Houben Takes Fredrickson Memorial
It was Friday night racing at its best at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway as Kurtis Houben took home the Rick Fredrickson memorial trophy in the Cooper Tire thunder stock feature. Some extra cars from other tracks made the race challenging from the green flag for Houben. Houben had a clean night, sweeping all three thunder stock races in Barry Stefaniuk's car and putting a few more points between Barry, Mike Rea and Mickey Pogoda. With a third place finish in the feature, Pogoda has dropped to third in the championship points standings.
Rick Fredrickson was a long time race fan and driver in the thunder stock division. Rick was killed in a highway traffic accident three years ago, in August 2007.
In 2008, Rick's nephew Ryan took over the driving duties of Rick's race car. At 15 years old, he was the youngest driver in the Cooper Tire thunder stock division, though one year older than Rick was when he started racing.
Starting the 2010 Fredrickson memorial race in the pole position, Ryan led the first lap before being overtaken by Mike Rea. Rea led the next couple of laps before Houben took over the lead. Houben was caught sleeping during a caution in lap 9. Coming out of corner four, flagman Craig Mykytyshyn went straight to green flag without warning. Mike Rea charged ahead and took over the lead from Houben. That didn't last long though as Houben took the lead back in lap 11 and led the rest of the way to the checkered flag in the 30 lap feature.
Mike Rea was second with Mickey Pogoda taking up third. Ryan Fredrickson, who has been coming on strong hung on for a fifth place finish.
As mentioned, Kurtis Houben had a perfect night in Barry Stefaniuk's car, winning the heat, the qualifier and finally the feature. Mickey Pogoda was second in the heat race with Mike Rea in third. In the qualifier, Ryan Fredrickson was second, his best finish I can remember and Kevin Nixey was third. Mike Rea occupied the fourth spot. Mickey Pogoda was way down in ninth place in the qualifier.
Barry Stefaniuk got a good jump in the points chase, now leading Mike Rea by 10. Mickey Pogoda sits in third at 609 points, two back of Mike Rea.
There's two more Cooper Tire thunder stock race nights left, so Barry can't coast yet. My guess, with the way Mike Rea and Mickey Pogoda have been coming on, Stefeniuk has a lot of hard pedalling yet, right up to the final checkered flag on September 11 in the Cooper Tire thunder stock points final.
Heartbreak in Mini Stocks
17 year old Kenny Heintz was having the night of his life. Veteran driver Jim Barnsley showed him how it is done in the first heat race, leaving Kenny to take second place to his win, with Todd Jalbert in third. In the qualifier, it was veteran driver Todd Jalbert's turn to leave Kenny picking up a second to his win, with Jim Barnsley in third. The Parts Source Mini stock feature is a whole new race and this time it was Heintz's turn to teach the veterans a thing or two. Taking the lead in lap 10, neither Barnsley nor Jalbert could catch him as he drove the remaining 15 laps home, taking his first feature race checkered flag of
his racing career. Jim Barnsley was second and Jason Wilkie was third in Darnell Schick's car. Todd Jalbert was left in the dust in fourth. One can only imagine the euphoria that Kenny was feeling. Only his second win and this time a feature race. The excitement showed as he paraded back and fourth in front of fans in his victory lap. The car is then put through post race tech and no one can only imagine the heart ache Kenny was hit with when his car failed tech inspection and the win taken away.
One of the items on the tech agenda Friday night in the mini stocks was battery location. It was ruled the battery location in his car did not meet the rules. The car was disqualified in the feature and would not be credited with the feature win or points for the feature. Next up was the second place car of Jim Barnsley. Barnsley's car too was ruled to fail tech inspection, this time because of alterations to the shock absorbers. Barnsley says he added fittings to the body of the shocks to enable him to change the oil in them. Both Kenny Heintz and Jim Barnsley have indicated they will be filing appeals with the Competition Committee. Under SSCRA rules the appeals must be filed by next Wednesday and a decision rendered before their next race meet on September 4.
Propane Plus 150 Still Being Felt
The effects of last week's Dakota Dunes Western Canada Super Late Model Championship Series running of the Propane Plus 150 was still being felt Friday night at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway. Three cars were still missing from the line up as the WSSL Auto Parts super late models took to the track for only their third local race meet of the season.
Still missing was the #20 of Regina's Ken Campbell, though he was also missing last week. Christoph Ludlage couldn't get his car finished in time and Howard Crossman is waiting for parts. Glen Hertzke, Trevor Hannay, Jim Gaunt, Trent Seidel, Greg Vangool and Jason Gervais all spent the week thrashing on their cars fixing damage from last Saturday's race. Most were still making final adjustments and alignments before the first heat race Friday.
Other than a few unpainted body panels and some "racing tape" here and there, you'd never know these cars had been through a war zone only a week ago. Those who track this stuff (or have to like me) will recall that Trent Seidel was hit with a technical DQ at the last local race meet on June 11 for a ride height infraction. He had to serve that penalty Friday night by starting the heat race at the back. Seidel didn't let that bother him though as he wheeled up to third through the 15 laps, getting by everyone except Jim Gaunt who took second and Greg Vangool picking up the first SLM checker of the night. Vangool's car did exceptionally well, considering he was accused of flying without wings only a week ago. In the qualifier, it was Glen Hertzke's turn to show he can make a crashed up race car go fast. He got to the finish line a half second before Seidel did. Jim Gaunt was third.
I sure nobody would argue with the statement that Jim Gaunt's Sky Financial Mortgage Machine Ford Fusion took the worst of the damage last Saturday. In fact, he was still busy working on a four-wheel alignment before practice on Friday.
