FREELTON, ON (December 12, 2017)- The 2018 race season is just over four months away, but Bennett Chevrolet Flamboro Speedway has already been making a lot of exciting off season news as we prepare for a very exciting and action packed season.
On November 25th, the Millgrove Church held a community breakfast and John and Frank Casale as well as Gary Colling were on hand to promote the track. The theme was community and history so the Flamboro Speedway Hall of Fame had scrapbooks to show the history of the track which opened near Milgrove in 1962. The Casales also made a donation to the local food bank.
Lots of action on the horizon and news that a new series called the Ontario Super Late Model series with eight or nine races this coming season. OSCAAR will no longer include the Super Lates. Flamboro is on the schedule and will run 75 laps with an attractive purse structure and won’t run head to head with the APC United Late Model series. APC will run again this year and watch for their schedule that will likely include a couple of races at Flamboro.
A meeting was held November 26 in the turn one chalet at the track. All four divisions were scheduled and it wasn’t a rules meeting. We wanted to hear what the drivers thought of how the 2017 season went and what they wanted to see in 2018. Some of the ideas on the agenda were to look at mirrors, off nights, handicapping among many other things that were discussed. The main issue resolved was the talk regarding the Mini Stock tires. There will be no change to the current tire rule.
The Gold Rush will make a return to Flamboro this coming summer for the fifth annual event. The date will be Sunday, August 19th and 100 laps as usual but after two years of Super Late Models, the Pro Late Models will make their return for the big pay day. $10,000 has been the pay day in the past, $5000 to win and an extra $5000 if the top qualifier goes to the back and wins the race. The London Recreational Frostoberfest will also make its return to close out the season, date to be determined.
The most exciting news to come out of the meetings was the announcement of the Flamboro “STOCK” Car Nationals, that will be held June 10 and July 8. Each race day will see three 50 lap races. Qualifying will be done through time trials and likely a last chance qualifier will be held for the final few spots in each division depending on the number of cars that register each race. Thirty Pure Stocks, thirty Mini Stocks and twenty four Super Stocks will start each race.
Each car that qualifies is guaranteed money. Pure Stocks will get $60 each, Mini Stocks $100 each and Super Stocks will get $200. The winning purses are some of the biggest around as Pure Stock and Mini Stock winners will get $1000 and the Super Stock feature winner will get $1500. That goes for both races. Just like in the Frostoberfest event, the pay scale will be graduated from first to last place finishers.
The Mini Stocks and Pure Stocks have taken it upon themselves to raise some extra money. Rich Schwartzenberg who drives a Mini Stock and Jonathan Ayrton who drives a Pure Stock have taken on the task of getting lap sponsors. And if the first race for the Mini Stocks is any indication, the money will be huge. The first 50 lap Mini Stock race on June 10th has had every lap “sold” with $1906 in lap sponsors, $1000 in Contingency sponsors, $1000 to win, $100 to set a track record, $100 to start so far for a total of $6806 minimum total purse. Actual purse for 2nd-30th is not determined yet, it is based on $100 to start, so total purse will be much more.
Some of the highlights of contingency money, $200 to the top Finishing Oshweken driver from Clinton Geoffrey Kruchka, $500 courtesy of Klotz Automotive & Engine Machine Shop (Mark Klotz & Mike Klotz) for both races, $150 to the best built car from Keith Temple, $100 to the top qualifier from SDR seating-Erik Dalla Riva. Jonathan Ayrton will begin the quest for doing the same for the Pure Stocks. If you would like to get in on the action and sponsor these great races, check out the Flamboro Stock Car Nationals Facebook page. Minimum sponsor is $25 per lap. Please note, RACE receivers and transponders are mandatory for these events as are all races at Flamboro Speedway.
Also keep your eyes on the track website, www.flamborospeedway.ca for updates. Also follow us on facebook, instagram and twitter.
The 2017 Awards banquet and Flamboro Stadium & Speedway induction ceremony (www.flamborospeedwayhalloffame.ca) takes place Saturday February 3 at the Waterdown Royal Canadian Legion Hall #551, 79 Hamilton Street North in Waterdown. Cocktails at 430pm, dinner at 5pm with awards to follow. Tickets are $60 per person and call John Casale at 905-689-6052 for details.
Registration for 2018 will also take place, likely in February, stay tuned for the date.
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