Saskatoon, Saskatchewan- It was the end of an era Saturday night as the Brock Salvage Thunder Stocks ran their last races at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway. Dwindling registration as these old steel body sedans get harder to find and even harder to find parts, means they are being discontinued as a division of the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association and won’t appear on the 2014 race schedule.
The thunder stock division was born out of the old claimer class at the Bridge City Speedway, being introduced to fans in 1983. The relaxed rules and rough redneck style of racing was enthusiastically endorsed by the fans and the division quickly became a favorite. Wally Eby was the winner of the first Thunder Stock Championship trophy.
Owner of the thunder stock #81 Barry Stefaniuk, known as Father Time around the track, was there from the beginning. He barely held back tears in an interview Saturday night as the track and fans bid farewell to the division. Barry estimates he has turned over 30,000 laps in racing behind the wheel of a race car.
Barry hasn’t decided what the future holds for him beyond the upcoming year end Ellenn Plastics Ultimate Enduro. It is expected some of the thunder stock cars will become dedicated Enduro cars while some may turn to dirt tracks. It is expected most of the drivers will return in one of the other divisions.
The stands were full Saturday night for the running of the annual Martensville A&W Street Stock Invitational 100. 22 cars from around Saskatchewan went through qualifying and heat races to determine their start position for the 100 lap $2,000.00 to win feature.
#44 Craig Katelnikoff was the fastest qualifying at 16.572 seconds, followed by the #33 of Ryan Thompson at 16.647 seconds.
It was the #34 of Mike Schroeder picking up the win in the trophy dash though, earning him the pole position for the start of the 100 lap feature race. Darryl Potts picked up second and outside pole with the #36.
The #14 of Guy Derdall, proving to be a challenge lately, took the win in the first heat race, with #15 of Todd Pluhator coming in second. The #22 of Regina’s Kevin Jorgenson was the winner of the second heat race, followed by the #18 of Bill Zubrecki.
Race officials had a little surprise before the start of the feature race though. Mike Schroeder, who had earned the pole start position with the #33 AJ’s Auto Wrecking Camaro was offered a bonus $500.00 to win the race, if he would start at the back of the pack. The crowd was boisterous in their approval and Mike was quick to accept the challenge.
Mike would be giving up the pole position handing it to the strong #36 Mustang of Darryl Potts. This move also put street stock points leader Brad Wrennick on the outside pole.
With the drop of the green flag Wrennick got off to a fast start, quickly taking a lead that would be hard to catch. Wrennick continued to lead with Katelnikoff in chase. Schroeder was also on the move though, moving up to 15th position by lap three.
A caution in lap four tightened the field up and Darryl Potts took advantage on the restart, getting ahead of Katelnikoff for second. Potts continued trying to catch Wrennick, but it was the #14 of Guy Derdall that would surprise all and take second place away from Potts in lap 12.
Derdall continued his hunt for first with Potts chasing him, but in lap 21 Derdall saw a change in his rear view mirror as the #34 of Schroeder was now behind him in third. The quarter way point saw that same order, with Wrennick in first, Derdall second and Schroeder third.
Derdall was proving to be quite the challenge for Schroeder as Schroeder tried inside and outside to get by, only to be denied lap after lap. Schroeder finally got by Derdall in lap 30 and now set his sights on Wrennick, just as Wrennick was starting to get into lapped traffic.
This actually worked to Wrennick’s advantage though as he was able to keep cars between him and Schroeder. It wasn’t until lap 47 that there was nothing but air between Wrennick and Schroeder, but it was too late by then and Wrennick was able to hang on to first going into the competition caution at lap 50 for fuel.
Going back to green, Wrennick was able to get the jump and pull away from the pack. Schroeder continued to chase him down and was finally able to take over the lead in lap 68. Wrennick continued behind Schroeder, but his car was beginning to fade. In lap 90 Mike Dionne was able to get around Wrennick for second and a lap later Alex Leschenko
brought the #28 around to take over third.
