2016-10-06

45e Winchester 400 - une course de 400 tours avec arrêts aux puits

Fier d'une remontée spectaculaire de la 29e à la 3e position lors du All American 400 de la fin de semaine dernière, Raphaël Lessard reprend le volant de sa Toyota Racing Camry #99 de nouveau en fin de semaine,  pour une autre course de 400 tours hors championnat, cette fois au Winchester Speedway  en Indiana, pour le 45e Winchester 400.

 

Le jeune pilote de St-Joseph de Beauce participera pour la deuxième fois en carrière à une course de 400 tours avec arrêt aux puits.  Plus de 30 pilotes vont tenter de se faire une place pour la finale de dimanche le 9 octobre.

 

Le Winchester Speedway, localisé à Winchester en Indiana, porte le sobriquet du '' demi mile le plus rapide au monde''. Cet oval est d'une longueur de 0.5 mille (0,8 km) avec des inclinaisons de 37 degrés dans les courbes, ce qui en fait une des pistes avec la plus forte inclinaison. Le circuit existe depuis 1914 et des pilotes de renom tels que Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin ont couru sur cette piste.

 

Le Winchester 400 sera diffusée en direct sur Speed51.com (option payante). Vous pouvez également suivre sans frais et en temps réel les performances sur piste de Raphaël sur le site Web Race-Monitor.com.

 


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 6.10.16 0 comments

Shane Pecore is Looking for a Strong Run at Brockville’s Northeast Fall Nationals

Shane Pecore is Looking for a Strong Run at Brockville's Northeast Fall Nationals

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

 



It could very well be the biggest event of his career.

 

Shane Pecore took the 2014 Sportsman-Modified honours during the 1000 Islands RV DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals, but if everything falls into place, a solid finish could net the 23 year-old from St. Andrews, Ontario his first career Mr. DIRTcar Series championship. After an impressive season at Brockville and the track championship at his hometown Cornwall Motor Speedway, the second generation speedster is taking a 23-point lead into the Super Dirt Week satellite events at Brewerton and Weedsport Speedways (near Syracuse, New York), with his sights set on clinching the crown during the Saturday, October 15th season-ending spectacular at The BOS.

 

"I've never really been the type of driver to worry about points; just winning races and getting the best possible finish," said the youngster. "My focus has changed a bit lately and I've become more aware of who is running where in the order. Every position that we can gain on the track is worth a little more in the standings and we're looking to take as big a cushion as we can into the final show at Brockville."

 

The late season events on the calendar have already been very kind to Shane Pecore. He won the Pete Mitchell Memorial at Mohawk International Raceway, finished 7th during the Applefest Shootout at Brighton Speedway and was 5th out of a stellar field of 82 Sportsman-Modified entries during the Outlaw 200 Weekend at Fulton Speedway. The #0 Bicknell Racing Products machine made its way to the winner's circle a total of 10 times during the 2016 campaign and in addition to the point title, earned the 'Race for the Cure' title for a 3 race mini of 100 lap shows at Cornwall Motor Speedway.

 

"Momentum is an important component of this sport and I'm happy with the position we've put ourselves in heading-down the home stretch," admitted the confident racer. "The hard work we've put into our program this season has paid dividends since the first green flag of the year and I think we're in a good spot to be a contender for the overall title. To have the final race of the play out on a track where we've run all season puts our time into a strong position."

 

Behind the scenes and at track, Pecore's equipment is prepared and maintained by the driver himself, his girlfriend Chelsea Periard along with his parents Marcel and Cindy. Shane Pecore would like to thank the team's sponsors St. Andrews Service Centre, Mister Sew & Sew, Fox/Fastline Racing Shocks, Tru$peed Technical Services & Driver Consulting and NAPA Auto Parts; as well as his family, friends and fans for their support throughout the 2016 season.

 

Photo attachment: Team supplied

 

After an impressive 2016 regular season, Shane Pecore (#0) is in the running to clinch the overall Mr. DIRTcar Sportsman-Modified title during the Northeast Fall Nationals event at Brockville Ontario Speedway.

