OHSWEKEN, Ont. (August 10, 2018) – An action-packed night saw 130 cars sign in at Ohsweken Speedway across four divisions for Renway Energy Halloween in August featuring the Art Hill Memorial on Friday, August 10. The night saw more than a dozen junior fans turn out in costumes to celebrate Halloween in August.
After the final checkered flag had waved, it was Dylan Westbrook who grabbed the win in the Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Car Feature, the first Feature contested since July 13. Aaron Turkey swept the night for the Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars as claimed the make-up feature from July 20 and claimed the regularly scheduled Feature as well as his heat race. For the stock cars, Ryan Beagle claimed a thrilling win in the Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stock Feature while Jason Tolton stunned the field and won the 42-lap Art Hill Memorial for the HRW Automotive Mini Stocks, which was also a combined race for the Insta-Panels Duel on the Dirt Series. It was also Tolton’s first career win.
HRW Automotive Mini Stocks
The HRW Automotive Mini Stocks were competing in their longest and richest race of the year, the 42-lap and $1000-to-win Art Hill Memorial. The annual event honours the late Art Hill, the only driver to have lost his life during competition at Ohsweken. The race was also the final event of the Insta-Panels Duel on the Dirt Series.
Jay Moulton and Rob Twitchett brought the field to the green flag. Moulton took the early lead and paced the field through a lap three caution before a fast-moving Bobby Tolton raced to the point on lap four after starting 10th. Tolton opened his lead to half a straightaway by lap 10 with outside invaders Moulton and Alex Riley giving chase.
By lap 20, Tolton had wandered into slower traffic, but didn’t have to deal with it long as the caution waved with 20 complete when Kyle Wert spun in turn one. The ensuing restart was disastrous for Tolton as he suffered a flat left-rear tire and then was sucked into the outside wall on the backstretch and suffered heavy damage to the car’s right-front, bringing out another yellow and ending his bid for the win.
Riley assumed the lead on the restart and raced ahead of Moulton, but the advantage didn’t last long as Riley slowed on lap 25, all but ending his hopes of claiming the Duel on the Dirt title after entering the night as the point leader. That left Moulton to battle with 16th-starting Jason Tolton for the point. Moulton led lap 25 before Jason Tolton took over the lead on lap 26 in what proved to be the winning pass.
A pair of cautions and subsequent restarts on laps 33 and 40 did bother Jason Tolton as he held off the charge from Moulton to claim his first career Feature win at Ohsweken in the biggest race of the year. Moulton settled for second while Cole Hardy rounded out the podium with a strong third-place effort. Tim DeBoer and Ohsweken point leader Gillian Hils captured the final two spots in the top-five.
Earlier in the night, Dusty Deboer, Bobby Tolton, Jon Janssens and Gillian Hils picked up heat race wins while Tristan Da Silva and Christopher French collected checkered flags in a pair of B-Mains to qualify into the 26-car Feature. Provisional starting spots were awarded to Nick Masi as the top non-qualified Ohsweken driver and Vincent Pagnotta as the top non-qualified Duel on the Dirt driver.
Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars
Cory Turner and Mikey Kruchka paced the field to the green flag for the 20-lap Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Car Feature, but it was fourth-starting Dylan Westbrook who used a slide job in turns three and four to roll past Turner and lead the opening lap. From there, Turner stayed close with Westbrook until the first of two cautions when Scott Burke rolled to a stop in turn one.
Westbrook darted away from the field on the restart while Scott Kreutter raced past Turner into second. The top two of Westbrook and Kreutter broke away from the field by the halfway point, but were reeled in by a lap 11 caution when Chris Steele slowed.
The final restart proved no problem for Westbrook as he drove away from Kreutter and maneuvred effortlessly through the slower traffic over the final five laps to score his seventh Ohsweken Feature win this season. Kreutter claimed the second spot while Kruchka raced to the final spot on the podium. Mitch Brown drove forward from seventh to a fourth-place result while Ryan Turner stole the fifth spot from Jim Huppunen on the final lap to round out the top-five.
