Thomson Caps Title Season with Flamboro Victory

The biggest season in the history of the Ontario Pro Challenge series was completed on Saturday, September 25 at Flamboro Speedway, and a strong field of 21 cars made the call for the finale.   A total of 25 different drivers recorded points during the 2010 racing season, including a staggering nine rookies, which exemplifies the amazing growth enjoyed by the program this year.  It was a cool fall evening at the 1/3-mile Hamilton area facility and with the title on the line, reigning champion Dennis Thomson once again showed why he is considered one of the best in the business as he worked his way to the front of the 25-lap main to secure the win and his seventh career OPC crown.

Dale Wilson earned his first Ontario Pro Challenge checkered flag, winning the opening heat at Flamboro

The field was split into three heat races to set the grid for the feature, and the opening qualifier proved to be a big one for freshman driver Dale Wilson, who came from sixth place on the grid to score his first series victory.  Driving the #8 AW Millwrights Chevy Monte Carlo, the Waterloo high school student has been improving steadily throughout the year and this heat race win was well earned and is a signal that the young pilot will be a force for race wins in 2011.  Fellow rookie Owen Smith bagged the second heat race, while the top six drivers in average points per night scrapped it out in the third and final feature with the emerging Dario Valente holding off the lions to steal the checker at the end of the eight-lap dash.

Dario Valente scored the win in the second heat race

The 25-lap feature race took some time to get started as mechanical issues for both Jonathan Sloot and Valente kept the field under yellow, although the drivers were able to use this time to build some heat into their spec Hoosier tires on what was a chilly evening.  Wilson would lead the first five laps from pole before his car’s handling began to tighten, which allowed Kyle Batty (#38 Compassion Canada Chev Monte Carlo) to take over the point for the next stint.

A handful of yellow flags throughout the race benefitted Thomson (#02 Thomson Signs Ford Mustang), as he was able to pick his way to the front steadily, eventually taking over the point from Batty.  From there, the veteran controlled the evening en route to the win.  Josh Nicholson (#66 Firkin Pubs Dodge Charger) finished second at Flamboro to finish up fourth in the overall points.  Primary championship challenger Tim Norris was involved in an early incident that put him to the tail of the field, but he fought his way back to third in the final tally, falling short of the title by 42 points.

With his Flamboro win, Dennis Thomson secured his seventh season title

Ken Nicholson (#99 International Truck and Engine Chev Monte Carlo) was fourth in the order while Batty rounded out the top-five. Milton’s Scott Fletcher was sixth in the #60 Hype Energy Drink Monte Carlo, while freshman Jason Podewis (#7 Chev Monte Carlo) was the top finish rookie on the night in seventh.  Tim Forbes (#04 Midhurst Roofing Ford Mustang), Patrick Freel (#77 Chev Monte Carlo) and Dale Wilson completed the top-10.

Rick Seeley (#16 Monte Carlo) and Owen Smith (#40 Ford Taurus) were 11^th and 12^th on the track, but it was Smith who edged his challenger in the Rookie of the Year race, winning by just seven points over Seeley.  Podewis was also in the hunt, only 15 points off of Smith in the final tally.  The rookies were impressive this season, gaining speed and confidence as the season progressed. 

Owen Smith is the 2010 Ontario Pro Challenge Rookie of the Year

The 2010 season was truly a breakthrough year for the Ontario Pro Challenge series, thanks to the influx of new drivers into the program.  These rookies have now earned their stripes and will go looking to battle with the established leaders in Thomson, Norris, Forbes and the Nicholsons (Ken and Josh).  A couple of new drivers are expected to join the ranks in 2011, and the series will be looking to increase their average car count even more.  This year, the high-water mark was 22 cars at Sunset in mid-July and the average field was 19.  With 26 cars in the province and interest in this great series continuing to grow, the upcoming season promises to be the best yet.

‘Pro Challenge Online’ will be kicking off its post-season editorial program over the next few weeks, highlighting the drivers in the series and some of the stories that unfolded in 2010.  Stay tuned for much more throughout the winter!

Race #10 – September 25, 2010

Flamboro Speedway – Millgrove, Ontario

Heat #1: Dale Wilson

Heat #2: Owen Smith

Heat #3: Dario Valente

Feature:

1. Dennis Thomson  2. Josh Nicholson  3. Tim Norris  4. Ken Nicholson  5. Kyle Batty  6. Scott Fletcher  7. Jason Podewis  8. Tim Forbes  9. Patrick Freel  10. Dale Wilson   11. Rick Seeley  12. Owen Smith  13. Danielle Wilson  14. Bob Hopton  15. Rob Howden  16. Jason Davidson  17. Tim Shanahan  18. Ken Lillycrop  19. Dario Valente  20. Jonathan Sloot  21. Malcolm McMaster 

Rain Scuttles Sunset Event

The penultimate race of the 2010 Ontario Pro Challenge season at Sunset Speedway got scuttled by a consistent hit of drizzle and light rain last night (Sept. 18), shutting down the program immediately following the practice sessions.  A total of 18 cars made the trek to Sunset, but were forced to pack up and head for home when the forecasted rains arrived.

