Champions Profile: #02 Dennis Thomson

To say that 2009 Ontario Pro Challenge champion Dennis Thomson is a veteran of short track racing in this province would be a huge understatement.  Thomson’s father Don Thomson was a regular fixture on the region’s late model scene in the 70s and 80s, and both Dennis and his older brother Don followed in their Dad’s footsteps.  Dennis made his debut in the Challenger class in 1985 running at Flamboro, becoming a force in the category before moving up into in Late Model Sportsmans. From there, Thomson jumped into the short-lived Ontario Speedway Mini Sprints series and onto the Legends program, where he would win three championships.  Fast-forward to 2009 and this year’s Ontario Pro Challenge series champion has added yet another trophy to the mantle that further illustrates a stellar 20+ year racing career.

Thomson is enjoying his current racing focus thoroughly and told PLO that he’s “not going anywhere”. Dennis was part of the initial debut of the Pro Challenge series back in 2001, as a member of the ‘Original Six’, the nickname that is often used for the drivers who made up the grid during the first year in 2001.  Thomson would only continue his impressive on-track performances as the series grew, adding to his resume by topping the final standings seven times since the inception of the Ontario program.

This past year, the 45 year-old sign shop owner from Dundas scored four straight victories through the middle of the summer to pull away from his competition, setting him up for yet another title.  These wins were all part of an amazingly consistent season that saw Thomson finish every race within the top-four.  Victories were logged at four different tracks as well – Mosport, Sauble, Flamboro and Sunset – proving Thomson’s ability to tackle any challenge. With the series traveling to several different tracks around the province, Thomson cannot, however, single out one facility as his favorite.  As far as the most difficult challenge is concerned - the type of test in which champions revel - he was able to tag Sunset Speedway as one that motivated him the most to find the ideal set-up.  His successful chase of getting the car to turn-in while still not sacrificing forward bite off the corner was particularly rewarding.

Aside from his penchant for winning races, Thomson is extremely supportive and complimentary of the Pro Challenge program when asked.  Dennis cites the quality of the people in the series as its biggest asset, along with the car’s affordability.  The stability that has been developed by the hard-working promoters of the series – Kathy and Ken Nicholson – has paid out handsomely, providing a program that has attracted a great field of race cars for 2010.  Growth is certainly not a buzz word in Ontario stock car racing these days, but the Ontario Pro Challenge series is something of an anomaly, and this province’s race fans will be the benefactors.

Next year, Thomson will be back for more, and he will once again enjoy the opportunity to go door-to-door with an ever-improving and ever-growing line-up of Pro Challenge competitors.

The 2009 Season – A Quick Synopsis

During the ‘09 Ontario Pro Challenge season, a total of four drivers visited victory lane in the nine points-paying shows that were actually put in the books.  Just as it did to tracks all over the province, rain wreaked havoc on several occasions throughout the summer, forcing the cancellation of three Pro Challenge races.  This didn’t stop the series competitors from taking their traveling road show to six different facilities this past summer, garnering new fans for the program at every stop.

The wet weather scuttled the season opener at Flamboro on May 9, but things finally got going at Sunset on May 23 as Tim Forbes (right, #04) steered his Carstar #04 Mustang to the victory over Dennis Thomson and Josh Nicholson.  Tim Norris (above, #88) improved from his fourth place finish at Sunset just two weeks later to win at Kawartha, powering his Lucas Oil Ford Taurus #88 to the checkered flag ahead of Ken Nicholson (International Chevy Monte Carlo #99), who held off the advances of his son Josh.  A return to Sunset was next up at the end of June and this time out, Josh Nicholson found his groove to score his first win of the year in his Firkin Pubs Dodge Charger #66.  After the first three races, it was Thomson who held the lead in standings by just two points over Josh Nicholson.

The month of July was all Thomson (left) as he rung off a streak of three wins to stretch his point lead.  At Mosport on July 4 and Sauble on July 18, the Dundas, Ontario driver put his Thomson Signs Ford Taurus #02 in front of Josh Nicholson and Norris on both occasions.  A return to Flamboro on July 18 produced the same results, as Thomson this time topped Norris and Ken Nicholson for the checkered flag.  The three-race winning streak provided an 18-point cushion for Thomson heading into the final five races of the year.  This would eventually become just three events, as two of the August dates (Sauble and Flamboro) were cancelled due to rain.

