SHAW MOTORSPORTS: Shaw Post Race Update #13

GUELPH, ON - The Shaw Motorsports team had a quiet week in the shop and their Saturday morning pre-race routine was not as rushed as usual giving Dave Bell the time to clean the inside of the truck and Dave Meades the opportunity to sort through the shocks and find one to hopefully cure the minor loose off condition. The car was scaled and loaded with a new shock in place on the left rear and the crew headed south to Flamboro Speedway, bathed in sunshine that was guaranteed to shine all day. The Shaw team wish to pass on their happy birthday wishes to Joe Sponga who turned as old as dirt on race day and his son Mike who turned 38 the day after.

For the first and only practice, Jason reported that the new shock had given the car a push going into the corner so the crew went to work putting the previous weeks shock back on the left rear and then relaxed in the shade while waiting for the heat race to begin.

Jason lined up the Nuco Ford at the front of the field on the outside of the #07 for the heat race and after taking the green flag, passed the #07 in turn two to take over the lead. The #07 must have encountered mechanical difficulties and as he drifted backwards through the field, Jason moved into a 10 car length lead by the third lap. At the half way mark, Jason was maintaining his 10 car length lead on the #56. Despite Jason not being happy with the car pushing in the center of the corner, the #82 cruised to victory.

The #82 National Fire Equipment Fusion lined up 12th for what was to be a 25 lap feature if all 15 cars on the track took the green flag. The #29 and #42 lead the field towards the green flag and before the green was given the #07 left the track with mechanical difficulties, putting the field down to 14 to run only a 20 lap feature. Before a second lap could be registered on the scoring tower, the #72 and #36 got together coming out of turn 2 bringing out the caution. Jason had to jump on the brakes to avoid hitting the #52 who has slowed to avoid the cars turned on the track, however could not quite stop in time and made contact with the rear of Scott Lyons. Ken Spira took a good look at the damage as the car came down the backstretch and determined that the damage was minor and that car should be good to go. Jason restarted 11th behind the #49 and after the green flag moved passed him for 10th while coming out of turn one falling in behind the #52.

Both the #52 and #82 moved up two spots on the next lap and Jason was running in 8th when the lead cars got tangled up in the middle of turns 3 and 4. Once the scorers sorted out who was involved and who stopped to avoid, it was the #10 who was given the lead followed by the #8, #52 and then the #82 in 4th. After the restart, Jason was on the bumper of the #52 as the #10 and #8 ran their own battle for the lead. At the half way mark, the order remained the same until the #8 pulled away with the lead, leaving the #10, #52 and #82 to battle it out for the next position. Despite some good hard racing for the final two laps, no positions changed and the feature finished with the #8 taking the win, followed by the #10, #52, #82 and #36 to complete the top 5.

In other racing news, John Karley from Georgetown Printing who brought the team a fresh batch of hero cards at the track also piloted the #19 in the Canadian Vintage Modified race. Jason and Randy’s father Ron Shaw also drove in the race as he was substituting for Jeff Shaw who was victim of an accident in the shop of the #81 and broke his wrist. Unfortunately, both John and Ron got caught up in a big wreck involving most of the field at the beginning of the race and they both finished well back in the field. Ken Spira piloted the #88 mini-stock for the 25 lap feature without causing any damage to the car and brought the Barking Fish Mustang home in 13th for the second week in a row.

Next up for the Shaw Team, is the second leg of the Grisdale Triple Crown Series at Flamboro Speedway. The pit gates for the 50 lap special event open at 3 followed by the main gates at 5 and racing is to get underway at 6:00pm.

From Ken Spira / Shaw Motorsports