The season finale at Flamboro Speedway next weekend (Sept. 25) is all that remains and PCO will be putting together a preview of the event and the championship points chase before the end of the week.

Nicholson Scores Second 2010 Victory

Veteran Ontario Pro Challenge driver Ken Nicholson (above) scored his second win of the 2010 season on Friday, September 10, sprinting out in front of a 17-car field at the quick Kawartha Speedway.  Reigning series champion Dennis Thomson chased Nicholson to the checker and was followed across the line by Josh Nicholson to complete the top-three.

The race went green to checker without a caution, which made it a little tough on the drivers who qualified through the second heat race and, as a result, started deeper in the field.  Nicholson needed to take advantage of every opportunity as he sliced his way to the front of the pack in his #99 International Truck & Engine Monte Carlo before building enough of a gap to hold off the charging Thomson (#02 Thomson Signs Ford Mustang).  Nicholson’s son Josh, a frontrunner in the series, took third in his #66 Firkin Pubs Dodge Charger. Rookie Owen Smith (#40 Ford Taurus) completed the top-five, posting his career best finish of fourth. Previously, Smith’s best result was a sixth at Mosport back in early July. Kyle Batty (#38 Compassion Canada Chev Monte Carlo) took fifth in the final tally.

The night included a great ‘feel good’ story.  The series saw the return of #14 Tim Shanahan (above), who has been forced to sit out the season for medical reasons.  The OPC community was thrilled to have Shanahan back in action, and he responded with a top-10 finish.

The Ontario Pro Challenge Series is back on-track this coming weekend at Sunset Speedway (September 18) and will cap their season at Flamboro Speedway on September 25.  Thomson continues to lead the point chase by 35 markers ahead of Tim Norris, but with two races remaining, the title is very much up for grabs.  Ken Nicholson sits third ahead of Tim Forbes, while Josh Nicholson caps the top five.  The Rookie of the Year race is equally as tight, with Smith leading the way over Rick Seeley by just seven points.  Smith’s fourth place run at Kawartha was huge in putting him in contention for the freshman crown.

Race #9 – August 21, 2010

Kawartha Speedway – Peterborough, Ontario

1. Ken Nicholson  2. Dennis Thomson  3. Josh Nicholson  4. Owen Smith  5. Kyle Batty  6. Tim Forbes  7. Jason Podewis  8. Rick Seeley  9. Dario Valente  10. Tim Shanahan  11. Malcolm McMaster  12. Jonathan Sloot  13. Dale Wilson  14. Jason Davidson  15. Tim Norris  16. Scott Fletcher  17. Patrick Freel  


Images provided by Chip Young (C.Y. Images)

Norris Backs up Flamboro Win with Sauble Triumph

Tim Norris took another step closer in his bid for the 2010 Ontario Pro Challenge title on August 21 when he scored his second straight series victory aboard his #88 ApprencticeSearch.com / Lucas Oil Ford Taurus.  After taking the checkered flag at Flamboro Speedway on August 7, Norris came right back to lead the pack at Sauble Speedway on August 21 to out-gun a 17-car field.  The win closes his gap to the championship leading Dennis Thomson (#02 Thomson Signs Ford Mustang) to just 18 points heading into the final three races of the year.  Thomson minimized the damage to his cushion in the standings by once again finishing second, this time ahead of rookies Jason Podewis (#7 Chev Monte Carlo) and Patrick Freel (#77 Chev Monte Carlo), who each turned in their best efforts of the season.  Milton, Ontario’s Scott Fletcher capped the top-five in his #60 Hype Energy Drink Monte Carlo.

Tim Forbes (#07 Midhurst Roofing Ford Mustang) was sixth in the final tally, ahead of Dario Valente (#71 Apartments International Chev Monte Carlo), Owen Smith (#40 Ford Taurus), Kyle Batty (#38 Compassion Canada Chev Monte Carlo) and Dale Wilson (#8 AW Millwrights Chev Monte Carlo).

The drivers will now head into the final three races of year, with events at Kawartha (Sept. 10), Sunset (Sept. 18) and Flamboro (Sept. 25).