 

Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 6.10.16 0 comments

24th Annual Autumn Colours Classic Takes the Green Flag Friday at Peterborough Speedway

24th Annual Autumn Colours Classic Takes the Green Flag Friday at Peterborough Speedway

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media







 

Casual conversation will be replaced by enthusiastic excitement as the 24th Annual Autumn Colours Classic – presented by Lucas Oil Products – gets rolling Friday, October 7th at Peterborough Speedway. With 10 divisions of racing throughout the weekend, Canada's Toughest 3rd of a Mile Paved Oval has been transformed into Central Ontario's hub of short track excitement.

 

Different drivers look at a win in the show tabbed as the Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing in different ways. Peterborough's Chris Mitchell has been a fixture at the track for a number of years and although out of town work commitments have kept the 39 year-old from winning a track championship, he says he's extremely proud of his 2011 victory at the season-ending spectacular and wouldn't swap it for an annual crown in the Late Model field.

 

On the other side of the coin, Bryan Sudsbury – who captured the season's title in 2012 – says he'd do almost anything to take an Autumn Colours checkered flag. Originally from Bowmanville, but now calling Cobourg home, 'Sudsy' says he and his crew worked hard for their Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model championship. The 27 year-old admits he'll be working hard to add a win at the prestigious event to his resume.

 

Willie Reyns is no stranger when it comes to winning track championships. The former Thunder Car standout grabbed a pair of honours while running weekly at Kawartha Speedway and finished 2nd in a 2013 Street Stock Nationals event in Newton, Iowa. The 31 year-old from Baltimore, Ontario – who along with wife Cheryl recently celebrated the arrival of a daughter – is looking to be first across the line in the highly competitive Pro Late Model field.

 

Of this year's track champions, only James Townsend – who claimed the Jiffy Lube Mini Stock honours – has an Autumn Colours Classic win, thanks to his Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun victory in 2013. Jeremy Kelly, Howie Crowe and Rick Spencer-Walt – the remaining members of the 2016 championship class – are hoping to head to Dart Heating & Air Conditioning Victory Lane on Thanksgiving Weekend.

 

The 24th Annual Autumn Colours Classic – presented by Lucas Oil Products – gets underway Friday, October 7th and continues 'til Sunday, October 9th at Peterborough Speedway. The opening day's activities will include pre-race inspection and practice, along with opening round qualifying for the Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun, Jiffy Lube Mini Stock, Paul Davis Systems Thunder Car, Late Model, Pro Late Model and OSCAAR Modified divisions; as well as the APC Auto Parts Young Guns Races in the Mini Stock and Thunder Car classes. Pit gates will open at 10:00, with the spectator grandstands unlocked at5:00 and racing getting underway at 6:00.

 

Full schedule details for the annual Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing – along with up to the minute news and results – are always available at www.peterboroughspeedway.com and selecting 'Autumn Colours' from the drop-down choices. You can also like the track on Facebook or follow it on Twitter. Fans can download the free Peterborough Speedway app for their Smartphone.


Photo attachment: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

 

Chris Mitchell (#22) and Bryan Sudsbury fight for a spot during Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model action at Peterborough Speedway. Both drivers are looking for strong runs during the 24th Annual Autumn Colours Classic.

 

Baltimore, Ontario's Willie Reyns (#87) will be looking to add a Pro Late Model Autumn Colours Classic checkered flag to an impressive resume in the provincial Thunder Car and Street Stock ranks.

 

For Jeremy Kelly (#80) an Autumn Colours Classic victory would be the crowning moment to a 2016 season that included his first career Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun championship at Peterborough Speedway.

 

Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 6.10.16 0 comments

John Smith Takes 4th SMRS Modified Win Of Season At Hickory

John Smith Takes 4th SMRS Modified Win Of Season At Hickory

 

  • For Immediate Release

 

HICKORY, NC (October 1) – Mt. Airy, NC's John Smith played the pit strategy game correctly again to claim his fourthSouthern Modified Racing Series (SMRS) presented by PASS win Saturday night at Hickory Motor Speedway in the Hickory 125.  With his win, Smith and Burt Myers are unofficially tied for the series points lead heading to the season-ending Kenny Minter Memorial 125 on October 22 at Caraway Speedway.    

