Flamboro to Norris!
Tim Norris holds off Dennis Thomson for win at Flamboro
TORONTO, ONTARIO – The Ontario Pro Challenge Series visited Flamboro Speedway on Saturday night, with a new driver and a driver making his first appearance of the year. Jason Podewils was in the Liftmycar.com Ford Mustang Cobra as regular driver Tim Forbes was out with a hand injury. The #37 of Larry Majuery also made his first appearance of the year.
In the feature, it was very much a nose-to-tail fight between the Lucas Oil/ApprenticeSearch.com Dodge Intrepid of Tim Norris and the Thomson Signs/Markham Driveline Ford Taurus of Dennis Thomson. Norris led early on from the pole, while Thomson slotted in behind Norris after starting second. The two battled until the checkered flag, but as they came to the flag, they had some unexpected company.
A yellow in the late going bunched up the field, with Dario Valente running third, the International Truck and Engine Pontiac Grand Prix of Ken Nicholson fourth and the Wipe Out Weed and Grass Killer Dodge Avenger of Josh Nicholson fifth.
As they came back to green, Thomson looked to go around the outside of Norris, but that lane was taken by Valente. Behind Valente, the father and son duo of Ken Nicholson and Josh Nicholson were side by side. Josh nipped his dad at the line, but the entire top five went across the line like a finish at Daytona, not Flamboro.
Norris took the win, but all was not good with his car. “This is great for our Lucas Oil team,” Norris said. “But I had a problem at the end, like the clutch was slipping or something. I looked in my mirror and all I could see were cars everywhere.”
Thomson also had a mirror full. “I thought about the outside on Norris,” Thomson said. “But Dario, Ken and Josh were right there – I had nowhere to go.”
Behind the top five, sixth went to the Adidas/Shaw Motorsports Monte Carlo of Danielle Wilson, seventh was the O'Connor's Freight Distribution Inc/Royal E&I Transportation Inc./MMG Financial Intrepid of Kevin Crowhurst. It was a tough night for Crowhurst as he was involved in an incident in the heat race, and finished seventh in the feature. The net result was Norris left Flamboro with the point’s lead. He has 450 to Crowhurst’s 437. Still making ground is Thomson, who has 429 points.
Rounding out the order were; Malcolm McMaster in his MMG Financial Monte Carlo in eighth, Rob deHaan in his 300bucks.ca Monte Carlo, Majuery in 10th and Podewils in 11th.
The series now takes a week off before heading back to Sauble Beach for race nine of 12.
Release prepared by Russ Bond Agency
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