SASKATOON, SK - The Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association crowned its 2008 Tiger Automotive Street Stock champion Saturday night at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway. A year of research, tinkering and frayed nerves paid off for Cory Kallis as the number 99 Adobe Inn Monte Carlo SS capped off the year with a heat race win, second place in the qualifier race and a fifth place finish in the Tiger Automotive 50 lap feature.
Kallis is only the second champion this decade as the street stock trophy has decorated the home of Bryan Johnson since 2000, winner of the championship eight years in a row. Each year drivers have set their sights on unseating Johnson as the Division champion, with Kallis being the first to succeed. Johnson, who finished back in fifth place with the number 98 Value Tire Camaro, three points behind the number 27 Lone Star Parts Camaro of Scot Lucas, says he realized fairly early in the year several drivers had picked up their program and it would be his toughest challenge in years to repeat.
Cory stood by, noticeably nervous, as his car went through a 25 point technical inspection, a list known only to the Competition Committee co-chairs and one technical inspector prior to the end of the race. You could see Cory’s jaw drop, then jubilation set in with his entire crew as his car was cleared through tech.
Todd Pluhator with his number 15 Good Times Racing Camaro came into the night trailing Cory Kallis by 17 points. With a dozen cars on the track and three race to run, 17 points is not a lot to make up, with a perfect night being worth 80 points. Todd showed right from the start of the first green flag he didn’t want to settle for second best, but managed no better than fourth in the heat race. Todd came up one spot behind Cory in the qualifier race for third place and settled for third again in the Tiger Automotive Feature.
Third place finisher Les Hillacre in the number 17 Nu-Fab Camaro took third in the Saskatoon Earthmoving heat race, first in the CP Distributors qualifier race and first again in the Tiger Automotive 50 lap feature.
The Evolution Cup Car Series was back at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway for the second time with their nine horsepower half-scale NASCAR replica Mini-Cup cars. Seven cars made the trip from across western Canada, with drivers ranging in age from eight to fifteen.
These Honda engine powered miniature race cars (yes, they are race cars, not go-carts) run laps times very similar to the Thunder Stocks. This means these cars are averaging speeds near 120 KPH around the oval.
The first mini-cup heat race was won by the number 7 of Kyle Vriesinga of Vernon BC, with number 10 Dale Edwards of Cochrane AB coming in second and number 9 Rhyr Dauenhauer of Coldstream BC taking up third.
The second heat race had the same finishing order as did their 20 lap feature race.
The day started with a bang, literally, for two Saskatoon racers in the ARCA West Mac’s Series. Half way through the first afternoon practice session, the engine in Jeff Reimer’s number 5 Wolfecraft Signs Dodge Charger blew, leaving a trail of oil, piston and connecting rod parts through corners three and four.
In the second practice session, the engine of number 23 Craig Melnyk blew. That trail of oil brought Glen Hertzke and the number 36 of Grant Brown together, with Hertzke’s number 14 SPI Security Monte Carlo going head on into the wall. Glen’s car was finished for the day, and possibly the year as it will most likely need to be re-clipped (new frame from firewall forward), and most steering and suspension components replaced.
This is Glen Hertzke’s second major accident this year, having totaled off his previous car in the season opener. After picking up this new car in the U.S., this was only it’s fifth time out.
Things got better as the day went on. Brian Johnson Jr. of Washington state set a new track record during qualifying in the special event Super Late Model category, with an amazing time of 14.132 seconds.
Saskatoon driver Greg Vangool, who held the previous record, also set a new record for local drivers at 14.318 seconds. For reference, 14.132 seconds means an average speed of 153.757 kilometers per hour around the
3/8 mile oval. Vangool’s time works out to an average of 151.740 kilometers per hour.
33 cars were registered for the ARCA West Mac’s Series Fall Harvest Border Challenge 150. With the loss of three cars in practice, 30 cars were left vying for one of the 26 spots in the Interstate Battery 150 main feature race. 18 cars were locked in from qualifying, with the remaining 12 earning one of the eight remaining spots from the B main.
At the end of the day, two Washington state drivers took the top two spots in the Interstate Battery 150, followed by three Saskatoon drivers. Unofficially, #76 Brian Johnson Jr. was first, #67x Ron Dexter was second and #77 Greg Vangool was third. They were followed by #55x Jim Gaunt in fourth and #70 Trent Seidel in fifth. Other Saskatoon drivers, #38x Dave Bone was 11th, #09 Doug Bienia was 18th, #80 Ken Campbell was 19th and #8 Andrew Clewes, who had his first brush with the wall, was 21st.
