By Ken Keating
Western Speedway welcomed the second appearance of the Stock Car Series, the I.M.S. 4 Mini Stock Series, and the first appearance of the Late Model Series in 2011. Tonight's program consisted of two Trophy Dashes, two Heat races for each class and one Feature event per class. Giles Parenteau and Alex Mouner won the Dashes for the Mini Stocks, Doug Richens and Rory Smith won the Late Model Dashes, while Jarrod Sagmoen and Dave Reside took the victories in the Stock Car Dashes. Mouner won the drag race down the frontstretch and took his win by just a few inches over Glen Percival in the Mini Stock Dash. Doug Richens spun out on turn one as the Late Models roared into turn one in their Dash but no damage was done and they were all able to get a fresh restart.
Heat race wins went to Alex Mouner and Justin Woodske in the Mini Stock Series, Robbie Haslam and Brandon Carlson captured Late Model Heat races, while Dave Reside and Kirt Rompain took the chequered flag in the Stock Car Heat races. Dean Mackney led for most of the B-Heat but on lap ten he spun out going through turn two. Most of the drivers got by the spinning car but Dan Myers couldn't avoid a collision and tagged the rear end of Mackney's car. In the collision, the rear axle broke and Mackney's race was finished while Myers was able to continue along with Kyle Cottam who also was involved when he hit Myers lightly.
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| Alex Mouner |
Matt Szauer and Jeremy Waksel shared the front row for the start of twenty laps of racing in the I.M.S. 4 Mini Stock Feature event. Szauer got the early advantage and led for the first seven laps. Alex Mouner moved up to run second on lap five and started to put pressure on the front runner. Over the next few laps Szauer and Mouner raced door handle to door handle trading the lead on each lap. On lap eleven Mouner was able to grab the lead outright and, along with Szauer, began to build a big lead over the remaining drivers. Mouner took the chequered flag, completing a clean sweep, while Szauer placed second with Waksel in the third spot. After a devastating crash the previous race, for this series, Sharon Constantine is expecting to be back in action the next time the Mini Stocks are scheduled to run on May 14th.
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| Bart Smith |
Ten beautifully prepared Late Models lined up for forty laps of racing in the Feature event led by Doug Richens and Robbie Haslam on the front row. Haslam got the early lead followed by Richens and Mike Schott for the first five laps and a host of drivers looking to move up behind them. On lap seven, Schott took over the second spot followed by Bart Smith who took the third spot two laps later. On lap eleven, Brandon Carlson moved up to the fourth spot while the front runners were staging a great battle until the yellow came out for a spinning Haslam as his car suffered a flat tire exiting turn two. On the double file restart, Smith was lined up against Carlson on the front row and Schott and now Jason Terasenko forming the second row. Smith got the advantage and grabbed the lead with Carlson second and Terasenko running in third after a side by side battle with Schott for a few laps. On lap twenty-five, Geoff Morris moved up to the fourth position trying to reel in the front runners. A little bauble by Carlson coming out of turn four allowed enough room for Tarasenko and Morris to get by dropping Carlson back to fourth. When the chequered flag dropped it was Smith taking the victory followed by Tarasenko, Morris, and Carlson rounding out the top four.
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| Kirt Rompain |
Fifty laps would be the distance to determine a winner in the Stock Car Feature event as Jarrod Sagmoen and Sam Hunt led a field of fifteen cars to the green flag. Dan Myers grabbed the lead early as Jarrod Sagmoen settled into second place for the first five laps. Steve Copp and Cody Aumen got locked together and spun going through turn one bringing out the yellow on this lap. On the double file restart, Myers had Kyle Cottam on his outside but Myers got a good jump and went back into the lead. Over the next few laps, Cottam tried everything to get by Myers and was finally able to grab the lead on lap twelve with Myers falling to second with Dave Reside and Kirt Rompain, driving for Ryan Wade, now into fourth. On lap seventeen, Reside got by Myers and so did Rompain trying to chase down Cottam who still had the lead.
On lap twenty-three, Rompain passed Reside for second while behind him, Reside now had to contend with Aaron Wilkie who had now made his way forward along with Steve Copp also now in the mix. Cottam seemed to have an engine problem that allowed Rompain to close right up on the leader but it seemed to correct itself just before a yellow came out on lap twenty-five as Sam Hunt spun out on turn four. On a double file restart, Cottam had Rompain to his outside but was able to walk away with the lead again with Rompain, Reside, and Wilkie right behind him. Again on lap thirty-three, the yellow came out as Sagmoen went around on turn one. Rompain chose the outside grove with Cottam on yet another double file restart with Cottam again getting the advantage. Rompain tried everything to get by Cottam running bumper to bumper and door handle to door handle until lap forty when Rompain powered by and into the lead. On lap forty six, engine problems reared it's head and put Cottam into the pits after running so good for the majority of the race. Rompain started to build a big lead and was able to take the victory followed by Reside, Wilkie, Copp, and Mike Derepentigny rounding out the top five. Most of the drivers were able to take home their cars with little or no damage in both the Stock Car Series and the Late Models in very close and entertaining races on this night.
The next event, at Western Speedway is scheduled for May 7th with the Demo Cars, Demo Trucks, Mini Figure 8s, and the Bomber Series.