|
|
On August 18th Flamboro Speedway was host to the third annual Don Biederman Memorial Night. The nights events were dedicated to Canadian racing legend Don Biederman, who past away only three years ago. Biederman was one of the key reasons why Flamboro Speedway prospered back in the 1970’s, and still remains one of the most recognized names in the racing community. From the short tracks of Canada, to the sandy shores of Daytona Beach, Florida, the stories of Don Biederman, his accomplishments, and his antics, are cherished and shared by all who know what he did for the love of the sport.
As in years past, the Star Choice OSCAAR Super Late Models qualified to run a 61-lap feature, 61 being the age Don would have been at the time of his death. The two previous races had been won on the track by OSCAAR star Rob Clarke, who won the inaugural event in 1999, and again finished first in 2000 (but later did not pass technical inspection, thus losing the win, and naming Dave Taylor, then driving the #11, the winner). Clarke was back for the 2001 running, defending his title against young stars Stu Robinson Jr., Trevor Monaghan, and Shane McGinnis, as well as wily vets Al Thompson, Mike Bricknell, and the other drivers of OSCAAR.
In first round qualifying John Owen put his #2 in victory lane, just ahead of a three-car battle for second involving McGinnis, Monaghan and John Fletcher. In the second heat things got a little wild when Al Thompson spun the #34 around, and then Mike Bricknell put the #78 of Bill Reimer spinning to the infield. A bad break came to Doug Gillispie whose #72 went hard into the corner three wall, and then to the #27 of Roy Passer who spun and T-boned the wall just past corner two. Heat number two was not the race to be in. The survivors at the front were the cars who would put the show on in the feature, #49 Rob Clarke and #68 Stu Robinson Jr. (in that order).
Second round qualifying was a little less hectic, displaying close racing without the wrecked machinery. The #03 of Shane McGinnis got a taste of victory, as did the #34 of Al Thompson who held off the charging duo, Robinson and Clarke, to claim his win. Some great racing in the heats promised a good show for the feature, even though two name drivers would not make the cut. The #46 of Billy Zardo did not make it out to qualify after he found water mixed with the engine oil, causing bad problems in his engine, and taking him out for the night. And Jeff Hanley, coming off the injured reserve list after a bad wreck at Mosport in a Modified severely injured his leg, tried to make the race but was unable to continue after practice because of the intense pain. Hanley put driver Paul Law into his #70 car for the night, and Law did a pretty good job handling the Super Late Model and keeping out of trouble.
Lining up for the feature John Owen had his #2 on the pole, with the #61 of John Fletcher on the outside. The green flag dropped as the cars came out of corner four, Owen had the early advantage as the field dove into corner one and made their way out of two, but down the back straight John Fletcher drove by on the high side, and came down the front stretch leading the pack. Fletcher looked very strong but after a few short laps suddenly fell way off the pace coming out of corner four and had to limp the car into the infield. No visible damage to the car was apparent, and no caution was thrown since no accident occurred, but it would be the end of Fletcher’s night. John Owen inherited the lead, but was soon passed by the rocket fast Stu Robinson, and then by Rob Clarke, pushing Owen back to third. Owen still couldn’t find a quiet place to race as both Shane McGinnis and Trevor Monaghan threatened his top five position when the #03 took to the high side and the #04 tucked inside. Owen got shuffled backwards to fifth, leaving the scrap for third between Monaghan and McGinnis. Trevor held off the #03 for a few laps, but Shane soon found a way by and moved comfortably into third.
