Cascar Peterborough Report
Whitlock Motorsports
1 June 1999
CASCAR Castrol Super Series Two top five finishes at Peterborough PETROLIA, ON - The second race of the CASCAR Castrol Super Series East saw both Whitlock Motorsports cars finish in the top five positions. In Saturday night's C.A.G. Golden Gavel, three-time CASCAR National champion Dave Whitlock started and finished fourth in his Ford Quality Care Taurus. Teammate Mark Dilley lined up seventh in the field of 30 starters and advanced two spots for a fifth-place result in his NTN Bearings / Herbrand Tools Ford Taurus. The top finishes by the Whitlock Motorsports team were very encouraging for Whitlock and Dilley, especially considering the damage that can be sustained on the one-third mile, high-banked Peterborough Speedway. Saturday night's 150-lap feature was less physical than in years past, but the racing action was as tight as ever. Passing was a difficult chore and that meant that top qualifying runs were crucial for a good outcome. The fourth and seventh starting places garnered by Whitlock and Dilley, respectively, put them in position to secure top finishes. "The car ran well. We qualified better today - up to fourth - and we had a solid car in the race," smiled Whitlock, after the event. "But lapped traffic was tough. There's not a lot of room here at Peterborough. We got boxed in a couple of times and lost some spots and had to fight back. But we got fourth and our other team car got fifth, so that's a pretty good night. I'm happy. For early in the season, I think everything's going the way we want it to. We'll get some solid finishes as we build toward the Nationals." Similarly, Mark Dilley was encouraged with his evening at Peterborough. It was his second race back as a full-time CASCAR driver and by all indications, he's fitting in well with the Whitlock Motorsports operation. "We're pretty happy with it. It was good all day. We didn't really hit anything out there, except we got into Kelly [Williams] and that definitely wasn't intentional. That's the way it goes." As for how he feels being back in action, Dilley is pleased with his return, so far. "I feel fine. I feel comfortable in the car and the laps aren't bothering me at all. It was a pretty standard night. Usually, it can get pretty wild here, but there were no adventures tonight. The Whitlock team gave me another good car." Following two events, Whitlock sits fourth in the overall CASCAR Castrol Super Series East standings, while Dilley is eighth. The next race for the Whitlock Motorsports team is this Saturday at Quebec City's Circuit Ste. Croix. It's the third of nine races on the '99 Eastern Super Series tour. Race Summary: Don Thomson Jr. of Hamilton, ON won the C.A.G. Golden Gavel 150 after passing polesitter Steve Robblee, in traffic, on lap 79. Thomson currently leads the Eastern point standings. Ford runner Kerry Micks advanced to second at the finish, ahead of Milton, ON's Rob Neely. - 30 -
