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 12th 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.
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
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