Varney ON- When a lot of tracks crown all their champions in one night Full Throttle Motor Speedway takes a weekend to do it right. Over three days this past weekend fans were treated to close to 600 laps of feature racing action which didn’t disappoint anyone in attendance.
Things kicked off Friday night with the Fun Stock class taking to the track for a couple heats and their big 40 lap season ending feature. Once the drivers got some of their season ending run ins out of the way the remaining drivers settled into some great racing action. The race was dominated off the start by Full Throttles own Joey Logano look alike Ben Klages from Hanover wheeling his #32 Ford. He managed to stay out in front for most of the race until cautions caught up to him and allowed the #85 Matt Clarke from Mount Forest to take the lead. Clarke would hold the lead until with just five laps left the length of the race would catch up to his right front tire sending him to the pits and allowing Klages to regain the lead and hold it all the way to the finish line. Second would go to #25 Billy Lovell from Mildmay, third #34 Alex Hastie from Durham, fourth #0 Phil Givens from Fergus and rounding out the top five #94 Tim Van Oastveen from Palmerston. Heat winners where #25 Billy Lovell and #85 Matt Clarke. Once things where all totalled up it would be #25 Billy Lovell from Mildmay being crowned the 2015 Fun Stock Champion.
Mini Stocks also wrapped up their season with a forty lap feature and again there would be a number of cautions as every driver wanted to win the last one. In the end it would be the always quick #36 Corry Young from Owen Sound running off with the last checker flag. Second would go to #13 Bobby Tolton from Rockwood, third #63 Brandon Crumbie from Cookstown, fourth #14 Brian Wilson and fifth #35 Tim Tolton from Guelph. Heat wins would go to #14 Brian Wilson and #36 Corry Young. The end of the season capped off an outstanding run for #63 Brandon Crumbie as he would take home more checkers then anyone over the season making him the 2015 Champion.
The ever popular Street Stock class wrapped up their season with another great race which came down to another late race restart. The race would start out great for the #35 Mike Thebeau from Mitchell as he would jump to the early lead followed by the #01 Travis Farrow from Holstein. Half way through the race Farrow would manage to get on the inside of Thebeau and take the lead as the #18 of Billy Alderson Jr from Mount Forest had made his way from starting near the back of the pack to join in the action up front. Then it was another late race restart with #01 Farrow on the inside and #18 Billy Alderson Jr on the outside and as it has been many times this season the high side would win out powering Alderson to another checker flag. Second would go to #01 Travis Farrow, third #35 Mike Thebeau, fourth #20 Ryan Edwards-Kiss from Londesboro and fifth #47 Vaughn Lawrence from Sauble Beach. Heat winners where #35 Mike Thebeau and #18 Billy Alderson Jr. This night would cap off a great run in 2015 by Full Throttle rookie Street Stock driver #20 Ryan Edwards-Kiss as he would capture his first Championship.
Super Trucks would finalize their first ever season on the highbanks with twin features and it would be a familiar face in the winner circle for both features #69 Mike Becker from Cambridge. Second in feature one would go to #182 Lyle Lorenz from Listowel, third #12 George Carter from Cambridge, fourth #112 Ben Bond from Cambridge and fifth #7 Brody Schiestel from Palmerston. In feature two second would go to #112 Ben Bond, third #12 George Carter and rounding out the field #7 Brody Schiestel. These two features would also be the crowning jewel for the first ever Super Truck champion #69 Mike Becker who has set the bar for others to follow in this class.
Racing continued Saturday as the touring series took to the highbanks. First up where the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup series with their qualifying and laying down the blistering lap of the day was #66 Josh Wood from London. Once the field had been set and the in inversion done the drivers got down to business in what turned out to be a caution filled event with one good long green flag run in the middle it would be #14 Brandt Graham from Orno taking home his first checker flag in his rookie season with the series. Second would go to #24 Brennan Didero from Ancaster, third #81 Shawn McGlynn from Kitchener, fourth #81 Chad McGlynn from Kitchener and in fifth #66 Josh Wood. As this was the final point’s race for the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup #24 Brennan Didero was crowned their 2015 champion in front of the Full Throttle crowd.
As on hand Saturday where the Canadian Vintage Modifieds for their only trip to the highbanks in 2015 and as always this club put on a great show even with their limited car count. In the end it would by #57 Steve Trendell from Fergus capturing the checker flag in the feature followed by #2 Ben Charbonneau from Breslau. Third would go to #18 Jason Keen from Oakville, fourth #36 Rick Schurr from Waterloo and rounding out the top five #88 Jeremy Riopelle from Burlington. Heat winners where #57 Steve Trendell and #18 Jason Keen.
Can Am Midgets where also on hand for another night of exciting fast paced racing action and action we had as the Midgets where doing their hot laps before their feature the throttle would get stuck on the #84 Tyler Turnbull from Cambridge sending him into the catch fence at the pit entrance 10 feet in the air taking out the caution lights, luckily he was able to walk away but his car could be a write off. In the feature it would be #50 Adrian Stahle from Kitchener with the win, second #48 Darren McLennan from London, third #94 Ryan Fraser from Rockwood, fourth #63 Barry Dunn from Aylmer and fifth #74 Rob Neely from Rockwood. Heat wins would go to #74 Rob Neely and #48 Darren McLennan.