            "Yeah, we sat there and took care of our tires for the first 50 or 75 laps and my guys are good on pit road and I made a deal with them that if they got me out first that I thought we could win and luckily we did," said Smith, driver of the Mumy Financial #25.  "Going to Caraway, we've just got to race our hearts out.  Burt [Myers] is a helluva racer and we've just got to go at it and let the chips fall where they may."

            For the fourth time this year, Brandon Ward was able to capture the Precision Built Spindles Pole Award with a lap of 14.371 seconds (90.933 MPH) around the 66-year-old facility.  But, after the top six qualifiers redraw, Bobby Measmer, Jr. and Burt Myers would move to the front row, while Ward would move back to the fifth starting position.

At the drop of the green, Measmer would move to the point, before Tom Buzze would flex his muscle and move into the lead on lap 7.  The leaders would go back-and-forth over the first 50 laps, exchanging the lead amongst Buzze, Measmer, and Ward at least 12 times.  The first caution of the night waved on lap 46 for debris giving teams the first opportunity to pit for tires.  The only taker on this round of stops would be Scott Hall.

Back under way, Buzze continued to lead, with Burt Myers leading for a short stint from laps 52 through 56. Buzze opened up more than a straightaway advantage before the caution waved again for debris with 37 laps to go.  All the leaders would use this opportunity to pit for tires, with the exception of Hall who had pitted earlier.

Back under green, the cars with fresher tires quickly disposed of Hall, as Smith assumed the lead for the first time on lap 91.  With 23 laps to go, B. Myers nearly saw his championship hopes slip away as he spun off turn four while battling for third due to a broken axle.  Luckily for B. Myers, Buzze, Darren Shaw, and Dan Speeney tangled in turn two causing an extended caution that allowed the #1 team to replace the axle without losing a lap.

Smith continued to lead, but was being pressured heavily by Ward.  But, with 7 laps to go, Ward fell off the pace with a mechanical problem, allowing Smith to cruise on for the win over Jason Myers, B. Myers, Measmer, and Andy Jankoiak. Rounding out the top 10 were Buzze, the Mod Lite winner, Hall, Ward, Speeney, and Shaw.

The Southern Modified Racing Series Presented By PASS will be in action again on Saturday night, October 22 at Caraway Speedway for the Kenny Minter Memorial 125 season finale.  Entry forms will be available at SouthernModifiedRacingSeries,com.  Be sure to "Like" the Pro All Stars Series and Southern Modified Racing Series on Facebook or follow us on Twitter at @PASSSLM14.

 

                 SMRS Modifieds – Hickory 125 – Unofficial Results

  1. 25 – John Smith
  2. 4 – Jason Myers
  3. 1 – Burt Myers
  4. 14 – Bobby Measmer, Jr.
  5. 37 – Andy Jankoiak
  6. 5 – Tom Buzze
  7. 54 – Scott Hall
  8. 19 – Brandon Ward
  9. 08 – Dan Speeney
  10.  17 – Darren Shaw
  11.  70 – John Barilka
  12. 75 – Ronnie Souders, Jr.


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 6.10.16 0 comments

There’s No Race Like Home at Brockville Speedway’s DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals

There's No Race Like Home at Brockville Speedway's DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

 









At the weekly level, short track stock car racing has long been focused on family and friends. With the 8thrunning of Brockville Ontario Speedway's 1000 Islands RV DIRTcar Northeast Fall Nationals less than a month away, the thought of a Saturday night regular taking the checkered flag is a distinct possibility. Car counts in the Small Block and Sportsman Modified divisions at The BOS have been strong for a number of years and several of the drivers in each class are members of racing families.

 

13-time track champion Danny O'Brien – who competes in the 358 Modified field with his older brother Pat and younger sibling Tim – followed in the footsteps of his father, Pat O'Brien Sr. Stephane Lafrance added an extra digit to the #15 made famous over the years by his father Marcel and made his own mark in the sport with his craft-built, limited edition racecars.

