LUCAS OIL CAN-AM MIDGETS; DRYDEN AND RACINE TAME THE BULL AT THE BULL RING
The Lucas Oil Can-Am Midgets were at Grand Bend Speedway other wise known as the Bull Ring Saturday Night July 7th.
Lucas Oil Can-Am Midget Champion Adam Racine finally found himself in victory lane after a difficult start to his year.
“I was beating my steering wheel up thinking, there we go, I’m finishing second again,” after being asked his thought’s on the late race caution. “My dad made a change trying to get to the 12 speed and it worked! This thing has been the best it has been in a long time and I hope this continues for the rest of the year. I’d like to thank my dad, he still puts time in, it doesn’t matter how exhausted he is. I love him and I wouldn’t want to do this without him, my family, my mom, Grandma Nancy, Dewey, Matt; I finally got the monkey off my back and I wanted to win with you guys here, it means the world to me. I have to thank our sponsors Lucas Oil, Grisdales, Dettmer Tirecraft Auto Centre in Kitchener, Retail Design Group, T-Weber Oilspraying and Paving and Schwarts Inc. Grand Bend is my favourite track and I’ve never won here, I’m honestly just so happy.”
Racine started the Lucas Oil Can-Am Midget final feature from the seventh position while Ryan Fraser took pole next to Dominique Smith.
At the drop of the green, Fraser took off like a rocket into turn one. Steven Murdoch who started fifth seemed to slow up in turn 1 with a puff a smoke bunching the rear half of the field forcing them to slow up, which Brandon Zavarella took advantage of claiming second from Smith.
As the Lucas Oil Can-Am Midget drivers crossed the start finish line to complete the first lap, Racine was able to seize fifth from Adrian Stahle advancing two positions from seventh.
The next lap Racine had caught up to Murdock going to his inside to make the pass in turn 1. As Racine worked to reel in Smith, mid pack Darren Dryden, Brandon Hauck and Stahle were all battling for sixth with Stahle taking the position.
Caution on lap 4 came out when Bob Bailey spun in turn 1.
The top 5 for the restart was Fraser, Zavarella, Racine, Smith and Murdock.
On the restart Fraser was able to get a good lead over the field as Racine passed Zavarella on the inside of turn 1 leaving him hanging high then going low in turn 3 to capture the lead from Fraser.
Once out in fresh air, Racine pulled away from the field while further back Dryden was trying to advance forward battling Stahle for position.
Lap 10 Dryden was able to go low in turn 1 to take sixth from Stahle.
At the halfway point, Racine had reached the rear of the field and was putting Bailey and Lucas Munsie, who battled a car with clutch issues all night, a lap down. Dryden battled behind Murdock for several laps looking for ways to get around him, finally on lap 20 Dryden seized his chance and went low on the inside of Murdock in turn 1 and completing his pass taking Zavarella in the same spot the very next lap before the caution flew on lap 21.
After battling to find away around Zavarella, Murdock went low in turn one making contact with Zavarella sending them both around bringing out a caution that Racine didn’t want to see.
Zavarella went to the pits to get his car checked out and returned to the track before the restart while Murdock’s night ended.
The field was set for a single file restart with Racine in the lead followed by Dryden, Fraser, Stahle, Smith, Hauck, Marche, Zavarella, Munsie and Bailey.
At the drop of the green, Racine was off and running chased by a strong running Dryden as the last four laps were run.
Dryden didn’t make the win easy for Racine as he kept the pressure on for the remaining 4 laps waiting for Racine to make an essential mistake to capture the lead but time ran out.
The Final Finish for the Lucas Oil-Can-Am Midgets at Grand Bend Speedway on Saturday July 7th is as follows;
1. ADAM RACINE, 2. Darren Dryden, 3. Ryan Fraser, 4. Adrian Stahle, 5. Dominique Smith, 6. Brandon Hauck(R), 7. Brandon Zavarella, 8. Cassidy Marche(R), 9. Steven Murdock, 10. Lucas Munsie, 11. Bob Bailey(R)
In the first Lucas Oil Can-Am Midget Feature of the night, Lucas Munsie was to start on pole but elected to start at the rear because of an ill handling car putting Racine on pole along side Zavarella.
At the drop of the green Racine and Zavarella battled side by side before Racine was able to pull out ahead in turn 3 to take the lead.
As the field crossed, the line on lap 2 cation waved for Marche who had spun unassisted in turn 1.
On the restart, it was Racine out in front again followed by Zavarella, Fraser, Stahle and Dryden.
Two laps were completed before Zavarella spun unassisted in turn 3 sending him into the grass.
Racine was off again out in front on the restart followed by Fraser, Stahle, Dryden and Murdock.
Dryden, making his car stick on the outside jumped out ahead of Stahle taking over third in turn 1 then Fraser in turn 3 for second.
Racine and Dryden started to pull away from the rest of the field as Dryden began reeling in Racine hungry for the lead.
At the half waypoint, Dryden had caught up to Racine and by a hair just capture the lead the start finish line. Racine kept good pace with Dryden but just couldn’t find anything to get back around him.
It wasn’t long before Dryden and Racine caught the rear of the field and put Bailey a lap down while Munsie left the track with car trouble.
Dryden increased his lead over Racine while Racine increased his lead over Stahle who claimed third from Fraser.
As the laps wound down to the checkered flag Dryden had increased his lead over the rest of the field by a front stretch’s length. No one could catch him in his rocket!
The Final Finish for the Lucas Oil-Can-Am Midgets at Grand Bend Speedway on Saturday July 7th is as follows;
1. DARREN DRYDEN, 2. Adam Racine, 3. Adrian Stahle, 4. Steven Murdock, 5. Brandon Hauck(R), 6. Brandon Zavarella, 7. Dominique Smith, 8. Ryan Fraser, 9. Cassidy Marche(R), 10. Bob Bailey(R), 11. Lucas Munsie
Please join the Lucas Oil Can-Am Midgets as they head to Sunset Speedway July 14th.
The Lucas Oil Can-Am Midget top 13 in Driver points is as follows; 1. DARREN DRYDEN…1790, 2. Adrian Stahle…1751, 3. Steven Murdock…1593, 4. Adam Racine…1527, 5. Ryan Fraser…1503, 6. Brandon Zavarella…1443, 7. Dominique Smith…1371, 8. Lucas Munsie…1268, 9. Cassidy Marche (R)…785, 10. Brandon Hauck(R)…684, 11. Cory Whittam…646, 12. Glen Fenwick…496, 13. Bob Bailey(R)…296
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