PORT COLBORNE, ONTARIO… (July 2, 2017) St. Catharines, Ontario’s Brad Rouse was victorious in the Race of Champions Sportsman Series main event as part of the Brian’s Tire Repair Canada Day $1,000 to win Showdown in memory of Harold Sonnenberg at the Humberstone Speedway on Sunday evening. Kyle Sopaz from Trenton, Ontario won the main event for the Maple Leaf Foods RUSH Late Models. Hamilton, Ontario’s Ken Sargent was declared the winner of the $1000 payday after the JC Auto Street Stock feature. Kyle Rothwell from Welland, Ontario won his second feature of the season for the Cosco Haulage Mini Stocks feature. Kyle Tomaski from Dain City, Ontario was declared the winner of Mike Knapp Ford Pro 4 Trucks feature. Jason Coutu held off Mason Smith to score the win in the $1,000 Enduro.
Defending track champion Brad Rouse and young gun Tyler Puchalski set the front row for the 50 lap feature for the Race of Champions (RoC) Sportsman Series with Rouse pulling ahead with Cody McPherson running in second with Adam Leslie in third. Rouse showed the way early on as Justin Sharp passed McPherson on lap four to take over second place. Rouse and Sharp battled for the lead as Sharp for several circuits, with Sharp taking over the lead on lap 11, and would open up the lead of over five car-lengths while Sharp entered lap traffic. Greg Martin spun, in turn, two and Emily Puchalski had nowhere to go to bring out the caution on lap 18. On the restart, Rouse and McPherson would regain the top two spots from Sharp. McPherson, defending RoC event winner at Humberstone, started to close in on Rouse as Rouse used the bottom of the speedway while McPherson was running on the cushion. James Michael Friesen entered the top five just past the halfway mark and moved into fourth after passing Justin Sharp. Chad Chevalier closed in on McPherson for second while working lap traffic as Rouse pulled away from the field. Chevalier and McPherson battled for second as Rouse continued to show the way up front. McPherson hopped the cushion, in turn, one, handing second to Chevalier and then hopped the cushion again in turn three, giving up the third spot to Friesen. Matt Farnham spun in turn four to bring out the caution with eight laps remaining, giving Rouse and Chevalier open racetrack to battle for the win. Chevalier would take the lead on lap 44 exiting turn four. Rouse would regain the lead on a late-race caution and would hold off Chevalier and Justin Sharp to grab the win and the $1000 payday.
The Maple Leaf Foods RUSH Late Models were led to the green flag by Bill Holmes and Sam Pennacchio with Pennacchio showing the way. Off a lap one restart, Chad Homan raced to the outside of Pennacchio and would take the lead away. Kyle Sopaz would take second away from Pennacchio on lap four and would begin to go after Homan. Sopaz would go to the outside and would pass Homan for the lead on lap six. Working their way into the top five early on was Brandon Mowat and Dennis Lunger Jr. Sopaz stretched his lead over the field as Sam Pennacchio was closing in on second place runner Chad Homan. Homan would catch Sopaz and would battle for the lead in the final circuits but it was Sopaz holding off Homan and Mowat to score the win.
Barry Beck Jr led the opening lap of the 25 lap feature for the JC Auto Street Stocks. Billy Bleich Jr would take the lead away from Beck on lap two with Dave Bailey running in third. Bailey would take the lead away from Bleich on lap three as the battle for third heated up between Ken Sargent and Justin Ramsay. Rob Murray entered the top five on lap six and pressured Ramsay for fourth place. Murray then passed Sargent for third and went after the leaders. Bleich would regain the lead on lap nine, but Bailey challenged Bleich throughout the event. The lead trio of Bleich, Murray, and Bailey raced on as Ramsay reeled in the lead pack. Bailey had issues and brought out the caution with five laps remaining. On the restart, Justin Ramsay spun in turn four and collected a handful of drivers to bring out the caution with four laps remaining. The final laps saw Rob Murray pull away and would go on to score the win. Murray would be found to be illegal in post-race tech, giving the win and $1000 to second place finisher Ken Sargent.
Alex Riley and Jonathan Ayrton brought the field of Cosco Haulage Mini Stocks to the green flag with Ayrton showing the way at the end of the opening lap. Cole Taylor spun in turn four to bring out the caution with one lap completed. On the restart, Ayrton continued to show the way with Kyle Rothwell in second, but Rothwell would take the lead on lap four. Rothwell continued to pull away from the field with Leroy Buscumb in second but was pressured by Alex Riley. Rothwell pulled away from the balance of the 26 car field to score the victory, earning $1,000 for his efforts.
