STROUD, ON – Brandon Watson (#9 Royal Distributing/Shear/Barrie Frame & Alignment/Knightworks Design Chevrolet) won the inaugural Lucie Aylwin Memorial Saturday night at Sunset Speedway, his second win in three events in his first full season in a Super Late Model. Watson took the lead on lap 18 from race leader Shawn Chenowth (#29 KR Communications/Transaxle Parts/London Recreational Chevrolet) and never looked back after finding grip on the highline of the race track and pulling away from the field. The Stayner, ON, teen started in the fifth position and was paced to the green flag by first-time feature pole-sitter Charlie Gallant (#40P South Shore Services/East Point Marina/Pefferlaw Lawn Care Chevrolet). Watson said he felt his car was best up high and never felt he had to fight the car to keep it there.
“It was pretty good up there. Even when I was up there in the third lane at times,” said Watson. “My car was great, didn’t really get loose at all. It was fun out there tonight.”
Shawn Chenoweth jumped out to lead the opening lap after starting on the outside of the front row before the field was slowed on lap two as Quinn Misener (#5 Jenco Equipment Chevrolet) fell off the pace.
After starter Bob Finnegan turned the field loose once more, it was nine laps of green flag racing that saw Charlie Gallant move past Derrick Tiemersma (#7 Wayfreight/Spira Chevrolet) for the second spot, which Tiemersma had taken on lap two.
Two laps later, championship points leader Jesse Kennedy (#10 Quality Collision/Cameron Crane/Bev’s Auto/GRE Chevrolet) pulled pitside with a broken rocker arm. The team was unable to repair the damage without the necessary parts.
“We didn’t have any spares obviously. We probably could have pulled off a decent finish above the rest of the rookies,” said Kennedy. “It happens, you just try to make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Lap 11 brought out the second caution of the night as Tiemersma went around in turn two after he appeared to have been nudged by George Wilson. However, the evidence was inconclusive and Tiemersma was sent to the tail of the field alone.
“I got turned around and it was just a fight to get back up the front,” explained Tiemersma. “Then it was just guys not picking a lane. It was a rough show back there.”
It would take two attempts to get the field back up to speed after Dave Taylor (#51 Napa Auto Parts/Grosnor Cadillac), who made his 2012 debut, went around exiting turn four on the first try.
Two laps later with 14 complete, Tyler Hawn (#42 Backwoods Syrup/Hosking Race Engines/Fox’s Bakery Corvette) and Kyle Passer (#14 Jenco Equipment Chevrolet) got knotted up in turn one to bring out the fourth yellow of the night. When the field was back up to speed, Brandon Watson began to make his presence felt in the upper groove has he took the second spot from Gallant. Watson would then continue on the outside lane to pass Chenoweth for the lead on lap 18.
The fifth caution came with 20 complete when Misener spun towards the inside retaining wall in turn two. In an interesting choice, Watson chose to restart on the outside with Glenn Watson (#22 Rival Office Solutions/Race2way.ca/Williamson Uxbridge/TSS Top Shops Chevrolet), who had assumed the second position just prior to the yellow, to his left.
The race would then run green for 22 laps with Brandon Watson out front for each one. The real battle was for the second spot between the elder Watson and George Wilson (#77 Port City Racecars/Morollo Racing Engines/Let The Fur Fly Pet Salon Ford) as the #9 led by nearly ten car lengths.
Shawn Chenoweth appeared to be losing time to the leaders as he fell towards the middle of the top-ten and was passed by Gallant and Jeff Hanley (#70 Raylene Racing Toyota) as they moved ahead to complete the top-five. Chenoweth would come to a stop against the wall in turn four on lap 42 as the team experienced a multitude of different problems to the suspension that would end their night eight laps shy of the goal.
Three tries were needed to get the field back up to speed after the long green flag run. The first attempt was snuffed out when Tiemersma got touched by Taylor out of turn four to send both drivers to the back. The second result was not much different than the first as Gallant and Jeff Dunford (#7T Castrol Canada/Malcolm Wallace Auto Repair Chevrolet) both spun entering turn three after the field had taken the green. Both drivers would start at the tail of the field after running in the fifth and seventh position, respectively.
Brandon Watson continued to get the best jump off the restart, using the second groove to his advantage. His lead was earased on lap 45 when Kyle Passer spun in turn four as well as Gallant who did so to avoid.
