Race Recap: Season Ending Pumpkin Smasher Delivers
September 27, 2014
Race Recap with Results & Photos:
https://delawarespeedway.com/?p=13958After three years of rain, fans and drivers finally got the chance to experience the the annual Pumpkin Smasher season finale at Delaware Speedway under sunny skies on Saturday afternoon. Kevin Hinds (#57) of Whitby won the Open Ontario 4-Cylinder feature, Piet Blaauboer (#777) of Strathroy won the Transmission Direct Enduro 75-lap event and Derek Moesker (#51) of Beachville took home the win and championship in the Bone Stock Chaos Car feature. The Demolition Derby was won by Steve Wagner. The day also featured a number of charity programs including pumpkins being sold to benefit Jesse’s Journey, the “A Can is your Coupon” Food Drive, and a 50/50 draw for Ronald McDonald House.
Derek Moesker (#51) of Beachville won the 75-lap Bone Stock Chaos Car feature. As is Pumpkin Smasher tradition, before the feature young fans took to the track for the opportunity to smash over 200 pumpkins on the race track in turn one. The pumpkins were sold to raise funds for Jesse’s Journey. The pumpkin guts on track turned the asphalt into an autumn slip-n-slide, causing drivers to use extra caution in the turn throughout the event. For some drivers, the slippery mess proved to be a particular challenge, sending drivers spinning to the inside of the track countless times throughout the afternoon. Jay Chappell (#25) of Dutton led the first six laps before being overtaken by Don Tomlinson (#2) of Woodstock. Tomlinson led until lap twelve but was passed by Steve Lovie (#1) of Dutton. Lovie appeared to be in a spot to dominate the remainder of the race but was forced to surrender the spot as the result of a flat tire. Nathan Taback (#64) of London became the new leader but only a few moments later in lap fifty Taback also had to drop out of the race due to a mechanical problem. At this point, Moesker took the lead and was able to hold the position to claim the victory and the 2014 championship. Kyle Neumeister (#92) of Stratford placed second and Darren Thirkettle (#077) of Strathroy finished third.
Kevin Hinds (#57) of Whitby won the 25-lap Open Ontario 4-Cylinder feature. Clark Hartman (#51) of Waterloo led the first lap, while Kevin Pickford (#19) of Richmond Hill and Doug Butler (#10) of New Lowell battled for second and third position. In lap three Pickford and Butler collided, throwing Hill out of position while Butler claimed second. In lap six, Butler passed into first while Hinds rode second and Hartman rode third. Going into lap ten Butler and Hinds went side by side, competing for second through lapped traffic for several laps. In lap sixteen Pickford, who was cruising in fifth place spun causing a caution. On the restart, Butler, Hartman, and Hinds drove three wide competing for first. In lap seventeen, Hinds took the lead, and eventually Butler claimed second after battling with Brandon Crumby (#68). By the final lap, Hinds had secured first place. Butler finished second and Crumby finished third.
Piet Blaauboer (#777) of Strathroy won the 75-lap Transmission Direct Enduro feature. Rob Paff (#776) of Glencoe led the first eleven laps. In lap five, Blaauboer competed with Jamie Klumper (#07) of Mitchell for second and third position. Blaauboer was able to hold off Klumper’s charge to keep second spot for the moment as Klumber settled into third. In lap eleven, Paff and Blaauboer were held back by lapped traffic and Klumper had the opportunity to take the lead going into lap twelve but there was a red flag as a result of a car spinning right in the path of the leaders. The spin caused damage to Klumper’s car, forcing him to pit and shook up the running order. Barry Watson (#45) of West Lorne became the new leader for lap thirteen while Paff and Blaauboer were able to keep chasing the lead from second and third respectively. In lap forty, Blaauboer challenged Paff for second place. Blaauboer secured second position on lap forty-one. In lap forty-eight Blaauboer finally passed Watson for the lead and would continue up front for the remainder of the race. Watson finished second. Paff finished third. This was Blaauboer’s first feature win in the Transmission Direct Enduro series. Although Jamie Klumper struggled on the afternoon, he was able to salvage a performance that landed him as the 2014 Transmission Direct Endruo Champion. Klumper claimed two wins this season, the first at the season opener and the other at the previous event.
No Pumpkin Smasher event would be complete without a demolition derby to round out the afternoon. In this year’s edition the last car running and the winner of derby was the #499 driven by Steve Wagner. Best appearing car honours went to Jordan Morris (#73) of London.
The Annual Pumpkin Smasher was the final event of Delaware Speedway’s 2014 season. Track management would like to extend their thanks to all drivers and their teams, as well as staff and fans who have supported the track this year. We encourage race fans to stay connected through the speedway’s e-newsletter, facebook page, and twitter feed for information about the 2015 race season.
Delaware Speedway, P.O. Box 189, N0L 1R0, Komoka, Canada
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