‘Mr. Excitement’ Reverses Fortune, Grabs First Win of 2011

Spencer Lewis - July 23, 2011

7-time Sunset Speedway champion Chris Morrow (No. 11 Morrow Electric/Contractor Rental Supply Chevrolet) shook off weeks of poor fortune for his first trip to victory lane in 2011 Saturday evening.

The Anten Mills, ON veteran slipped past early leader Sean Grosman (No. 29 Landing Strip Gentleman’s Club/Stompin’ Tom Motorsports Chevrolet) only 2 laps after the event’s first caution on lap 6 that saw Rookie of the Year contender Billy ‘Z3’ Zardo make contact with early-season dominator Kevin Cornelius while battling for position, resulting in the latter cracking the turn-4 wall.

Morrow would hold on to his lead through a lap 11 caution for a Mike Wietzes spin, and though defending champion Tom Walters appeared to be closing late in the race, Morrow would not once appear in danger of relinquishing his lead through the final 19 laps.

“It feels really good to be here”, beamed Morrow in victory lane “that monkey on my back was getting heavy”

“After all Tom [Walters] has done here over the years, one thing I know is that I’ll always get a clean race from him, I wasn’t worried about him being behind me”

When asked to comment on the disappointment of losing the race lead and possible win a week prior, Morrow explained “Last week certainly was a tough pill to swallow. I thought I’d be here [in victory lane] last Saturday, but we’ve made up for it. I suppose a little controversy never hurt anyone”

In Super Stock competition, fan favourite Randy ‘The Rocket’ Rusnell (No. 72 Spira Fire Protection/Travis Industrial Maintenance Le Mans) secured his third victory in as many starts, vaulting the Sunset rookie to the top of the championship point standings.

Rusnell dispatched early leader ‘Doomsday’ Dan Archibald on lap 6 and never looked back, at times leading by an entire straightaway over the rest of the field.

After climbing the fence, checkered flag in hand, as a salute to the fans, Rusnell exclaimed “This one was for Dale Earnhardt!”

“We didn’t change a thing when it came to the set-up. This car is on rails!” smiled the personable 6-time Flamboro Speedway champion.

`Let me tell you something, we`re back in the championship hunt here, and if I win my 5^th straight championship, at the end of the season I will burn the tires of this car like you`ve never seen before”

Rusnell then turned his attention to the fans and his fellow competitors, ``I just want to thank the fans. The support here is fantastic and without all you fans, us drivers are just out here driving in circles. We love this place. We haul all the way from Cambridge every week because the racing here is awesome”

`The Rocket` closed out his time in victory lane by informing the fans that he will be representing Sunset at Sauble Speedway`s upcoming Dash for Cash event on Wednesday July 27^th.

The Mini Stock division closed out the evening`s action, with Holland Landing, ON driver Warren Paxton (No. 33 Blue Mountain Honda of Collingwood/Georgina Auto Glass Honda) waxing the field for the third straight week.

``We moved some weight around in the car this week, and she really seemed to respond to it`` explained the well-spoken 4^th year competitor.

``I had some troubles in the heat race when a steering column broke. It wasn`t as a result of contact with another driver or anything, it`s just a result of pushing things as far as they`ll go. But I can`t thank Terry Clodd enough, the classy guy that he is, without his help and spare parts we wouldn`t be racing tonight``

When asked how his then 2-race winning streak affected his pre-race preparations, Paxton smiled ``All afternoon long your stomach`s in knots, I really wanted to keep this streak going. I`m just happy I`m back here, I can`t thank my crew enough``

Walters’ Avenges Saturday DNF with Sunday Afternoon Pro Late Model Win

Spencer Lewis - July 10, 2011

28-time champion Stompin’ Tom Walters (No. 47 McColl Racing Enterprises/Pro Floor Hardwood Sanding & Refinishing Chevrolet) overcame a disappointing start to his double-shot weekend, capping off Sunset’s first 75-lap Pro Late Model event of 2011 with a trip to victory lane.

The Bradford, ON veteran utilized a combination of a strong qualifying effort and a lucky inversion to start inside row 2, snatching the lead from pole-sitter Bruce Rankin (No. 55 Rankin’s Auto/B&B Decals Chevrolet) by the time the field had put a single lap on the leaderboard.

Walters, the defending Limited Late Model champion, would pace the field for the first 14 laps, before giving way to former ALSTAR Late Model Tour champ Jason Shaw (No. 82 Shaw Motorsports/Waverdale Fleet Service Ford) on lap 15.

“It was pushing a little today, but if we coasted in slow, it was fine” explained Walters when asked about his car’s performance early in the event.

Stompin’ Tom would reclaim the top spot on lap 30, after several laps spent pressuring the rear bumper of Shaw’s Ford.

From there, the two leaders would stage a high speed cat and mouse game as they wove their way through lapped traffic. Shaw remained planted at Walters’ back bumper through much of the race’s second half, appearing to close in on Walters shortly before the 10-lap remaining mark. Though as the field hit the front straightaway for lap 65, Shaw’s once constant pressure began to taper off, allowing Walters to pull to a 5-car length lead by the time the white flag was displayed.

