May 26, 2014- The 2014 racing season will get underway Saturday afternoon (May 31) at Delaware Speedway. The event features the Transmission Direct Enduro 100 and Bone Stock Chaos Cars in action at 4:00 pm. The afternoon will feature the first day of the Saturday price drop, the debut of 12 new High School Challenge Cars, and showcase some of the wildest racing Delaware Speedway has to offer.
Price Drop at Saturday Events:
Prices to see Delaware Speedway’s Saturday Enduro & Bone Stock Chaos Car programs are going down. Starting this Saturday Adults will now be able to take in the action for just $14. Seniors and students will be $12 and kids age 12 and under will enter free of charge.
High School Challenge Hits the Track
The race is already on to see which local High Schools will make it to race day! The High School Challenge program provides area high school students and their teachers with access to vehicles, safety equipment, and mentorship as they construct their own entry-level race cars which will be entered into competition in Delaware Speedway’s most affordable entry-level series: the Bone Stock Chaos Cars.
During the race the cars will be driven by some of Delaware Speedway’s top drivers and personalities. Thirteen schools are set to have their competition debut this Saturday at the season opener:
Westminster Secondary (London) – “Cowboy” Kris Lawrence (#28) Super Stock
H. B. Beal Secondary School (London) – Doug Stewart (#2) Late Model
Clarke Road Secondary School (London) – Piet Blaauboerr (#7)
G. A. Wheable (London) – Steve Arrand (#37) V8 Stock
Arthur Voaden Secondary School (St. Thomas) – Matt Pritkio (#21) Late Model
North Middlesex District High School (Parkhill) – Darryl Timmermans (Tech Inspector)
North Lambton Secondary School (Forest) – Kris Fairweather (#6) Truck
Ingersoll District Collegiate Institute (Ingersoll) – Jay Christie (#5) Late Model
Huron Park Secondary School (Woodstock) – Rick Verberne (#88) Truck
Saunders Secondary School (London) – Steve Marche (#52) Late Model
Regina Mundi Catholic Secondary (London) – Jay Doerr (#43) Late Model
Thames Secondary (London) – Shae Gemmell (#3) Super Stock
West Elgin Secondary School – Driver TBA
G.A. Wheable is the most recent event winner with a win on October 19, 2013. Thames Secondary also has a previous victory on June 22, 2013.
74-Years Young: Gillespie to make Rookie Debut in Bone Stocks
At 74 years young John Gillespie (#3) of Forest will kick off his rookie season in Bone Stock Chaos Cars. Gillespie has attracted quite a bit of attention following a fiery interview with London Community News during the pre-season which prompted this response from his grandson (Jeremy Howard #4) who also competes in the series:
“It has been brought to my attention that a certain senior citizen has been doing a lot of smack talk about how he’s going to teach me how to do things out on the track,” explained Jeremy Howard. “But this isn’t steering your horse and buggy through an open field. Slow and steady doesn’t work out on this track.”
Whether you’re cheering on the grandfather or the grandson: Something tells us this will be a race team to keep an extra eye on this season.
Bone Stock Chaos Car Outlook
Delaware Speedway’s wildest division may be set to get a whole lot wilder. With the high school challenge cars included the Bone Stock field is expected to be the largest ever with some drivers believing we will see over fifty cars compete in a single race thisyear (the track’s goal is 100 cars in simultaneous competition). The Bone Stocks run a classic Enduro format from the 1990s. Damaged vehicles are left on the track as obstacles. There are no cautions in Bone Stock racing, only a red flag can stop the event to let a driver out of their vehicle before competition resumes.
The Bone Stock Chaos Car championship will be defended by Matt Langford (#03) of London. Langford came out of nowhere to ultimately win the Bone Stock Championship in his rookie season of competition last year. Langford was consistent strong runner all season but one who never made it onto the podium in an event. He will have strong company as 2012 Champion Derek Moesker (#51) of Beachville will be in the field.
A New Era for Transmission Direct Enduro
The cars of the Transmission Direct Enduro are heading back towards their roots. During the off-season the track eliminated the A-Division of the Enduro class with drivers from that division moving up to V8 Stocks or removing modifications made to their cars to run in the Enduro Series that now runs the old B-Division Enduro rules.
The series is getting a new lineup system starting on opening day. Drivers will be randomly seeded into two heat race groups. Each group will run a pair of 15-lap heat races, with a reverse starting order on the second heat. Group A will make up the lineup of the inside row for the feature race, Group B will make up the outside row. The final starting order will be reversed by four positions plus two dice, making it so that between 6-16 positions will be reversed.
As the champion of last year’s B-Division, Justin Mezenburg (#810) of Highgate will enter the season as defending champion of the Transmission Direct Enduro Series. Derek McCullough (#38) of Glencoe who won the A-Division last season has moved up to V8 Stock competition.
Gate Times and Early Practice Session
Spectator gates for the event will open at 3:00 pm, racing will start at 4:00 pm. Earlier in the day at 11:00 am will be a separate practice event for drivers. Spectators are welcome to enjoy this early practice session free of charge.
From: John Houghton // Delaware Speedway PR
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