In this week’s Motion Motorsport Report for InsideTrackNews.com, Dave Mathers talks about is visit to an amazing racing ‘Man Cave’ in Southwestern Ontario. As well, Dave wraps up the weekend of racing at Delaware Speedway, Riverside Int’l Speedway and several other local and international racing series.
We’ve all heard about ‘Man Caves,’ but on Sunday I toured one that rises to an entirely new level. The Reid brothers from Comber (ON) are associate sponsors on the Ray Morneau Late Model that runs at Delaware Speedway. You’ll see their name, Reid Farms, on the rocker panel of the 03 car. I had heard rumors of its existence, but the stars aligned when Linda and I were invited to the 60th birthday of younger brother Kendall, the owner of ‘the Cave.’
See below for a gallery of some of the photos and items.
The collection spans two homes and is a shrine to everything stock car related – especially Dale Earnhardt Sr. Included are hundreds of photos and posters, programs, hats, a massive model collection, and stacks of Wheelspin News, Car Weekly, and other nostalgic racing papers from back in the day. A quick search revealed a photo of me at Delaware, running second way back in 1970.
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CANADIAN TIRE MOTORSPORT PARK: The IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship for exotic prototype and GT cars makes its only stop north of the border July 11-13 as part of the Chevrolet Grand Prix. Canada’s biggest sports car event features a world-class field of drivers racing iconic performance brands (including Corvette, Acura, Aston Martin, BMW, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Lexus, McLaren, Mercedes-AMG, Mustang, and Porsche) on CTMP’s legendary Grand Prix circuit.
In addition to the WeatherTech series (with LMP2 prototypes, GTD PRO and GTD classes), the Michelin Pilot Challenge, VP Racing Sportscar Challenge, and the Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin fill out the three-day weekend of racing. Click HERE for tickets and info.
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Online criticism of the NHRA Technical Department has ramped up lately. With everyone having keyboard access these days, that’s understandable. ‘Back in the day,’ we just moaned and complained in the pits without a real platform to register those complaints.
Top Fuel winner Shawn Langdon was disqualified at Virginia due to bolts missing from the bellhousing inspection cover – making Justin Ashley the winner. I’m guessing Loctite was not a sponsor on the car?
In another disqualification, IMSA announced Tuesday that they had DQ’d the Ford Multimatic Motorsports Mustang GT3, which finished third in the PRO class at Watkins Glen. Apparently, the car exceeded the permitted limits for negative camber angles and tire pressures.
Some very disappointing news from the FIA world: Carlos Sainz Sr. has decided not to run for FIA president against current ‘leader’ Mohammed Ben Sulayem. I’m sure Sainz would have won in a landslide. Sad.
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CASC-OR: The Canadian Automobile Sport Clubs – Ontario Region (CASC-OR) sanctions the RaceOntario Championships, a series or race events run from April through October at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (formerly Mosport), Shannonville Motorsports Park, and Calabogie Motorsport Park. The series includes a variety of individual race groups. Click HERE for more info about CASC-OR Road Racing. Their next event is the BARC Canadian Touring Trophy Races, July 26-27 at CTMP.
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Imagine owning a world-famous racing series and putting your season-opening race in front of just 3,000 spectators. Sounds hard to believe, right? Nope. IndyCar’s season opener at California’s Thermal Club drew that number. It appears this may be the last race there – at least for a while. Why? The math simply didn’t work for the track owner.
Formula One is (finally?) releasing its “driving standards and penalty guidelines” to the public. The goal? To improve transparency. But as long as F1 continues using the fatally flawed ‘Stewards Program,’ there will never be true consistency or transparency in race direction. No amount of lipstick will fix that pig.
I was amused by the results of Amazon Prime’s viewer survey, which found “across-the-board growth among younger demographics offset by a sharp decline among older viewers.” It was the latter part that made me laugh!
After watching GM/NASCAR/Hendrick have fun with the crowd-pleasing, very loud Camaro from Garage 56 at Le Mans, Ford is considering joining in. They’ve got a couple of bad-boy EVs (a Pike’s Peak winner, perhaps?) they might throw into the mix. Stay tuned.
NASCAR Canada Series – The series headed east to Antigonish, Nova Scotia, for a Saturday night race at Riverside International Speedway. Fourteen cars time-trialed. D.J. Kennington won the pole over Kevin Lacroix and Donald Theetge.
Kennington managed the early stages of the race with precision. Trouble struck on the opening lap for the No. 80 of Donald Theetge, who ultimately retired after extensive pit work. Bryan Cathcart’s No. 04 also exited the race early. Kevin Lacroix then gained the lead and remained dominant until a costly pit stop late in the race. The delay allowed the field to pass and cost Lacroix a lap, a misstep that opened the door for Kennington, who took over and held the lead for most of the rest of the race.
