LONDON, ON - BX-93 night at Delaware Speedway marked the return of the Lucas Oil Canadian Vintage Modifieds and the third and final instalment of the 2010 NASCAR Late Model Triple Crown. Crashes in each of the NASCAR Late Model 25-lap features claim cars but thankfully leave their drivers unhurt. And the night’s Super Stocks winner came a long way for his win.
Ron Sheridan (52) and Scott Lindsay (20) shared the pole in the night’s first NASCAR Late Model feature and Sheridan won the race off the green flag. The 52 had a car-length lead over Lindsay when an early caution for some spinning just after the first lap closed the gap. Lindsay started the night in two second spots: 23 points back of Sheridan for NASCAR Late Models overall, and 21 points back of Triple Crown leader Steve Robblee (28).
A third of the way into the 25-lap race, Sheridan’s lead was anything but comfortable as Lindsay crowded him and Robblee pushed up to third spot with about five car lengths between them and the next five cars, led by Jamie Ramsay (22). They raced as tightly as the train racers we’re bringing back to Delaware on the Great Canadian Race weekend.
At lap 14, the #8 of Marc Jacobs spun on its own between turns one and two just as Sheridan and company came up on lap traffic. Sheridan was been able to hang onto the lead just before this second caution.
The restart offered some scrambling for the positions behind the top three of Sheridan, Lindsay and Robblee. Jonathan Urlin left the pack in his wake and he was making strides toward joining the three-pack up ahead when Jesse Kennedy (10) did some spinning to bring out Sharpie’s yellow again. Urlin found himself working just as hard all over again as a nasty crash occurred on lap 20. Jamie Ramsay (22) went sideways off turn 4 catching the 72 of Shawn Thompson which then struck the 21 of Matt Pritiko – Pritiko’s car hit the inside wall and then shot hard into the outside wall off turn one. The car sustained front and back end damage but Pritiko was okay.
Sheridan and Lindsay briefly separated themselves from the rest of the pack and Urlin joined the quartet again as a battle for fifth raged on. Sheridan took the checkered flag, Lindsay second, Steve Robblee third, Jonathan Urlin 4th and Jamie Ramsay fifth.
Three lead changes in the first 10 laps of the second NASCAR Late Model feature race. Jamie Ramsay (22) started, Jamie Cox (00) took it after the first lap followed by Jesse Kennedy (10) at lap 7. But at lap 11, a spin followed by a hard hit and a near rollover into the turn one-and-two outside wall for Jonathan Urlin (4) threw a red flag on the track and caused a hush over the crowd until word came that Urlin was okay. He walked to the infield as his car was pushed into the pits.
At lap 19, Kennedy’s lead extended to a dozen car-lengths as Andrew Gresel (81) made his move into third and to try to poke around to reach second while Ron Sheridan and Steve Robblee, the current points leader and the defending champion, battled for fifth. Robblee was able to shut Sheridan out of the top five and become Triple Crown champion for this season.
Kennedy took the win, Jamie Cox second, Andrew Gresel third, Scott Lindsay fourth and Steve Robblee, fifth.
Kris Root (69) had the pole in Delaware Super Stocks but Stephen Richmond (24) took the lead after lap one and Root slowed out of the top five. The leaders hitting lap traffic caused a few gasps although that’s not what caused the first caution at lap five. Root and DJ DeJesus (9) connected on turn one.
Richmond had Jeremy Reid (76), Darrell Lake (77) and Steve Smith (84) on his tailpipe and by lap ten, Jason Lidster (11) joined them.
Lap traffic at 15 caused some wobbling but the track stayed green, even as Jake Ott (60) slowed and pitted. Stephen Richmond increased his lead to a comfortable half-straightaway and with Reid a distant but seemingly secure second, the battle raged for third and beyond.
Richmond, who had made the trip back from North Carolina where he starts on Monday studying Motorsports Engineering, took the win. Jeremy Reid finished second, Steve Smith third, Jason Lidster fourth and Kris Lawrence fifth.
If not for the bright colours and large numbers on their sides, a casual observer might think the Vintage Modifieds had assembled for a gangster period movie. They may look “30’s” but these vehicles mean business on the asphalt.
Rookie Shane Stickel (39)of Kitchener had the pole and held onto it until the first caution at lap five for a the stalled 1935 Ford Coach of Jason Bowden (00). Series points leader Steve Lyons (9) grabbed the lead with Orangeville’s Phil Shaw(0) on his bumper. At lap nine, Shaw grabbed the lead with his 1928 Pontiac Coupe. Shaw extended his lead to almost an entire straightaway as the second and third place runners played a little bumper tag. At lap 20, Sharpie threw a yellow for a little tangle between Ray Hughes (24) of Kitchener and Jeff Shaw (81) on turn one. Both cars were able to drive off.
On the restart, the race returned to its previous look with Shaw out front in comfortable fashion until turn four as he approached the checkered flag. His 0 appeared to lose power and he slowed rapidly as second-place runner Lyons grabbed the win. Jason Keen (18) finished second, Willis Mahood (26) third, John Karley (19) fourth and Shaw had to settle for fifth.
From Lisa Brandt / Public and Media Relations, Delaware Speedway // www.delawarespeedway.com
