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[/media-credit]In the first two events of the 2012 OSCAAR Modified tour, Gary McLean won them both. Though he would have his work cut out for him in Peterborough after trouble in one of the qualifying heats.
OSCAAR Modified Points Leader Gary McLean would win the first heat, followed by Ted Patterson, Brent McLean and Justin Demelo.
Darren Kearnen would win the second heat, followed by Brad Pearsall, Josh Gruntz, Steve Smith, Tim Burke, Dave Hassel and Adam Adams.
Demelo would win the third heat, followed by Brandon Crumbie, John Harper, Patterson, Brent McLean, Brian McLean and Dave Terry. Gary McLean would get spun off turn four by Brent McLean and collect some damage to the right side, including a flat tire.
Burke would win the third heat, followed by Smith, Pearsall, Gruntz, Darren Kearnen, Hassel and Adams.
Virtue of his qualifying effort, Justin Demelo would start on the pole, followed by Darren Kearnen, Tim Patterson, Bill Pearsall and Steve Smith.
There’d a caution right away on lap one as Pearsall would send Demlo into the grass while Brent McLean went for a spin. As a result, Kearnen would take over the lead, followed by Smith, Patterson, Tim Burke and Gary McLean.
There’d a caution on the restart as Brent McLean and Dave Hassel would make contact.
On the next restart, Kearnen would get the jump to keep the lead, now over Pearsall, Burke, Smith and Gary McLean.
The third caution would come out on lap five as Brian McLean would get into the grass.
On the restart, the action would pick up quickly in the battle behind Keanon as Pearsall, Smith and Burke would go three-wide for second. Smith was able to pick up two positions to now run second behind Kearnen. Meanwhile, Gary McLean was up to third by lap 10, followed by Brent McLean and now Newman back to fifth.
At the halfway mark on lap 15, Smith and Gary McLean would both get by Kearnen for first and second. On lap 16, Pearsall fell out of the top 10 as he would passed by John Harper for fifth, followed by Josh Gruntz, Demelo, Patterson, Davey Terry and Adam Adams.
Meanwhile, Brandon Crumbie would pit with a flat tire. The caution would come out as Crumbie was on pit road for Gruntz hitting the turn one wall hard with the backend after contact from Patterson.
On the restart, Smith kept the lead over Gary McLean, Brent McLean, Demelo and Kearnen. Demelo would try to get by Brent McLean for third on lap 21, but wasn’t able to make the pass. Gary McLean would get beside Smith for the lead on lap 25, as the caution came out for Terry spinning.
On the restart, Gary McLean would get the lead while Brent McLean and Smith would spin battling for second. Brian McLean would also spin on the backstretch, though would be deemed after the caution so he got his spot back.
With five to go, this would set Gary McLean as the lead over Demelo, Kearnen, Crumbie and Brian McLean.
On the final lap, Patterson would pit with a flat tire as Gary McLean would take the checkered flag for his third straight win. Justin Demelo would finish in the second position. They will now start the Autumn Colors OSCAAR Modified feature first and second in October.
Darren Kearnen and Brandon Crumbie finished third and fourth so they will start no furhter back than 13th and 14th come October. They will have an opportunity to improve their starting positon through the qualifying heats.
Brian McLean finished fifth, followed by Brad Pearsall, Dave Terry, Steve Smith and Adam Adams.
The next race for the OSCAAR Modifieds is a 30-lapper at Sauble Speedway on July 7th.
