Saskatoon, SK (September 14, 2015)- September is always an exciting month as the racing gets even more intense at the Auto Clearing Motor Speedway. Drivers know they are running out of time to get that elusive checkered flag, that extra few inches that will gain them a point or two, or sometimes, payback for something that happened four races ago.
The day started before 9:00am as street stock drivers and crews met at the A&W in Martensville to have breakfast and chat with race fans. The race cars sat on display as others from around the Valley area carefully moved their old Dodges and Chevys, Fords and even the odd Studebaker into place for Martensville’s annual Show & Shine.
By noon the race cars are packed up and on their way south, back to ACMS for an afternoon of fine tuning (sometimes with a sledge hammer). Drivers are not only looking for that extra tenth of a second, but they’re looking for things that will keep these street stocks from making it through their longest race of the year. 100 laps. It doesn’t help that the temperature reaches 29 degrees.
As it rolls around to race time, the fans are loving the heat. The drivers are starting to get a little testy. All day in driver suits and coveralls isn’t exactly fun under the hot sun. But they have a goal in mind; their name forever etched on the Martensville A&W Valley Street Stock Invitational trophy.
Mike Schroeder had a good start to the day in the #34 Always Towing Camaro, timing in fastest and setting a new track record in the street stock invitational category, at 16.098 seconds, shaving .045 seconds off his 2014 time. Craig Katelnikoff was back on the track, this time behind the wheel of the #3 BDI Canada Firebird of Ron Eby, timing in
second at 16.215 seconds. Nicole Sheetka finally turned a couple of good laps, timing in third at 16.461 seconds in the #42 Rainbow International Restoration Malibu.
The top three were off to the trophy dash, a four lap run to test who is best off the line. Nicole started on pole, but Craig quickly pulled away into the lead. A lap and a half later, Schroeder was in Katelnikoff’s mirror, but there would be no catching him. The prize I’m sure was appreciated, two large A&W mugs, filled with ice cold A&W Root Beer. The win would also put Craig in the pole position for the start of the 100 lap feature race.
The remaining 14 cars were split into two heats, with the top three in each advancing to the next six spots in the main feature. In Heat A that would be the #18 Daou Auto Monte Carlo of Mike Rea, followed across the line by the #18x of Bill Zubrecki and #1 of Scott Barrand. Moving to the feature from the second heat would be the #28 Ghost
Transportation Camaro of Brennan Forseille, chased across the line by #43 Eric McIntosh and #81 of Curtis Houben.
The remaining eight cars would go into the B Main to determine their spot in the starting grid for the Martensville A&W Valley Street Stock 100. First up went to the #22 Globe Excavating Camaro of Ryan Fredrickson, followed by #0 of Chris Gaeveart and Wayne Osbourne, making the trip up from Regina.
By the time we got to the start of the Martensville A&W Valley Street Stock 100, the temperature had dropped to a bearable 21 degrees. We were about to heat things up though. Remember, Craig Katelnikoff and Mike Schroeder had earned the front two positions in the starting grid for the feature race. Ritchie Bros. Auctioneers and race fan Dave Nagy put $400 on the table if they would start from the back, and win!
Mike reminded fans he wrecked his car last year trying this challenge, while Craig was hesitant as it’s not his own car he is driving. After a little encouragement from fans and a little chat with their wives, both decided to take up the challenge. Craig even reasoned, maybe it’s smarter to start at the back away from traffic.
With Nicole Sheetka now on the pole and Mike Rea to her right, Mike gets the better start and pulls away for the lead on the green flag. In the first lap Mike Schroeder gains five positions and Craig moves up three from the back. Mike Rea looked unstoppable.
Oh, oh, though. As Rea crosses the line to put lap 14 in the books he sees that familiar yellow Always Towing Camaro in his mirror. 14 laps and Shroeder has already taken over second spot. A little lapped traffic gives Rea some breathing room and its lap 27 before Schroeder takes over the lead. Schroeder would hang onto the lead and when the lap 50 competition caution comes out he leads Mike Rea, Curtis Houben and Craig Katelnikoff down the fuel line.
The rules are pretty stringent. Water to the drivers, spray radiators, clean windshields and add fuel only. Mike Schroeder opted to check something else on his car, so he was moved all the way to the back again for the restart. It may have paid off though.
Talking to Mike Rea after the race he says as he exited pit road he heard that all too familiar click, click, click of something in a tire. The car felt fine though and the noise went away as the green flag came out and the cars were brought up to speed.
It was only three laps though and Mike felt that little slip in his car, a sure sign a tire was going down. His laps times dropped off a second and he knew he was sunk. Lap 62 he would have to pit for a tire.
