Stroud, ON – Dwayne Baker (No.48 Baker Performance Plus/Zancor Homes) utilized the final restart of the evening to make a lap 47 pass by Shane Maginnis (No.03 Budd´s GMC) to win his second OSCAAR Super Late Model feature of the season.
Baker, who won earlier this season at Sunset as part of the Don Biederman Memorial, started outside the front row for the 50-lap main event. The Stayner, Ont. based driver ran most of the night in second, until he was finally able to get my Maginnis, who held the lead for most of the night, with three laps to go.
“The car was good. All of the restarts hurt me,” said Baker. “I have to say thanks to Shane Maginnis. He ran be strong, door handle to door handle. He made it a really good race.”
Despite holding off Baker on numerous restarts in the final six laps, Maginnis fell three laps shy of his first OSCAAR victory of the season. Maginnis would finish third after Jeff Hanley (No.70 Raylene Racing) slipped past the No.03 with two to go, but the veteran driver was more than satisfied with his result.
“When you´re running out front of Dwayne, you know he´s good here,” said Maginnis. “You´ve got to stay on it. The car got just a little too tight towards the end, and we went first to third. The Budd´s Chevrolet Camaro, it´ll win a race soon. You watch.”
The race was a war of attrition, with a total of 13 caution periods for the 21-car field. The first came on lap three when Sean Cronan (No.8 SuperCuts/Lockeroom Sports Bar) appeared to lose power in turn two.
Caution flew again when Kevin Cornelius (No.17 Halton Crushed Stone) was tagged in turn two on lap nine by Mike Beyore (No.54 Stemac/Millenium Crane) resulting in both drivers restarting at the tail of the field.
Cautions also came at laps 13 and 17 when Rob Gibson (No.3) spun a pair of time as well as Ian Bourque (No.83 Muskoka Mobility Transport) on lap 17.
The red flag was displayed once at lap 22 for clean up when Roy Passer (No. 551) spun in turn one, collecting Gibson and Corey Jones (No. 82 RBC/Remax), who was making his first career start. The contact would end Jones´ night. Mike Beyore was attended to by paramedics during the red flag for dehydration, ending his night.
Caution flew again on lap 26 when Wayne Isaacs (No.00 First Canadian Auto Collision) made contact with Tyler Hawn (No.42 Belford Haulage) on the backstretch.
The race ran green for 18 laps with Maginnis out front, followed by Baker and Andrew Gresel (No.81 CUSW/Sauble Falls Trailer Park) holding down the third spot. The top trio broke away from the rest of the pack and ran nose to tail.
A lap 44 caution slowed the field once again when Hawn lost power on the frontstretch after contact in turn four. The ensuing restart would see Brandon Watson (No.9 Shear Metal Products/Ken Mackinnon Construction) and Gresel spin in turn one, forcing both drivers to the rear of the field with six laps remaining.
With the field reorganized, the caution flew again when Jesse Kennedy (No.10 Quality Collision/Cameron Crane) touched Derrick Tiemersma (No.7 Wayfreight/Spira Fire Protection) on the backstretch, sending the No.7 spinning.
Maginnis continued to lead Baker through the carnage, choosing the outside line on each occasion, to keep Baker pinned to the bottom of the speedway. Baker felt as though it was good strategy on Maginnis´ part.
“It kept me pinched down on the bottom so I would get a little bit loose,” said Baker. “He was probably a little bit tight and he liked the outside. That´s why he stayed with the outside and I had to fight with the bottom.”
The field would complete one more lap before the final caution of the night came on lap 46 when Passer spun in turn four.
The final restart set the stage for Maginnis to cap off his strong run, but Baker got the best of the restart to take the lead.
With a quick Hanley sitting on the inside groove, Maginnis made a small slip off a corner that allowed Hanley to slip in to the second spot with two laps remaining.
Had the final caution of the night not come out, Maginnis felt he would have been able to hold off Baker for the win.
“It was the cautions (that hurt us),” said Maginnis. “When you´re side-by-side, you have to give it everything you´ve got. When you have four or five cautions in a row, you use up everything that´s there.”
The OSCAAR Super Late Model tour returns to action next Saturday August 3 at Peterborough Speedway as part of the Chase for the Colours for the first of three trips to the 1/3-mile oval in 2013. The top two finishers in the event will be locked in to the front row for the Autumn Colours Classic. Stay tuned to www.oscaar.ca for more information regarding gate times and ticket pricing.
By Clayton Johns (@cjohnsmedia)
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Results: Sunset Speedway 50-Lap A-Main (July 28, 2013) – (Starting Position in Parentheses)
1. 48 Dwayne Baker (2); 2. 70 Jeff Hanley (4); 3. 03 Shane Maginnis (1); 4. 22 Glenn Watson (7); 5. 9 Brandon Watson (3); 6. 7 Derrick Tiemersma (11); 7. 83 Ian Bourque (13); 8. 81 Andrew Gresel (6); 9. 42 Tyler Hawn (12); 10. 17 Kevin Cornelius (5); 11. 10 Jesse Kennedy (15); 12. 39 Shane Gowan (14); 13. 551 Roy Passer (17); 14. 00 Wayne Isaacs (10); 15. 7m Brent McLean (DNF) (16); 16. 8 Sean Cronan (DNF) (9); 17. 3 Rob Gibson (DNF) (19); 18. 82 Corey Jones (DNF) (18); 19. 54 Mike Beyore (DNF) (8); 20. Kyle Passer (DNF) (20); 21. 27 J.R. Fitzpatrick (DNS).
Heat Winners: 48 Dwayne Baker, 81 Andrew Gresel, 9 Brandon Watson, 22 Glenn Watson, 7 Derrick Tiemersma, 70 Jeff Hanley.
The OSCAAR Super Late Model tour is presented by a number of dedicated sponsors throughout Ontario, including: Knightworks Design, Hoosier Racing Tire, Klotz Synthetics Canada, Race2way.ca, Dave Franks Photos, Dickson Printing, Finishline Fabrication, McColl Racing Enterprises, McGunegill Engine Performance, Stefko Racing Engines, VP Racing Fuels, OntarioOval.com, RaceTime Radio, Inside Track Motorsport News, Jenco Equipment, Midas of Orangeville, Reinhart Trailer Sales, North Toronto Auctions, and South Shore Services.
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