“I’m really happy for my guys, my sponsors, and everyone who helped us. We had a great car all day,” said Kennington. “Honestly, Lacroix was very fast. We were better on the short run, he was better on the long run. But sometimes it goes your way and tonight it did. No mistakes, great calls on pit road. It means a lot to win with a brand-new car.”
At the checkers, it was Kennington (middle, with his son Chase) over Will Larue (left) and Ryan Vargas (right).
Next race – Wetaskiwin, Alberta’s Edmonton International Raceway on Saturday, July 12. Click HERE for tickets and info for the NAPA 300 at EIR.
United Racing Series – APC Pro Late Model Series / Dayco Super Stocks / OSCAAR Hot Rods and Modifieds – These series returned home to Delaware Speedway over the weekend.
Super Stocks (Friday) – Lane Zardo started on the pole ahead of Nic Ramsay and Carson Nagy in a 13-car field. Zardo and Nagy were locked in battle for the first 30 laps until Nagy made the move. At the flag, it was Nagy over Zardo, Darrell Lake, Ramsay, and Jay Cox. The race ran caution-free – the second time that’s happened this year.
Late Models (Saturday) – Eighteen cars competed in the 100-lapper. Kyle Steckly set fast time with an 18.502. Eight caution flags slowed the action. At halfway, it was Steckly over Connor Pritiko and Cole Quinton. Steckly and Pritiko battled nose-to-tail until the final lap when Pritiko nudged Steckly in Corner 2 and went on to win over Steckly, Shae Gemmell, Taylor Holdaway, and Josh Stade. Total race time: 1:15:58.
OSCAAR Modifieds – Nine cars entered. Local veteran Jamie Cox took the win – his second in two nights – over Dale Reinhart, Steve Trendell, Wally Wilson, and Jason Keen.
OSCAAR Hot Rods – Eleven entries. Jason Porter edged out Dalen Martin after a race-long battle.
Next race – Flamboro Speedway, Saturday, July 12.
Ontario Sportsman Series – Twelve cars took the green at Sauble Speedway. Connor James took the win over former champion Kevin Trevellin and Winnipeg’s Amber Balcaen.
Next race – Delaware, Saturday, July 11.
Delaware Speedway – The United Racing Series results are above. In regular classes:
Bone Stocks: 40 entries. Heat wins went to Jason Lovie, Len Sterritt, and Sterling Roberts. Will Quarrie won the B Main. Charlie Verhoeven (below left) won his third feature in a row, ahead of Jo Lawrence, Matt Langford, Donavin Clark, and David Rockwood.
Modifieds: Seven cars. Marshall Schrenk, a Late Model star, won Heat 1. Jamie Cox (below right) won the main over Wally Wilson, Schrenk, Steve McCaw, and Ryan Dick.
Next race – Friday, July 4. The schedule will include: Liftow/Toyota Material Handling Bone Stocks, Doxtator Property Maintenance V8 Stocks and Experience Camping Pro Late Models.
NASCAR Cup Series – Joey Logano won the pole for Saturday night’s race at Atlanta Speedway over Josh Berry and Ryan Blaney (all in Fords). In fact, the top eight cars were Fords! A full field of 40 cars included 17 Chevys, 14 Fords, and 9 Toyotas.
The race, called the Quaker State 400 Available at Walmart – does that mean the race or the oil is available there? – ran smoothly until lap 38, when a yellow was thrown for a weather threat followed by rain. Cars were brought to pit road. Red flag. On lap 56, Christopher Bell got loose and spun down the track, collecting at least seven cars. Yellow. Stage 1 ended under caution with Austin Cindric picking up the win. On lap 69, Denny Hamlin and John Hunter Nemechek tangled, sending Nemechek into the wall. Hamlin then hit Noah Gragson, resulting in a massive pile-up and red flag. I’d say half the field was involved. Wow.
On lap 110, Chase Elliott bumped Riley Herbst, who spun and collected Todd Gilliland. Yellow. Tyler Reddick won Stage 2. On lap 176, Shane Van Gisbergen was tapped by Ty Gibbs and spun off track. Yellow. On lap 185, Bubba Wallace spun on his own and hit the inside wall. Lap 195 saw Erik Jones spin, but miss the wall, bringing out caution number seven. On lap 203, David Starr spun on the infield grass. Another yellow. Sensing a pattern?
I loved that Live Timing still refers to the track as Atlanta Motor Speedway. On lap 227, Ty Dillon tapped Justin Haley, who spun into the inside wall. At the checker, it was Chase Elliott over Brad Keselowski and Alex Bowman. In points, William Byron leads Elliott by 37 and Kyle Larson by 42.
