CanadianRacingOnline.com

Canadian Oval / Road Racing => Canadian Tracks => Flamboro Speedway => Topic started by: CanadianRacingOnline on October 25, 2017, 11:34:36 AM

Title: Josh Shantz Makes It Two In A Row At Halloween 300 Enduro
Post by: CanadianRacingOnline on October 25, 2017, 11:34:36 AM
Josh Shantz Makes It Two In A Row At Halloween 300 Enduro


By Randy Spencer (Flamboro Speedway PR) - The final race event at Bennett Chevrolet Flamboro Speedway was set and the great October weather continued as we ran the Halloween Enduro 300. A cloud of sadness would shroud the day however as we mourned the passing of one of our own. Last weekend, 20 year old Clay Collison past away and it was definitely on the minds of many in attendance.


Pits opened at 9am and cars slowly trickled in all day to register and go through tech for the 4pm green flag. The enduros are always the races to attend for drivers and fans alike. Earlier this year we had a $12,000 first place prize up for grabs and Josh Shantz was victorious in that one. He would be back once again along with Rodney Rutherford, Jamie Cox and Dave Bailey all who have run very well in these events over the past few years.


As race time approached there were lots of interesting Halloween themes. Cars were teched, numbered and lined up to prepare to hit the track. A drivers and scorers meeting was held in the middle of the track prior to the race where everyone was given instructions and rules. Sixty five cars hit the track and each passed by the start finish line to test their transponders. Several cars lined up along the front stretch as our announcer Gary Colling, in his Flash Halloween costume asked the fans for their favorite car in the Best Car theme contest. It came down to the 76 car with a Tennage Mutant Ninja Turtle them and the 31 car with a Clown theme. Driver Keara Gallant even dressed in a clown outfit. The cheers were close but the announcer gave the award, after several cheer offs to the 31 car. Congratulations Keara on the $500 prize for the best theme.


Before we got under way we had a moment of silence for Clay Collison and his cousin Justin was driving the 11C car in his honor. He would line up at the start finish line and cruise slowly around as the last man standing salute to take up his position.



We were already to go and at 440pm the green flag dropped to get the 300 lap enduro underway. The 01 car driven by Wayde Thorne would be the leader of lap one. The cars started to spread out and soon were lined up nose to tail all around the track. On lap 9 out of turn four, one of the favorites, Rodney Rutherford was bumped from behind and was around with a couple other cars. He lost some valuable time and was clearly upset at the move.



By lap 15 the leader was the 22 car driven by Chris Mitchell who normally races a Late Model at Delaware Speedway. Cars were very loose early as fluid was being spilled from a car(s) and it made it interesting through 3-4. The first red flag of the race came out on lap 21 as a fire developed in the 22b car driven by Kevin Nichol. He was ok and racing would resume.

By lap 50 we had a new leader and the top three were Dave Bailey, Mitchell and Josh Shantz. Racing continued and cars would often have to head for the pits to change flat tires due to the debris off of race cars on the track. It was out of the ordinary for some drivers to have four or five flats throughout. Bailey continued to lead but  with Shantz and Steve Lovie in hot pursuit. Mitchell would fall off the pace and by the half way mark Shantz was up to second followed by Kent Nuhn, Jamie Cox and Karl Sault, all familiar and successful enduro and derby car veterans. By lap 170, Bailey, Shantz and Nuhn were the only cars on the lead lap.



A red flag on lap 177 was needed to remove a car blocking the exit to the pits. A few laps later Nuhn retired to the infield. Cox was up to third followed by Sault and another familiar enduro and Sprint car pilot, Shone Evans. A red flag on lap 238 as a fire broke out under the hood of the 29 car driven by Bryan Sudsbury. With 50 laps to go the field remained the same as it did on lap 185. Twenty five to go and it looked as though it would be either Bailey or Shantz picking up the big cheque.



Lap 292 would see another red as a car was around facing the wrong way heading down the back stretch. The 44 car of Jamie Cox was unable to miss the car around and I heard the big bang. I personally didn't see it because I was watching the14 car of Dave Bailey he just two laps prior, started to slow up a bit. You could see he was starting to run low on fuel and was using the familiar race car driver trick of moving the car side to side to keep the fuel flowing that was obviously very low on fumes. It didn't look good for Cox, he had a fair bit of damage to the left rear wheel. Looking at it after the race I have no idea how he was able to keep racing.


As the green flew once again, Bailey who came to a stop low in turn two had problems getting going. Looked to me that he was out of gas but he said later, "Couldn't get it back in gear, clutch wouldn't disengage. It ran out of gas the first time at lap 290 but started back up. Then had clutch issue on restart. Then ran out again at 295." This gave Shantz the opportunity he was looking for and as the cars came out of four on lap 294, they were neck and neck as they crossed the line. Bailey continued to slow and then speed up again but this would allow Shantz to take the lead by lap 298. Bailey pretty much knew, I think, that he didn't have quite enough to win at this point so slowed so he would finish. As the checkered flag flew, Shantz would cross the line first followed by Bailey, Cox (on three wheels), Sault and Evans.


