Saskatoon, SK (July 18, 2015)- What better way to end one of the busiest weeks of the year than with another busy and highly successful race night, and raising money for charity to boot.
Last weekend thousands of people came through the Auto Clearing Motor Speedway gates to take in the Canada Remembers our Heroes Air Show. Tuesday and Wednesday there were thousands more through the gates for our night of memorial races Tuesday and the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Prairie Velocity Thunder 250 on Wednesday.
Saturday there were thousands more as 15 Sportsman drivers collected pledges and prizes all in the name of cancer research and the running of the Race for the Cure 100. At intermission it was announced the total raised had surpassed $13,000.00 and that didn’t include what was growing to thousands more in the silent auction items fans were bidding on.
On the track, the organizing crew had put together an impressive list of 15 Sportsman drivers to go after the Race for the Cure trophies and prizes put up by Can-do Delivery, Shirley’s Service, The Trade Bank, Ritchie Brothers Auction and TJ’s Pizza.
In time trials Matthew Shirley and Neil Schneider showed they were going to be the cars to beat all night, topping out the board at 15.341 and 15.421 seconds. Damen Meier, first time in a Sportsman car showed he had come to play with third spot at 15.747 seconds.
Matthew Shirley also picked up the first win in his heat followed by Casey Randall, and Neil Schneider topped out his heat, with Travis Deforest chasing him down.
The time trials and heats were all for practice and points though. The fans set the starting grid order. Each driver had a hockey puck with their car number on it. They each picked a young fan to help them through a puck toss, with a tire as the target. Closest to the tire took pole, second got outside pole, and so forth.
Matthew Shirley picked a ringer and his young helper threw the puck the 20 foot distance, landing it about one inch from the tire. Shirley sat in pole until another ringer came along, this time for Alex Leschenko. His throw found the puck leaning against the tire, bumping Shirley to outside pole. In a subsequent challenge, both Shirley and Schneider as the top time setters, opted to start at the back for the bonus prize, moving Ryan Thompson to outside pole.
Alex Leschenko jumped out into the lead but by lap five Casey Randall put an end to that, taking over a lead he would hang onto for the next 46 laps. Meanwhile, Schneider and Shirley quickly started their ascent through the field, with Schneider climbing to third by the 25th lap and Shirley in sixth.
By lap 35 Schneider was flirting with Randall for 17 laps, but it wouldn’t be until lap 53 that Schneider would get his first lead of the race. Matthew Shirley was working his way up, but with 40 laps to go, Schneider still had Randall and Ben Busch as a cushion protecting him from Shirley’s hard charging Pontiac.
Shirley was coming on strong through. In lap 53 he dispensed of Ryan Thompson to move into fourth. In lap 63 Busch was now in Shirley’s rear view mirror and Shirley had his sights on Casey Randall. Randall didn’t have much fight left as Shirley was by him in under two laps.
There was no stopping Shirley. Two more laps and he was by Schneider, cruising the next 33 laps to the win, along with the challenge bonuses.
The #12 Co-op Grand Prix of Matthew Shirley wasn’t the only winner of the day, with the fund raising for cancer research being the big winner.
Neil Schneider hung on for second in the #93 Burco Electric Dodge Avenger and Damon Meier, driving the #53 Chevrolet taking up third.
Ira Laughy was a name we heard a lot Saturday, as the #17 Sask Legends Series car took top spot in time trials and his two heat races. He finished off the night taking the #17 1934 Mac’s Ford Coupe to the Earth Works Feature Flag as well, ahead of the #1 of Robert Gayton out of Albuquerque New Mexico, and Saskatoon’s AJ Morrison’s #84 Norm’s Interiors Ford Coupe. AJ also picked up wins in both his heat races.
In Golf’s Car Wash mini stock action, Tanner Reimer picked up the first heat win of the day. Cole Nixey in the #23 33rd Street Auto Integra took the qualifier race. Tanner Reimer was back on top, taking the Golf’s Car Wash mini stock feature in the #25 The Results Team Honda Civic, chased down by #23 Cole Nixey and the #41 Streetwise Service Neon of Jim Barnsley.
