STROUD, ON – 28-time champion Stompin’ Tom Walters (No. 47 Flagship Property Ventures/Pro Floor Sanding & Refinishing Ford) led all 75-laps of the inaugural race in the McColl Racing Enterprises Pro Series on May 27th. The Bradford, ON veteran, a Sunset Speedway regular, took the lead on the opening lap of competition, fending off a laundry list of challengers as the evening progressed through a number of late-race cautions.
“This was an awesome run. The car was fantastic tonight. I’m happy we started in the front tonight because it seems there was quite a bit of carnage behind m.e”
Walters’ would top early-race battles with Jesse Kennedy and Brandon Watson, though his toughest opponent would come in the form of fellow Sunset regular Mike ‘Lights Out’ Bentley, who would dog Walters for the final 1/3rd of the race, through a litany of close-call restarts.
“I didn’t think this race was going to end. Then [my spotter] told me to start giving the field the ‘Kyle Busch’ restarts and I’d be fine” laughed the 40-year veteran.
“Mike [Bentley] did a great job tonight. He ran me clean. Our driving styles are pretty similar. Mike’s a younger Stompin’ Tom, I think.”
When asked of his opinion of the new MRE Pro Series, Walters offered “How many did we start tonight? 26? I’d bet you that 18 of them are McColl cars, so that tells you about MRE’s product. It’s just fantastic that we’re able to do this”
Runner-up finish Mike Bentley was undeterred in his second place finish.
“I don’t know if we had anything for Walters at the end. We had come from the back, twice, and that sort of burned up our tires. We’re happy with second after the troubles we had last night [in Sunset’s weekly Saturday show]. We can’t be any happier, right now. We just keep our heads up and try to hunt for a wi,n” smiled the Guelph, ON youngster.
When the topic of driving styles arose, Bentley agreed with Walters’ earlier observation “I know Walters races with all he’s got, and I’m the same. He doesn’t give an inch, and I don’t give an inch, and that’s what makes good racing”
In Super Stock action, 6-time Flamboro Speedway champion and current Sunset regular, Randy ‘The Rocket’ Rusnell (No. 72 Spira Fire Protection/Marvin Freiburger & Sons Monte Carlo) grabbed his first win of the 2012 season.
“It feels like a 3200 pound weight has been lifted off me” beamed the personable veteran in victory lane”
The 50-lap event enjoyed a 43-lap green flag period to start the race, which Rusnell utilized to work his way to the front of the field. The Cambridge, ON veteran would then hold on through a pair of late-race restarts to hold on to the victory, besting defending champion Lane Zardo and current Sunset front-runner Nick Roth.
“This car is the same car Kyle Donaldson won the championship with in 2010. He had nothing but success with it, and all winter we were pumped up thinking we were going to have success with it….it didn’t exactly go that way right away. So my hat’s off to Ken Donaldson and his crew, they did alot of work to this car over the last few weeks, don’t ask me what they did to it, but it worked”
On the topic of the late-race restarts, Rusnell explained “Restarts are the key. They can crowd you down when you’re on the inside. The key is to get a head start, once you have that coming off of turn-4, you’re good going down into turn-1”
“This was a tremendous field of racecar drivers here tonight, who on any given night can win, but I’m gonna hope to spoil all their winnings for the next couple weeks at least”
Nick Roth would claim second, with defending Sauble Speedway champion ‘The Situation’ Matt Mulholland rounding out the top-3.
New Lowell, ON resident Doug Butler would open up the evening’s feature action with a 35-lap Mini Stock division win, with defending Autumn Colours Classic winner Darryl Fice claiming second and Sauble Speedway front-runner Gary Jones completing the top-3.
By Spencer Lewis
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