Race #8 – August 21, 2010

Sauble Speedway – Hepworth, Ontario

1. Tim Norris  2. Dennis Thomson  3. Jason Podewis  4. Patrick Freel  5. Scott Fletcher  6. Tim Forbes  7. Dario Valente  8. Owen Smith  9. Kyle Batty  10. Dale Wilson  11. Ken Nicholson  12. Josh Nicholson  13. Malcolm McMaster  14. Rick Seeley  15. Jonathan Sloot  16. Danielle Wilson  17. Bob Hopton 

Norris Holds Off Thomson for Second Win for 2K10

With 20 cars hitting the track at Flamboro Speedway this past Saturday night (August 7), the Ontario Pro Challenge series once again brought its exciting door-to-door action to the province’s enthusiastic race fans.   The competition was elevated on this tight oval, as the heat races were extremely close and the main event featured a couple minor incidents, one big wreck and a good old-fashioned driver versus driver scrap for the win.  When the checker eventually flew, series veteran Tim Norris (#88 ApprenticeSearch.com / Lucas Oil Ford Taurus) was the first to arrive at the start-finish line, but he had his hands full thanks to never-ending pressure from reigning champion and point leader Dennis Thomson (#02 Thomson Signs Ford Mustang).  The final few laps were thrilling (above), as Thomson searched in vain for a chance to steal the win.

In front of a good crowd at Flamboro, the Ontario Pro Challenge field was split into three heat races to set the grid for the main event.  The short 8-lap sprints got started off with a strong run for Kyle Batty (#38 Compassion Canada Monte Carlo), as he was able to stay out in front to score the victory and the pole for the main.  Jonathan Sloot (#22 Chev Monte Carlo) picked up the victory in the second heat, giving him the outside of row four for the feature.  Lastly, In the quick heat that features the top seven drivers in average nightly points, Josh Nicholson (#66 Firkin Pubs Dodge Charger) was able to hold off Norris for the win, while Thomson clawed his way up to fourth.  The OPC field is so competitive that in a short heat race like those run at Flamboro, it is virtually impossible to fight from the tail of the field through to the front.  The entire seven-car field crossed the start-finish line in a train.  This simply set up for another entertaining main event.

The OPC feature was positioned as the final race of the night, following a 75-lap main for the Grisdale Late Model Series, and the event got off to a inauspicious beginning when contact from behind caused Sloot to loop his Monte Carlo on the exit of turn two, directly in front of the oncoming pack of cars. While many were able to slip by both high and low, the pack had entered the opening corner three-wide, leaving Ken Lillycrop (#00 Monte Carlo) stuck in the middle with nowhere to go.  Lillycrop got on the binders, but front bumper to front bumper contact was imminent. The damage put Lillycrop on the sidelines and Sloot to the pit area for hasty repairs.  Sloot would battle back to 14^th in the final tally.

When the race finally went green, Batty was the driver on the early move as he advanced to the lead and then stretched away quickly from the field as the remainder of the grid scrapped for position. Robert Coverdale (#26 Monte Carlo) and Larry Majuery (#37 Grand Prix) slipped into the early lead positions of the chase pack, but it wasn’t long before Norris and Thomson began working their way through the field, followed closely by Ken Nicholson (#99 International Truck & Engine Monte Carlo).  A couple of mid-race cautions allowed the point leaders to close in any gap, giving them the opportunity to re-set their attack on the lead. When the race went back to green on the penultimate restart, Batty had Norris and Thomson on his bumper, and they quickly slipped through to fight it out amongst themselves.

A final caution came out late in the race when Patrick Freel (#77 Chev Monte Carlo) pulled to the inside of the frontstretch, still battling with electrical issues that had plagued him all night.  As the field slowed for the yellow lights, mayhem ensued as Malcolm McMaster made hard contact to the turn 3 wall, severely damaging his #85 MMG Financial Chev Monte Carlo (below).  McMaster was shaken up in the wreck, likely hurting just as much as his race car, which required some significant work in the pit area to shoehorn back into his trailer.  Malcolm took a ride back to his pit in the ambulance, and emerged complaining of overall soreness.  This was no surprise, considering the force of the impact.

In the final run to the checker, Thomson shadowed Norris for the last five laps but could neither find a hole or force a mistake, so he sat tight as Norris recorded his second win of the season.  Thomson took a strong second place result to maintain his lead in the points, while Nicholson completed the top-three.

Behind the lead trio, Tim Forbes completed an impressive run that featured a great back-story.  After engine trouble heading into the weekend left him waiting for a new powerplant, Forbes found himself without a ride when the replacement mill did not arrive in time.  Rookie driver and Forbes protégé Jason Podewis stepped to the plate, sharing his #7 Monte Carlo with the series veteran in the heats before turning over the keys to the car for the main event.  Forbes took a little time to get comfortable in his new ride , but he came alive in the 30-lap feature as he steadily worked his was to a solid fourth place result. 

The top-five was completed by Danielle Wilson, whose team made brake and chassis adjustments following heat races to give her a solid car for the feature.  Wilson steered clear of the mayhem and charged when she could, scoring her best finish of the year.  Batty would end up sixth in the final tally ahead of Rick Seeley (#16), Dario Valente (#71), Majuery and Bob Hopton (#10).

The next Ontario Pro Challenge race is set for August 21 at Sauble Speedway.

