From Clayton Johns
OHSWEKEN, Ont. (July 5, 2019) – A spectacular red sunset was the backdrop for a thrilling night of action at Ohsweken Speedway for Frankie Turkey Memorial night presented by O’Neil’s Farm Equipment and Case IH on Friday, July 5. A total of 113 cars signed in for action across four divisions of action. Scott Kreutter scored his first win of the season with the Kool Kidz/Corr-Pak 360 Sprint Cars and Jesse McDonald won the Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars. For the stock cars, it was Trevor DeBoer claiming a second victory this season with the Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks. Fabio Olivieri won the June 28 make-up feature for the HRW Automotive Mini Stocks before the regularly scheduled event was rained out.
Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars
Jim Huppunen and Scott Kreutter started on the front row for the 20-lap Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Car A-Feature. The race was slowed quickly before the first lap was completed when Shane Ross slowed in turn one after losing a steering component. On the restart, Kreutter raced to the point through turns three and four while brother Cory and Ryan Turner dueled for third and fourth-respectively.
At the halfway mark, seventh-starting Dylan Westbrook was able to get into third past Cory Turner and set out to track down Huppunen. It took him just three laps to track down the No.0 and get past Huppunen for second with seven laps remaining before a caution on lap 14 when Aaron Turkey rolled to a stop before the exit ramp in turn two. The ensuing restart saw one lapped car between Kreutter and Westbrook up front. Kreutter was able to keep Jake Brown between himself and Westbrook for a lap and open a 1.2-second lead with five laps to go.
Westbrook did everything he could to try and reel in Kreutter amongst lapped traffic over the final two laps, but the Alden, NY ‘Straight Shooter’ held on for his first victory of the season with the Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars. Westbrook and Huppunen rounded out the podium. Ryan Turner and 21st-starting Mack DeMan completed the top-five.
Westbrook, Kreutter and Huppunen also won their qualifying heat races to start the night.
Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars
Jesse McDonald and Eric Gledhill paced the field to the green flag for the Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars season opening feature. McDonald grabbed the early lead while Lucas Smith quickly darted to second and pulled alongside the leader as they crossed the stripe on the first lap. The top-two broke away from the rest of the field with third-place Darren Dryden trailing by 10 car lengths.
Five laps in to the race, McDonald distanced himself from Smith who himself fell into the clutches of Dryden who set out to move a spot closer to the top of the podium. At the hallway mark, McDonald worked into lapped traffic just as Dryden took second in the bottom groove. Then, almost immediately after passing the cross flags, Tyler Ward spun in front of the leaders in turn two, but fortunately everyone passed without incident.
The ensuing restart with 10 laps to go saw McDonald pull ahead again with Dryden and Smith battling side-by-side for second. As Dryden emerged with the spot, Smith was forced to battle with Jacob Dykstra for third. A lap later, Dykstra worked past Dryden to take second, but trailed McDonald by nearly 10 car lengths.
Then, on lap 15, the caution flag waved as rain began to fall. Cars were initially kept on the track to try and keep the surface in racing order. However, the rain continued to fall and washed out the track forcing officials to call the race complete with 15 laps in the books. McDonald scored his fifth career Crate Sprint Car victory at Ohsweken while Dykstra, Durnin, Steven Beckett and Lucas Smith rounded out the top-five.
Smith, Dykstra, McDonald and Dereck Lemyre won their qualifying heats to begin the nights while Jerry Hill won the B-Main.
Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks
Aaron Rewutzsky and Teeple brought the 28-car field of Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks to the line for the green flag. Rewutzsky led the opening lap before Teeple drove to the point in the outside lane off of turn four just before Blake Bomberry Jr. spun in turn three and was hit by Zach Bleich who ended up stuck on the concrete blocks of the inside wall.
Teeple was strong again on the restart, but Ryan Dinning used the inside line to drive to the lead with multiple three-wide battles taking place behind the leaders. Teeple stayed close with Dinning though, with both drivers running the bottom lane of the track in front of Trevor DeBoer, Chris Hale, Logan Shwedyk and Dave Bailey.
On lap eight, DeBoer got into second and immediately challenged Dinning when he pulled within a half car length of the No.8. Then, at the halfway mark, DeBoer took to the outside lane and got past Dinning for the lead while Bailey drove into third.
The final restart with eight laps to go put the top two drivers in the point standings nose-to-tail with DeBoer and Bailey lining-up in first and third. The restart saw Chris Hale drive into third while Ken Sargent moved forward into fifth while DeBoer and Bailey pulled away out front.
The final restart came following a lap 15 caution where DeBoer continued to hold the point despite Bailey’s best effort on the outside when the green flag dropped. The top-two again distanced themselves from the rest of the field as DeBoer held the advantage. Bailey got the nose to DeBoer’s quarter-panel only once over the final two laps and wouldn’t get any further as DeBoer claimed his second win of the season. Bailey, Hale, Dinning and Teeple rounded out the top-five. Rewutzsky, Shwedyk and Ryan Beagle scored victories in the qualifying heats earlier in the night.
HRW Automotive Mini Stocks
Aidan Nigh and Mike Giberson brought the field of HRW Automotive Mini Stocks to the green flag for their 15-lap make-up Feature that was rained out on June 28. Nigh grabbed the early lead on the opening lap and opened a five car-length lead over Trevor Want over the next five laps. Nigh’s strong run came to an end on lap six when he slowed and pulled to the infield, handing the lead to Want.