Flamboro Speedway Halloween Enduro 300 Oct. 21, 2017
300 lap enduro race 


As Shantz brought it around after a victory lap he slowed at the start finish line, out of gas and not able to make it to victory lane. Now that was close. After the festivities with the top three, Justin Collison was brought around to the start finish line. Before the race, our Pure Stock champion Doug Moir announced to the fans that his son Kody Moir and fellow Super Stock racer A.J. Miller were going through the stands prior to the race, to "Fill the Helmet". with all proceeds going to the family of Clay Collison. They raised $1285.00. Doug, Kody and A.J. presented the money to Justin. He was so appreciative to everyone for doing such a great thing for his right hand man, his best friend and cousin Clay. Thanks to everyone who donated. Racers are all like family and stick together through things like this. Thanks to all!!


After the race, ten cars would line up along the front stretch wall for the always exciting and popular demolition derby. I remember as a kid, this was my favorite part of the show! Chris Rivers always seems to dominate these events and this time he had some competition. Joe Dewise was giving him all he could handle and when it came down to the final two, Dewise was victorious. Watch the video, it was so cool!


Flamboro Speedway Demolition Derby Oct. 21, 2017
Demolition Derby 
 

After the race, the top cars went to tech. Shantz seemed to be in there was seemed was an eternity. I'm sure it was for Josh and crew for sure. Prior to the race, the Shantz crew had to make some adjustments. Josh told me later, "Rear Camber was disallowed, so we had to change the rear arm to bring the wheel Camber back into spec. It was bent from the last Enduro." After the race, head of tech Glen Hils went over the car with a fine tooth comb. "They checked the computer, flywheel, front suspension, camshafts." But when all was said and done everything was legal and Shantz officially picked up the win. That's two wins and $20,000 in the bank. His dad Danny told me late he felt bad for Dave Bailey. But they sure can use the money as they are selling their 602 Sprint car to run full time in a 360 at Ohsweken Speedway in 2018. The 602 is still for sale I believe so contact him for a great car that was in victory lane five times in 2017!



So once again congratulations to Josh on the big win.  Thanks to all the drivers, scorers, fans and staff for making this event an exciting way to close the season. Thanks to our guest scorer from the WRKC, Christine Dryden for a great job and spending her anniversary with us!!



Thanks to Derek Smith, www.racepulse.com for the great photos and to Ingrid Hartman for the great videos all season long. You can follow her on youtube at petalpower51.


Results

1) #18 Josh Shantz
2) #14 Dave Bailey
3) #44 Jamie Cox
4) #81 Karl Sault
5) #87x Shone Evans
6) #38 Rodney Rutherford
7) #23 Andrew Castelein
8) # 251 Curtis Young
9) #1 Dan Dos Santos
10) #71 Brad Webb
11) #73 Mike Troback
12) #143 Phil Givens
13) #123 Trevor DeBoer
14) #410 Cam Wright
15) #468 Andrew Webster
16) #43 Blair Fisher
17) #05 Pete Reid
18) #82 Coltin Everingham
19) #76 Shawn Taylor
20) #413 Justin Taylor
21) #04 Jason Boisvenue
22) #147 Desmond Wright
23) #32 Gillian Hils
24) #417 Mike Ollivierio
25) #87 Jim McTavish
26) #34 Kyle Hall
27) #11c Justin Collison
28) #66 David Deschenes
29) #327 Trevor Farrington
30) #29 Bryan Sudsbury
31) #09 Kent Nuhn
32) #56 Mike Kell
33) #16 Justin Haanstra
34) #77 Dylan Sharpe
35) #5 Jonathan Ayrton
36) #404 Mike Reuter
37) #03 Scott Entwistle
38) #41 Steve Lovie
39) #22 Chris Mitchell
40) #649 Travis Hallyburton
41) #157 Risi George
42) #25 Ken Sargent
43) #811 Adam Gibson
44) #2 Travis Hofstetter
45) #3 Brad Bacher
46) #46 Dave Silverthorn Jr.
47) #31 Keara Gallant
48) #91 Adam Marsh
49) #1708 Nathaniel Bracci
50) #61 Dan Stovey
51) #98 Sid Bracci
52) #01 Wayde Thorne
53) #21c Jason Lovie
54) #57 Tyler Moore
55) #65 Blake Wadham
56) #171 Roy Tennant
57) #4 Steve McGregor
58) #182 Chris Johnson
59) #85 Rob Campbell
60) #199 Mike DiFrancesco
61) #15 Matthew Larkin
62) #22b Kevin Nichol
63) #37 Will Larkin
64) #114 Cory Young
65) #5c Craig Cole