Cory Turner and Krucha were heat race winners earlier in the night. Westbrook claimed the Ackland Insurance Top Gun award after accumulating the most passing points in heat race action by driving from ninth to second.
Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars
The Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars were in action for double Features as they completed a July 20 event that was postponed that night due to rain. The make-up Feature was the first race of the night and saw Aaron Turkey and Ryan Hunsinger bring the field to the green flag.
Hunsinger jumped out to an early advantage as the top two raced away from the rest of the field by 10 car lengths. A quick Shone Evans caught the leaders on lap eight to make it a three car battle for the lead. Just after the halfway point, Turkey sized up Hunsinger and made a pass for the lead on lap 11, but before the lap was complete, Jacob Dykstra flipped on the frontstretch to bring out the red flag and negate the pass.
Another caution on lap 13 for Holly Porter, who suffered heavy damage in a turn three collision, slowed the race for the second time. Hunsinger couldn’t keep Turkey at bay on the restart as Turkey took over the point position for good on lap 14. Turkey had to fend off Evans over the final five laps after he also got passed Hunsinger. Point leader Jesse Costa rounded out the podium.
In the regularly scheduled Feature, Lucas Smith and Turkey brought the field to full speed for the second 20-lap main event. Turkey raced to lead the opening four laps before Smith fought back to regain the lead on lap five. He held that position until he spun in turn two while lead with eight laps in the books to bring out the first yellow flag.
On the restart, it was déjà vu as Turkey battled Evans up front with Dykstra sitting third after repairing the damage from his earlier flip. At the halfway mark, the three drivers were occasionally three wide for the race lead, but Turkey held the top spot at the line each time.
A final restart game on lap 13 after Hunsinger had stopped in turn four for the second yellow flag. Turkey was strong again and led the final seven circuits without issue to complete the full night’s sweep. Evans earned the runner-up spot for the second straight race ahead of Dykstra, Dereck Lemyre and Beamsville teenager Josh Hansen.
Turkey, Evans and Smith were Heat Race winners earlier in the night while Baily Heard won the B-Main. Holly Porter earned the Ackland Insurance Top Gun award as the night’s top qualifier after accumulating the most passing points in heat race competition after switching to her teammate Brad Herron’s car following a flip in the make-up feature.
Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks
The ultra-competitive Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stock division saw Brian Teeple and Lee Winger lead the field to the green flag for the 20-lap main event. Winger grabbed the early advantage while Jim Lampman raced from 10th to third on the opening lap.
Winger led the opening four laps until Brandon Crumbie marched forward in the outside lane behind the wheel of his No.63 Mustang to take the lead on a lap five restart. Crumbie continued to roll around the top until the race was slowed for its second caution on lap 10 when Billy Bleich Jr. stopped in turn two. Crumbie stayed out front ahead of Ken Sargent, Blake Bomberry Jr. and Christopher Hale.
The caution waved again on lap 13 when Aaron Rewutzsky spun in turn two. The ensuing restart produced a four-wide battle for the lead as Ryan Beagle jumped forward into the mix for the top spot. With three laps to go, Beagle wrestled the lead away from Crumbie while Hale took second. After taking the white flag, Hale drove hard into turn one as a last ditch attempt to catch Beagle. The momentum was too much to handle as he spun in the middle of the corner while running second and collected Crumbie, who has nowhere to go, in a hard hit.
After the wreck was cleaned up, Beagle held off Ken Sargent and Dave Bailey to score his second career Ohsweken Feature win. Trevor DeBoer and Mike Ferguson rounded out the top-five. Lee Winger, Blake Bomberry Jr. and Christopher Hale took heat race victories to begin the night while Steve Vanderzdan won the B-Main.
