SAUBLE BEACH, Ontario (June 18, 2022)- — in a battle for the top spot that lasted all race long, it’d be Cole Weber coming out on top to win the Qwick Wick Fire Starter OSCAAR Hot Rod feature fueled by EPIC Racewear on Saturday night at Sauble Speedway.
With 29 cars unloaded and ready to do battle, it’d make qualifying important for every competitor in the field.
The first heat presented by JRS Auctions saw a quick caution, with Jeremy Taggert going for a spin in turns three and four on Lap 4. Donny Beatty picked up the checkered flag ahead of Bill Zardo Sr., Amanda Balson, Jeremy McLean, Travis Farrow, Taggert, Connor Ellis, and Luke Bos.
Jerry Broom won the second qualifier in front of Dave Evison Sr., Ed Peterson, Nick Holman, and Dan Rothwell. Unfortunately, Steve Adams broke something in the rear-end of his car under the pace laps.
Cole Weber was victorious in the third heat ahead of Tom Walters, Nick Clarke, Rob Bromley, Trevor Thompson, Jim Blackwell, and Paul Senior.
Steve Book won the fourth qualifier in front of Marty Monette, Doug Wilson, Dalen Martin, Mat Hopkins, Ryan Cowan, and Gary Hannah.
The fifth heat saw a pair of yellow flags, with Blackwell going around twice before pulling off the track. Cole Weber went for the daily double in front of Clarke, Broom, Evison Sr., and Rothwell.
Amanda Balson won the sixth qualifier ahead of Wilson, Book, Zardo, Beatty, Dalen Martin, and Farrow.
Tom Walters was victorious in the seventh heat in front of Bromley, Thompson, Taggert, McLean, Senior, Ellis, and Bos.
The eighth qualifier included a big wreck, with Peterson getting loose through turns three and four, causing him to go up the track. As he worked at saving the car and came back down, he would make contact with Holman, resulting in both drivers hitting the frontstretch wall. Gary Hannah got the checkered flag ahead of Cowan and Hopkins.
With the couple of incidents and mechanical issues that plagued drivers, the b-feature would not be needed to set the tail of the field.
Come time for the feature, it’d be Jerry Broom on pole in front of Nick Clarke, Steve Book, Amanda Balson, Donny Beatty, Tom Walters, Doug Wilson, Cole Weber, Dave Evison Sr., Bill Zardo, Rob Bromley, Matt Hopkins, Ryan Cowan, Gary Hannah, Trevor Thompson, Jeremy McLean, Dalen Martin, Jeremy Taggert, Paul Senior, Dan Rothwell, Connor Ellis, Luke Bos, and Travis Farrow.
Nick Clarke grabbed the early advantage as Book battled Balson for second in front of Walters and Weber, as Broom fell all the way back to sixth by Lap 2. Book took the second spot on Lap 3, with Walters looking to follow him through. Steve Book did not stop there, though, taking the lead a lap later. Clarke now ran second in front of Walters, Balson and Weber, as Zardo headed to the pits with mechanical issues on Lap 5.
Walters would get by Clarke for second, with Balson looking to follow him through. However, coming off turn four, Clarke would get sideways, spinning down across Balson’s nose, sending both of them into the infield grass for the first caution at Lap 8. Under the yellow flag, Beatty headed pit side to the attention of his team. With 22 laps to go, Book led Walters, Weber, Wilson, Broom, Bromley, Hannah, Martin, McLean, Taggert, Thompson, and Hopkins.
The restart saw a battle for the lead between Book and Walters ahead of Weber, Wilson, Bromley, Martin and Broom, with Taggert and Hannah side-by-side for eighth. Tom Walters grabbed the top spot on Lap 11, bringing Weber through with him as Book ran third in front of Wilson, Bromley, Martin, Broom, Taggert, and Hannah.
The battle for the lead wasn’t finished there, though, with Cole Weber making his way around Walters on Lap 17, with the yellow flag flying a lap later due to half of the infield lights going out. With 13 laps to go, Weber led Walters, Wilson, Book, Bromley, Martin, Taggert, Broom, Hannah, Thompson, McLean, Clarke and Balson.
Weber got a good restart in front of Walters, as Book and Bromley both cleared Wilson for position, with Balson heading pit side on Lap 19. Martin continued to run sixth in front of Broom, Taggert, Thompson, Clarke, Hannah, McLean, Cowan, Farrow, and Senior. Thompson then got alongside Taggert for eighth on Lap 23, completing the pass a lap later, bringing Clarke through with him.
There were battles through the field, with Wilson getting alongside Bromley for fourth with four laps to go, completing the pass a lap later. Behind them, Broom would make his way by Taggert to get back into the top-10.
Cole Weber picked up the victory in front of Tom Walters, Steve Book, Doug Wilson, and Rob Bromley.
Be sure to keep up with OSCAAR by staying tuned to the series website at http://www.oscaar.ca
Full Results
1. Cole Weber
2. Tom Walters
3. Steve Book
4. Doug Wilson
5. Rob Bromley
6. Dalen Martin
7. Trevor Thompson
8. Nick Clarke
9. Jerry Broom
10. Jeremy Taggert
11. Gary Hannah
12. Jeremy McLean
13. Ryan Cowan
14. Paul Senior
15. Travis Farrow
16. Mat Hopkins
17. Dan Rothwell
18. Connor Ellis
19. Dave Evison Sr.
20. Amanda Balson
21. Luke Bos
22. Donny Beatty
23. Bill Zardo Sr.
DNS – Marty Monette, Jim Blackwell, Shawn McNeil, Steve Adams, Nick Holman, and Ed Peterson
By Ashley McCubbin
