heat races earlier in the evening as the parade of 'sweeps' highlighted the event.
Friday's Stock 4 feature started with veterans #35 Tim Tolton of Guelph and #51 Clark Hartman of Waterloo on the front row. With two heat race wins already on the night, Tolton was hungry for the sweep. Tolton jumped out to the early lead and would hold the top spot with Hartman close behind. By the midway point of the race, the two leaders were well ahead of what was shaping up to be a fantastic battle for positions three through six. Making her first start at Varney, #43 Sarah Miskiewicz of Fergus impressed early by holding the third spot for most of the race. She would eventually surrender the position but, her fifth place finish was tops amongst all other visiting cars. Getting around Miskiewicz late to take the third and forth positions were #3 Jason Tolton of Guelph and #86 Nick Clarke of Mt. Forest. Upfront, Hartman would keep T. Tolton honest but, it would be Tim Tolton who would take the checkered flag and win his second feature of the season. On Saturday night, #38 Sherry Smart of Hanover made an early pass from the second row and, while front row starters #88 Billy Lovell and #91 Bruce Moran raced side-by-side for the second spot for several laps, would build up a lead that would take her just far enough to get to the checkers. Coming off the final turn on the final lap, Moran was able to get to the inside of Smart's car as the two scrambled at the line to avoid a car that had spun just infront of the leaders. Smart would edge Moran by a fender for her first feature race win of the year. Friday night heat races were won by T.Tolton (X2), #82 Billy Schwartzenburg, Hartman (X2) and #3 Jason Tolton. Saturday's heat races were won by Moran, Hartman, Schwartzenburg and T. Tolton.
The Street Stock features on Friday and Saturday were both the sort of 'edge-of-your-seats' kind of races that all fans cheer for. After winning both heat races earlier, #19 Brian Wilson would start on the pole Saturday. Breaking away from the pack early, Wilson would build up a cushion on his lead that would last for most of the race. Wilson would hold steady race-long after avoiding a car on the front stretch that had lost a tire and, holding off a hard charging #99 Jamie Hunt of Hanover who had caught the leader by benefit of a late race restart after a yellow flag. Hunt would try several moves out of all four turns to get the advantage on Wilson but to no avail. Wilson would pull away in the closing laps for the win and the second sweep on the night. Looking for redemption on Saturday, Hunt would follow a returning champion to the front. From the pole, #06 Bill Keill of Chatsworth would lead the first few laps but, former Super Street Stock champion #3 Jamie Jarvis of Hanover would get by on the front straightaway and Hunt would follow him through into second. The two would then engage in a colossal battle for the lead until Hunt broke loose in turns three and four. After falling back a bit, Hunt would soon be on Jarvis' back bumper as the white flag came out. Coming off the final turn, Hunt took one last run to the inside but, Jarvis hung on at the line for the win. Fridays's heat races were won by Wilson (X2) and Saturday's heat were won by #93 Bill Cole of Hanover and Hunt.
Varney's Super Street Stock car counts have been inconsistent this year in what has become a feast or famine for the division. This weekend, unfortunately, would be the latter. With several regular competitors participating in an Invitational series at another track, only four Super Streets would take the green on Friday and only three on Saturday. The upswing was, all four were fast and the excitment never let up for the entire race. Saturday's feature was definately highlighted by an intense on-track battle between #83 Scott Way and #76 Shawn Arnott. After dominating the early part of the season, Arnott (who had been absent from the track for the last two weeks) returned to try and continue where he had left off. Enter #83 Scott Way of Fergus into the storyline and anyone who has seen the Super Streets at Varney this season knows where this is going. Again, after becoming yet another driver on the night to win both his heat races, Way would start on the pole with Arnott alonside. The two raced each other clean and hard for the entire race. Way would be staked to the early lead and Arnott would get up to the back bumper on more than one occasion but, smooth driving, a quick car and a reluctantness to give up the inside lane would allow Way to pull away for the win. Saturday's feature was a crowd pleaser as #85 Matt Clarke of Mt. Forest started on the pole and kept his car out front all race long holding back Way and #84 Steve Smith to claim his first win of the season much to the delight of the capacity crowd in attendance. Friday heat races were won by Way (X2) and Saturday's by Way and Clarke.
Another series and another sweep on the way for Friday night as the Late Models stepped up to the plate. Despite a fairly even playing field in this class, the features have all leaned in favour of just two drivers so far this year and that trend would continue on this Canada Day long weekend. After winning boht of his heat races earlier in the night, #12 Justin McLellan of Mt. Forest would make it look easy, blowing away a dozen cars, enroute to his fifth feature race win of the year. For McLellan however, Saturday night would not be so easy as it would be the #81 of Chris Van Dusen tasting victory for his third feature win of the year. This weekend also featured a spectacular wreck on the front straightaway as #69 Brandon Cumbie of Beeton would climb the wall on Friday night, flipping on the frontstretch before coming to a rest on his roof in turn one. Remarkably, Crumbie was ok and the car made an unbelievable return to the track later in the night finishing sixth in the feature! Friday night's heat were won by McLellan (X2) and Saturday's heat were won by #89 Tommy Robb of Durham and #09 Kent Nuhn of Williamsford.
