INNISFIL, Ontario (July 23, 2022)— Taking the lead off the drop of the green flag, Cole Weber led flag-to-flag en route to winning the Qwick Wick Fire Starter OSCAAR Hot Rod feature fueled by EPIC Racewear on Saturday night at Sunset Speedway.
The first JRS Auctions heat featured a quick caution for Paul Senior spinning as he tried to get underneath and pass Rob Bromley off of turn two. Cole Weber picked up the checkered flag in front of Senior, Bromley, Ryan Cowan, and Gary Hannah, while Paul Bogensberger Jr. and Glenn Schurr failed to finish.
Travis Farrow won the second qualifier ahead of Amanda Balson, Dustin Kellar, Steve Book, Nick Clarke, Bill Clarke, and Matt Spry.
Bill Zardo Sr. won the third heat in front of Tom Walters, John Gaunt, Donny Beatty, Connor Ellis, and Sean Walker.
Steve Book went for a spin in the fourth qualifier after looking underneath a three-wide involving Bill Clarke, Balson, and Cowan. Cole Weber went for the daily double ahead of Balson, Bromley, Book, Cowan, and Clarke.
John Gaunt won the fifth heat in front of Zardo, Farrow, Kellar, Nick Clarke, Beatty, and Spry.
The sixth qualifier had a quick caution courtesy of Senior going for a spin. Tom Walters picked up the checkered flag ahead of Senior, Ellis, Hannah, and Walker.
Come feature time, Cole Weber started pole in front of Tom Walters, Paul Senior, Bill Zardo Sr., Rob Bromley, Amanda Balson, John Gaunt, Travis Farrow, Dustin Kellar, Steve Book, Connor Ellis, Gary Hannah, Ryan Cowan, Nick Clarke, Donny Beatty, Sean Walker, Bill Clarke, Paul Bogensberger Jr., and Matt Spry.
Cole Weber grabbed the early advantage ahead of Walters and Senior, with Zardo getting alongside Senior for third on Lap 2, as Bromley and Gaunt battled for fifth. Meanwhile, Bogensberger Jr. made his way down pit road. Senior would hold off the challenge from Zardo, with Gaunt getting fifth ahead of Bromley and Farrow, before the caution came out for an incident on the backstretch.
Coming off of turn two, Kellar would get into the back of Balson, with Balson getting turned into the backstretch wall, collecting Book and Ellis in the process. Zardo would head pit side under the yellow flag. With 25 laps to go, Weber led Walters, Senior, Gaunt, Bromley, Farrow, Book, Nick Clarke, Beatty, Hannah, Cowan, Walker, Spry, Ellis, Bill Clarke, and Bogensberger Jr.
Weber got another good restart as Walters and Senior battled for second, with Bogensberger Jr. returning back down pit road. Walters got the spot on Lap 8 in front of Senior, Gaunt, Bromley, and Farrow, as Book and Beatty battled for eighth ahead of Cowan. Beatty got the spot on Lap 12, as Ellis passed Hannah for 11th a lap later.
Closer to the front, Gaunt would get alongside Senior for third, completing the pass on Lap 18 as they went around the lap car of Bill Clarke.
The rest of the race ran clean with Cole Weber picking up the checkered flag in front of Tom Walters, John Gaunt, Paul Senior, and Rob Bromley.
The Qwick Wick Fire Starter OSCAAR Hot Rods are back in action on Saturday, July 30 at Peterborough Speedway.
Be sure to keep up with OSCAAR by staying tuned to the series website at http://www.oscaar.ca
Report from Ashley McCubbin