Race #7 – August 7, 2010

Flamboro Speedway – Millgrove, Ontario

Heat #1: Kyle Batty 
Heat #2: Jonathan Sloot  

Heat #3: Josh Nicholson

Feature:

1. Tim Norris  2. Dennis Thomson  3. Ken Nicholson  4. Tim Forbes  5. Danielle Wilson  6. Kyle Batty  7. Rick Seeley  8. Dario Valente  9. Larry Majuery  10. Bob Hopton  11. Jason Davidson  12. Robert Coverdale  13. Dale Wilson  14. Jonathan Sloot  15. Josh Nicholson  16. Malcolm McMaster  17. Patrick Freel  18. Scott Fletcher  19. Owen Smith  20. Ken Lillycrop  21. Jason Podewis  (DNS)


Photos Courtesy of Chip Young

Nicholson Tops Field on Varney High Banks

Report Courtesy of Jody Buschen - Varney Speedway


The heat wave of the previous week finally let go on Saturday as Southwestern Ontario was pounded with rain. With Varney Speedway soaking wet, a full pit area of race cars and drivers anxiously awaited the decision to 'go' or 'go home'. The touring Ontario Pro Challenge Series was on hand for their second scheduled event of the 2010 season. After the first date was cancelled due to rain back on June 12th, the ruling finally came down that speedway officials would wait out the rain and dry the track.

The rain would ease and, with blue skies on the horizon, the Varney Motor Speedway track crew proceeded to dry the track. Brimming with confidence that this night would yeild some very competitive racing, the Pro Challenge drivers began to unload their cars as speedway regular series cars took to the track to assist with the drying. The hard work paid off and, the green flag dropped on the night's first race just before 8:00pm.

The 3/4 scale late model Pro Challenge cars ran the highbanks in 2009 as an exhibition race but, based on the success of that experiment, Varney Motor Speedway secured two points races for the touring series. All things considered with the weather and all, the grandstands were still half full as #10 Bob Hopton of Kitchener and #77 Patrick Freel of London brought the field to green for Saturday night's feature race.

Hopton would take the early lead from his pole position and Freel would stay close before making a challenge for the top spot in turns three and four. Protecting the lead, Hopton would slip up the track in turn four making contact with Freel's car sending the London driver up into the unforgiving turn four wall, bringing out the first caution flag of the race. Freel would end up in the pits while Hopton found himself at the back for the restart.

Coming back for the restart, #40 Owen Smith of Holland Landing led the way with #60 Scott Fletcher and # 66Josh Nicholson of Brantford; last year's feature race winner; in pursuit. Smith would lead briefly before Fletcher dove to the inside in turn four. Fletcher would take over the top spot as #99 Ken Nicholson of Brantford and Pro Challenge points leader #02 Dennis Thompson of Dundas fllowed through into second and third respectively.

The second caution would come out for a spin in turn two involving #37 Larry Majuery of Niagara Falls. The pack bunched up quickly as Fletcher hoped to protect his lead. Moving up through the field quickly were #88 Tim Norris of Dundas and #71 Dario Valente of Stoufville who both started near the back and now found themselves flirting with the top five.

Green again as Fletcher led the way but, heading into turn four, K. Nicholson would move to the bottom of the track and make the pass for the lead. Then, battling for third, Thompson and Smith would run out of real estate as Smith; unassissted; would spin in turn four to bring out the third caution. K. Nicholson, Fletcher and Thompson led the pack back to green and, over the next several laps, K. Nicholson would build up half a straightaway lead as Fletcher and Thompson raced for second. Fletcher would eventually relinquish the position just as Norris would spin in turn two bringing out the fourth caution of the race.

After another caution flag as #00 Ken Lilycrop finds the turn four wall, Fletcher's night would also come to an early end. After taking the green on the restart following Lilycrop's incident, Fletcher's car would start to lose power from the thrid position and the winner of one of the early heat races would quickly drop back in the pack before parking it for the night.

Meanwhile, K. Nicholson would maintain the top spot and, after one more caution for a second spin involving #40 Owen Smith, Nicholson and Thompson would engage in a fierce battle for the lead as the two drivers would pull away from the rest of the pack. Positions two on back were certainly up for grabs as J. Nicholson, #04 Tim Forbes of Barrie, Norris, Valente and #7 Jason Podewils of Barrie all remained in contention.

With five laps to go, Thompson would close in on K. Nicholson as he was looking for his fifth win of the year but, Nicholson would not be denied and after watching his son take the checkers one year ago, Nicholson would indeed hang on for his first win of the year keeping the Nicholson streak at Varney intact. After winning the first five of the year, Thompson watched the second in a row slip away as he settled for the second spot. J. Nicholson, Norris and Forbes rounded out the top five with Valente, Podewils, #8 Dale Watson of Kitchener, Majuery and #16 Rick Seeley completing the top ten.

