Kawartha Speedway: July 4 race recap

Kawartha Speedway 2008:  Turnin’ Up The Heat
By Jim Clarke, Kawartha Speedway PR/Clarke Motorsports Communication

 

The calendar read ‘July 4th’ – Independence Day for those south of the border – but in the country where its ‘always’ supposed to be cold, the action was full-speed ahead.  Hot, fast and rockin’!

 

Kawartha Speedway kicked-off their first show of the new month with a pair of thunder car heat races.  Andy Ford claimed the first, with Willie Reyns picking-up the checkers in round 2.  The night’s semi feature saw Ford and Reyns finish just ahead of 2007 track champion Steve Mayhew.  The limited late models were next – again for a couple of qualifying events won by Dwight Brown and Todd Delisle.  Vic Parsons, whose car sustained heavy damage after contact with the front stretch wall a week earlier, took home the semi-feature checkered flag, followed by Brown and Terry Betts.

 

The highlight of the night was a 50 lap feature event for the mini stocks.  Nearly 25 of the 4 cylinder rockets signed-in, with Shanna Moroney and invader Doug Mould splitting the qualifying heats.  Mould, a regular at Capital City Speedway near Ottawa won the semi feature, with Mike Wallace and Too Moroney completing the top 3.  The late model qualifying heats were won by Larry Jackson and Brandon Watson, with Cobourg’s Norm Mayhew in victory lane following the semi feature.

 

At the last race in the month of June, Steve Mayhew held-off Willie Reyns in a spirited thunder car feature race battle.  July started-off looking like the same thing would happen again, until a late race re-start bunched the field.  Reyns carried just enough momentum out of the 4th turn to nip Mayhew at the line.  When he emerged from the car to celebrate his 2nd win of the season, the Port Hope, Ontario resident found his mother waiting the greet him.  The limited late model main event was Tom Walters’.  The veteran racer from Barrie, Ontario held off a strong challenge by Todd Delisle to claim the checkers.  Vic Parsons, Dwight Brown and Jamie Horner completed the fast 5.

 

With 22 cars taking the initial green flag for the mini stock feature, there was racing all over the spacious 3/8th mile Kawartha Speedway layout.  Turn 4 was the site of a scary wreck, when the #01 of Shannon Kimmerly and Shanna Moroney’s #29 came together. Both cars hit the wall – with Moroney sliding-in on the driver’s side of her car.  Both vehicles were finished for the night, but neither driver was injured.  When racing resumed, it was the #27x back in front and holding that spot ‘til the checkered flag, over Dwight Lavoie and Glenn Dee.  The late model ‘A’ main featured a sentimental moment, as Dan Kimmerly picked-up his first win of 2008.  The Courtice, Ontario veteran often brings 3 cars to the track, including a limited late model that his daughter Shannon will be running on a limited basis this season.  Dan McHattie, Jonathan Urlin, Brandon Watson and Larry Jackson rounded-out the top 5.

 

Kawartha Speedway will be silent Friday, July 11th – but returns to action Sunday, July 13th with the American Canadian Tour (ACT) 200 lap Summer Sizzler.  The show will feature a strong contingent of drivers from Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Ontario and Quebec – as well as Kawartha and Capital City Speedway regulars.  Mini stocks, thunder cars and the Ontario Legends Series will also be part of the show.  Pit gates open at 8:AM, with on track practise at 11:00.  For full details, see www.kawarthaspeedway.com.