Complete Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association and Mini Cup results and point standings will be available at
http://speednetdirect.com/results.php?track_id=8311
Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association and Mini Cup lap times are at http://members.shaw.ca/acms
ARCA West Mac’s Series results will be available at http://justturnleft.mylaps.com/
Next week brings the final points race meet of the season, with champions being crowned in the Parts Source Mini Stock Division, Hertz Equipment Rental Thunder Stock Division, NAPA Auto Parts Pro Truck Division and the Lucas Oil Super Late Model Division. Racing starts at 7:00pm, with gates open at 5:30 on Saturday.
The last event of the season is on Sunday, October 5, with the Saskatoon Media Group, FGI Supply Annual Ultimate Enduro. Racing on that date starts at 2:00pm, with gates open at 12:30.
Complete Results:
Tiger Automotive Street Stock Division:
Saskatoon Earthmoving Heat Race:
1) #99 Cory Kallis, 2) #98 Bryan Johnson, 3) #17 Les Hillacre, 4) #15 Todd Pluhator, 5) #27 Scott Lucas, 6) #3 Mike Eby, 7) #36 Kevin Jorgenson, 8) #69 Robin Drysdale, 9) #13 Jordan Hill, 10) #44 Jesse Krahn, 11) #88 Brad Wrennick, 12) #87 Tristan Saunders
CP Distributors Qualifier Race:
1) #17 Les Hillacre, 2) #99 Cory Kallis, 3) #15 Todd Pluhator, 4) #98 Bryan Johnson, 5) #27 Scott Lucas, 6) #36 Kevin Jorgenson, 7) #44 Jesse Krahn, 8) #3 Mike Eby, 9) #88 Brad Wrennick, 10) #87 Tristan Saunders,
11) #13 Jordan Hill, 12) #69 Robin Drysdale
Tiger Automotive 50 Lap Feature:
1) #17 Les Hillacre, 2) #98 Bryan Johnson, 3) #15 Todd Pluhator, 4) #27 Scott Lucas, 5) #99 Cory Kallis, 6) #44 Jesse Krahn, 7) #3 Mike Eby, 8)
#13 Jordan Hill, 9) #69 Robin Drysdale, 10) #36 Kevin Jorgenson, 11) #88 Brad Wrennick, 12) #87 Tristan Saunders.
Mini Cup Series:
TASC Project Management Heat Race:
1) #7 Kyle Vriesinga, 2) #10 Dale Edwards, 3) #9 Rhyr Dauenhauer, 4)
#12 Chantal Ormon, 5) #72 Serena Shuba
Emco Waterworks Qualifier Race:
1) #7 kyle Vriesinga, 2) #10 Dale Edwards, 3) #9 Rhyr Dauenhauer, 4) #12 Chantal Ormon, 5) #72 Serena Shuba
StarPhoenix Carriers Feature Race:
1) #7 Kyle Vriesinga, Vernon BC, 2) #10Dale Edwards, Cochrane AB, 3) #9 Rhry Dauenhauer, Coldstream BC, 4) #72 Serena Shuba, Regina SK, 5) #12 Chantal Ormon, Edmonton AB, 6) Whitney Shuba, Regina SK , 7) #60 Christian Habberjam, Spruce Grove, AB.
ARCA West Mac’s Series:
Husky Energy B Main:
1) #4 Rob Dowler, 2) #38x Dave Bone, 3) #07 Greg Moir, 4) #09x Doug Bienia, 5) #47 Chris Campbell, 6) #80 Ken Campbell, 7) #36 Grant Brown,
8) #8 Andrew Clewes, 9) #38 Jon Teppin, 10) #00 Toy Lambert, 11) #60 Phil habberjam, 12) #2 Greg Ratzlaff.
Interstate Battery 150 Main Feature Race:
Unofficial Top Five:
1) #76 Brian Johnson, WA, 2) #67x Ron Dexter, WA, 3) #77 Greg Vangool, Saskatoon, 4) #55x Jim Gaunt, Saskatoon, 5) #70 Trent Seidel.
From Richard Woodvine // Competition Director // Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association
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