Once again making the trek from Leduc, 12 year old Tyler Emond handily won both the heat and qualifier races in the Bandolero division. It was the #22 of Kelsy Toth though who picked up the checkered flag in the CrimeStoppers Bandolero Feature, followed by #21 Megan Preston and the #24 of Jaxen Gervais.
We’re back at it next Saturday, as the Irv’s Auto Super Trucks are back for their second and final visit of the season and the Legends cars hit the track, this time for the ever popular Mac’s Froster 50. The Tiger Automotive Pro Trucks and the CrimeStoppers Bandoleros round out the card.
Racing is Saturday, July 25, with the front gates open at 5:00 and the first of many green flags at 6:05.
Complete Results
Saturday, July 18, 2015
Golf’s Car Mini Stock Division
Heat Race:
1. #25 Tanner Reimer
2. #92 Brennan Kirton
3. #23 Cole Nixey
4. #41 Jamie Tataryn
5. #11 Jason Venne
6. #72 Riley Surcon
7. #37 Scott Kozak
8. #77 Shawn Conarroe
9. #95 Carlee Davidson
10. #18 Allison Woodvine
Qualifier Race:
1. #23 Cole Nixey
2. #92 Brennan Kirton
3. #25 Tanner Reimer
4. #11 Jason Venne
5. #72 Riley Surcon
6. #37 Scott Kozak
7. #77 Shawn Conarroe
8. #95 Carlee Davidson
9. #18 Ashley Woodvine
10. #41 Jamie Tataryn
Golf’s Car Wash Mini Stock Feature Race:
1. #25 Tanner Reimer
2. #23 Cole Nixey
3. #41 Jamie Tataryn
4. #92 Brennan Kirton
5. #11 Jason Venne
6. #37 Scott Kozak
7. #72 Riley Surcon
8. #77 Shawn Conarroe
9. #18 Brian Stephenson
10. #95 Carlee Davidson
CrimeStoppers Bandolero Division
Heat Race:
1. #18 Tyler Emond
2. #22 Kelsey Toth
3. #24 Jaxen Gervais
4. #21 Megan Preston
5. #14 Ty Stewart
6. #33 Jasmine Speidel
7. #93 Ryley Schneider
8. #8 Braxton Clewes
9. #00 Kara Emond
Qualifier Race:
1. #18 Tyler Emond
2. #22 Kelsey Toth
3. #33 Jasmine Speidel
4. #24 Jaxen Gervais
5. #21 Megan Preston
6. #14 Ty Stewart
7. #93 Ryley Schneider
8. #8 Braxton Clewes
9. #00 Kara Emond
CrimeStoppers Bandolero Feature Race:
1. #22 Kelsey Toth
2. #21 Megan Preston
3. #24 Jaxen Gervais
4. #93 Ryley Schneider
5. #18 Tyler Emond
6. #14 Ty Stewart
7. #8 Braxton Clewes
8. #00 Kara Emond
9. #33 Jasmine Speidel
Earth Works Sask Legends Series
Time Trials (seconds):
1. #17 Ira Laughy, 16.138
2. #21 Blake Erb, 18.160
3. #90 Danny Meier, 16.187
4. #84 AJ Morrison, 16.193
5. #24 Brad Blumer, 16.244
6. #1 Robert Gayton, 16.326
7. #13 Chelsey Wilson, 16.431
8. #2 Kerry Nuefeld, 16.431
9. #H02 Darrell Buckingham, 16.549
10. #27 Jody Stewart, 16.563
11. #5 Gary Wegener, 16.772
12. #51 Matt Neufeld, 16.853
13. #20 Audra Cooper, 16.905
14. #3 Brad Toth, 16.917
15. #88 Troy Stewart, no time
Heat A:
1. #17 Ira Laughy
