MOSPORT SPEEDWAY RECAP- AUGUST 15, 2009
Roy Nichols Motors, from nearby Courtice, have been a long time supporter of Mosport Speedway. In addition to supplying the official pace car, the local Chevrolet dealer is also a proud sponsor of Jim Rossiter’s #66 Modified, and on a picture-perfect Saturday night, the staff of Roy Nichols and their honoured guests were treated to some spectacular stock car auto racing.
The R.P.Oil Ltd Modifieds
With the eyes of his sponsor upon him, Orono, Ontario’s Jim Rossiter continued to do what he has been doing best, which is win, and dominate, in Mosport Speedway’s Modified division.
Cruising to a pair of heat race wins, over Randy Hollingsworth (#62 RB’s Auto Recyclers) and Gary Tryon (#82 Tryon Masonry), Rossiter slotted his #66 Roy Nichols Motors/ CCEI Modified onto the tail end of the open-wheeled field for the start of the 15- lap feature sprint.
Focusing on the job at hand, ‘Professor’ Rossiter carefully picked his way through the field, moving up into third place by the end of the first lap, and was firmly in control of the race by the end of the second lap. Putting on what could best be described as a driving clinic, Rossiter worked lapped traffic effortlessly and eventually took the checkered flag a full half lap ahead of his nearest rival for his sixth feature win of the season.
“Starting at the back like that makes it fun and entertaining to watch,” said Rossiter. Commenting on his fellow competitors, he said, “It takes a lot of hours in the shop every week to get these cars ready. My hat is off to all of these guys for all of their work.”
While Rossiter was on his way to the overall victory, a four-way tussle was developing for the runner-up spot.
Gary Tryon has been a pesky presence in Rossiter’s mirrors this season, and the Peterborough, Ontario resident came through again on Saturday, outrunning a trio of drivers for the well-deserved second place result. Running in lockstep behind Tryon and crossing the stripe nose-to-tail were Bill Pickford (#61 Techtonix Construction), Randy Hollingsworth (#62 Stewart Electric) and track newcomer Dave Burrows, (#63), son of former Mosport Modified regular Bill Burrows.
The Late Models
If there was ever any doubt about the level of competition in Mosport’s Late Model division, those reservations were put to rest last Saturday as battles raged throughout the field, and none were more spectacular than those at the front.
Defending series champion Dwight Brown and current points leader Dan Kimmerly split the heat race wins, setting up what would be guaranteed to be a hammer and tong fight in the 20-lap evening finale.
Taking the green flag side-by-side in mid-pack, Brown and Kimmerly set their sights on early race leader Shannon Kimmerly. By lap four, Brown had caught up with the younger Kimmerly as she slid her #01S Hoskin Welding Impala high in Turn One. Brown seized the opportunity, and tucked low as the pair headed down the long Mosport back straight and eventually slipped through to take the lead.
What followed was probably the most spectacular racing seen at Mosport this season as daughter Kimmerly gamely defended her position against her father. For three solid laps Shannon led Dan’s #01 Dom’s Auto Parts Pontiac and John Baker Jr. (#23) in a three car train. When Dan finally squeezed past her to take over second place, the younger Kimmerly refused to back down and the father/ daughter duo raced clean and hard, side by side for another nine laps.
Unfortunately, this tussle ended on lap 15 when Shannon brushed the wall exiting Turn Four, necessitating a pit stop at the same time the yellow flag flew for a spin by Andrew McFadden at the opposite end of the track.
Brown saw his considerable advantage erased with the caution period, but when the race went green on the restart, the familiar #20 Bourque Transmission Monte Carlo got a strong launch and despite a slight ‘bumper rub’ from Dan Kimmerly, Brown was able to hold on for the win, his sixth Late Model feature win of the 2009 season.
“We were having some trouble with our front brakes, that yellow was the last thing I wanted to see,” admitted Brown. “Dan got me a little out of shape, but he let me get sorted out, it’s great racing with talent like that.”
