@BrightonSpdway • BRIGHTON (May 24, 2015) – Brighton Speedway saw 86 cars roll in to the pits on a hectic Saturday night that saw two cars roll upside down and four red flags. It all combined for thrilling action on a chilly night presented by Aecon Group Inc. and UCB Canada radio.
Sopaz Scores First Career Pro Late Model Win
Adam Turner (No.92 Village Variety) and Kyle Sopaz (No.12 Free Flow Petroleum) led the 20-car RUSH Pro Late Model field to the green flag. Turner led the opening two laps before Sopaz used a very fast top lane to take the lead from Turner.
On lap six, Sopaz had a new face behind him in the form of rookie driver Tyler Rand (No.84 The Main Stop). As the field sorted itself out following a lap four caution, Corey Earl (No.11 Hotch’s Auto Parts) quickly picked his way into the top-three after starting seventh and passed Rand for the runner-up spot on lap 10.
A red flag on lap 16 due to a spectator medical emergency gave drivers a chance to strategize for the final 14 circuits. Sopaz restarted on the bottom, taking away Earl’s preferred line.
A pair of cautions on lap 19 resulted in another red flag as paramedics tended to Zeke McKeown (No.97 McDonald Homes) who suffered a broken wrist as a result of the accident.
Sopaz brought the field back to full speed as Earl sat within striking distance. The top two pilots pulled away from the rest of the field, and left to an 11-lap duel to settle the race, interrupted just once for caution on lap 22.
Earl looked to get underneath Sopaz several times in turns three and four, but the No.12 was faster on corner exit and at the other end of the track. Sopaz held off Earl for the victory, the first of his five-year Pro Late Model career.
“Corey showed the nose a couple of times, and I thought, there’s no way. Not tonight, I’m winning this,” Sopaz said in victory lane. The win came on his father Rick’s birthday.
Rand, Phil Potts (No.29 Vanderlaan) and Brandon Mowat (No.46 Target Fabrication) completed the top-five.
O’Blenis Earns Canadian Modified Victory
Mark Busscher (No.84 Home Hardware) and Warren Mowat (No.46 Cormier’s Auto Recycling) brought the field to the green for the first race of the RONA Trenton Triple Crown for the OilGARD Canadian Modifieds, but it was a short-lived experience.
Busscher got sideways immediately as the field came to the green and was turned in front of the pack. Contact with a number of cars resulted in Busscher rolling upside down beneath the starters stand to bring out the third red flag of the evening. Busscher was uninjured.
When the race restarted, Mowat assumed the point position as Adam Whaley (No.12 John’s Equipment) moved in to the second spot on lap three. Fourth row starter Doug O’Blenis wasted little time moving through the field, overtaking Whaley for second on lap 5.
Three laps later, O’Blenis had caught Mowat and got underneath him for the race lead. Andrew Hennessy (No.87 Custom Automotive) simultaneously began his march to the front and displaced Whaley of the second-position on lap 12 after Mowat was shuffled back to fourth.
Two cautions midway through the 30-lap race gave Hennessy a chance to challenge O’Blenis. Hennessy was coy, allowing O’Blenis a pair of five-car length leads before reeling him in to challenge for the lead. The gamesmanship didn’t matter, as O’Blenis was the faster car, earning his first win of the season.
Hennessy was the runner-up in a top-five that included Dan Ferguson (No.11 Kilmarnock Enterprise), Curtis King (No.07 Ajax Nissan) and Kraig Handley (No.91 Tri-Canadian Energy).
Anderson Shakes the Monkey for Pro Stock Triumph
Samantha Thompson (No.33 Mayhew Graphics) and Rich Sanders (No.29 Frank’s Auto Repair) led the Brighton Automotive Pro Stock field to green but it was third-place starter Leslie Mowat (No.2 Cormier’s Auto Recycling) that led the opening lap.
One lap later, Thompson got loose off turn four and made contact with Brian Cross (No.08 Sobey’s). Cross was knocked in to the outside retaining wall on the frontstretch. At full speed, the car climbed the wall and Cross rolled three times before the car came to a rest on its roof to cause the final red of the night. Cross was uninjured.
Mowat grew a lead to five car lengths over the rest of the field when the race resumed, but a hard-charging Doug Anderson (No.72 Hunt’s Bobcat Service) quickly began to dig. A bobble in turn four erased Mowat’s momentum on lap eight and Anderson capitalized to take the lead. Brandon Murrell (No.19 Hannah Motors) and Justin Ramsay (No.03 Empey Tire) pushed Mowat back to fourth as they ran second and third, respectively.
A caution at the halfway point restacked the field, but Anderson couldn’t be tamed. Ramsay moved to second and tried to run the high line around Anderson, but couldn’t muster enough momentum to complete the pass.
Anderson held on to win his first feature event of the season over Ramsay, Mowat, Bob Green (No.26 Barink Electric) and Sanders.
Mills Rallies to Comp 4 Win
An eventful Bill’s Johns Comp 4 feature began with Riley Greer (No.47 Greer Excavating) and Emily Weedman (No.87 Dent Masters) up front. Greer led the opening lap and was joined a lap later by his older brother, Brady (No.94 Greer Excavating) after he took second.