Not quite ready for Sprint Cup action, it took his team seven laps to change the right rear tire. Coming back out, Mike could only hope for a huge attrition issue to gain back spots.
Meanwhile, Schroeder took the lead back from Katelnikoff in lap 65, and drove the rest of the way to the checkered flag in the lead. Not only was it a caution free second half, more than two thirds of the cars were still running at the end of the race.
In the Shell V-Power Sportsman Division, after falling from the podium last time out, Matthew Shirley picked up the first heat win in the #46 Co-op Grand Prix. Dave McIntosh picked up his first win of the year in the Qualifier race with the #15 Competition Chev Camaro.
It was a challenge right through the Shell V-Power Sportsman Feature. Neil Schneider took over the lead three laps in and it looked like there was no stopping him. Shirley worked his way through the field and into second spot in lap six, but there was no catching Schneider.
Shirley tried several times, poking inside, peeking outside, but Neil could keep his car just wide enough and fast enough to keep both doors closed. Finally on the second last lap Matt got beside Neil, but Neil still kept that nose in front. Through the white flag they continued side by side, taking turns who had the fast lap time.
Coming out of corner four to the checkered flag, it looked like there was going to be a wreck. Matt is ahead, then Neil, then Matt, both sideways. At the line tough it is Matthew Shirley and the #46 Co-op Grand Prix, .064 seconds ahead of Neil Schneider in the #93 Burco Electrical Contractors Dodge Avenger. Dan Shirley, driving Ben Busch’s #49 Northern Lights Casino Monte Carlo is third.
Many are anxiously watching the Tiger Automotive Pro Trucks, where Kevin Dyck and Andrew Hardy came into the night tied in points. It wasn’t good news for Andrew Hardy, as Kevin Dyck finished ahead of Andrew in all three races they were in, giving Kevin a six point cushion going into next week’s points final.
In fact, Kevin and the #10 Wheaton GM Sierra (carrying a For Sale sign) won Heat A, Qualifier A and the Tiger Automotive 50 lap feature. Alex Leschenko’s Family Pizza Ford picked up the Heat B win and Kade Thompson
took Qualifier B in the #21 Willowgrove Great Canadian Oil Change Dodge Ram.
While Dyck took the feature flag home in the #15 D&S Developments Dodge Ram, Andrew Hardy was second in the #10 Wheaton GM Sierra and Aaron Anderson, driving the #19 Ens Auto Group Toyota Tundra was third.
Next week, oh next week, it will be a race fans dream of. Five classes racing, six champions crowned, somewhere around 600 laps of racing. Grueling, excitement, frustration, anger, jubilation, you’re going to see it all. Be there. You don’t want to miss it.
Saturday, September 19th Points Finals for the Sky Financial Series and WSSL Auto Parts Super Late Models, the Golf’s Car Wash Street Stocks, the Tiger Automotive Pro Trucks, the Shell V-Power Sportsman and the Golf’s Car Wash Mini Stocks. Then to finish it all off the Golf’s Car Wash Street Stocks will run the Rick Fredrickson Memorial to cap off a terrific year of racing.
Again, Saturday, September 19th. Front gates open at 12:30pm. The first green flag is at 2:15pm. The last green flag? We’ll see! You have to be there to see it though and remember, it’s an afternoon start.
Complete Results
Saturday, September 12, 2015
Shell V-Power Sportsman Division
Heat Race:
1. #12 Matthew Shirley
2. #93 Neil Schneider
3. #49 Dan Shirley
4. #38 Rick Kucher
5. #5 Kirk Senger
6. #27 Rick Schurmanns
7. #15 Dave McIntosh
8. #36 Darryl Potts
9. #01 Shania LaForce
10. #34 Devon Brown (DNS)
Qualifier Race:
1. #15 Dave McIntosh
