By MIKE MALLETT
SAINT- MARCEL-DE-RICHELIEU, QUE – It was just over a month ago that Paul Kinney was battling for the lead of an Empire Super Sprint feature when he made contact with a slower car and got up-side-down severely damaging his mount. Kinney was dejected after that night’s action but this weekend made up for that.
On Saturday night the Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints continued their Quebec invasion at the Le RPM Speedway and the night ended on a much higher note for Kinney as he scored his first ever series win in the 25-lap A-Main event. The feature was part of the Le Groupe Ultra Tour of Canada and the Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec Super Star Series.
“This is awesome,” said Kinney afterwards. “I honestly don’t think it’s sunk in yet.”
Kinney redrew the pole for the start of the main-event and at the green he jumped up to the cushion in front of Jeff Cook who started along-side him.
Kinney stayed in the top groove and was the leader as the first caution slowed the pace on lap five when Cory Sparks and Steve Poirier got together in the second turn. Both drivers headed to the pits and were unable to continue.
When the green came back out, Kinney held off the challenges of Shawn Donath into the first turn. Those two raced out in front as the encountered slower traffic by lap 11.
As Kinney worked traffic, Donath looked for a way by. On lap 13 Donath actually got alongside Kinney in traffic but he couldn’t make the move for the position.
The race slowed again with 15 laps in as Mario Clair, who was running in the top five, got into the wall in turn four. He was re-fired but immediately took his No. 22 to the pit area. On the restart Donath tried another slide job and it nearly worked. Kinney did not want to see any more cautions after that point.
“After the first caution or two I knew that’s when Shawn (Donath) or whoever was in second was going to try and get me,” said Kinney. “There was one time if I didn’t slow up and dive under him and get back by him he would have won that race. It was a clean slide job he gave me and that is what sprint car racing is all about. I knew every time the caution came out that was going to happen.”
The final caution of the race came on lap 17 as Donald Lemire spun in the second turn. On the ensuing restart, Kinney and Donath came together as they battled into the first turn on allowing Cook to shoot by Donath into the runner-up position.
“I knew I had to nail those restarts,” commented Kinney. “Shawn (Donath) was going to try and slide job me on every one of those restarts. I tried to pinch him down on that one restart and we actually got together and I didn’t mean to do that.”
Cook chased Kinney over the final few circuits and was able to get to his back bumper in traffic. He wasn’t able to make the pass for the win forcing him to settle for the runner-up finish. It was his He best finish of 2012 season.
“On the original start we fell all the way back to fourth,” said Cook who started on the front row. “I didn’t know what the corner was going to bring. We started picking away from there. On the restarts if you got stuck down on the bottom you were in trouble. That last restart helped me as Shawn (Donath) and Paul (Kinney) got together and I was able to get back by Shawn. Second isn’t bad tonight.”
Cook was hoping to make a move on the final lap but to no avail as a lapped car blocked any chance of pulling a slide job in the final corner.
“I wasn’t close enough,” stated Cook. I was lying back seeing what he (Kinney) was going to do with the lapped car. I’m happy with second, and I’m glad to see Paul win.”
Donath held on to finish third giving him a podium finish for the second night in a row aboard his Doug Emery Motorsports Eagle. The South Onondaga, N.Y., driver gave Kinney all he could but he was never able to make the move for the lead.
“I was good on restarts on the bottom,” commented Donath. “After we came together it got me all twisted up and he (Kinney) had the all the momentum and got away from me and Jeff (Cook) got by me. If we didn’t touch I think I could have slid up in front of him but it is what it is. I’m happy to finish third.”
Matt Tanner had a solid outing as he finished fourth in the A-Main while Dale Gosselin had a career night coming home in the fifth position in the final rundown.
ESS/Le RPM Notes: By virtue of his win, Kinney claimed the Fondations 4 Saisons Quebec Super Star Series while Donath’s strong run netted him the Le Groupe Ultra Tour of Canada title…Quebec champion Mario Clair impressed many as he was running fourth battling with the leaders before he hit wall in turn four.
Lucas Oil A-Main – Paul Kinney ($1950), Jeff Cook, Shawn Donath, Matt Tanner, Dale Gosselin, Jaszon Barney, Michael Parent, Chuck Hebing, Patrick Vigneault, Lance Yonge, Joe Trenca, Mike Stelter, Donald Lemire, Etienne Girard, Mario Clair, Cory Sparks, Steve Poirier, Anthony Cain.
Lap Leader – Kinney (1-25).
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 1 – Poirier, Sparks, Barney, Yonge, Vigneault, Stelter.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 2 – Cook, Donath, Girard, Kinney, Cain, Hebing.
Car Mate Custom Built Trailers Heat 3 – Parent, Tanner, Gosselin, Clair, Lemire, Trenca.
Cobra Coaches Dash – Poirier
Bonuses:
Westward Painting Company Halfway – Kinney $100
Lee’s Repair Auto and Truck Hard Charger – Hebing (9 pos.) $50
Ohsweken Speedway Winners Bonus – Kinney $50
Fondations 55 Pick 5 – Gosselin $50
North Eastern Pool and Spa Power Pick – Kinney, Trenca $50
Car Mate Trailers Heats – Poirier, Cook, Parent $25
The Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints are brought to you by: Lucas Oil, Le Groupe Ultra, SUNY Canton, Universal American, Hoosier Racing Tires, Fondations 4 Saisons, Cobra Coaches, Westward Painting Company, Mach 1 Chassis, Lee’s Repair Auto and Truck, Fondations 55, Eric Varin Roofing, North Eastern Pool and Spa, Car Mate Trailers, Brodix Cylinder Heads, Ohsweken Speedway, Northwood 2 Construction/Lasalle Motorsports, AKS Firearms, Jasmin Peloquin Sport, 730 Truck Stop, Riverside Bar and Grill, FX Chevy and many, many associate sponsors!!