As Friday's All Pro Modified feature neared the half way point, it appeared that we were on the verge of another divsion sweep making it a perfect five-for-five on the night. Starting on the pole, #8 Gary McLean of Conn jumped out to an early lead with #4 Aaron McLean of Conn close behind. An early caution for a spin involving #04 Mike ford would bunch the field up for the restart. Again, G. McLean would take over upfront when the green flag dropped. Another caution slowed the pace; this time for a turn four wreck involving A. McLean and #62 Randall Hollingsworth of Stirling. On the ensuing restart, #39 Dave McCullough of Glencoe and #34 Terry Pardy of Mt. Forest came together and Pardy ended up in the wall on the front straightaway. The field bunched up again for a restart and, what ended up being the shocker on the night, saw G. McLean's transmission break at the start finish line while leading. McLean was able to get his car to the infiled as the rest of the pack flew by. With the series top driver out of contention, the rest of the All Pro Modifieds stormed the highbanks like a school of sharks with the smell of blood in the water. Avoiding the fallen leader's car as it limped down to the grass, #1 Ted Patterson would be the first car through and into turn one. As the rest scrambled to avoid each other, they would eventually get sorted out but, not before Patterson would build up a lead that would not need protecting. Patterson pleased the full house with his first feature race win of the season. Friday night heat races were won by G.McLean (X2), Patterson, and A. McLean on a night that saw a full field of Modifieds that harkened back to a day gone by when the Modifeds out numbered all classes at Varney. It was an amazing sight.
Other action on the highbanks this weekend saw the return of the Trains as the Markdale Salvage Crushers took the win on Friday and The Redneck Special locked down the Saturday win. Kari Way cruised onto victory in the Women's Challenge race and Brendan Johnson took his street-legal Honda Civic to victory lane in the run-what-you-brung King Of The Hill. This weekend, the Hurricane Midgets are back at Varney Motor Speedway as they join a full card of regular racing featuring the Late Models, Super Street Stocks, Street Stocks and Stock 4's. Fore more information about all that is going on this season at the track, visit www.varneymotorspeedway.com
Jody Buschlen - Track Announcer/Varney Motor Speedway
Race Results for Friday, July 2, 2010
ALL PRO MODIFIED - FEATURE
Pos Driver Car #
1 Ted Patterson 1
2 Chris Burrows 65
3 Robert Warnes 95
4 Dave McCollough 39
5 Less Eccles 27
6 Randall Hollingsworth 62
7 Bill Pickford 61
8 Mike Ford 04
9 Gary McLean 8
10 Rick Warnes 90
11 Terry Pardy 34
12 Aaron McLean 4
STOCK 4 - FEATURE
Pos Driver Car #
1 Tim Tolton 35
2 Clark Hartman 51
3 Jason Tolton 3
4 Nick Clarke 86
5 Sarah Miskiewicz 43
6 Billy Schwartzenburg 82
7 Luke Freeman 28
8 Rick Schwartzenburg 72
9 Brian Watson 58
10 Scott Mast 75
11 Sherry Smart 38
12 Britton Lundy 09
13 Glen Vendergeld 32
14 Jessie Way 92
15 Dave Gray Jr. 55
16 Charles Embro 7
17 Craig McLean 99
18 Courtney Scott 110
19 Billy Lovell 88
20 Scott Schluter 73
21 Jacob Robb 8
22 Zachary Pendergast 4
23 Tessa Cremasco 9
STREET STOCK - FEATURE
Pos Driver Car #
1 Brian Wilson 19
2 James Hunt 99
3 Alvin McNichol 77
4 Randy Zettler 02
5 Adam Kiss 28
6 Bill Keill 06
7 Thomas Wood 56
8 Al Kusick 38
9 Justin Zettler 2
10 Bill Cole 93
SUPER STREET STOCK - FEATURE
Pos Driver Car #
1 Scott Way 83
2 Shawn Arnott 76
3 Lance Sullivan 84
4 Matt Clarke 85
Varney Late Model - FEATURE
Pos Driver Car #
1 Justin McLellan 12
2 Dan Lawler 66
3 Christopher VanDusen 81
4 Kent Nuhn 09
5 Jeff Lotspeich 85
6 Brandon Crumbie 69
7 Brian Davis 05
8 Tommy Robb 89
9 Jim Bowman 63
Race Results for Saturday, July 3, 2010
STOCK 4
Pos Driver Car #
1 Sherry Smart 38
2 Bruce Moran 91
3 Tim Tolton 35
4 Britton Lundy 09
5 Clark Hartman 51
Street Stock
Pos Drvier Car #
1 Jamie Jarvis 3
2 Jamie Hunt 99
3 Bill Cole 93
4 Brian Wilson 19
5 Bill Keill 06
Super Street Stock
Pos Driver Car #
1 Matt Clarke 85
2 Scott Way 83
3 Steve Smith 84
Late Model
Pos Driver Car #
1 Chris VanDusen 81
2 Justin McLellan 12
3 Kent Nuhn 09
4 Tommy Robb 89
5 Jim Bowman 63