 

After practicing his craft at a number of different tracks in past campaigns, Matt Billings – a former go kart racer – returned home this year and logged a pair of main event wins, while finishing 7th in points. Chris Herbison – a former Sportsman division champion – developed a passion for the sport from watching his father George compete and this year, his son Jarrett – who also graduated from the karting ranks – finished 16th during his rookie Sportsman-Modified season.

 

The Brockville hometown attitude continues with the Evoy clan and 2016 Sportsman division track champion Dylan – whose race shop is about a 10-minute drive from the speedway – and even extends to nearby Spencerville, with the father and son duo of John and Madison Mulder, who finished 10th and 12threspectively in the recently concluded Small Block Modified standings.

 

For the 8th annual edition of the 1000 Islands RV Northeast Fall Nationals – A Craig Revelle Tribute, presented by St. Lawrence Radiology, Rez-X Racing and sponsored by 103.7 BOB-FM, the Brockville Recorder & Times and CKWS-TV – the Friday, October 14th program has the final Mr. DIRTcar championship event for the 358 Modifieds, Late Models and Street Stocks, with a 7:00 green flag. The Saturday, October 15th agenda is headlined by DIRTcar Big Block Mods, the championship final for Sportsman Modifieds, Mini Stocks and Outlaw Vintage Mods. Racing gets underway at 4:00.

 

Fans can find complete Northeast Fall Nationals details by checking www.brockvillespeedway.com, as well as the track's Facebook page and Twitter feed.


Photo attachment: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

 

Stephane Lafrance (#115) wheeled his latest home-built 358 Modified creation to a feature event win and 13th place in the final 2016 point standings at Brockville Ontario Speedway.

 

Coming 'home' for the first time in a couple of years, Brockville's Matt Billings (#74) logged a pair of feature wins and a 7th place finish in the Small Block Modified standings at Brockville Speedway.

 

With a pair of Fall Nationals Sportsman Modified wins on his resume, Chris Herbison (#63) wheeled his 358 Mod to a feature win and coached his son Jarrett to a 16th place finish in his rookie Sportsman campaign at Brockville Speedway.

 

The father and son duo of John (#12) and Madison Mulder (#7M) showed their stuff during 2016 Small Block Modified action at The BOS.

 

Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 6.10.16 0 comments

Craig Graham is Locked-In and Loaded for Peterborough Speedway’s Autumn Colours Classic

Craig Graham is Locked-In and Loaded for Peterborough Speedway's Autumn Colours Classic

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

 




The clock is running and hours are ticking away. In less than a week, Central Ontario's most anticipated motorsports events will take the green flag, with the arrival of the 24th Annual Autumn Colours Classic at Peterborough Speedway. For the first time since 2014, Craig Graham will be in the Late Model starting field when the Super Bowl of Stock Car Racing rolls from the staging area. The 44 year-old father of 2, from Orono, Ontario – who has served as mentor and coach for his son Brandt's Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series effort over the last 2 years – says he's looking forward to running the popular event.

 

"I've had some good success at Peterborough over the years and this is a race I always enjoyed being part of," said the former multi division track champion. "Autumn Colours is the culmination of a season of hard work for teams in every division and to take home a win from the season-ending spectacular would be quite an accomplishment. Even though I haven't raced much lately, it all comes back to the forefront once the seat belts are fastened and the steering wheel gets locked into place."

 

The 75 lap main event for the Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Models may seem like a long race, but depending on the circumstances, it has the potential to roll-by quite quickly. While his goal is to get to the front of the pack, everyone in the starting field will be facing the same challenges. Craig Graham says he'll have to wait until the green flag waves to see if he'll take a cautious or aggressive approach to the event.

 

"Peterborough Speedway's bottom line has long been the preferred racing line, but we can't all run there," said the driver. "You'll have to be daring enough to venture up to the top at some point to pick up a position or 2, but then it can become an issue to get back down. That's where a good handling race car and spotter who's on their toes can be a huge benefit."