While the Pro Challenge series highlighted the night, they weren't the only show in town. Varney regular racing divisions also ran on this night. In the Stock 4's, #51 Clark Hartman of Waterloo was able to break through and into the lead early to speed on to his second feature race win of the year. Street Stock #93 Bill Cole got his season back on track by shutting down last week's winner, #19 Brian Wilson, enroute to another feature race win. In the Late Models, #12 Justin McLellan took advantge of the caution flags to work his way to the front holding off #76 Tyler Williams for the win and, #85 Matt Clarke of Mt. Forest clinched the Super Street feature.

This coming weekend will be another action-packed long weekend double header as all regular divisions will see time on the track inlcuding the Annual All Pro Modified Rick Woolner memorial on Sunday night. Green flag drops both nights at 7:00 pm. For more information, visit http://www.varneymotorspeedway.com. 

Varney Motor Speedway
Durham, Ontario
Race Results - Saturday, July 24, 2010

Pro Challenge- FEATURE
Pos Driver Car #
1 Ken Nicholson 99
2 Dennis Thompson 02
3 John Nicholson 66
4 Tim Norris 88
5 Tim Forbes 04
6 Dario Valente 71
7 Jason Podewils 7
8 Dave Wilson 8
9 Larrry Majerie 37
10 Rick Sealy 16
11 Owen Smith 40
12 Scott Fletcher 60
13 Bob Hopton 10
14 Ken Lillycrop 00
15 Patrick Freel 77
16 Kyle Batty 38

Heat races won by: Hopton, Fletcher

Norris Breaks Through for First 2010 Victory

For the first time since the Ontario Pro Challenge series kicked off its season back in May, a driver other than reigning champion Dennis Thomson grabbed the checkered flag in a feature race. Thomson laid down a streak of four straight feature wins to begin his title defense, but last Saturday (July 17) at Sunset Speedway, series veteran Tim Norris (#88 ApprencticeSearch.com / Lucas Oil Dodge Intrepid) was able to fend off his challenges to score his first win of the year. The racing was hard-fought, as Dario Valente (#71 Apartments International Monte Carlo) capitalized on a heat race win and his subsequent main event pole position to finish second, holding back Thomson ($02 Thomson Signs Ford Mustang) during the final laps of the race.

Rookie Jason Podewis (#7 Monte Carlo) turned in his best effort of the season as the top freshman of the night, running third for a time before losing the spot to a charging Thomson. Podewis would maintain his position in fourth, which brought him a nice points haul and advanced him to 16th overall in the championship standings and sixth in the rookie race. There is still a lot of racing to be had and Podewis is now finding a competitive comfort level in his ride, which will keep him in the hunt for the rookie title. Tim Forbes (#04 Midhurst Roofing Ford Mustang) completed the top-five.

The heat race wins went to Valente, Norris and rookie Patrick Freel (#77 Dodge Intrepid). As previously detailed, Valente would leverage his qualifying victory to finish second overall, while Norris drove up through the field for the win. Freel had issues and would finish up in 14th.

Thomson now leads the points by 36 markers over Norris, with Forbes in hot pursuit. The leading rookie is Owen Smith (#40 Ford Taurus), who sits ninth in the standings, just four points ahead of Rick Seeley (#16). Smith was eighth at Sunset while Seeley took 11th.

The series will be on the road again this weekend, running a track perfectly suited for the ¾ scale hot rods. The Ontario Pro Challenge drivers will be heading to the banked ¼-mile Varney Speedway on Saturday night (July 24) to give the fans a taste of some their unique door-to-door competition.

Four-for-Four For Reigning Champion

After winning his seventh career Ontario Pro Challenge title in 2009, it appears as though Dennis Thomson has no plans to let anyone steal the crown away from him in 2010. The Dundas, Ontario veteran sold his championship-winning ride during the off-season to help grow the program’s field, and now armed with a new Ford Mustang, he has been on fire from the beginning of the new season. Coming off wins at both Sunset (June 6 and June 13) and Sauble (June 29), Thomson once again found himself in victory lane on Saturday, July 3 when the Pro Challenge drivers visited Mosport Raceway for the first of two trips to the half-mile facility. While the influx of freshman pilots is providing new faces in the top-10, neither the rookies nor the veteran drivers have been able to step the series’ powerhouse. Following a pair of 10-lap heat races at Mosport Speedwat, which were claimed by the Fords of Tim Norris #88 and Thomson #02, Norris led the field to the green flag to begin the 25-lap feature. With Thomson’s Taurus filling his mirrors, Norris led the opening handful of laps before a major, five-car incident on lap five slowed the proceedings. Once the track was clear, Thomson used his experience to take the low line through Turn Two, edging past Norris for the lead. Once clear of traffic, Thomson never looked back, taking the checkered flag for his fourth feature win of the season. “This is a quirky track,” said Thomson. “You have to have a car that you can work around the bumps to be successful. This is a new car this year, but it feels just as good as the old one. It seems to work really well here.” Norris was hard pressed to maintain his runner-up position, as he led a four car procession to the stripe, followed to the line by the son and father tandem of Josh (#66) and Ken (#99) Nicholson with Dario Valente (#71) rounding out the top five. The top rookie in the race was Owen Smith, who finish a strong sixth ahead of Kyle Batty and freshman Patrick Freel. Tim Forbes and Bob Hopton rounded out the top-10. In the points hunt, Thomson maintains a nice cushion over Nicholson and Forbes. Ken Nicholson and Tim Forbes complete the top-five. The top rookie in the standings is Smith, although he is just three points ahead of Rick Seeley in the chase. The Ontario Pro Challenge drivers are back at it this weekend at Sunset Speedway.