That is the way the Martensville A&W 100 would end, with the #34 AJ’s Auto Wrecking Camaro in first. Moose Jaw’s #35 of Mike Dionne was second and Alex Leschenko was third in the #28 Ghost Transportation Camaro owned by Brennen Forseille. Brad Wrennick hung on for forth in the #88 Access 2000 Elevator and Lift Cutlas, while Craig Katelnikoff was fifth in the #44 Ridge Riders Roofing Monte Carlo.
In PartSource Mini Stock action, Jared Reddekopp took the first checkered flag of the night in the heat race with his #17 J&S Cabinets Honda Civic. Tristan Ransom was the winner of the Qualifier race in the #13 Saskatoon Sports Car Club BMW.
Dawson Reddekopp took the checkered in the PartSource Mini Stock Feature in the #15 J&S Cabinets Acura. #13 Tristan Ransom was second and the #17 of Jared Reddekopp was third.
And finally, in the Brock Salvage Thunder Stocks, Mike Rea took the checkered flags in the heat and qualifier race in the #18 Daou Auto Monte Carlo, but it was Curtis Houben spoiling Rea’s perfect night, taking home the checkered flag and the final checkered flag for the thunder stocks in the Brock Salvage Feature in the #81 Culligan Water Matters Impala. #18 Mike Rea was second and the #22 of Ryan Fredrickson was third.
It is Mike Rea’s name that will be the last one on the Thunder Stock championship trophy though, as the #18 Daou Auto Monte Carlo finished 37 points ahead of Curtis Houben. Ryan Fredrickson finishes third on the season.
Thunder Stock Championship Points:
1. #18 Mike Rea, 636
2. #81 Curtis Houben, 599
3. #22 Ryan Fredrickson, 576
4. #7 Floyd Ransom, 558
5. #42 Kelsy Skeetka, 440
The season starts to wrap up next week at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway as champions are decided in the Big Bore Drilling Super Truck Racing Series, the FFUN Trailer and Marine Pro Trucks, the Midwest Combustion Sportsman and the Saskatoon Earth Works Sask Legends Series. Front gates open at 12:30 with the first green flag at 2:05pm.
Note as we move into the cooler fall season, races are moving to Saturday afternoons with a 2:00 start time.
Complete Results:
PartSource Mini Stock Division
Heat Race:
1. #17 Jared Reddekopp
2. #92 Brennan Kirton
3. #13 Tristan Ransom
4. #95 Clay Wagner
5. #15 Dawson Reddekopp
6. #1 Scott Barrand
7. #41 Jamie Tataryn
8. #77 Ashton Vangool
9. #20 Audra Cooper
10. #02 David Wilson (Chelsey Wilson)
11. #98 Tom Smith
Qualifier Race:
1. #13 Tristan Ransom
2. #92 Brennan Kirton
3. #15 Dawson Reddekopp
4. #17 Jared Reddekopp
5. #17 Jared Reddekopp
6. #77 Ashton Vangool
7. #20 Audra Cooper
8. #95 Clay Wagner
9. #02 David Wilson (Chelsey Wilson)
10. #98 Tom Smith
11. #1 Scott Barrand
PartSource Mini Stock Feature Race:
1. #15 Dawson Reddekopp
2. #13 Tristan Ransom
3. #17 Jared Reddekopp
4. #92 Brennan Kirton
5. #95 Clay Wagner
6. #41 Jamie Tataryn
7. #1 Scott Barrand
8. #02 David Wilson (Chelsey Wilson)
9. #77 Ashton Vangool
10. #20 Audra Cooper
11. #98 Tom Smith (DNS)