2. #24 Brad Blumer
3. #H20 Darrell Buckingham
4. #5 Gary Wegener
5. #20 Audra Cooper
6. #90 Danny Meier
7. #13 Chelsey Wilson
Heat B:
1. #84 AJ Morrison
2. #1 Robert Gayton
3. #21 Blake Erb
4. #2 Kerry Nuefeld
5. #27 Jody Stewart
6. #3 Brad Toth
7. #51 Matt Neufeld
Qualifier A:
1. #17 Ira Laughy
2. #24 Brad Blumer
3. #90 Danny Meier
4. #5 Gary Wegener
5. #20 Audra Cooper
6. #H20 Darrell Buckingham, DNS
7. #13 Chelsey Wilson, DNS
Qualifier B:
1. #84 AJ Morrison
2. #1 Robert Gayton
3. #21 Blake Erb
4. #2 Kerry Nuefeld
5. #27 Jody Stewart
6. #3 Brad Toth
7. #51 Matt Neufeld
Earthworks Equipment Sask Legends Feature:
1. #17 Ira Laughy
2. #1 Robert Gayton
3. #84 AJ Morrison
4. #21 Blake Erb
5. #24 Brad Blumer
6. #2 Kerry Nuefeld
7. #90 Danny Meier
8. #H20 Darrell Buckingham
9. #27 Jody Stewart
10. #5 Gary Wegener
11. #51 Matt Neufeld
12. #3 Brad Toth
13. #20 Audra Cooper
14. #13 Chelsey Wilson, DNS
Shell V-Power Sportsman Division:
Time Trials (seconds):
1. #12 Matthew Shirley, 15.341
2. #93 Neil Schneider, 15.421
3. #53 Damen Meier, 15.747
4. #49 Ben Busch, 15.824
5. #07 Casey Randall, 15.850
6. #41 Travis Deforest, 16.059
7. #5 Kirk Senger, 16.091
8. #36 Darryl Potts, 16.221
9. #11 Alex Leschenko, 16.285
10. #27 Rick Schurmanns, 16.323
11. #15 Dave McIntosh, 16.424
12. #89 Jim Goodlad, 16.587
13. #67 Mike Slaney, 16.688
14. #33 Ryan Thompson, no time
15. #21 Nick Allen, no time
Heat A:
1. #12 Matthew Shirley
2. #07 Casey Randall
3. #53 Damen Meier
4. #5 Kirk Senger
5. #15 Dave McIntosh
6. #11 Alex Leschenko
7. #67 Mike Slaney
8. #21 Nick Allen, DNS
Heat B
1. #93 Neil Schneider
2. #41 Travis Deforest
3. #49 Ben Busch
4. #89 Jim Goodlad
5. #33 Ryan Thompson
6. #27 Rick Schurmanns
7. #36 Darryl Potts
Shell V-Power Sportsman Feature Race
Race for the Cure 100 (laps)
1. #12 Matthew Shirley, 100
2. #93 Neil Schneider, 100
3. #53 Damen Meier, 100
4. #49 Ben Busch, 100
5. #33 Ryan Thompson, 100
6. #5 Kirk Senger, 100
7. #89 Jim Goodlad, 99
8. #11 Alex Leschenko, 99
9. #15 Dave McIntosh, 99
10. #07 Casey Randall, 98
11. #36 Darryl Potts, 98
12. #27 Rick Schurmanns, 97
13. #67 Mike Slaney, 95
14. #41 Travis Deforest, 47 (mechanical)
15. #21 Nick Allen, 4 (mechanical)
Race for the Cure 100 Race Stats:
Race time – on track: 36 minutes, 23 seconds
Four Race Leaders – 11, 07, 93, 12
Five Lead Changes – #11 led laps 1-5, #07 led laps 6-38, 41-51, #93 led
laps 39, 40, 52-66, and #12 led laps 67 to 100
2 cautions in laps 27 and 44
13 Caution laps counted, 0 not counted
#67 credited three laps for pit under caution.
From: Richard Woodvine/ ACMS
{fcomment}
Discussion about this post