CASCAR: Weekend Wrap from Komoka Ontario
19 August 1998
KOMOKA, ON The CASCAR Castrol Super Series was busy this past weekend with races in Ontario and Alberta. There were several weekend highlights from both fronts. Starting with the Eastern event the GM Goodwrench 300 at Nelles Corners Cayuga Speedway former National champion Dan Shirtliff drove to victory in his sponsors race in front of the biggest crowd to fill the 5/8-mile oval in recent memory.Dale Earnhardt Jr., NASCARs fastest-rising young star, flew up following his fifth-place finish in the BGN race at Michigan Speedway on Saturday, and signed over 2,000 autographs prior to race time. With a pair of big crowds for the last two CASCAR events at the Hamilton-area oval, the phrase "Cayugas back" was on everyones lips on Sunday.
And in the west, Don Sales won his first career CASCAR Castrol Super Series West race after five years of trying by holding off Wade Lee to win the Bumper to Bumper 150 at Hythe Motor Speedway.
GM Goodwrench Service 300 Cayuga Speedway (Ontario)
CASCAR National series points leader Peter Gibbons was on the pole for the 300 lap race and was stalking race leader Dan Shirtliff, late in the race, when he got into the back of the GM Goodwrench Chevy driver. Gibbons broke a control arm in the exchange, fell off the pace, and spent several laps in the pits making repairs. He went on to finish 25th in the 38 car field.
From there, Shirtliff had a relatively easy run to the finish and took his first victory of the year. In addition to winning his sponsors race, Shirtliff was also pleased to post a top finish after two frustrating results in the Alberta National races.
Finishing second, behind Shirtliff, was Windsor driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. The Mopar Performance Dodge driver had a strong weekend and on the strength of a second-place qualifying run and his runner-up finish on Sunday, now leads the Eastern championship chase.
Ford driver Jim Lapcevich, of Hamilton, had another incredible back-to-front run. The Tim Hortons / Ford Performance Parts Taurus driver was 36th when the initial green flag flew, and progressed steadily throughout the race. He even overcame a stop-and-go penalty for visiting pit road while it was supposed to be closed. Lapcevich, who was involved in a serious highway crash on his way back from the National series races in Alberta, is living up to his hard charger status.
Bumper to Bumper 150 Hythe Motor Speedway (Alberta)
The sixth Western Super Series event of the season was held on Saturday night at Hythe Motor Speedway, just west of Grande Prairie, Alberta. Don Sales started third in the field of 17 starters and assumed the lead on lap 145 of the 150 lap race when race leader Wade Lee pitted, under caution, for a flat tire.
When the race resumed, Sales and Lee were the only two drivers on the lead lap. With lapped traffic giving him fits, Lee was unable to pass the Skoal Inc. Monte Carlo driver over the closing laps and settled for second place. The result leaves the Calgary driver (GM Goodwrench Pontiac Grand Prix) in excellent shape to win another CASCAR West championship. A good qualifying run, followed by a respectable finish in the Sept. 12 Western closer at his home track Race City Motorsport Park should be enough for Lee to secure another CASCAR crown.
For Sales, the victory ends five years of searching for his first CASCAR win. The Quesnel, BC-based driver has been close on several occasions, but hadnt broken through to the winners circle, until Saturday. Dodge driver Steve Jefferson completed the podium finishers.
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PIT NOTES:
The next two dates on the CASCAR schedule are the Mosport road course and
CARQUEST 500 race weekends. These events will determine the National
champion. The Aug. 28-30 Canadian Auction Group 300km at the legendary
Mosport road course will mark the first time since 1991 that CASCAR has
held an event on circuit--For fans who want to stay on top of the latest
results, point standings and series news, CASCAR now has a website that is
updated shortly after the conclusion of Super Series events. You can
follow the action at www.cascar.ca
For more information, contact CASCAR at (519) 641-1214 // Prepared by Inside Track Communications.
1998 CASTROL SUPER SERIES EASTERN SERIES POINT STANDINGS AS OF AUGUST 16, 1998POS CAR # DRIVER/HOMETOWN POINTS
1 60 Ron Beauchamp Jr/Windsor 1128 2 98 David Whitlock/Petrolia 1096 3 55 Neil Fair/Ancaster 1018 4 27 John Gaunt/Barrie 1010 5 17 DJ Kennington/St Thomas 994 6 35 Brad Jacques/Mt Brydges 976 7 03 Jack Monaghan/Windsor 968 8 3 Dan Shirtliff/Huntsville 966 9 97 Rob Neely/Milton 956 10 93 Alex Nagy/Brantford 942 11 02 Kerry Micks/Mt Albert 932 12 77 Pete Vanderwyst/St Thomas 918 13 82 Ted McIntyre/Windsor 908 14 67 Derrick Tiemersma/Newmarket 900 15 1 Peter Gibbons/Stouffville 886 16 04 Andy Farr/Chesterfield,MI 880 17 4 Don Thomson Jr/Hamilton 876 18 25 Jim Lapcevich/Hamilton 872 19 31 Kelly Williams/Inglewood 858 20 43 Sean Dupuis/Windsor 836 21 28 Steve Robblee/Dorchester 796 21 16 Al Turner/Barrie 796 23 13 Earl Ross/Ailsa Craig 780 24 66 Robin Buck/Oakville 750 25 33 Lucien Campeau/St Eustache 736 26 51 Al Long/Ottawa 698 27 88 Dave Jacombs/Mt Hope 694 28 40 Steve Maheux/Ile Bizard,QC 668 29 52 Bill Rowse Jr/Corunna 660 30 32 Mike Alguire/London 634 1998 CASTROL SUPER SERIES WESTERN SERIES POINT STANDINGS AS OF AUGUST 15, 1998
POS CAR # DRIVER/HOMETOWN POINTS 1 79 Wade Lee/Calgary,AB 1104 2 35 Kevin Dowler/Edmonton,AB 1002 3 2 Carl Harr/St Albert,AB 978 4 46 Dan Shirley/Sask,SK 966 5 33 Don Sales/Quesnel,BC 952 6 5 Steve Jefferson/Prince George,BC 920 7 20 Kim Richard/Calgary 890 8 4 Daryl Harr/Calgary,AB 794 9 6 Todd Nichol/St Albert,AB 710 9 18 Gil Gillett/Kelowna,BC 694 11 44 Fred DelPero/Edmonton,AB 646 12 7 James MacFarlane/Calgray,AB 528 13 43 Dallas Mayert/Prince George,BC 490 14 3 Rolly Lint/Grand Prairie,AB 456 15 3 Ric Peterson/Grand Prairie,AB 420 16 91 David Sproule/Brooks,AB 380 17 12 Ron Larson/Prince George,BC 320 18 31 Al Gandy/Prince George,BC 284 19 13 Bobby Joe Wilson/Sask,SK 270 20 93 Charlie Kirton/Sask,SK 258