Next race – Chicago, Sunday at 2 p.m. on TSN 5.
NASCAR Xfinity Series – Sheldon Creed (Ford) took the pole for Friday night’s race at Atlanta Speedway over Austin Hill (Chevy) and Sam Mayer (Ford). 38 cars: 26 Chevys, 6 Fords, 6 Toyotas.
The CW Network, true to form, dropped the ball again: “We are currently experiencing technical difficulties…” Good news though – the USA Network didn’t have any issues!
The first yellow came on lap 5. Then another on lap 34 for lightning. Lap 36: red flag. On the restart, Nick Sanchez tagged Jesse Love, who spun and collected about ten cars. Yellow. Taylor Gray won Stage 1. In a twist of karma, Sanchez got spun by Matt DiBenedetto. On lap 80, Love moved in front of Harrison Burton, who checked up but still got hit by Leland Honeyman. On lap 83, Brennan Poole tapped Jeremy Clements, who spun. Brandon Jones won Stage 2. On lap 126, CJ McLaughlin spun off Turn 4. Yet another caution. On lap 151 (of 163), debris from McLaughlin’s damaged car brought out another yellow. Green came back with 7 to go. At the flag, it was Sanchez over Carson Kvapil and Mayer.
In points, Justin Allgaier leads Mayer by 63 and Hill by 76.
Next race – Chicago, Saturday at 4:30 p.m. on CW and USA.
NASCAR Craftsman Trucks – The absolutely beautiful Lime Rock Park (emphasis on park) hosted Saturday’s race. The track became a victim of NIMBYism in 1959 when neighbors banned racing on Sundays. I can relate!
Points leader Corey Heim (Toyota) won the pole ahead of IMSA driver Jordan Taylor (Chevy) and Layne Riggs (Ford). Canadian drivers Stewart Friesen and Alex Labbe (Ford) started 22nd and 26th. 34 trucks: 16 Chevys, 10 Fords, 8 Toyotas. No Rams – yet!
TILT – no Live Timing on nascar.com! What’s up with that? On lap 15, Spencer Boyd went off track with a flat but rejoined without a yellow. These in-car cameras suggest this track wasn’t built for 3,400-pound trucks – LOL. Heim won the caution-free Stage 1 and Stage 2. I loved the sporty car-style pit stops – no work until every truck was in pit lane. Smart. After the restart, the pace truck stopped on track due to an oil leak. Sweepers out, red flag. On lap 89, Matt Mills went off-roading, bringing the first caution. With six laps to go, several trucks went off again – no yellow!
Good news: Live Timing came back with about five laps to go! Their message? “Live updates will begin displaying closer to the start of the race.” Maybe amend that to “closer to the end”?
At the flag, it was Heim over Ty Majeski and Gio Ruggiero. Friesen finished 24th, Labbe 34th. Heim now leads the points by 144 over Chandler Smith and 165 over Layne Riggs.
Next race – Indianapolis Raceway Park, Friday, July 25.
Formula One – It seems global warming really has kicked in – especially in Austria, where grass caught fire during Q2 on Saturday, red-flagging the session. George Russell (Mercedes) topped P1 before Lando Norris (McLaren) led P2, P3, and took pole. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) qualified 2nd, Oscar Piastri (McLaren) 3rd. Canadian Lance Stroll started 16th.
Race day brought drama. Carlos Sainz couldn’t start the formation lap but eventually got going. Then his rear brakes caught fire. Start delayed. Only 19 cars took the green. On lap 1, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli overcooked a corner and slid into Max Verstappen – both out. The two McLarens fought hard at the front. At halfway, it was Norris over Piastri and Leclerc. On lap 55, Piastri was lapping Franco Colapinto (Alpine), who shoved him off track – but he recovered.
Norris won over Piastri and Leclerc. Stroll finished 14th.
Drivers’ standings: Piastri leads Norris by 15 and Verstappen by 61.
Constructors: McLaren leads Mercedes 207–208.
Next race – Silverstone, Sunday at 10 a.m. on TSN 3 & 5.
IndyCar – Next race: Mid-Ohio, Sunday.
IMSA – Next race: Mosport (CTMP), July 13.
NHRA – Norwalk
Top Fuel – Seventeen cars entered for the 16 spots. Justin Ashley topped the charts with a 3.752 at 330.88 mph. Quebec’s Dan Mercier qualified 7th. Doug Kalitta won the #2Fast2Tasty Top Fuel Challenge with a 3.953 at 294.37, defeating a tire-smoking Tony Stewart. Ashley also won the final with a 3.931 at 317.34 over Clay Millican.
