Whitby, ON – Mike Beyore (No. 54 Stemac/Millenium Crane/CNC Machining/Metals Plus/MGS Performance/Praxair/Don’s Auto Shop/Crossby Dewar/Mayhew Graphics Cadillac) made his first start with the OSCAAR Super Late Model tour Saturday at Sunset Speedway as part of the 2013 Don Biederman Memorial.
Despite a fast race car, one that qualified 10th with a lap of 13.744 seconds around the 1/3-mile oval, Beyore fell victim to a mid-race incident that gave him his first DNF of the young season. A lap 36 wreck in turn two ended Beyore’s night.
Beyore started 13th after winning the first of two B-Main races earlier in the night and was running mid-pack at the time of the crash.
“I was trying to be patient. Wrong place, wrong time,” said Beyore.
“I was inside of Passer. We were really close him and I. I was trying to get by him and (Tyler Hawn),” he explained. “It looks like coming off of (turn) two he broke loose a bit and got in to the front of me. When he hit the front, I just went right around.”
“As soon as I hit the grass, the car took off,” said Beyore. “I was on the brakes, but it went anyhow.”
From the grandstand, the incident looked harmless, and contact with the inside retaining wall was not apparent. However, the Whitby, Ont. driver’s car went off on the hook. Once the team had the car back in the pit area, it was clear the damage was not repairable for Sunday night’s event.
“Everything from the radiator up needs to be replaced,” he explained. “We took the rad out. Everything else, all of the bumpers, the front end, it all needs to be replaced.”
Beyore said he didn’t think the car needed a new front clip, but it will require a more thorough examination to make an accurate determination.
“We’ve got a bit of work to do,” he said. “We’re going to try and have it ready for Sauble.”
Beyore’s attendance at Sauble is dependent on the extent of the damage.
Despite putting four new tires on to start the 50-lap feature event, Beyore did not gain the speed he had hoped.
“At the start of the feature, the tires didn’t come up (to temperature) the way they were supposed to. I was fighting a tight car right off the bat,” he explained.
“That’s why I pitted and got my brother Max to let some more air out of the left rear to try and loosen it up a bit.”
“I was just kind of cruising waiting for those two guys. They were running side by side but neither one could get by the other.”
Beyore may have been able to simplify the night by qualifying directly to the A-Main if he had finished in the top three of his heat race. However, a slow start to the 15-lap heat hurt his chances.
“I was a bit tight at the start and John Owen got by me. I was trying to get by him lots,” said Beyore. “He was in the right place and I couldn’t get by unless I moved him and I wasn’t going to do that.”
“He wouldn’t do it to me, so why would I do it to him?”
The time trial, and single heat format along with features on back-to-back nights was the first ever attempt at a new look for OSCAAR. Despite not being able to compete on night two, Beyore said he likes the schedule.
“For a first time doing that (format), it went off without a hitch,” he explained, praising the track staff for their organization. “I think people liked it. Not every week, but every once in a while would be alright.”
“I like the way they did it with one heat. There’s a lot less chance to tear your car up before the feature.”
Beyore did leave the weekend with a positive feeling knowing his car, powered with a new McGunnegil Engine Performance motor, competed with the best the series has to offer.
“Other than being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, everything was going to be fine. We hadn’t even put a mark on the car.”
“I think were good and strong, as you could see in the time trials. I was off a bit (in time trials) and we were still a decent car,” said Beyore of his 10th place qualifying run. “We’ll be competitive.”
Beyore would like to thank all of his sponsors for making the weekend possible, including Stemac, Millenium Crane, CNC Machining, Metals Plus, MGS Performance, Praxair, Don’s Auto Shop, Crossby Dewar, and Mayhew Graphics Cadillac
The OSCAAR Super Late Model tour returns to action in two weeks time on July 13 at Sauble Speedway in Hepworth, Ont. For a full schedule of events, stay tuned to www.oscaar.ca.
By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia)