Thomson was not done with the streak, winning at Sunset on August 1 over Norris and Forbes, but Josh Nicholson came back to put an end to the dominance at Sunset once again, this time on August 29 during an exciting Saturday night show. Thomson remained consistent to finish second ahead of Danielle Wilson, who turned in her best performance of the year aboard the A.S.A.P Courier Chevy Monte Carlo #21.  Thomson needed only to start the season finale at Flamboro to take the crown, racing to a strong third place finish behind Norris, who capped his campaign with an impressive victory.  Bob Hopton (Tradewind Chevy Monte Carlo #10) laid down his finest run of the year to finish second, leading the race for several laps in the process.

When it was all said and done, Thomson enjoyed a 26-point advantage over Norris to take the championship on the strength of four wins and nine straight top-four finishes.  Next up on Pro Challenge Online (PCO)…a Championship Profile of Dennis Thomson.

Photos Courtesy of Dave Franks Photos and www.sunsetspeedway.ca

What is the Ontario Pro Challenge Series?

Simply put, the Ontario Pro Challenge Series is a traveling racing program that features ¾ scale versions of NASCAR stock cars.  The cars feature the same steel tube frame and roll cage design as any hardcore late model, and they are skinned in fiberglass bodies resembling your favorite Cup cars.   Models such as the Chevy Monte Carlo, Dodge Intrepid, Pontiac Grand Prix and Ford Taurus are all in the Ontario lineup, as are the recent inclusion of the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Avenger.

The Pro Challenge cars offer up a unique exhaust note, that’s for sure, as they are powered by Kawasaki 1100cc motorcycle motors that boast 100+ horsepower.  Bolted into a 1550 lb race car, they will propel the Pro Challenge cars to over 100 mph on the series’ longest tracks.  The engines are sealed to keep costs affordable and the competition tight, and all the cars run a spec Hoosier slick tire.  While the Pro Challenge car is a spec car, there is also enough adjustability in the suspension to allow proper set-up to make a real contribution to the final pace a driver can achieve.

The length of a track is the primary factory in the development of Ontario Pro Challenge schedule, as anything over a long third-mile becomes a little large for the series.  Quarter-mile and third-mile bullrings allow the cars to stretch their legs, putting on exciting shows that have been adding to the nightly excitement at Ontario ovals for the last nine years.  In 2009, the Ontario Pro Challenge Series visited the speedways at Flamboro, Sunset, Kawartha, Sauble and Varney during a 14-race calendar that went from May to September.  As soon as the 2010 schedule is confirmed, we’ll have it for you here on Pro Challenge Online.

If you’d like to find out more about the series, head to the official Ontario Pro Challenge website.

PCO Takes The Green!

Welcome to Pro Challenge Online, a new blog site that will give Ontario's race fans and look inside this growing series.

Let's start with a little background.  As a professional motorsports journalist, I make a living covering racing, traveling all over North America and the world reporting on competitive karting and open wheel formula car racing.  I also have a not-so-secret desire to get back to the short tracks of Ontario where grew up.  As the son of a former Super Late Model driver who spent many a Saturday night at Flamboro Speedway, it should come as no surprise that I am now the owner of a Pro Challenge car that I intend to campaign in selected events next summer.

I had been watching the Pro Challenge series develop over the past couple of years, and I thought that it was a great car for Ontario's tracks.  However, it all came to a head this past September when I had a weekend off and drove over to Flamboro to check out the action.  I knew the Pro Challenge cars would be there for their finale and I really wanted to see how far they'd come.  I was thrilled to see 17 cars in the pit area and was pumped after they put on a great show all night.  I immediately went to work seeking out a car in the US, and the rest is history.  I'll be on-track with the series for a handful of races in 2010.

Now let's look at 'Pro Challenge Online' and what I plan to do with this blog.  The media sources in Ontario and Canada do what they can, but there is only so much room to provide really solid coverage of the many different series in the province.  I know personally how good the Pro Challenge racing is and I believe that by building the fan awareness of the class and its drivers, we can make it one of the most followed and supported traveling series in Ontario.  So, this blog will focus on the drivers and the series, letting the province's race fans learn more about the pilots who will be out on track all next year!

If you like watching the Pro Challenge Series, book mark this page and become a 'Follower'....we're going to have alot of good stuff here!

Enjoy,

Rob Howden