Thomson Extends Ontario Pro Challenge Streak To Three

The Ontario Pro Challenge got back underway this past weekend after a three week break, rolling the dice on the province’s crazy weather patterns as they trekked northwest to Sauble Speedway for the first of two trips to ‘The Beach’ on Saturday night (June 26). After rain hammered the region through Friday and early Saturday morning, the racing gods smiled down on the 1/4 –mile bullring with bright sunshine that dried off the racing surface and opened the gates for a great night of competition. A total of 17 Pro Challenge cars made the call for Sauble, and when the dust had settled, reigning champion Dennis Thomson had extended his winning streak to three with a solid victory over series veterans Ken Nicholson and Tim Norris. Kyle Batty (#38 Compassion Canada Ford Taurus) scored the win in the opening heat race, his first in OPC competition, outrunning Tim Forbes (#04 Midhurst Roofing Ford Mustang) and Ken Nicholson (#99 International Truck and Engine Chev Monte Carlo) for the victory and the main event pole. Tim Norris (#88 ApprencticeSearch.com Dodge Intrepid) and Dario Valente (#71 Apartments International Monte Carlo) rounded out the top-five. In the second heat, which features to drivers with the highest average point totals, it should come as no shock that Thomson took the checker in his new Thomson Signs Dodge Charger. What is surprising it that this was his first heat race win of the year. Thomson has been unbeatable in the mains, but in the shorter heat races, he has not been overly aggressive in fighting his way to the front. Josh Nicholson (#66 Firkin Pubs Dodge Charger) was second at the checker, coming in ahead of Jonathan Sloot (#22 Monte Carlo). Owen Smith (#40) and Rick Seeley (#19 Pontiac Grand Prix) were fourth and fifth, respectively. In the main, Forbes led early, but it was all about Thomson, as he was able to work his way methodically through the field to assume the point before the end of the 30-lapper. Thomson is currently unbeaten in main event action and now enjoys a 22-point lead over Josh Nicholson, who was fourth in the feature race. Ken Nicholson scored the runner-up result in Sauble, crossing the stripe behind Thomson. Norris was third overall, ahead of Nicholson and Forbes. Scott Fletcher (#60 Hype Energy Drink Monte Carlo) came back from fuel pump issues in his heat race to take sixth in the main, coming in ahead of Valente, Danielle Wilson (#21 Huber Window Cleaning Monte Carlo), and Batty. Jason Podewis (#7 Chev Monte Carlo) was the top finishing freshman in tenth after a series of great on-track battles with fellow rookies Seeley and Smith. The Ontario Pro Challenge teams will return to Sauble Speedway on August 21, but not before heading to Mosport Speedway on Saturday, July 3 as part of Fan Appreciation Night. Round #3 – June 26, 2010 Sauble Speedway – Hepworth, Ontario Heat #1: 1. Kyle Batty 2. Tim Forbes 3. Ken Nicholson 4. Tim Norris 5. Dario Valente 6. Danielle Wilson 7. Scott Fletcher 8. Malcolm McMaster 9. Bob Hopton Heat #2: 1. Dennis Thomson 2. Josh Nicholson 3. Jonathan Sloot 4. Owen Smith 5. Rick Seeley 5. Jason Podewis 7. Dale Wilson 8. Ken Lillycrop Feature: 1. Dennis Thomson 2. Ken Nicholson 3. Tim Norris 4. Josh Nicholson 5. Tim Forbes 6. Scott Fletcher 7. Dario Valente 8. Danielle Wilson 9. Kyle Batty 10. Jason Podewis 11. Jonathan Sloot 12. Malcolm McMaster 13. Owen Smith 14. Rick Seeley 15. Dale Wilson 16. Ken Lillycrop 17. Bob Hopton

Two-for-Two for Thomson to Start 2010

Veteran driver and reigning Ontario Pro Challenge Series champion Dennis Thomson (above) is showing no signs of letting up in his title defense, winning his second consecutive feature race this past weekend at Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario.  After selling his title-winning Ford Taurus to rookie Owen Smith in the off-season, Thomson purchased a new Ford Mustang and has not missed a beat, backing up his win in the season opener by out-running Josh Nicholson to the checkered flag this past Saturday.  The series once again put 21 cars on Sunset’s third-mile banked track, and the quality of racing improved this time out as the large rookie contingent now had a night’s experience under their collective belts.  The size of the grid will only grow as the season progresses, as there are still a handful of cars that should be making their debut sometime in 2010.