At the halfway mark, Fabio Olivieri tracked down Want and with a big run off turn two grabbed the lead on lap nine. Olivieri quickly opened a significant lead until the red flag waved when Tim Nuell rolled his No.26 on its side in turn three on lap 10.
On the ensuing restart, Olivieri quickly jumped back out to another sizeable lead while Kyle Wert and Tim DeBoer battled hard for second. Wert drove right to Olivieri’s left door on the final lap at both ends of the racetrack, but Olivieri’s momentum through the middle of the track was enough to score his first career Mini Stock win. Wert and Cole Hardy rounded out the podium.
Like the week before, the regularly scheduled Feature was rained out and postponed to a later date. Trevor Want, Fabio Olivieri and Tim DeBoer raced to heat race victories for the July 5 show, meanwhile Christopher French scored the checkered flag in the B-Main.
Up Next at Ohsweken Speedway
Ohsweken Speedway returns to action on Friday, July 13 for Drive Safe, Ride Safe, Race Safe Bicycle Night presented by Strickland’s Brantford Chevrolet. All four of Ohsweken’s weekly divisions will be in action, including the Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars, Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars, Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks and HRW Automotive Mini Stocks. Pit gates open at 5:30pm and spectator gates open at 6:00pm. Race time is 7:30pm and adult admission is just $14 and children 12 and under are $3 or less. For additional event information, visit www.ohswekenspeedway.ca.
Ohsweken Speedway
Ohswekent, ONT
Friday July 5, 2019
Winged 360 Sprint Cars
Heat Race #1:
1. 47x-Dylan Westbrook
2. 91-Ryan Turner
3. 13-Cory Turner
4. 81-Derek Johnathon
5. 68-Aaron Turkey
6. 90-Travis Cunningham
7. 43-Scott Sherk
8. 9-Steve Lyons
Heat Race #2:
1. 49-Scott Kreuter
2. 11-Jamie Turner
3. 5d-Shane Ross
4. 1-Holly Porter
5. 10-Mitch Brown
6. 94-Todd hoddick
7. 88-Josh Hansen
8. 15-Dan Nanticoke
Heat Race #3:
1. 0-Jim Huppunen
2. 87x-Shone Evans
3. 10-Jan-Jake Brown
4. 71s-Shawn Sliter
5. 9b-Scott Burk
6. 46-Kevin Pauls
7. 17x-Mack DeMan
Feature:
1. 49-Scott Kreuter
2. 47x-Dylan Westbrook
3. 0-Jim Huppunen
4. 91-Ryan Turner
5. 17x-Mack DeMan
6. 13-Cory Turner
7. 1-Holly Porter
8. 87x-Shone Evans
9. 10-Mitch Brown
10. 71s-Shawn Sliter
11. 11-Jamie Turner
12. 88h-Josh Hansen
13. 9-Steve Lyons
14. 90-Travis Cunningham
15. 81-Derek Johnathon
16. 10-Jan-Jake Brown
17. 94-Todd hoddick
18. 15-Dan Nanticoke
19. 9b-Scott Burk
20. 43-Scott Sherk
21. 46-Kevin Pauls
22. 68-Aaron Turkey
23. 5d-Shane Ross
Crate Sprint Cars
Heat Race #2:
1. 49l-Lucas Smith
2. 29w-Tyler Ward
3. 8-Steven Beckett
4. 9c-Brian Nanticoke
5. 28-Jordan Hill
6. 2-Travis Hofstetter
7. mk8-Matt Hill
8. 14t-Noelle Teal
Heat Race #2:
1. 5d-Jacob Dykstra
2. 43h-Darren Dryden
3. 52-Jesse Costa
4. 45-Nick Sheridan
5. 12-Brad Herron
6. 38-Derek Miller
7. 70-Baily Heard
8. 22-Al Giletta Jr.
Heat Race #3:
1. 56-Dereck Lemyre
2. 5-DJ Christie
3. 20-Johnny Miller
4. 29-Liam Martin
5. 1eh-Paul Klager
6. 3b-Blaine Barrow
7. 49h-Jerry Hill
8. 83-Spencer Davis
Heat Race #4:
1. 88-Jesse McDonald
2. 4-Hannah Ferrell
3. 14-Eric Glenhill
4. 74-Rob Neely
5. 19d-Allan Downey
6. 51-Trevor Young
7. 69k-Jason Dixon
B-Main:
1. 49h-Jerry Hill
2. 19d-Allan Downey
3. 3b-Blaine Barrow
4. 83-Spencer Davis
5. 70-Baily Heard
6. 51-Trevor Young
7. 14t-Noelle Teal
8. 2-Travis Hofstetter
9. 38-Derek Miller
10. 69k-Jason Dixon
11. mk8-Matt Hill
Feature:
1. 88-Jesse McDonald
2. 5d-Jacob Dykstra
3. 43-Darren Dryden
4. 8-Steven Beckett
5. 49L-Lucas Smith
6. 5-DJ Christie
7. 52-Jesse Costa
8. 45-Nick Sheridan
9. 29-Liam Martin
10. 12-Brad Herron
11. 56-Dereck Lemyre
12. 1eh-Paul Klager
13. 28-Jordan Hill
14. 20-Johnny Miller
15. 74-Rob Neely
16. 14-Eric Gledhill
17. 9c-Brian Nanticoke
18. 3b-Blaine Barrow
19. 49h-Jerry Hill
20. 19d-Allan Downey
21. 50LS-Adrian Stahle
22. 29w-Tyler Ward
23. 83-Spencer Davis
24. 4-Hannah Ferrell