 

After finishing 6th at the Chase for the Colours event, Craig Graham has a provisional starting spot for what is tentatively scheduled to be 5th in the order of feature races Sunday, October 9th. The weekend will also be a role reversal of sorts for Graham Racing, with Brandt Graham serving as spotter while his father tackles the action on the track.

 

"A strong showing at Autumn Colours would be the icing on the cake for our team," said Craig Graham, who until this year has run the year-end event Pro Late Model event, with a string of showings in and around the top 10. "Brandt's Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series championship run was a great way to start the late-season events and I'm hoping we'll have a strong enough Late Model effort throughout the weekend to continue that charge."

 

Graham Racing thanks their 2016 sponsorship partners Full Circle Automation, Arcade Pools, J & M Restoration, Auto Care, Hot Rod Swag and Squirrel Head Music, DJD Graphics and Mayhew Graphics for the support throughout the season. Team media and promotional services are provided by Clarke Motorsports Communications.

 

Follow the team behind the scenes and at the track by checking @Graham_Racing on Twitter and the Graham 98 Racing page at www.facebook.com. Look for www.graham98racing.com, an Image Factor web-site.


Photo attachment: Jim Clarke – Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

 

Orono, Ontario's Craig Graham is looking forward to running with the Earl Ireland Auto Sales Late Model division during the Autumn Colours Classic – October 7th to 9th – at Peterborough Speedway.

 

Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 6.10.16 0 comments

2016-10-05

Baize Wins Sunoco Rookie of the Year

Baize Wins Sunoco Rookie of the Year

Tops Dippel and Davis For K&N East Honors

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 5, 2016) – Hunter Baize closed out his rookie campaign with a bang, winning the 2016 Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award.

Baize became the fourth consecutive HScott Motorsports with Justin Marks driver to win the award.

The 19-year old beat teammate Tyler Dippel by seven points (90-83) and Spencer Davis by 11 points to take home the prestigious title.

"It feels great to win the Sunoco Rookie of the Year Award," the Bremen, Kentucky, native said. "The competition in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East this year was really good. I had to battle Tyler and Spencer for the title, but the entire rookie class, like Harrison Burton and Dominique Van Wieringen, was really talented."

The Sunoco Rookie of the Year winner earned one top five and 10 top 10 finishes enroute to a fourth place finish in the 2016 NASCAR K&N Pro Series East final standings.

"We had a good year," said Baize. "I felt like I was pretty consistent, showed good speed and overcame issues. HScott and my team always gave me a good car and equipment, we just had some bad luck. But I always felt like we could go out there and be competitive."

The 2016 season saw 31 talented young drivers competing for the elite rookie title in the K&N Pro Series East.

Rookies accounted for five wins, with Austin Cindric, Spencer Davis, Tyler Dippel and Todd Gilliland all visiting Victory Lane throughout the year.

Baize took home his career-best K&N Pro Series East finish, fifth, at Iowa Speedway in July.

The highest finishing rookie in a race receives 10 points, second receives nine, third gets eight and so on.

Earning the Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors in the K&N Pro Series East has gone a long way toward advancing a driver's career in recent seasons. Starting with Logano in 2007, every Sunoco Rookie of the Year in the series have gone on to compete in NASCAR's national series, including five drivers – Logano, Austin Dillon (2008), Alex Bowman (2011) and Larson who are full-time in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as well as last year's winner William Byron who is contending for the 2016 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series championship and will pilot a car for Hendrick Motorsports in the NASCAR XFINITY Series next season.

"It's a great honor to win this award," Baize said. "Midway through the season we saw it was possible to win it and we set out to get it. It's a huge accomplishment."

Baize will be formally recognized as the 2016 Sunoco Rookie of the Year at the NASCAR Touring Series Awards on Saturday, Dec. 10 in the Charlotte (N.C.) Convention Center at the NASCAR Hall of Fame. 