Brock Salvage Thunder Stock Division
Heat Race:
1. #18 Mike Rea
2. #81 Curtis Houben
3. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
4. #7 Floyd Ransom
5. #42 Kelsy Skeetka
6. #21 Bill & Doug Rea
7. #76 Logan Derkson
8. #13 Cliff Yelland
9. #3 Barry Stefaniuk
10. #49 Scott Barrand
Qualifier Race:
1. #18 Mike Rea
2. #81 Curtis Houben
3. #7 Floyd Ransom
4. #42 Kelsy Skeetka
5. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
6. #3 Barry Stefaniuk
7. #21 Bill & Doug Rea
8. #13 Cliff Yelland
9. #76 Logan Derkson
10. #49 Scott Barrand
Brock Salvage Thunder Stock Feature:
1. #81 Curtis Houben
2. #18 Mike Rea
3. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
4. #7 Floyd Ransom
5. #42 Kelsy Skeetka
6. #13 Cliff Yelland
7. #21 Bill & Doug Rea
8. #3 Barry Stefaniuk
9. #76 Logan Derkson
10. #49 Scott Barrand
Martensville A&W Street Stock Invitational
Time Trials:
1. #44 Craig Katelnikoff, 16.572
2. #33 Ryan Thompson, 16.647
3. #34 Mike Schroeder, 16.684
4. #88 Brad Wrennick, 16.713
5. #28 Brennen Forseille (Aaron Anderson), 16.789
6. #36 Darryl Potts, 16.833
7. #3 Ron Eby (Alex Leschenko), 16.836
8. #15 Todd Pluhator, 16.850
9. #42 Nicole Sheetka, 16.878
10. #432 Eric McIntosh, 16.883
11. #66 Brent Dupuis, 16.895
12. #48 Wayne Osbourne, 16.977
13. #14 Guy Derdall, 16.992
14. #35 Mike Dionne, 17.064
15. #18 Bill Zubrecki, 17.117
16. #22 Kevin Jorgenson, 17.153
17. #93 Harold Edwards, 17.275
18. #43 Dale Osbourne, 17.414
19. #71, Tanner Osbourne, 17.612
20. #24 Dean Osbourne, 17.951
21. #47 Gilbert MacKinnon, 17.705
22. #9 Justin Tooley, no time
Trophy Dash:
1. #34 Mike Schroeder
2. #36 Darryl Potts
3. #88 Brad Wrennick
4. #28 Brennen Forseille (Aaron Anderson)
5. #44 Craig Katelnikoff
6. #33 Ryan Thompson
Heat A:
1. #44 Craig Katelnikoff
2. #15 Todd Pluhator
3. #48 Wayne Osbourne
4. #42 Nicole Sheetka
5. #66 Brent Dupuis
6. #3 Ron Eby (Alex Leschenko)
7. #35 Mike Dionne
8. #432 Eric McIntosh
Heat B:
1. #22 Kevin Jorgenson
2. #18 Bill Zubrecki
3. #47 Gilbert MacKinnon
4. #43 Dale Osbourne
5. #24 Dean Osbourne
6. #9 Justin Tooley
7. #71 Tanner Osbource
8. #93 Harold Edwards
Martensville A&W 100 Main Feature Race:
1. #34 Mike Schroeder, Outlook
2. #35 Mike Dionne, Moose Jaw
3. #28 Brennen Forseille (Aaron Anderson), Saskatoon
4. #88 Brad Wrennick, Saskatoon
5. #44 Craig Katelnikoff, Saskatoon
6. #48 Wayne Osbourne, Regina
7. #432 Eric McIntosh, Regina
8. #66 Brent Dupuis, Martensville
9. #3 Ron Eby (Alex Leschenko), Saskatoon
10. #36 Darryl Potts, Watrous
11. #14 Guy Derdall, Saskatoon
12. #15 Todd Pluhator, Saskatoon
13. #43 Dale Osbourne, Regina
14. #42 Nicole Sheetka, Saskatoon
15. #24 Dean Osbourne, Regina
16. #22 Kevin Jorgenson, Regina
17. #93 Harold Edwards, Saskatoon
18. #9 Justin Tooley, Langham
19. #33 Ryan Thompson, Warman
20. #47 Gilbert MacKinnon, Saskatoon
21. #18 Bill Zubrecki, Saskatoon
22. #71 Tanner Osbourne, Regina
From: Richard Woodvine/ ACMS
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