From Tommy Goudge
Ohswekent, ON — (August 12, 2011) — Mitch Brown continued a season-long trend in the Corr/Pak Merchandising Sprint Car division at Ohsweken Speedway by visiting the Engine Pro Racing Winner’s Circle. Brown is the 10th different winner in 11 Corr/Pak races held this year, and the 3rd driver in the last 5 weeks to win his first career Sprint Car race.
Phil Nyssen continued his winning ways by topping the Lighthouse Tattoos Thunder Stocks, Jeremy Hughes got the HRW Automotive Mini Stocks win, Sarah Rutherford won her first ever Pierced Parts Bombers feature, Brian Page and Daryl Bray shared Vintage Car honours, and Wayne McCarten won the “Double Flagpole Race”.
A moment of silence was observed before the races for Debbie Hoddick and Earl Gaerte, two staunch racing supporters who passed away last week.
CORR/PAK MERCHANDISING SPRINT CARS
Two teenagers made up the front row for the Sprint Car feature, with Jesse Costa in the pole position, and Mitch Brown next to him. Costa led the first lap before the race was slowed for a Chris Durand spin in turn 3. Brown took over the lead when the green flag flew, but the race was stopped again when Jamie Turner got upside down in turn two. Turner climbed from his machine uninjured, but done for the night.
Brown continued to lead when the race was restarted, while Dave Dykstra made his way to 2nd with Kyle Moffit in tow. Jim Huppunen was working hard to make up ground after he blew an engine in his heat race and started last in the feature. Huppunen was the points leader entering the night, and switched cars to drive Wayne Ashton’s #3 in the feature. He was already in the top 10 by lap 6, and ended up 6th at the end.
The final yellow flag of the race fell on lap 13 when Keith Dempster slowed in turn 2. Dempster was able to restart, but Dykstra’s car was leaking fluid and he was forced to relinquish the 2nd spot during the caution period. Kyle Patrick got by Moffit when the green flag came back out, but couldn’t catch Brown who used the low side and cruised to the win 1.6 seconds ahead of Patrick.
“This thing was rails tonight,” said Brown after the race. “I couldn’t ask for much more. The top is so far around down in (turns) 1 and 2, and it kills your momentum, so I put a little asphalt experience in and drove it to the bottom.”
Mofitt settled for 3rd, followed by Chris Steele and Todd Hoddick. Huppunen minimized the damage to his points lead by finishing 6th, followed by Dain Naida, Jesse Costa with a career best finish, Jamie Collard, and Bob Reis who rounded out the top 10 in his first visit to Ohsweken.
Heat races for the 22 car field were claimed by Dave Dykstra, Chris Steele, and Dain Naida.
Conspicuous in his absence was speedway owner/promoter Glenn Styres, who was at the Black Rock Speedway competing in a Sprint Car race there along with Tony Stewart, who drove the Styres backup machine. Styres will be back next week, along with many of the drivers he raced against at Black Rock as the Northern Summer Nationals will take centre stage at Ohsweken Speedway and South Buxton Raceway.