Contact:
Brooke Franceschini
NASCAR Integrated Marketing Communications


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Posted by Marc Patrick Roy at 5.10.16 0 comments

FALL BRAWL TO WRAP UP AREA SHORT TRACK RACING AT SPEEDWAY 51 IN GROVETON

FALL BRAWL TO WRAP UP AREA SHORT TRACK

RACING AT SPEEDWAY 51 IN GROVETON

 






            The 2016 racing season for area short tracks will come to an end this coming Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Speedway 51 in Groveton, New Hampshire with the running of the 2nd Annual Fall Brawl weekend presented by Perras Ace Hardware and Bruno's Pizza.

 

            The three day weekend will start off on Friday with a special season ending event for the North Country Family Restaurant Go Karting Series. All area Go Karting teams are invited to participate in this family fun event. The weekly karting series had an outstanding race season as close to thirty Karts participated each.

 

            On Saturday morning the pits open at 8am for the North Country Ford Late Models, and 9am for all other divisions. Saturday will feature qualifying for all divisions. Post time on Saturday is 1:30pm. . The pits will reopen on Sunday morning at 8:30am, a spotters meeting will be held at 9:30am for all Late Model spotters. Sunday post time is 1pm. Joining the North Country Ford Late Models, will be the Sign Depot Tigers, Schweppes Street Stocks, A.B. Excavating Daredevils, White Mountain Community College Pure Stocks and the North East Cyclones. The highlight of the weekend will be the North Country Ford Late Model Fall Brawl 151, featuring 151 green flag laps of racing for the ACT type Late Models.

 

            See the entire schedule of events on our website, and for more information on this event and others, please visit our website at www.speedway51int.com, or call the Track hotline at 802-479-2074. Speedway 51 is located on Brown Road in Groveton, New Hampshire.


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Brandt Graham Seals the Deal with His First Sportsman Cup Series Championship

Brandt Graham Seals the Deal with His First Sportsman Cup Series Championship

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

 



A time-honoured adage tells us "good things come to those who wait" and when Mother Nature dictated that the 2016 Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series finale would be delayed by a week, Brandt Graham took it all in stride. The young, second-generation racer from Orono, Ontario was the odds-on favourite to claim this year's point championship and if a far from desirable weather forecast for the originally scheduled run meant a week's delay, that's how it would have to be.

 

"It was just one of those things that sometimes happen and there wasn't anything we could do about it," said Brandt Graham. "We were already well on our way to the track when we got word that because of the expected rain and possible thunderstorms, they'd made the decision to throw in the towel for the day. We got off the highway, made sure the rest of the team knew what was happening and then headed back home."

 

With having the car back in the shop for a week between the postponement and the make-up date, the driver; along with his father and his grandfather had to make sure they didn't over-engineer their ride for the championship charge. The #14 team already had a pair of Flamboro Speedway starts and pre-season test session as the basis for their raceday set-up, so other than going through their checklist a couple of times, they basically left the car alone.

 

Knowing that his 17-point lead was anything but an insurmountable advantage, Brandt Graham had the knowledge that he'd need to run a smart race when the tour returned to the venerable Hamilton, Ontario area raceway for the season's last dance Saturday, September 24th. Graham time-trialed in 5th spot and would take the green on the outside of the front row after the pre-race 'Fast 5' redraw.

 

"We may have been the favourite to take the championship, but it was hardly a walk in the park," admitted the 18 year-old, who recently began post secondary studies in the Trades Fundamentals Program at Durham College, in Oshawa. "I had a realistic shot at winning the title, but the other drivers in the field were also looking to improve their overall finishing position in the final standings. A lot can happen in a 100 lap race and we had to hope for the best."

 

At the checkered flag, the team's equipment may have shown more battle scars than they might have liked, but Brandt Graham still logged a 3rd place finish and the spot on the podium was enough to clinch the title for the sophomore standout, becoming the youngest champion in the history of the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series. The final margin between Graham and the second place point finisher was 22 markers.