Three more attempts were needed before the final five laps could be completed. The first restart was waved off when OSCAAR officials ruled Watson had jumped the start. The second attempt would end Glenn Watson’s night as the four-time champ suffered a flat right-front tire entering turn three on the ensuing lap. The Barrie, ON native would finish on the lead lap in the eighth spot.
Nephew Brandon survived a number of attacks by George Wilson throughout the final five laps to hold on for his second win of the year with Wilson and Hanley round out the podium. Watson and Wilson have battled for a podium position in each race thus far and, despite a mishap at Barrie, both drivers have a mutual respect for one another.
“You’re always worried when you’ve got the #77 behind you. He ran a great race, he ran me clean there. My crew did a great job getting the car ready,” said Watson.
“I’m flattered to be able to run with him. We had a little mishap there at Barrie and I was a little flustered over it all. Brandon came up and talked to me,” explained Wilson. “It made for two race cars going home on the trailer because I don’t think they would have. I could have really pushed it, but I wasn’t going to touch his door because I don’t want him hitting me.”
The Saturday evening event at the Innisfil, ON, oval was the inaugural Lucie Aylwin memorial. Lucie Aylwin was the fiancé of Gary Gendron, a member of George Wilson’s team, who was tragically killed in the horrifying collapse of the Algo Centre in Elliot Lake, ON, on June 23, 2012. A moment of silence was held prior to the race with Gary on track alongside OSCAAR President Dave Gainforth, Sunset Speedway promoter Mark Dilley, and Sunset track announcer Spencer Lewis.
Klotz Synthetics qualifying heat races were won by George Wilson, Jeff Hanley, Charlie Gallant, Todd Campbell, Jeff Dunford, and Shawn Chenoweth.
RESULTS:
OSCAAR Super Late Models – Agates
Results: Saturday June 30, 2012 – Sunset Speedway (starting position in parentheses)
1. #9 Brandon Watson (5); 2. #77 George Wilson (3); 3. #70 Jeff Hanley (6); 4. #13 Gary Passer (18); 5. #51 Dave Taylor (16); 6. #07 Todd Campbell (12); 7. #40P Charlie Gallant (1); 8. #22 Glenn Watson (9); 9. #7 Derrick Tiemersma (4); 10. #64b Chris Burrows (14); 11. #45 Rob Poole (17); 12. #7T Jeff Dunford (7); 13. #77x Craig Stevenson (20); 14. #63 Jim Bowman (23); 15. #14 Kyle Passer (19); 16. #29 Shawn Chenoweth (2); 17. #42 Tyler Hawn (21); 18. #72 Paul Law (8); 19. #5 Quinn Misener (22); 20. #83 Ian Bourque (11); 21. #10 Jesse Kennedy (10); 22. #18 Bruce Gowland (13); 23. #27 Roy Passer (15); 24. #54 Mike Beyore (24) (DNS).
Unofficial Points Standings as of June 30 – Sunset Speedway
1. #9 Brandon Watson 214 Points; 2. #7 Derrick Tiemersma 197; 3. #10 Jesse Kennedy 188; 4. #40P Charlie Gallant 186; 5. #22 Glenn Watson 185; 6. #07 Todd Campbell 176; 7. #45 Rob Poole 169; 8. #7T Jeff Dunford 166; 9. #83 Ian Bourque 162; 10. #77 George Wilson 151; 11. #14 Kyle Passer 147; 12. #63 Jim Bowman 142; 13. #5 Quinn Misener 139; 14. #13 Gary Passer 138; 15. #72 Paul Law 134; 16. #54 Mike Beyore 133; 17. #49 Rob Clarke 118; 18. #29 Shawn Chenoweth 116; 19. #04 Rudy Oppersma 99; 20. #42 Tyler Hawn 95; 21. #27 Roy Passer 92; 22. #98 Mike Hilliard 82; 23. #18 Bruce Gowland 77; 24. #70 Jeff Hanley 69; 25. #05 Brad Corcoran 61; 26. #51 Dave Taylor 59; 27. #64b Chris Burrows 56; 28. #77x Craig Stevenson 49; 29. #81 Frank Tulipano 45.
From Clayton Johns / OSCAAR Media & Public Relations
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