Arnott And Cole Off To Stellar Starts - June 5 2010

The 2010 race season at Varney Motor Speedway is only three weeks old but already, the cream is starting to rise to the top. With the performances that some of the division leaders are posting this early in the year, the battle to catch up may already be an uphill one. Last year, Street Stock driver #93 Bill Cole of Hanover started the season in dominant fashion before eventual champion #99 Jamie Hunt of Hanover overtook him enroute to the title. This year, Cole is off to a similar start, rattling off victories in the first three weeks of competition. On a similar note, Varney newcomer #76 Shawn Arnott of New Hamburg is also making his presence felt in the Super Street Stock class by picking up wins in the first three weekends.

This past Saturday night, the Street Stock feature race was a guaranteed fan favorite after some very competitive racing;complete with fireworks, earlier in the night during the qualifying heat races. From the pole position, #2 Justin Zettler of Stratford would bring the pack to the green with #06 Bill Keill of Chatsworth along side. Keill would make the pass for the lead coming off turn two and would hold the top position for a couple of circuits. After starting fourth, #19 Dave Wilson of Rockwood steadily moved to the front and on the back straight, would take the lead from Keill. After starting fifth and sixth respectively, #99 Jamie Hunt and #93 Bill Cole raced each other while working their way to the front. Just before the halfway point of the race, Cole would catch the race leader and make the pass on the front stretch bumping Wilson to second. One lap later, Hunt would also get by Wilson. Hunt would eventually catch up to Cole and as the two were able to pull away from the field, he would not be able to challenge for the lead. Bill Cole would cruise onto his third feature race win in four starts this season. Hunt finished second with Wilson, #02 Randy Zettler and #3 Gary Atkinson filling out the top five. Qualifying heat races were won earlier in the night by Cole and Wilson.

With a handful of starts at Varney Motor Speedway over the last several years, Super Street Stock #76 Shawn Arnott decided that this season, the high banks of Varney would be his weekly home. Good news for Arnott, not so good news for the rest of the Super Street Stocks at Ontario's most competitive asphalt oval. This past weekend, the Super Streets lined up for their feature race with #64 Larry Cameron of Brampton and #85 Matt Clarke of Mt. Forest on the front row. Cameron would lead the frist couple of laps before #84 Lance Sullivan of Fergus would take over. Right on the back bumper, Arnott followed Sullivan into the second spot and, as the two sped away from the rest of the pack, a magnificent battle for the lead took form. Sullivan would lead for ten laps but keeping Arnott in the rearview mirror would not be easy. Arnott was on Sullivan's tail in every turn and on lap fourteen, Arnott would get his chance. Diving into turn four, Sullivan would bobble ever so slightly but, the miscue opened the door wide enough for Arnott to stick the nose to the bottom coming out of the turn. Side by side, the two would battle down the front stretch. Exiting turn two, Arnott would take the lead away on the inside and hold the top spot for the next five laps enroute to his third feature race win in four starts this year. Sullivan settles for second with Cameron, Clarke and #29 Dusty Richardson of Harriston completing the top five. Heat races run earlier in the night were won by #61 Chad Eden of Varney and Sullivan.

In the Stock 4 feature, #4 Zach Pendergast of Hanover sat on the pole but it would be #88 Billy Lovell of Hillsburgh to lead the first lap. Pendergast would take the lead back next time by but, from the sixth starting spot, #09 Britton Lundy of Owen Sound would plow his way through the top third of the field and, making a hole where one didn't exist and going three-wide, take the lead on the third lap. Also on the move, #82 Billy Schwartzenburg of Guelph would work his way up to the second spot on lap three after starting eighth. Winners of the last three feature races would have their problems on this night. Last week's winner #86 Nick Clarke would be marred in traffic in the middle of the pack and, opening weekend winners #7 Charles Embro of Hanover and #51 Clark Hartman of Waterloo battled each other race long while trying to work their way to the front. Back at the front, Lundy would build up a five car advantage over second place but, lap by lap, that would slowly shrink and, on lap ten, Schwartzenburg took the lead away on the backstretch and would go on to win the race and become the fourth different winner in four features for the Stock 4's this season. Qualifying races were won by #38 Sherry Smart of Hanover, Hartman (X2) and #91 Bruce Moran of Brampton.

The All Pro Modified feature had it all on Saturday night. When the green flag dropped, #27 Les Eccles of Conn fought with outside polesitter #65 Chris Burrows of Ayton for the lead. BUrrows would win the race to the stripe and lead the first lap. Battling for the third position, #1 Ted Patterson of Mt. Forest tried to get underneath #4 Aaron McLean of Conn in turn four. The two cars touched and triggered a multi car crash in turn four that involved almost half the field. The race would be halted for some time but, when the green dropped once again, it was Burrows taking charge. After starting sixth, #8 Gary McLean of Conn would take over the top spot and lead for the next ten laps. The unthinkable would happen on lap eighteen. Running alone with almost a half straightaway advantage, the race leader McLean would spin in turn four as something broke on the leader's car. With very little time to react, second place Burrows and third place #0 Phil Shaw of Orangeville would make contact trying to avoid McLean who sat helplessly in the middle of the race groove. The end result sent Shaw to the pits fro repairs while Burrows was able to continue. After starting nine cars in the All Pro feature, only five would take the green for the final restart. Ending Gary McLean's feature race win streak, Burrows would hold on for the win. In the closing laps, #34 Terry Pardy of Mt. Forest finishied second with A. McLean, Shaw and Eccles rounding out the top five. Heat races were won by G. McLean and A. McLean.

Unfortunately for the Late Models, the skies opened up and their feature race was postponed due to rain. The Trains tried to run their feature but, rain and a red flag crash involving The Train Wreck put an early end to the race and the win was awrded to the Markdale Salvage Crushers after only three laps.

This weekend, the Ontario Pro Challenge series make their points-race debut at Varney Motor Speedway. The Pro Challenge cars are 3/4 scale stock cars that race in a touring series across Ontario and in the United States. Last year, the series made an appearance at Varney Motor Speedway in a non-points trial run that was received with overwhelming praise by both fans and drivers. The current points leader in the Pro Challenge series is Dennis Thompson, brother of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Driver Don Thompson. Thompson also sits fourth in the National standings after solid runs this past spring at events in teh United States. The green flag drops at 7:00 pm and all of Varney Motor Speedway's regular divisions; with the exception of the All Pro Modifieds; will also be racing.