While all of this action went on between third to fifth, the front two cars had separated themselves from the field to duel for the lead. The unrelenting Rob Clarke was all over the track looking for a way by Stu Robinson Jr. Clarke tried the high lane but was forced to back wait while passing slower traffic. As Clarke looked to make a move for the lead the caution flag was thrown for a dormant Roy Passer, whose #27 lay across the track blocking the racing surface over in corner two. Even with only 18 laps down it was critical for Robinson to make good on the restart. If Clarke got by, and with Shane McGinnis waiting for his shot in third, it was likely that Robinson would be tied up in second and it would be another runaway for the #49. But that did not happen. Everything looked okay when the field took the green, and most people’s attention was on the #18 of Bruce Gowland who was passing the #04 of Trevor Monaghan. But then it happened. Rob Clarke, focused on the leader, and Shane McGinnis, pushing to get by Clarke, made contact coming out of corner two. The #49 spun around, the caution came out, the #03 had been a part of the accident, and both of these drivers were sent to the back for the restart, with Trevor Monaghan, who had been running top five but had made a pit stop. This time everyone got through corners one and two without problem, Stu Robinson started to pull away out front, but at lap twenty Roy Passer did another 360 degree turn in the #27 to bring out the yellow, and the handling problems on the #04 became too much for Trevor Monaghan, tagging the wall, so he limped off to the infield. Once again the Star Choice Super Late Models lined up for the green, and once again Stu Robinson led the field around the 1/3 mile asphalt oval, and once again there was excitement over in corner two. Only a couple laps later, with a raging battle for second between Al Thompson and Bruce Gowland going on up front, Mike Bricknell’s #69 got into the back of Gowland’s #18, coming out of corner two, and causing reason for another caution. Luckily for them, Shane McGinnis and Rob Clarke stayed clear of the mess, McGinnis stopping just short and Clarke squeezing by through the infield, allowing the two drivers to keep their top five spots which they had raced back up to in only three laps (and it was a 19 car field). The green flag flew once more, engines peaked, tires squealed, and the red glow of hot brake rotors started to illuminate the corners once again. McGinnis and Clarke made short work of Bricknell to take away second, then third, spot and by halfway Rob Clarke was back on the bumper of Stu Robinson Jr., while McGinnis was left behind in fourth fighting it out with Al Thompson. The battle up front got red hot when Clarke and Robinson, racing so close and so hard, banged fenders one lap coming out of, you guessed it, corner two. Clarke climbed right over the left front fender of Robinson’s #68, baubled, the two cars touched again, and then regained control. Robinson never lost the lead and Clarke only lost a car length, but it would be enough. At fourty-eight laps into the race Clarke was chasing Robinson Jr., but reeled him in when the caution flag was thrown for a spun #18, Bruce “Greasy” Gowland. After the restart the Super’s fell into a straight line, freight training around the speedway. With two laps to go, Rob Clarke commenced repainting the rear bumper of Robinson’s #68. When the white flag was out Clarke tried desperately to get by the #68, but there would be no on-track three-peat for the man from London. Down in victory lane, the man from Holland Landing, Stu Robinson Jr. parked the JST Logistics, Blundell Haulage sponsored #68. Rob Clarke finished up a respectable second, Al Thompson third, Shane McGinnis fourth, and the #13 of Gary Passer snuck in to round out the top five. An excellent Super Late Model race, a new name for the Biederman Memorial Trophy, and another strong show in the name of Don. You won’t want to miss the excitement when the stars in the cars of OSCAAR return to Flamboro Speedway on Saturday September 8th, a scheduled 50 lap feature!
Last year Flamboro Speedway introduced a new award in honour of Don. The Don Biederman Achievement Award was to be given to a driver who achieved outstanding goals on the track, as well as being helpful to the racing community and the sport. The inaugural recipient was 14-year old Petey Shepherd, then driving the #7 Thunder Car. Shepherd had won multiple races, including many features, and had drawn a lot of media attention to the track. He was a fan favorite, a modest star, and was always willing to sign some autographs. His year 2000 achievements as a stock car rookie were outstanding, and made him a worthy recipient of such a prestigious award. Finding a 2001 recipient to match such high standards was a difficult task, but Flamboro found another deserving winner, announced on the front straightaway during the intermission that Saturday night. The year 2001 recipient was Thunder Car #31 driver Kevin Gallant. Gallant had jumped from a Street Stock, where he finished second in points in 2000, up to a Thunder Car for 2001. He currently leads the Thunder Car standings, and is a tough competitor every night. Off the tack Kevin promotes the tie between family and racing, has donated corn for our corn roasts and a bicycle for Kids Night, and generally supports the racing community whether on the track or in the stands. Congratulations Kevin.