At the mid-way point, a four-car battle for the race lead developed between the Greer brothers and teammates Shelby Mills (No.78 ABC Taxi) and Tyler French (No.0 Empey Tire). Mills took the lead from Riley Greer just prior to a lap eight caution for a spun Courtney Mastin (No.97 DW Metal Expressions).
French initiated contact with Brady Greer under yellow that resulted in a black flag. When the race resumed, Mills was untouchable as she raced to her first win of the season ahead of Austin Reid (No.85 Yong Drivers), Adam Chapman (No.07 Int’l Truckload Services), Mastin, and Riley Greer.
Taylor Wins First Stinger Feature
Oshawa, Ont. driver Gary Taylor (No.89 Int’l Freight Systems) and Lexi Fletcher (No.41 Broken Arrow) led the 20-car Quinte Septic Stinger feature to the green flag.
Taylor wasted little time driving to the lead, but was followed closely by Mike Brooks (No.44 Doug’s Auto Glass). The top two drivers pulled away from the rest of the field, and made it a two-horse race for the victory. Lexi Fletcher and Andy Fletcher (No.42 Like-Nu Driveway Sealing) battled side-by-side for third throughout most of the race, with Lexi eventually taking the spot.
Brooks tried both high and low lanes to pass Taylor, but without success. Taylor drove to his first 12-lap feature win in eight years.
Taylor, Brooks, Lexi Fletcher, Andy Fletcher, and Jordan Pickell (No.93 Sowerby Signs) were the top-five. Brant Leggett (No.40) won the B-Main.
Next Week: Dibbits Excavating and Hits 95.5FM present Fan Appreciation Night: The first Fan Appreciation night of the 2015 season takes place at Brighton Speedway next Saturday night, presented by Dibbits Excavating and Hits 95.5FM. Fans will be able to meet their favourite drivers on the track for autographs and photos at intermission.
Adult admission is just $10. A family pass, valid for two adults and two children under 16, is just $25. Spectator gates open at 5:30pm with racing slated to start at 7:00pm.
Tickets for the World of Outlaws Late Model Series visit to Brighton Speedway on June 20 are also for sale. The Outlaws are joined by the Southern Ontario Sprints and Brighton’s OilGARD Canadian Modifieds. Reserved seating is in effect for this event. Tickets can be purchased at the speedway office throughout the week. For more information, visit www.brightonspeedway.com.
Complete Results – May 23, 2015 – UCB Canada and Aecon Group Inc.
Vanderlaan Building Products RUSH Pro Late Models A-Main (30 Laps – 20 Entries): 1. 12 Kyle Sopaz, 2. 11 Corey Earl, 3. 84 Tyler Rand, 4. 29 Phil Potts, 5. 46 Brandon Mowat, 6. 57 Charlie Sandercock, 7. 77 Caley Weese, 8. 92 Adam Turner, 9. 89 Austin King, 10. 1 Andy Mayhew, 11. 55 Mark Rayner, 12. 79 Nathan Bosma, 13. 25 Greg Belyea, 14. 42 Adam Nayler, 15. 97 Zeke McKeown, 16. 20 Terry Hunt, 17. 60 Norm Mayhew, 18. 27 Ronnie Wadforth, 19. 01 Eli Mayhew (DQ), 20. 5 Steve Baldwin (DQ). Time: 53:30.322.
OilGARD Canadian Modifieds A-Main (30 Laps – Rona of Trenton Triple Crown Race 1 – 16 Entries): 1. 32 Doug O’Blenis, 2. 87 Andrew Hennessy, 3. 11 Dan Ferguson, 4. 07 Curtis King, 5. 91 Kraig Handley, 6. 46 Warren Mowat, 7. 74 Mike Lucas, 8. 36 Mitch Rosborough, 9. 12 Adam Whaley, 10. 28 Dan Insley, 11. 00 Darrell Toms, 12. 1 Shawn Gregory, 13. 72 Adam Switzer, 14. 84 Mark Busscher, 15. 03 Derek Bowers, 16. 66 Mark Packer, 17. 88 Josh Hennessy. Time: 18:13.407.
Brighton Automotive Pro Stocks A-Main (20 Laps – 13 Entries): 1. 72 Doug Anderson, 2. 03 Justin Ramsay, 3. 2 Leslie Mowat, 4. 26 Bob Green, 5. 29 Rich Sanders, 6. 51 Mike Freeman, 7. 33 Samantha Thompson, 8. 53 Wade Purchase, 9. 13 Ryan Connor, 10. 55 Jamie Marshall, 11. 08 Brian Cross, 12. 23 Angie Kirby (DNS), 13. 19 Brandon Murrell (DQ). No Time.
Bill’s Johns Comp 4s A-Main (15 Laps – 11 Entries): 1. 78 Shelby Mills, 2. 85 Austin Reid, 3. 07 Adam Chapman, 4. 97 Courtney Mastin, 5. 47 Riley Greer, 6. 94 Brady Greer, 7. 87 Emily Weedman, 8. 8 Tyler Parker, 9. 19 Luke Toms, 10. 24 Bella Cosstick (DQ), 11. 0 Tyler French (DQ). No Time.
