BOWMANVILLE, ON - Long time Mosport Speedway supporter Roy Nichols Motors was the presenting sponsor on August 28, and following the evening's racing activities, their used car division may be a busy place in the coming week.
The THORSONS EVT Six Or Less
Mosport Speedway hosted their annual Mini Stock Invitational on Saturday, with a dozen visitors joining the regular Six or Less class competitors for a 35 lap feature race. Local pilots Duane Jeffery (#26 Car-Du Camaro) and Kevin Hinds (#57 Rad Man Pontiac) each claimed one heat dash win, with visitor Doug Mold (#27X) claiming the victories in the remaining two, 8-lap heat sprints.
A total of 19 drivers were able to answer the call for the feature race, with Ken Storer in the #01 Honda grabbing the lead from the outside of the front row. Holding the point for just two laps, Storer relinquished the position to Brad Martin (#53), who also led for only two tours of the half-mile oval. On lap five, Capital City Speedway regular Doug Mold wrestled the lead away from Martin in Turn Three, and proceeded to pull away from the pack with relative ease.
Mold would maintain his position throughout the remaining race laps, and an equal number of caution period laps, the race slowed by an agonizing seven yellow flags. So heavy was the carnage, that only six of the original 19 starters were able to see the checkered flag.
"I liked having the gap on the field, but I got some pretty good restarts so the yellows didn't hurt me too badly," explained Mold. "To be honest, I was more worried about running out of gas."
A five car incident on the front straight with just three laps to go eliminated, among others, Kevin Hinds and second place driver Brad Martin. Inheriting the runner-up spot was the Kawartha Speedway regular Dwight Lavoie, but using a last lap drag race to the line, Peterborough's Alex Lees edged Lavoie for the spot. Mosport drivers Heath McDonald (#69 U-Haul Dodge) and points leader Kevin Pickford (#19 Priestly Demolition Skyhawk) rounded out the top five finishers. Peterborough Speedway driver Dan Demars was the final finisher in the 35-lap wreck fest.
The Bob's Towing Sportsman
Courtice's Brad Stevenson continues to dominate the Sportsman class Winner's Circle, wrapping up another three race sweep on Saturday, in every contest leading John Baker Jr. (#63 Marksmen Club Monte Carlo) to the stripe.
Starting from the inside of the third row, Stevenson leapt past early race leaders Bob Kish (#78 Buckhorn Woodworking Chevy) and Bill Northam (#85) with a diving Turn Two pass on the fourth lap. Building up a slight lead, Stevenson saw his advantage disappear on a lap seven yellow flag. After getting the green flag, there was no stopping the #77 Sanfords Racing Engines Monte Carlo as he streaked away to a 10-car length margin over Baker at the end of 20 laps.
"Of all the years I've been racing, I've never had a season like this one," said Stevenson. "This is incredible. Tonight was the first time I've bought tires this year. The car is so amazing; it's easy on the tires and the driver."
Norm Mayhew (#60 Mayhew Graphics), making a rare Mosport appearance, edged out the #85 Five Points Mall Pontiac of defending series champion Bill Northam for the final podium position, while pole sitter Bob Kish held off a determined Chad Strawn (#77X) for a top five finish.
The R.P.Oil Ltd. Late Models
The last time that the Late Models ran at Mosport Speedway, Todd Delisle led Dwight Brown to the stripe for the hard fought, feature race victory. On Saturday night, the situation was reversed as Brown took the race lead on lap four and was never bested. Brown's #12 Bourque Transmission Monte Carlo surviving an eight lap, bumper-to-bumper battle with Delisle to score the win.
"The track really changed tonight," said Brown. "In practice this afternoon, it was greasy, probably from the rubber laid down by the Canadian Tire Series cars last weekend. As the night cooled off, the track got really racy."
Delisle in his #22 Drake's Auto Glass Cadillac was relentless in his pursuit, but fell a single car length shy of the victory. From his runner-up position, the young Port Perry resident could watch a heated dice for third place in his rearview mirror.
On lap eight, Jim Rossiter managed to poke the nose of his #66 Roy Nichols Motors Impala underneath Shannon Kimmerly's #01 Dom's Auto Parts Monte Carlo to take over third place. Refusing to give up, Kimmerly stayed in line with Rossiter's back bumper, running out the laps in lockstep. The #23 Freeman Motorsports Fusion of John Baker Jr. joined the fray, the three-car train taking the checkered flag covered by the proverbial blanket.
The Open Wheeled Modifieds
The Modifieds have only been occasional visitors to Mosport Speedway in 2010, but five-time division champion Dwight Brown proved that he had not lost the touch in this open-wheeled class.
Sharing heat race victories with Delaware Speedway's David McCullough (#39), Brown had his work cut out for him, taking the green flag for the 20-lap feature from deep in the field. Quickly working his way to the front, by lap five Brown's familiar #2 Modified engaged McCullough's #39 in a battle for the lead. Stalking the frontrunner for five full laps, Brown ducked low as the pair entered Turn Three, wrestling the point away from McCullough as they entered onto the long front straight. Gary Tryon's Turn Four spin brought out a late race caution, the yellow
regrouping the field for a three lap dash to the checkers.
Able to hold onto top spot, Brown sprinted away, taking the feature race victory by four car lengths over McCullough.
"That McCullough is really fast," admitted Brown. "A few more laps around this place and he will be lightning quick."
Gary McLean (#8), visiting from Varney Speedway was holding down third place until a lap 11 incident sent him into the back straight wall. Inheriting the position was Bill Pickford's Techtonix #61, the Mosport veteran holding off the Warnes Racing teammates of Samantha Jansen and Rob Warnes for a well-deserved third place finish.
Release Prepared by Ryan Chalmers, Mosport
Photo Credit: Peter Brand
Photo 1: Late Model winner Dwight Brown
Photo 2: 6 or Less feature winner Doug Mold
Photo 3: Winner of all three Sportsman races and current points leader Brad Stevenson.
Photo 4: Open wheel Modifieds feature race winner, Dwight Brown.
