BRIGHTON, ON (August 16, 2021)- Racing action continued for two consecutive races this past Saturday night at Brighton Speedway as QBT Excavating presented a full Race Card.
Highlighting the nostalgia night at the 1/3 rd mile clay oval Phil Bailey and Gord Barrett along with Betty and Barry Doucette were inducted into the Brighton Speedway Wall of Fame.
Special appearances by the OSCAAR Hot Rods and the Eastern Ontario Vintage Stock Car Club along with a 40 lap Northeast Late Model Alliance Feature event thrilled the fans in the stands.
Hennessy wins back-to-back NLMA races
No. 55 Bradley Rainer drew the pole for the 40-lap Northeast Late Model Alliance feature with No. 87 Andrew Hennessey starting alongside. At the drop of the green flag, Rainer pounced on the lead while Hennessey kept pace until a caution on the sixth lap brought the action to a halt. That worked to the 87’s advantage as Hennessy took off on the restart and never looked back while No. 57 Charlie Sandercock worked his way up through the pack from his 12th starting position.
Hennessey remained consistent biting down on the inside line throughout the entire feature as Sandercock tried for a third straight win. Even as a series of cautions continued to slow the pace, Hennessey wasn’t having it and rode to victory lane leaving Sandercock to settle for second. The hard charger of the race No. 92 Adam Turner pulled sixth on the redraw and got pushed to the back of the pack on a caution but rode the rails to place a much-deserved third. No. 5 Steve Baldwin finished fourth and No. 12 Kyle Sopaz was fifth.
A field of 23 Late Model drivers headed to Cornwall Motor Speedway the following night for the annual 35-lap Northeast Late Model Alliance race. Hennessy hammered down and pulled out a second win in as many nights with Sandercock scoring another well earned second place finish.
Gregory scores three-peat
On a mission to score three consecutive wins, No. 1 Shawn Gregory only took eight laps to snap up the lead in the 25-lap Canadian Modified main event. Holding down the high side Gregory was furious to the finish as No. 32 Doug O’Blenis and No. 3 Nathan Rinaldi intimidated him from the rearview. O’Blenis and Rinaldi took hard-earned second and third place respectively. No. 39 Jonah Mutton placed fourth and No. 29 Rich Sanders was fifth.
French fierce to the finish
No. 0 Tyler French led the field of 22 Thunderstocks to green and never relinquished the point in the 20-lap feature. Coming off a Duel in the Dirt win at the All Canadian Championships at Humberstone last weekend seventh starter No. 26 Kraig Handley only took seven trips to settle in behind French. Handley, No. 85 Austin Reid and No. 3 Justin Ramsay proved to be French’s biggest contenders for the last leg of the race. A series of cautions and focused veterans on the back bumper wasn’t enough to keep French from crossing the finish line first. Ramsay took second, No. 92 Adam Turner was third, No. 17 Jeff Humphrey fourth and No. 72 Doug Anderson was fifth.
Gregory and Charland take vintage wins
After nine years of chasing another win at Brighton, No. 1 Brandon Gregory had much to smile about Saturday as he parked his 1962 Ford Comet in victory lane in front of a roaring hometown crowd Saturday. The second starter was fast and furious as he snapped up the lead from No. R75 Randy Gaudet in the Eastern Ontario Vintage Stock Car Club’s 20-lap main event. No. J73 Josh Powers took second, No. 84 Steve Billings was third, Gaudet was fourth and No. 88 Chad Lackie fifth.
No. 12 Patrick Charland scored his fourth season win in his 1941 Dodge in the 50s and 60s division with No. 38 Dexter Billings clinching second. No. 13 Joey Hilts was third, No. 00 Darrell Wilson fourth and No. R5 Randy Simkins fifth.
Book books it to victory lane
No. 86 Nick Clarke and No. 13 Ryan Cowan led the field of 14 OSCAAR Hot Rods to the green flag in the 20-lap feature event. Clarke rode his ’69 Mustang to the wire in an epic battle against Cowan’s ’59 Bonneville while No. 47 Steve Book pushed through the field. Book’s smooth Studebaker Hawk scooped up the lead with No. 88 Brandon McCrumby and points leader No. 10K Jesse Kennedy hot on his heels. Book booked it to the checkered flag with McCrumby as runner-up and Kennedy in third. No. 2 Tyler Hawn took fourth and Cowan fifth.
Report from Nicole Kleinsteuber