Up Next at Ohsweken Speedway
Ohsweken Speedway returns to action on Friday, August 17 as Jibs Action Sports presents the Kids Race for the Canadian National Autism Foundation. Representatives from Kids Race will be on hand to raise awareness for autism and distribute educational information. The Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars are in action for their second challenge race of the season as they take on the drivers from the Southern Ontario Sprints. The Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars, Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks and HRW Automotive Mini Stocks will all be in action as well. Race time is 7:30pm and adult admission is just $14 and children 12 and under are $3 or less. For additional event information, visit www.ohswekenspeedway.ca.
About Renway Energy: Renway Fuels & Lubricants offers a comprehensive line of petroleum products including fuels (gasoline, diesel, furnace oil, stove oil, and propane), lubricants (agricultural, commercial, industrial, and automotive), and filters (oil, fuel, air, and hydraulic). Renway Heating & Cooling is a complete residential and light commercial heating (oil, natural gas, and propane), air conditioning, sheet metal fabrication, and ventilation contractor. This family-owned business prides itself on providing quality products coupled with professional, courteous service you can rely on. Renway’s continued success is built on customer satisfaction, and Renway has returned as the official fuel supplier of Ohsweken Speedway for 2015. Drop by the Renway office at 56 Henry Street in Brantford, call them at 519-752-6777 or toll free at 1-888-553-5550, and check out their website at www.Renway.ca.
Canadian Sprint Car Nationals Tickets and Camping Available Now!
Advanced reserved seating tickets are on sale now for the 14th annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals on September 14-15 are on sale now! The event features two full nights of Sprint Car action, including Saturday’s $10,000-to-win Feature Event. Visit www.ohswekenspeedway.ticketforce.com or call 519-717-0023 to order and for more information. For the full 2018 schedule of events, click here.
Ohsweken Speedway Live Stream
Can’t make it to the track or don’t live within driving distance? No problem! Check out all of Ohsweken’s weekly Friday Night Excitement action live online for free via the Ohsweken Speedway Live Stream. The stream goes live at 7:30pm EST each race night at www.OhswekenSpeedway.ca and on our official Facebook page.
2018 SEASON
Ohsweken Speedway’s 23rd season of weekly Friday Night Excitement features four divisions of racing, including the Kool Kidz-Corr/Pak 360 Sprint Cars, Strickland’s GMC Crate Sprint Cars, Middleport Mechanical Thunder Stocks and HRW Automotive Mini Stocks. Visit www.OhswekenSpeedway.com to view the schedule or call (519) 717-0023 for more information.
About Ohsweken Speedway: Founded in 1996, Ohsweken Speedway is a motorsports complex which includes a 3/8 (0.375) mile clay oval track. The facility is owned by the Styres family, and located in the village of Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada. Ohsweken’s weekly Friday night racing program runs from May to September each year, featuring 360 Sprint Cars, Crate Sprint Cars, Thunder Stocks and Mini Stocks. The season finishes each year with the track’ annual Canadian Sprint Car Nationals. Ohsweken Speedway also hosts weekly Micro Sprint racing on Thursday nights.
OHSWEKEN SPEEDWAY MEDIA
Phone: (519) 717-0023
Email: media@ohswekenspeedway.com
Website: www.OhswekenSpeedway.com
Facebook: www.Facebook.com/OHSWEKENSPEEDWAY
Twitter: @OhswekenSpdway
Instagram: www.Instagram.com/OhswekenSpeedway
YouTube: www.YouTube.com/user/OhswekenSpdway
Ohsweken Speedway thanks the following partners for their support in 2018: Arrow Express, Kool Kidz Ice & Water, Corr/Pak Merchandising Inc., Renway Energy, Case IH O’Neil’s Farm Equipment, Hoosier Tire Canada, EPIC Racewear, McDonald’s Restaurants of Paris & Brantford, Ackland Insurance, Strickland’s GMC, Lucas Oil Products, Burger Barn, Pinty’s Delicious Foods, Creative Edge Signs & Graphics, Insta-Insulation, Middleport Mechanical, HRW Automotive, and Gale’s Auto Aftermarket.
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