Quinte Septic Stingers A-Main (12 Laps – 26 Entries): 1. 89 Gary Taylor, 2. 44 Mike Brooks, 3. 41 Lexi Fletcher, 4. 42 Andy Fletcher, 5. 93 Jordan Pickell, 6. 28 Mark McDonald, 7. 11 Adam Flieler, 8. 7 Rick Phillips, 9. 19 Del MacGregor, 10. 95 Chris Lammle, 11. 72 Richard McCormack, 12. 64 Chris Johnson, 13. 07 Megan Golden, 14. 99 Arthur McCauley, 15. 33 Geoff York, 16. 5 Chantel Golden, 17. 40 Brant Leggett, 18. 65 Kenny Johnson, 19. 25 Lawrence Evenden, 20. 6 Tom Cole. DNQ – 00 Ken Evans, 01 Dawson Evans, 23 Arlington McDonald, 27 David Lemon, 38 Alix Woods, 73 Tabitha Weese. No Time.
About Aecon Group Inc.: For more than a century, Aecon and our predecessor companies have helped to build many of Canada’s most famous landmarks – from the CN Tower and St. Lawrence Seaway, to the Vancouver Sky Train and Halifax Shipyards. At Aecon, we work hard to be the first company people go to for building things that matter. In every department and division, our culture is firmly rooted in our core values – Safety first, Trust and Candour, a Passion for Excellence, People Focused Learning and a Results Oriented Culture. For more information, visit www.aecon.ca.
About UCB Canada: UCB Canada (Cobourg 90.7 FM and Belleville 102.3 FM) is a Christian radio network which is a part of UCB international, a family of affiliated Christian Media Ministries operating in over 20 countries. The mission is to spread God’s Word and UCB Canada produces its own program, The Word For You Today, to help impart this mission. Visit www.ucbcanada.ca for more information.
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About RUSH Late Model Racing: The RUSH Dirt Late Model Series sanctions weekly crate late model racing at 14 dirt tracks in five U.S. states (Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) and one Canadian province (Ontario). The weekly series boasts a points fund of over $27,000. The Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC RUSH Late Model Touring Series boasts two separate tours, north and south, that compete from April to October. The two touring series will combine for 24 events across the Northeast in 2015 with an annual points fund in excess of $30,000.
RUSH Late Model marketing partners include: Sweeney Chevrolet Buick GMC, Pace Performance, Hoosier Tire, Bilstein Shocks, Sunoco Race Fuels, Insinger Performance, Bazell Race Fuels, MSD Ignition, Maxima Racing Oil, Jones Racing Products, Alternative Power Sources, Precise Racing Products, ARbodies, The Brake Man, K&N Filters, Lincoln Electric, TurboStart, Beyea Headers, FK Rod Ends, Bobby Lake Motorsports, Crate Innovations Inc., Velocita-USA, High Gear Speed Shop, CrateInsider.com, B.R.A.K.E.S., RockAuto.com, and Valley Fashions.
Brighton Speedway’s 2015 season is proudly supported by the following corporate sponsors: ABC Taxi, Adecco, AeCON, Bay Marine, Belleville Bulls, Bellevue Fabricating Ltd., Benson Auto Parts, Bill’s Johns, Breeze 107.9, Brighton Automotive, Brighton Recycling, Campbellford Chrysler, Canadian National Autism Foundation, Coca-Cola, Comfort Zone Heating & Air Conditioning, Cool 100, Deerhaven Farm and Garden, Dibbits Excavating, Electro Cables, Excel Tower Service, Extreme Rush Adventures, Gord’s Water, Greig Truck & Trailer, Humber Nurseries, Hotch’s Auto Parts, Hoosier Racing Tire, ImageFactor.ca Motorsport Designs, Investor’s Group, John’s Equipment, JJ Stewart Motors, Kellogg Belleville, Lange & Fetter Ford, Lucas Oil, McDougall Insurance and Financial, Monster Energy, Mystical Distributing, NOCO Fuels, OilGARD Anti-Rust, Owasco RV, Part Source, Quinte Septic, Rapid Rad, Rock 107, Rona Trenton, Sanderson Tire and Automotive, Small Engine Fuels, Star 93.3, Stoneridge Specialty Insurance, Town and Country Liquidation, TRS Communications, 95.5 Hits FM, UCB Radio Canada, Ultramar CST, Workman’s OK Tire, Vanderlaan Building Products. VanZuylen Tire, and VP Racing Fuels.
About Brighton Speedway: Brighton Speedway is a 1/3-mile clay stock car racing oval located on the shores of Lake Ontario in Brighton, Ont. The speedway hosts five weekly stock car divisions on Saturday nights from May to September. The weekly Pro Late Model division competes under RUSH Late Model Series sanctioning.
Brighton Speedway mailing address: 775 County Road 64, Brighton, ON, K0K 1H0.
Media Contact: Clayton Johns
claytonjohns@brightonspeedway.com
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