In the opening heat race of the night, Ken Nicholson (above) led the way in his #99 International Track and Engine Chev Monte Carlo, coming from fourth on the grid to take the win. Markham’s Kyle Batty (#38 Compassion Canada Ford Taurus) found some speed after struggling at the season opener a week earlier and enjoyed a successful first heat with a runner-up finish to Nicholson, coming home just ahead of Bob Hopton (#10 Tradewind Heating and Air Conditioning Monte Carlo) in the short sprint race.  Malcolm McMaster (#85 MMG Trading / Bamboo Flooring Monte Carlo) and Matt Marshall (#85 Monte Carlo) rounded out the top-five.

In the OPC heat race line-up equation, the drivers with the highest average point totals are positioned in Heat #2, meaning it will likely be a barnburner all summer.  With just one race in the books thus far in 2010, this heat race pitted the top six drivers from last weekend’s feature race.  This time out, young gun Josh Nicholson (above - #66 Firkin Pubs Dodge Charger) started on pole and powered out to the win ahead of Tim Forbes (#04 Midhurst Roofing Ford Mustang) and Danielle Wilson (#21 Huber Window Cleaning Chev Monte Carlo).  Wilson is off to a great start this season, coming off a fine sixth at last weekend’s series opener at Sunset.  Contact early between frontrunners Tim Norris (#88 ApprencticeSearch.com / Lucas Oil Dodge Intrepid) and Scott Fletcher (Hype Energy Drink / Fine Details Chev Monte Carlo) put Fletcher on the sidelines with a damaged left-front, while Norris was able to continue on to fourth, ahead of Thomson in his #02 Thomson Signs Ford Mustang.  Fletcher’s team would go to work quickly in an attempt to repair his car in time for the night’s feature.

In the third heat, which featured all of the current series rookies, Owen Smith (above) showed the way in his #40 Ford Taurus to bag his first career OPC heat race.  Dale Wilson (#8 AW Millwrights Chev Monte Carlo) was second in run, looking much more comfortable in his car following the Sunset opener earlier in the month.  Rick Seeley finished third in the #16 Pontiac Grand Prix, ahead of Jason Podewis (#7 Chev Monte Carlo) and Ken Lillycrop (#00 Chev Monte Carlo).

Unlike the opening night feature, which was plagued by early race yellows, the OPC drivers raced clean for the first 17 laps, putting on a good show for the Sunset race fans as they were the first main event of the evening.  Ken Nicholson would lead the early going, but eventually, Thomson would find his way to the front and was able to take over the lead just two laps before the first caution period of the night bunched the field back together.  Thomson would not be challenged for the remainder of the race but he was not the only driver making a move to the front.

After starting 12^th and easing into the 30-lap event to test the repairs to his car, Fletcher (above) found himself with a quick ride, his team’s post-heat efforts having paid off.  Once things got underway, Fletcher used both the high-side and the low groove to pick off his competition, eventually finding his way into third before the final caution of the night.  When the race went back to green, the lead trio held their position as they pulled away with Thomson leading Nicholson and Fletcher to the flag.  Dario Valente took fourth in his #71 Apartments International Inc Chev Monte Carlo, while Matt Marshall (#97 Chev Monte Carlo) turned in a strong run to finish fifth in the final tally.  Forbes would finish sixth ahead of Ken Nicholson, while Podewis was the top rookie in eighth.  Seeley had his best run of the young season in ninth, besting Hopton to the line as the duo completed the top-10.

Thomson now leads the points with 12 markers over John Nicholson, while Forbes and Fletcher are right there in third and fourth.  The top rookie in the points after the first two races is Rick Seeley in ninth. The Ontario Pro Challenge drivers are back in action this coming Saturday to cap off this three-weekend run with a special 50-lap event at Varney Speedway.

Special thanks to Chip Young for the amazing images - www.cyimages.biz

Race #3 – June 5, 2010

Sunset Speedway – Innisfil, Ontario

Heat #1:

1. Ken Nicholson  2. Kyle Batty  3. Bob Hopton  4. Malcolm McMaster  5. Matt Marshall  6. Robert Coverdale 

Heat #2:

1. Josh Nicholson  2. Tim Forbes  3. Danielle Wilson  4. Tim Norris  5. Dennis Thomson  6. Scott Fletcher 

Heat #3:

1. Owen Wilson  2. Dale Wilson  3. Rick Seeley  4. Jason Podewis  5. Ken Lillycrop 6. Jonathan Sloot  7. Jason Davidson  8. Patrick Freel 

Feature:

1. Dennis Thomson  2 Josh Nicholson  3. Scott Fletcher  4. Dario Valente  5. Matt Marshall  6. Tim Forbes  7. Ken Nicholson  8. Jason Podewis  9. Rick Seeley  10. Bob Hopton  11. Owen Smith  12. Dale Wilson  13. Jonathan Sloot  14. Jason Davidson  15. Ken Lillycrop  16. Danielle Wilson  17. Tim Norris  18. Robert Coverdale  19. Kyle Batty  20. Malcolm McMaster  21. Patrick Freel 

