SPEEDWAY RACE RECAP FOR JULY 21, 2012
(Bowmanville, ON – July 26, 2012) It didn’t matter whether your preference in racing machinery was a Pure Stock Prelude or a Lola Mazda LMP1; last weekend Canadian Tire Motorsport Park was the place to see them all. While the Mobil 1 Grand Prix of Mosport featured the American Le Mans Series and their sports car counterparts on the 3.957 km road course, at the half-mile oval, James Printing and Signs presented the standing room crowd with top-flight stock car competition courtesy of the homegrown Lucas Oil Pure Stocks and Bob’s Towing Thunder Cars as well as the Ontario Legends and OSCAAR Super Late Models.
Lucas Oil Pure Stock
The Lucas Oil Pure Stock division was created as an entry-level class, a low cost series designed to allow drivers to develop their skills behind the wheel and display their competitive potential. The formula has obviously succeeded with racing success seen across the board.
Corey Hayward in his #70 Superior Transmissions/Truxmart Honda and Kevin Vande Beek (#54) set the early tone for the 20-lap feature, the two drivers immediately slotting into the race leading positions by the end of the first lap. Running bumper-to-bumper through the first half of the contest, Hayward was eventually able to open a slight advantage over his persistent shadow, but not before he and Vande Beek had built up a quarter-track gap over the remainder of the Pure Stock field. Running caution-free to the checkered flag, Hayward claimed the rubber match, leading Vande Beek by three car lengths at the stripe however post-race tech resulted in a penalty that placed the #70 in last place on the result sheet.
Although not in contention for the overall race victory on this night, the trio of Henk Mulders (#45 Link Greenhouses/Vos’ Independent), Willy Howells (#19 Sandford Racing Engines/Clips and Crafts Prelude) and Jeff VandeBelt (#33 Attention to Detail Integra) were engaged in their own three-way battle. Following a race long, nose-to-tail dice, Mulders emerged ahead of Howells and VandeBelt.
Bob’s Towing Thunder Car
Basic physics states, that a body in motion will maintain that momentum until hampered by outside forces. Accordingly, it appears that the only force capable to slowing John Baker Jr.’s race winning momentum would be a very large boat anchor.
Last Saturday ‘JBJ’ rolled up his sixth Bob’s Towing Thunder Car feature victory of the year, despite carrying an extra 50 pounds of penalty weight in the #63 Marksmen Club/Fotheringham Bookkeeping Chevy.
Sharing heat race wins with his primary championship rival Chad Strawn (#77), Baker was looking to build on his points advantage in the feature, but struggled early in the 20-lap affair, boxed in amongst a four car pack of his class rivals.
With Dale Wood (#10), Steve Mayhew (#14) and Strawn all battling for the lead in the opening laps, Baker was forced to bide his time, and wait for an opening. Finally able to claim a clear lane, ‘Big John’ picked his way to the front, moving past Wood’s #10 Monte Carlo at the end of the back straight to grab the lead on lap five, Strawn following Baker’s lead to slip through into the runner-up position at the same time.
While Baker edged away from the pack to eventually claim the victory, Strawn in his #77 Walton Restoration/GTA Racing Design Chevy had to fend off constant challenges from Wood to secure a second place result, while Mayhew in his Benson Auto Parts/ Mayhew Auto Nova kept Wood’s attention from behind, but was forced to settle for a fourth place finish. Tom Cormier (#2 Cormier Transport/E&C Foote Monte Carlo) rounded out the top five finishers, crossing the stripe ahead of the #16 of Anthony DiBello.
Ontario Legends
Series sophomore Wes Cuthbertson used a gutsy, last lap pass to wrestle the lead away from defending series champion Andy Warbutton and held on to score a well-deserved victory in the 20-lap feature for the INEX Ontario Legends series.
A lap six spin sent Cuthbertson’s #12 to the tail end of the field, but he rebounded with a spirited charge, chasing down his race leading brother Adam (#79), Warbutton and Bill Mason.
A Turn Two spin by Adam Cuthbertson brought out the yellow flag on lap 13; allowing Wes Cuthbertson to close up onto Warbutton’s back bumper. Locked together, the two ran out the remaining laps in a high-speed tandem, with the younger Cuthbertson making multiple challenges to Warbutton’s position. On lap 18, Cuthbertson drew alongside of Warbutton’s black #24, with Mason (#4) nestled closely behind. Using the inside line through Turn Three, Cuthbertson edged past his race long rival, claiming the victory by a mere car length. In the three-car dash to the line, Warbutton held on to earn a runner-up result over Mason and the quickly closing #70 of Fred Jordan. Paul Pierik (#33) took home fifth spot, defending his position against Andrew McFadden (#20) and the #00 of Bob Price for the spot.
OSCAAR Super Late Models
Seething from what he felt was an unjust call by officials that demoted him to second place on lap 12, George Wilson responded in anger, reclaiming top spot from Brandon Watson three laps later, moving past the series’ point’s leader following a side-by-side duel through corners three and four.
“I had no idea why I was put back, but I sure wasn’t going to stay there,” declared Wilson. “I lined him (Watson) up for the crossover going into (turn) three, and got him coming onto the front straight.”
Once at the front of the 16-car, OSCAAR Super Late Model field, Wilson staunchly defended his race leading position from 19-year-old Watson for the remaining 35 laps, the cars never separated by more than a car length as Wilson powered on to score his second consecutive OSCAAR SLM win.
“I adjusted my line and found where the car would run the best. From then on, it was a matter of not making any mistakes and forcing Brandon to chase me,” concluded the Sault Ste. Marie-based driver.
Early race leader Glenn Watson was forced into a pit stop to replace a flat right rear tire, but recovered for a top five finish, chasing former champions Derrick Tiemersma (#7) and Rob Clarke (#49) to the stripe. Charlie Gallant (#40p) and local driver Dave Taylor (#51) rounded out the lead lap finishers.
For further information:
Ryan Chalmers, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park
ryan@ctmpark.com 800-866-1072 (office) (905) 260-1711 (cell)
Photo Credit - Lance Farrow
Linkback: https://www.canadianracingonline.com/smf/index.php?topic=15956.msg103569#msg103569