 

"It was a great season and I almost can't believe how successful we were," said Graham after claiming the title. "Our team worked so hard throughout the year and I really appreciate the support my family, friends and fans. It'll take a while for things to sink-in, but this is an experience I'll savour for many years to come. It'll be nice to relax for a while and then start thinking about next year."

 

Graham Racing thanks their 2016 sponsorship partners Full Circle Automation, Arcade Pools, J & M Restoration, Auto Care, Hot Rod Swag and Squirrel Head Music, DJD Graphics and Mayhew Graphics for support throughout the Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series season. Team media and promotional services are provided by Clarke Motorsports Communications.

 

Follow the team behind the scenes and at the track by checking @Graham_Racing on Twitter and the Graham 98 Racing page at www.facebook.com. Look for www.graham98racing.com, an Image Factor web-site.


Photo attachment: Stephanie Schwemler – Johnathan Schwemler Racecars www.jsracecars.com


Brandt Graham celebrates with his parents after clinching the 2016 Lucas Oil Sportsman Cup Series championship – Saturday, September 24th – at Flamboro Speedway.

 

Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media


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John Baker Jr. Takes Sunset Speedway Win; Clinches 2016 OMRS Title

John Baker Jr. Takes Sunset Speedway Win; Clinches 2016 OMRS Title

By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

 



The Ontario Modifieds Racing Series – powered by Torque Builders Inc. – ran their final event of the year over 2 days – Saturday, September 24th and Sunday, September 25th – at Sunset Speedway. A total of 15 of the popular open wheeled racing machines signed-in to tackle the race track north of Toronto and the 2016 season wrapped-up the same way as it had begun.

 

With Alex Lees and Chris Burrows on the front row, the OMRS teams took to the track for the final time of the year in a 30 lap feature that would determine the final standings for the tour. Even though he came from the middle of the field, it didn't take long for John Baker Jr. to work his way through the pack and grab the top spot. The crowd favourite came away with his 7th win of the season to clinch the overall title. Winning the race also came with a bit of drama, as the #63 machine developed a mechanical issue midway through the 3rd and 4th turns and needed to be towed to victory lane for the customary post-race photo session.

 

Baker was followed across the line by Chris Burrows, Mark Gordon, Stu Robinson Jr. and Cory Horner. Alex Lees, Ryan Dick, Rob Warnes, Gary Elliott, Connor James, Randy Hollingsworth, Adam Hagan, Rick Warnes, Ryan Babin and Willow Barberstock completed the finishing order.

 

Qualify heats at Sunset Speedway were won by Chris Burrows, Mark Gordon and John Baker Jr., with a pair.

 

The year's OMRS Championship Celebration awards presentation banquet will be held Saturday, November 12th.

 

Ontario Modifieds Racing Series notebook: In honour of his father Doug, who had recently passed away, Rick Warnes made the year's final start in a car that had been repainted purple and carried the #90 that his dad had made popular throughout his career…Late Model stand-out Mark Gordon took his first-ever OMRS green flag, wheeling a machine that had been run by Brad Stevenson earlier in the year to a 3rdplace finish…Although he was missing from the heat races run during the first day of action, veteran Gary Elliott was added to the starting line-up for the Sunday afternoon feature event and finished 9th.

 

Ontario Modifieds Racing Series Final 2016 Point Standings

 

#63   John Baker Jr.              615

#68   Stu Robinson Jr.           558

#46   R. Babin/C. Mulders    497

#95   Robert Warnes             497

#88   Ryan Dick                     495

#62   Randy Hollingsworth    448

#64b Chris Burrows              439

#90   Rick Warnes                 432

#07   Alex Lees                     401

#62w Willow Barberstock      398

#41   Duane Cinnamon         369

#77   Brad Stevenson           359

 

Fans can find full series details at www.ontariomodifiedsracing.com or www.facebook.com/OMRS. The Ontario Modifieds Racing Series is supported by Clarke Motorsports Communications.


Photo attachment: Dan Little Jr.

 

John Barker Jr. (centre) captured the checkered flag in the Ontario Modifieds Racing Series finale and earned the 2016 season championship – Sunday, September 25th – at Sunset Speedway.

 

Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media


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