By Marty Czekala
The CRSA Sprints wave the checkered flag on the 2024 season Saturday in a non-points race, the Canadian CRSA/Crate Challenge at Cornwall Motor Speedway in Ontario.
The race marks CRSA’s return to Canada for the first time since 2008 and is the first CRSA-sanctioned race in Ontario. The last time the series was in Canada was July 11-12 in Quebec at Le Speedway and Autodrome Montmagny. Anthony Brennan and Tyler Rice each took the checkers.
It will also feature a high purse of $1500 to win and $250 to start the feature.
Here’s a look at the headlines coming in.
Last Time Out: CRSA held its final points race (penultimate at the time) Sept. 27 at Utica-Rome Speedway as part of the I-90 Pit Stop Challenge. Zach Sobotka drew the pole to lead early over Tyler Graves.
However, on lap eight, the front wing detached from Sobotka’s No. 38, an issue that could affect the aero and downforce of his self-owned 305 Sprint that was recently purchased.
The issue affected the handling of Sobotka’s ride but did not deter his momentum from coming across the line first; however, he was below the minimum weight of 1525 lbs. Due to this, his win doesn’t count and he receives last-place money and points.
Tyler Graves scored his best career CRSA finish in second, while Kyle Pierce rounded out the top three, giving him a four-point lead into Land of Legends.
With Canandaigua raining out, the points run ended with Kyle Pierce as the champion.
In the I-90 Pit Stop Challenge, Jordan Hutton finished sixth and successfully defended his miniseries championship from last year by 24 points over Jeff Trombley and Tomy Moreau.
Head of the Table: You only think about it once it’s brought up but the pass for third on lap 11 at Utica-Rome determined the championship.
With the points tied entering the feature, Kyle Pierce found his way past Tomy Moreau for the spot and didn’t look back.
With Land of Legends rained out, “The Flyin School Teacher” was declared the 2024 CRSA Sprints Champion, the first of his career.
“It feels bittersweet,” said Pierce. “Anyone in the pits wants to finish on the track, but Mother Nature plagued half the year. Last night, was get what you can get, although Tomy and I got to battle. There was nobody better to run with this year than Tomy and Dalton [Herrick].”
Pierce recorded a pair of wins at Afton May 31 and Thunder Mountain Aug. 10. Those wins were good enough to win the Joe’s Garage Southern Tier Series championship by four points on Herrick. In addition, Pierce also beat Herrick by a point to win the inaugural Dandy Triple Play.
Here’s the full top 10 in points.
1. 9K Kyle Pierce, 2204
2. 22 Tomy Moreau, -4
3. 29 Dalton Herrick, -51
4. 28 Ron Greek -191
5. 21B Blake Warner -221
6. J27 John Cunningham -224
7. 4 Cliff Pierce -282
8. 99 Adam DePuy -456
9. 410 Jerry Sehn Jr. -478
10. D9 Dustin Sehn -558
Parity of Winners: Seeing 10 winners across the calendar this season has been great.
But when half the 10 are first-time winners? Even better.
Adam DePuy, Dillon Paddock, Tyler Chartrand, Dan Craun and Matt Rotz each picked up their first career CRSA victory in 2024, with the possibility of one more to add their name at Cornwall this weekend.
Marketing Partners for Saturday: Some local partners have stepped up, with the help of Tomy Moreau, among others.
Mecanique plus Robertson have stepped in to give $100 to each of the following: Driver who travels the most miles, 11th place, 19th place, 23rd and 24th place. Mecanique Plus Robertson is an auto repair shop in Gatineau, Quebec with more than 15 years of experience with reliable mechanics who are knowledgeable in their field of expertise. From changing brakes, tires, oil, parts and more, you’ll be in good hands. For more info, call them at (819) 669-8936.
Garage Mario Moreau enr. will also come on board to pay an extra $100 to whoever finishes 15th. Based in Sherbrooke, Garage Mario Moreau offers all the services necessary for your vehicle’s proper functioning. Certified and experienced professionals perform maintenance on your car’s AC system and general maintenance and mechanics. For more details, contact Garage Mario Moreau to schedule an appointment at (819) 562-5466.
Carquest Auto Parts of Canada will also be coming in with $100 to the eighth-place finisher. For 50 years, Carquest has been serving you the right part at the right time. Find a location near you at carquest.ca.
Heats one through three will also award $100 to each winner, courtesy of Construction CPNA, Energie Line Batteries, and SLME.
CPNA is a general contractor in Sherbrooke, Quebec that transforms your real estate projects into reality. Whether for your new home, extensions, interior finishing or heritage restorations, you can be assured that your project will be carried out to the highest standards. For more info, log on to CPNA.co and call (819) 569-1817 to request a quote.
Energie Line Batteries is a battery retailer in Sherbrooke, Quebec that sells batteries for all your equipment that needs power. They’re located at 788 Boulevard Queen Victoria. For more info, call (819) 562-5466
SLME is a construction company in Sherbrooke that can meet all your construction needs. Call (819) 822-1677 or visit 3420 12e Avenue N.
Homecoming for Moreau: Saturday will be a special night for Tomy Moreau as he gets to run his first CRSA race at Cornwall, which will be Cornwall’s faithful favorite. Just under a three-hour drive from Sherbrooke, Quebec and no need for a passport this weekend, this will be a dream come true.
“Cornwall is a track I started to go to when I was five or six years old, watching my dad race,” said Moreau. “I know this place like it’s home for me. Super excited to have a place on the schedule and hope everyone that will come will love it as much as me.”
The Invaders: While many CRSA drivers will tackle Cornwall for the first time, other Canadians will bring their crate sprint cars out to Cornwall and hope to spoil a party against the Americans.
Guy Gosselin ran with the CRSA Sprints July 27 at Fonda, so he knows his opponents’ style a bit.
Other drivers, including Lee Ladouceur, Adam Turner and Evan Reynolds, have expressed their attendance and expect to be there.
From the Frontman: “We want to thank Raymond for hosting the CRSA Sprints and his excitement for sprint car racing. Many people don’t realize that sprint car racing is well-known in Canada, and we’re proud to see CRSA gather interest. This will be a great way to end the season!” ~ Mike Emhof
From the Track Promoter: “I worked with Mike in the past, and he was a really nice, excellent and honest guy to work with. He worked with us as a promoter and we continue to work together. Sprint car racing in Canada is huge. I always want to allow fans to see a new series.” ~ Raymond Lavergne
Standings
1. 9K Kyle Pierce 2204 pts
2. 22 Tomy Moreau -4
3. 29 Dalton Herrick -51
4. 28 Ron Greek -191
5. 21B Blake Warner -221
6. J27 John Cunningham -224
7. 4 Cliff Pierce -282
8. 99 Adam DePuy -456
9. 410 Jerry Sehn Jr. -478
10. D9 Dustin Sehn -558