Kimmerly crossed the line immediately behind Brown in second spot, while John Baker Jr. (#23 Baker’s Auto/ Freeman Motorsports Ford) survived a bumper-to-bumper battle with series rookie Bryan Sudsbury (#29 Sun Tan Kiss Cobalt) for third place. Terry Betts (#86 Stonehedge Golf Club Chevy) rounded out the top five with Shannon Kimmerly rebounding for a sixth place result.
The Bob’s Towing Sportsman
Mosport veteran Steve Mayhew has had his hands full this season adapting to the new Sportsman class package, but it all came together last Saturday as the Cobourg, Ontario driver went flag-to-flag to score his first class win of the 2009 season.
“We got lucky tonight,” laughed Mayhew. “I’ve turned a lot of laps against those guys, so I was pretty content to get out in front of them and let the rest fight it out behind me.”
With an eye in the rearview mirrors of his #14 eagle.ca/ Mayhew Auto Nova, Mayhew was able to keep watch on a developing duel between polesitter Dale Wood (#10) and John Baker Jr’s #63 Marksman Club Chevrolet. At the race’s mid-point, Baker used his favourite passing move, slipping low through Turn Three to muscle past Wood into second place. Current points leader Bill Northam (#85 Five Points Mall Monte Carlo) took advantage of the hole created by Baker to slide through into third spot.
Running out the laps in the caution-free sprint, Mayhew took the checkered flag four car lengths clear of Baker, with Northam crossed the line in a close third. Wood faded slightly to finish in fourth place while a pair of former ThunderCar champions, Terry Shaw and Brad Stevenson duked it out for fifth place, with Shaw taking the top five finish.
The THORSONS EVT Six Or Less
Auto racing is a sport of extremes, with success and failure balancing on a knife-edge. And this was ably demonstrated in the action from the Six Or Less division.
Ryan Oosterholt entered last Saturday’s activities with a slim 11-point lead over mentor and primary rival Jeff Scott, but a blown motor in Oosterholt’s #79 Cavalier left him facing the possibility of dropping completely out of championship contention.
In a show of true sportsmanship, series rookie Tyler Betts, fresh from his own first career feature victory, stepped up and offered his ride to Oosterholt, in an effort to keep the title drive alive.
Taking advantage of the generous offer, Oosterholt responded by taking the #86 Pingle’s Farm Cavalier to one heat race win, and followed Scott to the stripe for a second place finish in Race Two.
The feature race saw the two title contenders take the green flag from the middle of the 15-car field. Despite a seemingly dangerous green flag start with the field spread four-wide through the first turn, the field managed to make it through the first lap without incident. By lap four, Scott (#96 Maddy’s Pub Pontiac) had closed onto the back bumper of the race leading #63 Tents Plus Dodge of Ray Begbie. Two laps later Scott moved onto the point, only to be relegated to the runner-up spot by the hard charging #57 RadMan Grand Am of Kevin Hinds.
With Oosterholt now rounding out the lead trio, Hinds put on what could best be described as a drifting demonstration as the Whitby, Ontario driver took the victory by five car lengths over Scott, in one of his few 2009 starts.
“Alright, I’m back,” proclaimed Hinds from the Winner’s Circle. “I started from the back and I finally used some patience, and just picked my spots and passed when it was safe.”
Kevin Pickford (#19 Anthony’s Small Engines Buick) fought his way forward to claim the final podium position with Tony DiBello (#27) and Begbie rounding out the top five.
In a cruel twist of fate, Oosterholt was forced to retire from the feature, due to an overheating problem in his borrowed ride. He finished 14th.
Coming up this week: The OSCAAR Outlaw Super Late Models will join the THORSONS EVT 6 or Less Cars and the R.P. Oil Modifieds for another exciting night of stock car action. Mosport is also pleased to welcome the Cash Store for their night at the Speedway. Tickets are available at the gate. Adults $13, Students $8 and kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult admission. For more information call (905) 983-9141, email info@mosport.com or visit www.mosport.com.
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Photos by Rod Henderson
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