If there was a track, there was racing
This past weekend saw the startup of lots of local racing, so here is a rundown of some of the action.
After two rounds in this year’s Lucas Oil Can-Am Midget Series, Adam Racine has taken the points lead with a pair of victories. And he is doing it with a borrowed car, belonging to Mack DeMan, who has placed second in both of the races.
Racine, of Elmira, took the Midget opener at Flamboro Speedway May 13 and repeated his success at Sunset Speedway over the weekend. Four-time and defending series champion DeMan of Mississauga was second in both features, and Ryan Fraser of Rockwood placed third in both races. Next event for the Midgets is at Lancaster Speedway June 3.
On the paved Flamboro oval last Saturday, both the Canadian Vintage Modifieds and the Grisdale Late Models made their first appearance at the Millgrove track. Driving his AMC-powered 1933 Dodge coupe, Brian Atkinson won the CVM feature, and Kevin Albers of Rockton won the Grisdale LM main. The second feature for both series was rained out and will take place later this season. The OSCAAR Super Late Models and Modifieds will headline the racing this Saturday.
Reigning NASCAR Pinty’s Series champ Cayden Lapcevich took fourth in the Can-Am 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park Sunday. The 17-year old Smithville high school student started 11th in the 55-lap road course race, won by pole-sitter Kevin Lacroix of SaintEustache, QC.
Other winners at the CTMP opener, called the Castrol presents Victoria Day SpeedFest, include Jade Buford of Tennessee who won the Pirelli World Challenge GTS race, Californian Mason Filippi taking the overall win in Touring Car, and Jean-Michel Isabelle of Gatineau Quebec winning the two opening rounds of the 2017 Nissan Micra Cup.
Mat Williamson won the third annual Brian Stevens Memorial at Merrittville Speedway Monday, an event featuring the Pinty’s-sponsored 358 Modifieds. The St. Catharines racer took the lead on the last circuit of the 66-lap race from New Yorker Charlie Rudolph.
It has been 15 years since a Ford-powered vehicle won NASCAR’s longest race, the Coca-Cola 600. Ford has won five of the first 11 races in the Monster Energy Cup this season, and is hoping to continue its success at Charlotte Motor Speedway this weekend with the running of the 600. The automaker last won this race in 2002 with Mark Martin.
Since the track opened in 1960, Chevrolet has the most victories at 23 including the first 600, then known as the World 600. After David Pearson won in a Pontiac in 1961, Ford was on board the next two years with winners Nelson Stacy in 1962 and Fred Lorenzen in 1963. Both were driving HolmanMoody prepared Fords.
In total, Ford has won the 600 12 times, and corporate brother Mercury has won four times. Toyota has won the past two years.
Jimmie Johnson has won the race four times, but Darrell Waltrip holds the record with five wins.
Several times, The World 600 was cut short due to rain, but the race was actually the World 540 in 1974, shortened due to the fuel crisis at the time. Driving his Wood Brothers Mercury, Pearson won the race after 540 miles instead of the usual 600 around the 1.5-mile oval.
And in that shortened 1974 race, Earl Ross of Ailsa Craig, Ont., the only Canadian to win a NASCAR Cup race (Martinsville, 1974), placed fifth at Charlotte in his Carling Brewery-sponsored Chevrolet.