Thomson Begins Title Defense with Sunset Victory

The 2010 Ontario Pro Challenge (OPC) season got underway on Saturday evening at the spectacularly renovated Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, ON and the travelling series did not disappoint as a record 21 drivers hit the asphalt to kick off the new campaign.  The battles were impressive on the fast 1/3-mile high-banked track, as two-wide racing was a given throughout the night.  A highlight of the opener was the debut of the 2K10 rookie class, which put seven drivers in a freshman-only heat race that went green to checker without issue.  The new competitors had a little more trouble in the 30-lap main event, but the overall impression was solid.

When the OPC has more than 21 cars in the pits, they run a total of three heats, setting the grid for the first two heats using an average points per race equation. Rookie drivers – those running less than the minimum three races – are placed in third heat.  Using the average points from the 2009 season for the series opener, Dario Valente (#71 Apartments International Monte Carlo) was placed on the outside pole for the first heat and was able to hold off a hard-charging Danielle Wilson (#21 Huber Window Cleaning Monte Carlo) to score the first checkered flag of the year.  Scott Fletcher crossed the line in third in his #60 Hype Energy Drink Monte Carlo.

The second heat featured all of the big hitters, including reigning champion Dennis Thomson, Tim Norris, Tim Forbes, Josh Nicholson and Ken Nicholson.  After an exciting dice, Norris would score the win in his #88 ApprencticeSearch.com / Lucas Oil Dodge Intrepid, holding off both Thomson (#02 Thompson Signs Ford Mustang) and Forbes (#04 Midhurst Roofing Ford Mustang) to further set the grid for the 30-lap main. Josh Nicholson (#66 Firkin Pubs Dodge Charger) and Ken Nicholson (#99 International Truck and Engine Chev Monte Carlo) capped the top-five, while Bob Hopton was sixth in his #10 Tradewind Monte Carlo.

In the third heat, the rookies did extremely well, with Jonathan Sloot (#22 Monte Carlo) staying out in front of the pack to win in his series debut.  Jason Davidson powered his #48 entry to second ahead of Patrick Freel in the #77 Dodge Intrepid.  Rick Seeley (#19 Pontiac Grand Prix) and Jason Podewis (#7 Chev Monte Carlo) rounded out the top-five.

The main event was set as the feature race of the evening, and with 21 cars roaring off turn four to take the green, Valente held the point for the initial laps after starting on pole.  Fletcher had the rocket over the opening laps as he went to the front by controlling the low exit line out of the corners.  Fletcher would eventually take the lead and he was able to hold onto the point through multiple cautions, however, these frequent stoppages allowed Norris, Thomson and Forbes to close in.  Fletcher was able to hold off their advances for many laps, but Thomson would eventually slip through, pinning Fletcher to the high groove whereby the floodgates opened.  Fletcher would eventually finish a strong fifth, after losing three additional positions.

It would come down to a green-white-checker finish after a late-race yellow, but the veteran Thomson would not be fazed as he held off Norris to defend his ’09 championship in fine style.  Norris would finish second ahead of Forbes, while Josh Nicholson steered his ride to an impressive fourth after starting 10^th.   Danielle Wilson fought through a couple of incidents to take sixth behind Fletcher, while Malcolm McMaster turned in an impressive effort to take eighth.  The highest finishing rookie driver was Jason Davidson, who ran a great race after starting in 15th, advancing to eighth in the final tally. Robert Coverdale and Matt Marshall completed the top-10.

The next race is set for this coming weekend back on the high banks of Sunset, with the cars again part of their Saturday night program.

Round #1 – May 28, 2010

Sunset Speedway – Innisfil, Ontario

Heat #1:

1. Dario Valente  2. Danielle Wilson  3. Scott Fletcher  4. Robert Coverdale  5. Matt Marshall  6. Malcolm McMaster

Heat #2:

1. Tim Norris  2. Dennis Thomson  3. Tim Forbes  4. Josh Nicholson  5. Ken Nicholson  6. Bob Hopton

Heat #3:

1. Jonathan Sloot  2. Jason Davidson  3. Patrick Freel  4. Rick Seeley  5. Jason Podewis  6. Owen Smith  7. Dale Wilson  8. Ken Lillycrop

Feature:

1. Dennis Thomson  2. Tim Norris  3. Tim Forbes  4. Josh Nicholson  5. Scott Fletcher  6. Danielle Wilson  7. Malcolm McMaster  8. Jason Davidson  9. Robert Coverdale  10. Matt Marshall  11. Ken Nicholson  12. Ken Lillycrop  13. Rick Seeley  14. Jason Podewis 15. Bob Hopton  16. Jonathan Sloot  17. Patrick Freel  18. Dale Wilson 19. Kyle Batty  20. Dario Valente  21. Owen Smith