Funny Car – Twenty-one “floppers” competed for 16 spots. Cruz Pedregon was quickest with a 3.890 at 318.39. Stratford’s Spencer Hyde qualified 9th. In the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge, Daniel Wilkerson ran a 4.151 at 305.66 to beat another tire-smoker, Austin Prock. Prock later topped Matt Hagan with a 4.064 at 318.54.
Pro Stock – Sixteen Pro Stockers filled the field, with Greg Anderson on top with a 6.594 at 207.30. Canadian Eric Latino qualified 6th. In the GETTRX Pro Stock All-Star Callout, Matt Hartford ran a 6.609 at 207.88 to beat Anderson. Cory Reed ran 6.648 at 207.30 to eliminate Dallas Glenn.
Pro Stock Motorcycle – Thirteen bikes entered. Matt Smith led the way with a 6.816 at 200.86. Gaige Herrera won the #2Fast2Tasty Challenge with a 6.831 at 198.15 over Angie Smith. John Hall ran a 6.880 at 196.87 to beat Richard Gadson.
Mountain Motor Pro Stock – Ten cars competed for the eight-car field. Johnny Pluchino was quickest with a 6.362 at 220.12, but John DeFlorian Jr. ran a 6.360 at 221.23 to beat him.
Factory Stock Showdown – Nineteen entries. Jason Dietsch ran a 7.856 at 174.91 to take the top spot. Mark Pawuk beat Scott Libersher with a 7.863 at 175.32.
Factory X – Just three cars showed up in this struggling class. Lenny Lottig ran a 6.964 at 195.08. Conner Statler ran a 7.118 at 193.24 to beat Lottig.
Next NHRA event – July 20 at Pacific Raceways.
Other Tracks – Upcoming Events:
Flamboro Speedway – Steel City Super Stocks, Late Models – Saturday. The July 5 schedule will also include the Pro Late Models, Ontario Pro Challenge, Mini Stocks and Pure Stocks. Spectator gates open at 5:00 p.m. and racing begins at 6:30 p.m. For tickets and info, go to www.FlamboroSpeedway.ca.
Ohsweken Speedway – NE Late Models & Vintage Mods – Friday
Buxton Speedway – Bike Giveaway Night – Saturday
Full Throttle Motor Speedway – Equipment Ontario Night – Saturday
Sunset Speedway – The Fight Under the Lights – Saturday
Grand Bend Speedway – NASCAR Weekly Series – Saturday
Grand Bend Motorplex – Summer Spectacular – July 12–13
St. Thomas Dragway – Regular points racing – this weekend
Toronto Motorsports Park – Race Cayuga Sportsman Series – this weekend
Brockville Ontario Speedway – This Saturday (July 5) is sponsored by Superior Cellular and features the Sportsman Dirtcar Northeast Series (40 laps), Surprenant Truck Shop Crate Sprints, Modifieds, Novice Sportsman and the Mini Stock Series. This past Saturday, Rycon Electrical and fans at Brockville Speedway enjoyed thrilling racing Saturday night across five divisions. Josh Verne Jr. scored his third straight Crate Sprint win, while Kyle Dingwall claimed his 23rd career 358 Modified victory. Bobby Herrington dominated the Sportsman feature for his second win of the year. Brad Taillon held off late pressure to win the Street Stock event, and Kyle Kudrinko earned his first career Novice Sportsman win after a mid-race incident shuffled the field. Click HERE for more info from The BOS.
Maritime Pro Stock Tour – On Saturday night, Ashton Tucker (Miramichi, NB) charged from the back to win his first race at Riverside Speedway near Antigonish, NS, holding off champion Jarrett Butcher (Porter’s Lake, NS) on late restarts. Austin MacDonald (Pictou, NS) rebounded for third. Ryan VanOirschot (Antigonish, NS) claimed fourth after a fierce battle with Gage Gilby (Enfield, NS), who finished fifth. Donald Chisholm and Russell Smith Jr. won heat races but faded after mid-race incidents, finishing 15th and 10th, respectively.
Regional Series – Next Races:
Can-Am Stock/Super Stock – Grand Bend, July 12–13
Quick 32 Sportsman Series, Pro Bike & Sled Series (PBSS), and 5.50 Super Series – Empire Dragway, July 18–19
660 Sportsman Nationals – Grand Bend, October 5
John Scotti NHRA Canadian Championship Series – Napierville, July 17–20
Shannonville Drags – July 18–20
Comments are welcome and can be sent to Dave Mathers via email at motionman@rogers.com or by Facebook Messenger.