At the checkered, Walters would snag his second victory of the season, followed by Shaw, Gord ‘The Smoke’ Shepherd, Brad Corcoran and Steve Laking.

“We were hoping to just ride for a while and let [Walters] burn his tires off, but it actually ended up working out the opposite” shrugged Shaw when asked about the final 10 laps

“It started going away with about 15 laps to go. I’m not sure, maybe we’re just carrying too much weight for these tires. Either way, we had a great time and we’ll be back for the next race in August”

After climbing from his winning ride, a visibly exhausted Walters was more than willing to put the previous evening’s disappointment behind him, “This car was awesome today. Last night, we couldn’t figure it out. We ended up changing a ton of stuff before realizing it was a distributor problem”

“We practiced on old tires and bolted on the new rubber for the feature and it worked out just great” beamed Walters

Walters also clarified that any win is impossible without his dedicated crew, “I can’t thank these guys behind me enough. All we have to do is feed ‘em and give ‘em beer and they’re ready to go. And there’s a 60 ouncer in the trailer for one of them tonight that we’re going to give away after this win!”

When asked about his disappointing final laps in Sunset’s June 12^th Shootout Event, Walters smiled, “In our last extended distance race – that was all my fault. We got into a slower car while we were putting him a lap down and got sent to the back. So today, I made sure to stay clear of them!”

Sunset’s next Pro Late Model 75 takes to the track August 21^st along with the Canadian Vintage Modifieds and Lucas Oil Can Am Midgets.

QUICK RESULTS

PRO LATE MODELS

Heat 1: Jason Shaw                                                                  Guelph, ON

Heat 2: Gary Elliott                                                                   Waterdown, ON

Heat 3: Brad Corcoran                                                 Milton, ON

Heat 4: ‘The Delaware Dancer’ Shaun McWhirter                    Mount Forest, ON

A Main:

1)      Stompin’ Tom Walters                                      Bradford, ON

2)      Jason Shaw                                                                  Guelph, ON

3)      Gord ‘The Smoke’ Shepherd                                        Oro Station, ON

4)      Brad Corcoran                                                             Milton, ON

5)      Steve Laking                                                                Kitchener, ON

Cornelius Snatches Division-High Fourth Win, Rusnell Dominates In Breakthrough Victory

Spencer Lewis - July 9, 2011

Veteran Kevin Cornelius turned a potentially disastrous outing into a lucrative points evening, leading the final 2/3rds of Saturday’s A Main for his 4^th win of the season, after experiencing crippling motor problems through practice and qualifying.

“We had a miss in the motor that we couldn’t figure out through practice and qualifying” explained Cornelius in victory lane, “between the first and second rounds of qualifying we changed the carburetor and she just came to life”

Cornelius (No. 17 Halton Crushed Stone/Lee Sand and Gravel Chevrolet) took over the lead on a lap 9 restart from Golden Beach, FL driver Sean Grosman (No. 29 Landing Strip Gentleman’s Club/SMG Ventures Chevrolet). Grosman, competing in his sophomore season as a teammate to defending champion Stompin’ Tom Walters, assumed the lead from his second row starting position on the first turn of the first lap, after a brilliant three-wide pass.

Grosman would appear strong through the first 8 laps, but would surrender the lead after being deemed an involved car in a skirmish with Dario Capirchio (No. 03 Innisfil Machine & Welding/Ground Work Drilling Chevrolet) as the pair battled for the lead, the contact would see Capirchio sent nose-first into the front stretch wall resulting in significant damage.

After assuming the top spot, Cornelius would be closely pursued by fan favourite Dwayne Baker (No. 48 Clearview Heating/St. Onge Recreation Chevrolet), although ‘The Bully’ would not be able to find the speed necessary to make a serious challenge to Cornelius’ lead. Sean Cronan, the debuting Mike ‘Lights Out’ Bentley and ‘The Professional’ Rob Poole completed the top-5.

Upon climbing from his winning ride, Cornelius appeared equal parts surprised and relieved, “Our record so far this season really is deceiving, because we’ve been struggling. We’ve needed these victories to boost morale and keep us going”

“Originally we were worried about our troubles through the early part of the evening, but it turned out to be a great points night with some of the other top guys having some troubles” remarked the victor, in reference to a mid-race wreck that removed 7-time champion Chris Morrow from the event and distributor problems that saddled defending champion Walters with a DNF.

“Words don’t even begin to describe how phenomenal my crew is. They are absolutely irreplaceable. These guys actually use their holiday time to work on this car”, stressed Cornelius when asked to thank those who enable him to contend each Saturday.

When the topic of the track surface was broached, with the mention of other drivers complaining that the surface was ‘greasier’ than normal, Cornelius shrugged “This is the best facility in Southern Ontario. I had absolutely zero trouble with the race surface tonight”

Exiting the night’s events, Cornelius currently sits 2^nd in the points standings, only 5 markers behind race runner-up Dwayne Baker.