He had a smile on his face at the end of the night Friday as he captured the WSSL Auto Parts feature win in a tight race with Greg Vangool and his 77 Signs Impala. Trent Seidel came up third in his L.A. Weight Loss Centres Impala. Gaunt jumped into the lead by lap two and led all the way to the finish.
Vangool challenged him, but just couldn't get around him. Fans were kept glued to the edges of their seats as they watched Seidel and Vangool race side by side for eleven laps before Vangool managed to slip in front. Vangool just didn't have enough left in his car for Jimmy though, as Gaunt picked up his first feature win of the year and second checkered, having won a heat race on August 14.
Next action for the super late models is next Saturday, August 28 as the Dakota Dunes Western Canada Super Late Model Championship Series hits the highway and runs the TCU Financial 150 at King's Park Speedway in Regina.
It should be quite a race as Trevor Emond takes a 30 point lead to Regina, where they are celebrating the 40th anniversary of "Kickin Asphalt" at King's Park Speedway.
Full results and points standings are posted at http://speednetdirect.com/results.php?track_id=8311
Individual lap times are at http://www.acmstiming.ca
It's another busy weekend next Saturday as the Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association covers two tracks. The Dakota Dunes Western Canada Super Late Model Championship Series hits the asphalt at Kings Park Speedway in Regina, while four divisions do their deed at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway.
The JB Water and Vacuum Service super trucks make their third stop in Saskatoon for the Bobcat of Saskatoon series and will be running the Interstate Battery 100. The SKL Trailer pro trucks are back after a much needed two week break and the Budget Car and Truck Rental street stocks are back. The Cooper Tire thunder stocks will be joining them as we run a make-up race from them from the May 29 rain out. This is the second last race meet for all four race divisions, though the super trucks have a Vernon stop before their championship run in Saskatoon.
Complete Results:
Parts Source Mini Stock Division:
Heat Race:
1. #41 Jim Barnsley
2. #62 Kenny Heintz
3. #4 Todd Jalbert
4. #7 Darnell Schick
5. #77 Frank Vangool
6. #1 Scott Barrand
7. #00 Curtis Regush
8. #65 Bret Ross
9. #17 Kale Thiessen
10. #23 Hayley Lozeniuk
11. #11 Alex Heintz
12. #2 Colin Puttick
Qualifier Race:
1. #4 Todd Jalbert
2. #62 Kenny Heintz
3. #41 Jim Barnsley
4. #77 Frank Vangool
5. #1 Scott Barrand
6. #7 Darnell Schick
7. #2 Colin Puttick
8. #00 Curtis Regush
9. #11 Alex Heintz
10. #23 Hayley Lozeniuk
11. #65 Bret Ross
12. #17 Kale Thiessen
Parts Source Feature Race:
1. #62 Kenny Heintz (DQ)
2. #41 Jim Barnsley (DQ)
3. #7 Darnell Schick
4. #4 Todd Jalbert
5. #77 Frank Vangool
6. #1 Scott Barrand
7. #2 Colin Puttick
8. #00 Curtis Regush
9. #11 Alex Heintz
10. #23 Hayley Lozeniuk
11. #65 Bret Ross
12. #17 Kale Thiessen
Cooper Tire Thunder Stock Division:
Heat Race:
1. #81 Kurtis Houben
2. #49 Mickey Pogoda
3. #18 Mike Rea
4. #7 Tristan Ransom
5. #56 Kevin MacLaggin
6. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
7. #83 Karmen Parks
8. #23 Kevin Nixey
9. #22x Bill/Doug Rea
10. #47 Calvin Heilman
11. #71 Dallas Andrew
12. #31 Cliff Yelland
13. #94 Layton Senger
Qualifier Race:
1. #81 Barry Stefaniuk
2. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
3. #23 Kevin Nixey
4. #18 Mike Rea
5. #56 Kevin MacLaggin
6. #22x Bill/Doug Rea
7. #47 Calvin Heilman
8. #94 Layton Senger
9. #49 Mickey Pogoda
10. #71 Dallas Andrew
11. #83 Karmen Parks
12. #7 Tristan Ransom
13. #31 Cliff Yelland (DNS)
Cooper Tire Feature Race:
1. #81 Barry Stefaniuk
2. #18 Mike Rea
3. #49 Mickey Pogoda
4. #7 Tristan Ransom
5. #22 Ryan Fredrickson
6. #22x Bill/Doug Rea
7. #56 Kevin MacLaggin
8. #47 Calvin Heilman
9. #94 Layton Senger
10. #71 Dallas Andrew
11. #23 Kevin Nixey
12. #31 Cliff Yelland (DNS)
13. #83 Karmen Parks (DNS)
WSSL Auto Parts Super Late Model Division:
Heat Race:
1. #77 Greg Vangool
2. #55 Jim Gaunt
3. #70 Trent Seidel
4. #38 Dave Bone
5. #88 Jason Gervais
6. #14 Glen Hertzke
7. #09 Doug Bienia
8. #44 Trevor Hannay
Qualifier Race:
1. #14 Glen Hertzke
2. #70 Trent Seidel
3. #55 Jim Gaunt
4. #77 Greg Vangool
5. #38 Dave Bone
6. #44 Trevor Hannay
7. #88 Jason Gervais
8. #09 Doug Bienia
WSSL Auto Parts Feature Race:
1. #55 Jim Gaunt
2. #77 Greg Vangool
3. #70 Trent Seidel
4. #14 Glen Hertzke
5. #38 Dave Bone
6. #44 Trevor Hannay
7. #88 Jason Gervais
8. #09 Doug Bienia
Release Prepared by Richard Woodvine
Media Relations Director
Saskatoon Stock Car Racing Association
Auto Clearing Motor Speedway