OSCAAR Midgets put on another excellent show for the fans bringing 25 to try and tame the highbanks but before they could decide a feature winner things where held up for a serious accident which would send #2 Jessica James to local hospital for assessment. Once racing got underway again it would be the #5 Jody Bound being first under the starters stand to claim the victory followed by #48 Brian Woodland, #84 Richard Woodland, #53 Dave Bradley and in fifth #62 Rob McCall. It would take six heats to set the field for this night and the heat winners where #48 Brian Woodland with two, #5 Jody Bound, #2 Jessica James, #53 Dave Bradley and #84 Richard Woodland.
OSCAAR also brought their Modified division as drivers had some unfinished business to deal with as this night would be the second and final race to crown the 2015 Rick Woolner Memorial Champion. With the #39 Shane Stickle taking round one earlier in the year local track favorite #8 Gary McLean from Conn knew what he had to do and came into this race as a man on a mission. McLean would prove his point by setting down the fast lap in qualifying and following that up with two heat race victories. Other heat winners would be #12 David Balych and #79H Cory Horner. With all this behind him #8 Gary McLean would hold the hot hand coming into the feature but after inversion would find himself starting deeper in the field then he would like and he know he had to step up his game. From the drop of the green McLean would wait for the field to sort itself out staying out of trouble then lap by lap position by position McLean would pick them off one at a time until he found himself at the front of the field. From this point the familiar #8 would sit out front until the checkers would fly, second would go to #79H Cory Horner, third #47 Brian McLean, fourth #99 A.J. Emms and fifth #36 Gary Elliott. Then as quick as the checkered flag flew the calculators would come out to determine by points who would be the 2015 Rick Woolner Memorial Champion and when it was all done it would be determined all the hard work by the #8 team of Gary McLean had paid off as they would find themselves not only race winners but Memorial Champions again for another year.
Things wrapped up on Sunday for the 2015 season with the crowning of the final champions. Jr Late Model division had one of the best fields of the season and showed all in attendance what these young drivers can do. In the end it would be #49 Hayden Sim from Komaka taking the checker followed by #29 Austin Arnel from Thedford, #7 Ty Cavallin from Owen Sound, #15 Kaisha Zimouch from Mt Brydges and rounding out the top five #25 Travis Placzek from Grand Valley. Heat winners where #29 Austin Arnel and #49 Hayden Sim. Plus showing that finishing every night is key to winning championships #25 Travis Placzek was crowned Jr Late Model Champion with a trophy taller than he is but his smile was wider.
In Mini Truck action with a field that shows great promise of growing for next season it would be #12 Tanner Pirie from Woodstock taking the final checker flag of the season. Second would go to #33 Hayden Sim from Komaka, third #88 Bubba Brown from London, fourth #29 Kevin McMillen from Palmerston and in fifth #67 Rick Baskett from Clinton. Heat winners where #67 Rick Baskett and #12 Tanner Pirie. With the points totalled up it would be newcomer to the track this season #88 Bubba Brown taking home the top hardware after a great season on the highbanks.
Outlaw Late Models also seen a good car count for their end of season racing action and what started out to be a very promising feature judging by the car count fizzed a bit as some cars suffered mechanical issues. The feature would start out great and ran along very while with drivers racing hard and putting on a great show then with five laps to go visiting driver #52 Steve March from London would drive it in way to deep in corner one on leader #11 Cole Weber from New Hamburg knocking Weber out of the lead but as March thought he was driving past with the lead Weber would hook him spinning him towards the wall bring out the caution. This was a Christmas present come early to #36 Gary Elliott from Waterdown who has run strong all season long but has always been a little underpowered to some of the other cars finding himself on the pole with three laps to go was a true blessing. On the restart Elliott would get a great jump over #23 Paul Millagan from Innisfill on his outside they brushed once but Elliott was off and he ran all the way to his first checker flag this year. Second would go to #23 Paul Millagan, third #40 Mark Dixon from Durham, fourth #52 Steve March from London and fifth #11 Cole Weber. Heat winners where #76 Tyler Williams from Chesley and #00 Trevor Thompson. Plus capping off another outstanding season #11 Cole Weber would be crowned points champion even after replacing an engine in the pits one night between features.
Crazy Trains where the last to wrap it up for a season with a twenty five lap feature which turned into more of a last train running feature but at the end it would be The Dragon Express finishing ahead of Crazy Till We Die and Texas Traincar Massacre. Heat winners where Crazy Till We Die and Confused Till We Die. Plus the overall season champion would turn out to be Texas Traincar Massacre from Mount Forest over one of the best fields of Trains the track as seen in a number of years.
Then to usher out the season with something fans will get to see a lot more of next season Full Throttle introduced their new class Crazy 8’s figure eight racing. With a good field of cars and trucks on hand drivers put their equipment and nerves to the test as they drove through the X 28 times to get to the checker flag. In the end it would be Gord Bennett from Durham picking up the checker and showing drivers and fans what kind of excitement is in store next season at Full Throttle Motor Speedway.
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