The action on the track was fast, close, and clean in all of the Flamboro home divisions. Along with the Street Stocks, Thunder Cars, and Mini Stocks, the Star Choice OSCAAR Super Late Models were in for a 61 lap feature in a salute to Don (see separate article). In the Street Stocks, heat winners included #20 Sean Warren, #10 Steve Stockford, #5 Jeff Bean, and #11 Manfred Henkel. One of these drivers would visit victory lane again in the feature. Early on Larry Bennett, driving son Dave’s #45 car, grabbed the lead with the rest of the spots behind him being traded like collector cards. From second back the cars swapped paint and positions back and forth, until a caution was thrown for the #67 of Sean Warren who had spun in corner one, swinging the rear of the car hard into the wall. Larry Bennett lost the lead on the restart to the charging Sean Warren, who brought with him Kevin Benish and Steve Stockford. The #45 continued to fade backwards until spinning in corner four and bringing out the caution. On the restart Warren was still up front, with a three-wide battle for second erupting behind him. Stockford, Benish, and the substitute driver in the #72, Terry King, were three abreast when Stockford and Benish made contact putting both cars sideways. With a great recovery Kevin Benish regained control of his car and held his position. With the white flag in the air, and Sean Warren still leading, Benish was still ahead of Steve Stockford. But down the back straight Stockford brought the #10 up door-to-door with the #95, and through the corners made good on the pass. First to the checkers was Sean Warren in the #20, followed by the #10 of Steve Stockford, #95 Kevin Benish, the #06 of Steve Brook, and #72 Terry King.
The Thunder Car feature was a freight train race as soon as Bob Chenoweth lost the lead. Early on in the race Chenoweth, who was one of four heat winners, had the lead. But with only a few laps completed under green the flying #64 of Steve Book dove to the inside and stole away the spot. From that point on the front five played follow the leader for most of the race. Misfortune struck Kevin Gallant when he was tagged by the hard charging rookie Jesse Fair and sent spinning across the infield. It could be the start of tradition as the same thing happened to Petey Shepherd, winner of the Biederman Award in 2000, also was spun in his Memorial Night feature last year. The irony of the accident, Jesse Fair was driving Shepherd’s old car. Gallant tried his best to get back into the top five, but with two laps remaining, and the front runners still spread out, he ran out of time. The feature win went to #64 Steve Book, who was closely followed by #89 Bob Chenoweth and then #12 Mike Post. Ray Gowan finished up fourth in the #10, and Randy Richard rounded out the top five in his #91.
A four car battle-royale headed the Mini Stock feature. Four
of the top cars in the division, #85 Robert Allerellie, #17 Jim Hill, #77
Bryn Rennie, and #71 Barry Westman, all past feature winners, all ran close
scraping for the lead. Just short of their battle was a three car
cluster, this one headed by #26 Bryan Sweers and including #73 Ron Larkin
Jr. and #22 Ken Turner. Early in the race Hill held off his pursuers,
the biggest challenge coming from Westman who took to the highside.
But Rob Allerellie was quick to remove the #71 from his striking spot,
leading the rest of the line under Westman. The little #85 was fast
again, passing the #17 for the lead, and bringing Bryn Rennie by with him
leaving Jim Hill back in third. Hill fought back up to second and
in the closing laps mounted a strong challenge on Allerellie. Bryn
Rennie sat back in third watching the two front cars duel for the win,
hoping that one would slip and he could capitalize, and his chance came.
While Jim Hill was focused on the #85 heading into the corners, Bryn Rennie
drove his #77 hard inside and made the pass for second. With just
one lap remaining Rennie was able to catch the #85, which seemed to be
falling off the pace a little more every lap, but was unable to make a
pass before the finish line. Rober Allerellie won another Go Four
Feature, with Bryn Rennie finishin right behind him in second. Jim
Hill came up third, with #22 Ken Turner finishing fourth and #71 Barry
Westman in fifth.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|