Dylan Llord took off into the lead on the opening circuit of the Mike Knapp Ford Pro 4 Trucks feature event. Kyle Tomaski looked underneath Llord and battled for the lead but it was Llord keeping the lead in the races’ early stages. Off a lap eight restart, Kyle Tomaski would take the lead away but Llord would regain the lead on lap 11 with Mitch Dumont running in third. Llord would pull away from Tomaski to score the win and collect the $1,000 payday while also earning his second win of the season. Llord was found to be illegal in post-race tech, giving the $1000 to second place finisher Kyle Tomaski.
NEWS AND NOTES: 173 cars signed in pit side for the racing action. Red Boss Pyrotechnics delivered a fantastic Canada Day Fireworks extravaganza.
Humberstone will be back in action on Sunday, July 9th as Walters Excavating presents a full card of racing plus a Racers Only “Grudge Match” Demolition Derby. Also on the card will be Time Trials for the All Canadian Championships for the Mini Stocks and Pro 4 Trucks. Pit gates will open at 4:30 pm. Grandstands at 5:00 pm with race time scheduled for 6:30 pm.
RACE RESULTS – Brian’s Tire Repair Presents the Canada Day $1000 to win Showdown!
Race of Champions Sportsman Series: BRAD ROUSE, Chad Chevalier, Justin Sharp, Cody McPherson, Jay Mallory, Adam Leslie, Luke Carleton, Dylan Davidson, Jeff Armstrong, Jordan Cosco, Dave Flannigan Jr, Chris Storm, Tyler Puchalski, Matt Farnham, James Michael Friesen, Gord McIntosh, Tom Richau Jr, Robbie Johnston, AJ Custodi, Chad Brown, Pat Sonnenberg, Andy Smith, Greg Martin, Ray Bliss Jr, Emily Puchalski, Scott Sonnenberg Did Not Qualify: Dean Scott, Sean Dominey
Qualifying Winners: Chad Chevalier, Tyler Puchalski, Matt Farnham, Brad Rouse
Last Chance Qualifier: Ray Bliss Jr
Maple Leaf Foods RUSH Late Models: KYLE SOPAZ, Chad Homan, Brandon Mowat, Dennis Lunger Jr, Sam Pennacchio, Jeff Dayman, Rob Pietz, Paul Grigsby, Andy Mayhew, Kyle Tasker, Austin King, Steve Baldwin, Kenny Winfield, Mike Greene, Stan Zanchin, Travis Martineau, Tim Gillespie, Jay Liverance, Bill Holmes, Dave Stolzenberg Jr, Ted Trembley
Qualifying Winners: Rob Pietz, Kyle Sopaz, Chad Homan
JC Auto Street Stocks: KEN SARGENT, Shawn Chenoweth, Jim Lampman, Jason Fontaine, Kevin Kocarik, Barry Beck Jr, Trevor DeBoer, Samantha Mayhew, Kyle Pelrine, Teeple, Bill Bleich Jr, Logan Schwedyk, Rich Champigny, Steve Shaw, James Thompson, Tanner Podwinski, Andrew Reese, Justin Ramsay, Dave Bailey, Ryan Dinning, Bryce Richardson, Derek VanMil, Bill Podwinski Disqualified: Rob Murray Did Not Qualify: Rob Disher, Car #96D
Qualifying Winners: Jason Fontaine, Ryan Dinning, Dave Bailey, Ken Sargent
Consolation Winner: Austin Reid
Cosco Haulage Mini Stocks: KYLE ROTHWELL, Leroy Buscumb, Olivier Larocque, Jonathan Ayrton, Brandon Iudiciani, Mike Sarantakos, Fabio Oliveri, Jay Moulton, Evan Curtis, Dave Small, Clinton Geoffrey, Cole Hardy, Tom Neale, Brian Crosgrove, Alex Riley, Kyle Haynes, Kevin McPherson, Tyler Ward, Rob Sauder, Rob Goulding, Cole Taylor, David Hoyle, Jason Coutu, Patrick Abrahamson
Qualifying Winners: Kyle Haynes, Jonathan Ayrton, Leroy Buscumb, Dave Small
Mike Knapp Ford Pro 4 Trucks: KYLE TOMASKI, Mitch Dumont, Danny Wurster, Taylor Vanderzanden, Craig Vlasic, Nate Monahan, Kevin Conley, Jamie Ayers, Jesse Sonnenberg Disqualified: Dylan Llord
Qualifying Winner: Nate Monahan
Humberstone Speedway is located just two miles East of Port Colborne on Highway 3, just 17 miles west of the US/Canadian Border at the Peace Bridge (Buffalo/Fort Erie). For more information, please visit us on the World Wide Web at www.humberstonespeedway.com as well as liking us on Facebook by searching NewHumberstoneSpeedway, following us on Twitter @NewHumberstone and Instagram @HumberstoneSpeedway Don’t forget to bring your portable FM radios and listen to all the action on 90.3FM. You can also call the speedway at (905) 834-4002 or the speedway office at Cosco Haulage (905) 935-2886
Humberstone Speedway… Let’s Make Racing Fun Again!
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