In Super Stock competition, the flag-to-flag 30-lap affair was dominated by 6-time Flamboro Speedway track champion Randy ‘The Rocket’ Rusnell.

Rusnell (No. 72 McCordick Glove & Safety/Spira Fire Protection LeMans), in his first career Sunset victory, made his way past early leader Steve Lang (No. 57 Caledon Transmission/Arthur’s Fuel of Orangeville Monte Carlo) on lap 4 and never looked back.

The Cambridge, ON veteran would navigate lapped traffic flawlessly, at times exercising an entire straightaway lead over his closest competitors Frank Davey (No. 49 Bradford Print Shoppe/Hwy 400 Transmission Camaro) and Marty Monette (No. 66 AATEL Communications/NAPA Muscle Cars Plus Camaro). 2011 Chase for the Colours champion ‘Too Quick’ Kenny Britt and 14-year old sophomore Lane Zardo rounded out the top-5.

Immediately after taking possession of his first career Sunset checkered flag, Rusnell headed for the catch-fence for a celebratory scale to the top in salute of the fans.

“This is totally awesome” beamed Rusnell upon descending, “we struggled through the early part of this season, I think alot of it has had to do with me over-driving the car”

“There were some weeks where we would start at the front, but would end up falling back and finishing around 9^th or 10^th” continued the multiple time champion, “for me, I expect more of myself”

“We had a good starting spot, and my wife actually suggested to change all 4 springs on the car and lo and behold we’re in victory lane!”

Before heading to tech lane in a cloud of tire smoke, to a chorus of cheers from the approving audience, Rusnell added “My team and I absolutely love this track. We’re definitely going to stay here”

2009 Rookie of the Year Warren Paxton (No. 33 CB Services of Newmarket/Blue Mountain Honda of Collingwood Honda) took top honours in the Mini Stock division, dominating the event after claiming the lead on lap 4.

The Holland Landing, ON native would be closely pursued for a time by brothers Terry Clodd (No. 34 Pennzoil 10 Minute Oil Change/ShipCanada.ca Honda) and Rob Krystal (No. 99 Dave’s Muffler Shop/Taurus Property Maintenance) but would hold on for his first victory of the 2011 season. Point leader Nicole Podewils and Rory Collett followed the trio across the line.

“Before I say anything, I just want to thank my crew and all of my sponsors for making this possible. I’m not able to do this on my own and these guys beside me are the ones that allow me to do this every Saturday. Thank you very, very, very much” an emotional Paxton exclaimed.

When asked if he felt any pressure even as he widened his lead, Paxton explained “I was worried from the time I took to the track until the time I saw the white flag”

“It’s funny that the car hooked up so well tonight, because we haven’t even touched it since the last time we raced and it sure didn’t run this well then”

“We had OSCAAR [Super Late Models] racing here last weekend, and without any rain their rubber was still on the track. My car certainly took to it nicely, so they can come back any time!” closed Paxton with a smile.

QUICK RESULTS

LIMITED LATE MODELS

Heat 1: ‘The Bully’ Dwayne Baker                                            Stayner, ON

Heat 2: ‘The Frequent Flyer’ Sean Grosman                             Golden Beach, FL

Heat 3: Kevin Cornelius                                                            Orangeville, ON

Heat 4: Stompin’ Tom Walters                                      Bradford, ON

A Main:

1)      Kevin Cornelius                                                            Orangeville, ON

2)      ‘The Bully’ Dwayne Baker                                            Stayner, ON

3)      Sean Cronan                                                                Barrie, ON

4)      Mike ‘Lights Out’ Bentley                                             Acton, ON

5)      ‘The Professional’ Rob Poole                                       Innisfil, ON

SUPER STOCKS

Heat 1: Flyin’ Frank Davey                                                       River Drive Park, ON

Heat 2: Randy ‘The Rocket’ Rusnell                                         Cambridge, ON

Heat 3: Marty Monette                                                 Hamilton, ON

Heat 4: Matt Bentley                                                                 Guelph, ON

A Main:

1)      Randy ‘The Rocket’ Rusnell                                         Cambridge, ON

2)      Flyin’ Frank Davey                                                       River Drive Park, ON

3)      Marty Monette                                                 Hamilton, ON

4)      ‘Too Quick’ Kenny Britt                                               Midhurst, ON

5)      Lane Zardo                                                                  Brampton, ON

MINI STOCKS

Heat 1: Warren Paxton                                                 Holland Landing, ON

Heat 2: Rob Krystal                                                                  Holland Landing, ON

Heat 3: Warren Paxton                                                 Holland Landing, ON

Heat 4: Rob Krystal                                                                  Holland Landing, ON

A Main:

1)      Warren Paxton                                                 Holland Landing, ON

2)      Terry Clodd                                                                 Holland Landing, ON

3)      Rob Krystal                                                                  Holland Landing, ON

4)      Nicole Podewils                                                           Barrie, ON

5)      Rory Collett                                                                  Holland Landing, ON