INNISFIL, Ontario (August 11, 2021)— Starting on the pole, Andy Kamrath led flag-to-flag en route to winning the OSCAAR Modifieds feature at Sunset Speedway.
The afternoon started off on a rough note, with Paul Townsend and Tommy Robb both going around for separate spins in turn one in the first heat. T.J. Edwards picked up the checkered flag ahead of Kelly Balson, Norman Newman, Luke Gignac, Dale Reinhart, Townsend, and Robb.
Marshall Schrenk won the second qualifier ahead of A.J. Emms, Steve Trendell, Bob Franks, Wally Wilson, and Jase Cornell.
The third heat featured a quick yellow flag, when Jason Keen spun Mike Hearty around. Andy Kamrath snagged the victory ahead of Coltin Everingham, Ryan Dick, Keen, Hearty, and Downey.
Dale Reinhart won the fourth qualifier ahead of Milwain, Newman, Franks, Cornell, Robb, and Townsend.
The fifth heat started off with contact on the second lap, as Keen pushed Emms up on the frontstretch off of turn four, resulting in the No. 14 getting into the outside wall, before climbing it. Emms would ride the full frontstretch wall on his side, with Keen beneath him. Thankfully, both drivers would be uninjured in the wreck.
Due to the length of the clean-up from the wreck and the impending weather, OSCAAR would make the decision to cancel the rest of the qualifying heats. Per the rulebook without the sixth heat being run, those second round qualifiers (heats four through six) do not count for points or towards setting the feature line-up.
Come feature time, Andy Kamrath started pole ahead of Norman Newman, T.J. Edwards, Marshall Schrenk, Coltin Everingham, Kelly Balson, Steve Trendell, Ryan Dick, Bob Franks, Jason Keen, Wally Wilson, Mike Hearty, Dale Reinhart, Craig Downey, Jase Cornell, A.J. Emms, and Tommy Robb.
Andy Kamrath would jump out to the early advantage ahead of Newman and Edwards, with Edwards getting alongside Newman for second on Lap 2. Edwards would get the spot later, bumping Newman back to third ahead of Balson, Schrenk, Dick and Trendell, as Everingham and Gignac battled for eighth. Behind them, Keen ran 10th ahead of Reinhart, Franks, Hearty, Downey, and Emms.
Gignac would complete the pass for eighth on Lap 8, with Reinhart moving up by Keen for 10th a lap later. The battles carried through the field, with Trendell alongside Dick for sixth on Lap 11, and Reinhart alongside Gignac for eighth behind them. Dick was able to hold onto the sixth, allowing Gignac to get alongside Trendell for seventh.
Gignac and Reinhart would both find their way by Trendell, with Reinhart getting alongside Gignac for seventh on Lap 16 ahead of Trendell, Everingham, Keen, and Downey. Reinhart completed the pass two laps later, bringing Trendell through with him as Gignac ran ninth ahead of Everingham, Keen, Downey, and Emms. Emms began his charge forward, passing Downey for 12th at the halfway mark.
Dick would try his hand at passing Gignac on Lap 22, though was unable to complete the pass. Further back, though, Emms moved forward with a pass on Keen for 11th on Lap 23, followed by a pass on Everingham to break into the top-10 two laps later. Reinhart also was able to move forward, getting by Schrenk coming to the checkered flag.
Andy Kamrath picked up the checkered flag ahead of T.J. Edwards, Kelly Balson, Newman Newman, and Dale Reinhart. Marshall Schrenk finished sixth, followed by Steve Trendell, Luke GIgnac, Ryan Dick, and A.J. Emms. Coltin Everingham placed 11th, followed by Jason Keen, Mike Hearty, Craig Downey, Bob Franks, Wally Wilson, Jase Cornell, and Tommy Robb.
As a result, A.J. Emms and Kelly Balson currently sit at the top of the points standings, tied for the lead.
Be sure to keep up with OSCAAR by staying tuned to the series website at http://www.oscaar.ca
By: Ashley McCubbin