2. #93 Neil Schneider
3. #12 Matthew Shirley
4. #49 Dan Shirley
5. #34 Mike Schroeder
6. #38 Rick Kucher
7. #36 Darryl Potts
8. #5 Kirk Senger
9. #27 Rick Schurmanns
10. #01 Dennis LaForce
Shell V-Power Sportsman Feature
1. #12 Matthew Shirley
2. #93 Neil Schneider
3. #49 Dan Shirley
4. #5 Kirk Senger
5. #15 Dave McIntosh
6. #38 Rick Kucher
7. #01 Dennis LaForce
8. #34 Mike Schroeder
9. #36 Darryl Potts
10. #27 Rick Schurmanns
Tiger Automotive Pro Truck Division
Heat A:
1. #10 Kevin Dyck
2. #15 Andrew Hardy
3. #88 Brad Wrennick
4. #21 Kade Thompson
5. #5 Ian McLean
6. #14 Wounded Warriors Canada PT
7. #49 Ken Ross
Heat B:
1. #01 Alex Leschenko
2. #19 Aaron Anderson
3. #94 Ben Pogoda
4. #52 Robin Boomsma
5. #18 Bill Zubrecki
6. #8 Andy Clewes
7. #34 Guy Derdall
8. #83 Ken Bone
Qualifier A:
1. #10 Kevin Dyck
2. #94 Ben Pogoda
3. #01 Alex Leschenko
4. #15 Andrew Hardy
5. #19 Aaron Anderson
6. #88 Brad Wrennick
7. #52 Robin Boomsma
Qualifier B:
1. #21 Kade Thompson
2. #83 Ken Bone
3. #8 Andy Clewes
4. #18 Bill Zubrecki
5. #34 Guy Derdall
6. #5 Ian McLean
7. #14 Wounded Warriors Canada PT
8. #49 Ken Ross (DNS)
Tiger Automotive Pro Truck Feature:
1. #10 Kevin Dyck
2. #15 Andrew Hardy
3. #19 Aaron Anderson
4. #88 Brad Wrennick
5. #8 Andy Clewes
6. #01 Alex Leschenko
7. #34 Guy Derdall
8. #18 Ken Ross
9. #52 Robin Boomsma
10. #83 Ken Bone
11. #14 Wounded Warriors Canada PT
12. #94 Ben Pogoda
13. #21 Kade Thompson
14. #5 Ian McLean
15. #49 Shantel Firth (DNS)
Golf’s Car Wash Street Stock Division
A&W Martensville Valley Street Stock Invitational
Time Trials (seconds):
1. #34 Mike Schroeder, 16.098 (TR)
2. #3 Craig Katelnikoff, 16.215
3. #42 Nicole Sheetka, 16.461
4. #81 Curtis Houben, 16.465
5. #18 Mike Rea, 16.480
6. #28 Brennen Forseille, 16.532
7. #22 Ryan Fredrickson, 16.738
8. #0 Chris Gaeveart, 16.739
9. #18x Bill Zubrecki, 16.770
10. #43 Eric McIntosh, 16.827
11. #1 Scott Barrand, 16.843
12. #48 Roger McConnell, 16.904
13. #66 Wayne Osbourne, 16.932
14. #8 Barry Stefaniuk, 17.403
15. #5 Kirk Senger, 17.843
16. #21 Rob Nailsmith, 18.263
17. #47 Calvin Heilman, 19.664
Trophy Dash:
1. #3 Craig Katelnikoff
2. #34 Mike Schroeder
3. #42 Nicole Sheetka
Heat A:
1. #18 Mike Rea
2. #18x Bill Zubrecki
3. #1 Scott Barrand
4. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
5. #66 Wayne Osbourne
6. #5 Kirk Senger
7. #47 Calvin Heilman (DNS)
Heat B:
1. #28 Brennen Forseille
2. #43 Eric McIntosh
3. #81 Curtis Houben
4. #0 Chris Gaeveart
5. #8 Barry Stefaniuk
6. #21 Rob Nailsmith
7. #48 Roger McConnell
B Main:
1. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
2. #0 Chris Gaeveart
3. #66 Wayne Osbourne
4. #8 Barry Stefaniuk
5. #47 Calvin Heilman
6. #21 Rob Nailsmith
7. #48 Roger McConnell
8. #5 Kirk Senger
Martensville A&W Valley Street Stock 100 (laps):
1. #34 Mike Schroeder, 100
2. #3 Craig Katelnikoff, 100
3. #28 Brennen Forseille, 100
4. #1 Scott Barrand, 100
5. #81 Curtis Houben, 99
6. #43 Eric McIntosh, 99
7. #42 Nicole Sheetka, 99
8. #22 Ryan Fredrickson, 98
9. #8 Barry Stefaniuk, 97
10. #18 Mike Rea, 92
11. #66 Wayne Osbourne, 84
12. #5 Kirk Senger, 81
13. #21 Rob Nailsmith, 74 (mech)
14. #0 Chris Gaeveart, 59 (mech)
15. #18x Bill Zubrecki, 43 (mech)
16. #47 Calvin Heilman, 19 (mech)
Martensville A&W Valley Street Stock 100 Race Stats:
Race time – on track: 56 minutes, 49 seconds
Green Flag at 8:49pm, Checkered Flag at 9:43pm
Three Race Leaders – 18, 34 and 3
Five Lead Changes – #18 led laps 1-26 and 51-53, #34 led laps 26-50 and
65-100 (finish), #3 led laps 54-64
3 cautions in laps 38, 44 and 45
1 competition caution in lap 50
0 Caution laps counted, 24 not counted
From: Richard Woodvine
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