CASCAR - Points and Indy Wrap
CASCAR Super Series July 9, 2002 Thomson extends points lead LONDON, ON - Following an intense string of four consecutive race weekends, the CASCAR Super Series will take a break this weekend, prior to heading westward to Calgary (July 19-21) and Vancouver (July 26-27) for Rounds 8 & 9 of the 12-race schedule. On the strength of his fourth-place result in Saturday's CASCAR race at the Toronto Indy, defending series champion Don Thomson Jr. further extended his points lead over DJ Kennington, who sits second in the standings. Stringing together consecutive top finishes like the ones that earned him his first National championship, last year, the Home Hardware Chevy driver has amassed a solid 60-point lead (1081 to 1021) over Kennington, the driver of the Castrol Intrepid. Running third behind them is three-time National champion Dave Whitlock (959 pts.) in his Fast Lane Taurus. Each of these three competitors has collected one checkered flag so far this season. Kevin Dowler has won both road course outings (Mosport Int'l Raceway and the Toronto Indy), and sits alone atop the Super Series 'wins' column, with two. Touching upon the competitive nature of the series, Dowler described his strategy for cutting through the entire field to win Saturday's race on the streets of Toronto. The Quality Care Taurus driver went from 37th to first after getting by many of his rivals in heavy braking zones. "That's the only way you can [pass] there. The motors in CASCAR are so equally prepared, that you're not going to blast by too many of them on the straights. We've got a great engine builder in Edmonton called Automotive Machine Services, so we've got equal horsepower to the other leaders and that's what you need to win these tough races." Looking back at the entire Toronto Indy weekend, the CASCAR drivers and teams once again impressed and have become a highlight of the schedule for many attendees. A spirited, early race lead battle between polesitter Robin Buck and Jim Lapcevich set the stage for the furious late-race dash for the checkered flag, involving Buck, second-place finisher Joe Goncalves and race winner Kevin Dowler. If Dowler's spectacular 'back-to-front' charge was the big story of the CASCAR race in Toronto, then Goncalves' first podium finish was a close second. The Concord, ON racer started 18th in the pack after enduring mechanical troubles during practice and qualifying, and put on a spectacular display en route to his emotional runner-up result. And although he couldn't hold on for the win in Toronto, Robin Buck was also pleased with his best race result of the season. The NAPA Pontiac driver earned the pole position by setting a new track record for the event, led the most laps (33) during the race, and finished third, to make it onto the podium. The Campbellville, ON racer went to a new engine supplier for the Toronto race, and it quickly paid dividends. NEXT EVENT: The CASCAR Super Series will return to Calgary's Race City Speedway for their traditional MOPAR Parts 500 race weekend, on July 19-21. Featuring a pair of 100-lap qualifying races and a 300-lap feature finale, the event is one of the highlights of the annual CASCAR schedule. Although not a CASCAR Western Series points event, the race is expected to draw many of the top western Canadian teams. CASCAR SUPER SERIES POINTS (As of July 6 / After 7 of 12 events): 1. #4 Don Thomson (Chevy / 1081 points); 2. #17 DJ Kennington (Intrepid / 1021); 3. #39 Dave Whitlock (Taurus / 959); 4. #64 Mark Dilley (Taurus / 950); 5. #35 Kevin Dowler (Taurus / 949); 6. #9 Robbie Thompson (Intrepid / 903); 7. #76 Al Turner (Intrepid / 902); 8. #99 Pete Vanderwyst (Grand Prix / 900); 9. #93 Joe Goncalves (Chevy / 898); 10. #1 Peter Gibbons (Chevy / 885); 11. #02 Kerry Micks (Taurus / 871); 12. #22 Scott Steckly (Grand Prix / 868); 13. #60 Ron Beauchamp (Intrepid / 856); 14. #33 Neil Fair (Chevy / 850); 15. #3 Billy Rowse (Chevy / 822); 16. #19 Brad Graham (Grand Prix / 817); 17. #14 John Fitzpatrick (Chevy / 812); 18. #15 Robin Buck (Grand Prix / 809); 19. #0 Joe Plazek (Chevy / 770); 20. #88 Dave Jacombs (Taurus / 756) CASCAR WESTERN SERIES (As of June 29): 1. # 71 Daryl Harr (Chevrolet / 817); 2. # 2 Carl Harr (Chevrolet / 760); 3. # 21 Wade Lee (Ford / 750); 4. # 12 Ron Larson (Chevrolet / 743); 5. # 38 Shane Charlton (Chevrolet / 717); 6. # 89 R Terry Dowler (Chevrolet / 683); 7. # 15 Mike Browne (Pontiac / 656); 8. # 81 R James Ward (Ford / 655); 9. # 14 James VanDomselaar (Pontiac / 642); 10. # 33 Don Sales (Pontiac / 636); 11. # 50 Wheeler Boys (Intrepid / 575); 12. # 27 Anthony Pallister (Chevrolet / 525); 13. # 93 Charlie Kirton (Chevrolet / 402); 14. # 6 Todd Nichol (Chevrolet / 392); 15. # 28 Darin Gillet (Pontiac / 365); 16. # 64 R Chris Shirley (Chevrolet / 172); 17. # 47 R Craig Matlock (Chevrolet / 144); 18. # 45 Glen Swedberg (NA / 137); 19. # 5 R Allan Deibert (Avenger / 136); 19. # 7 James MacFarlane (Ford / 136); 21. # 36 Jim White (Chevrolet / 135); 22. # 88 Calvin Hoy (Pontiac / 132); 23. # 35 Kevin Dowler (Ford / 131); 24. # 03 Ray Campbell (Pontiac / 130); 25. # 79 R Dwayne Arnott (Chevrolet / 130); 26. # 43 Michael Lindsay (Chevrolet / 118); 27. # 22 Chris Douglas (Pontiac / 116); 27. #74 Dennis Masse (Chevrolet / 116); 29. # 31 Gord Hochkevich (Chevrolet / 114) CASCAR CARQUEST SERIES (As of June 29): 1. # 28 Steve Robblee (Dorchester, ON / 457); 2. # 15 Jim Patrick (Delaware, ON / 411); 3. # 1 Claude LeClerc (Montreal, QC / 402); 4. # 52 Ron Sheridan (Strathroy, ON / 401); 5. # 18 Andre Coursol (St. Antoine, QC / 373); 6. # 74 Richard Beauchamp (Ormstown, QC / 352); 7. # 55 Rob Graham (Bothwell, ON / 348); 8. # 22 Jesse Kennedy (Southwold, ON / 338); 9. # 60 Steve Maheux (Ile Bizard, QC / 322); 10. # 10 Doug Brown (Brantford, ON / 310); 11. # 6 Dan Delisle (LaSalle, ON / 302); 11. # 05 Daniel Charest (Ste-Catherine, QC / 302); 13. # 33 R Karl Allard (St-Felicien, QC / 300); 14. # 12 Mark Patrick (Delaware, ON / 299); 15. # 38 Martin Goulet (Montreal, QC / 283); 16. # 3 Sean Dupuis (Lasalle, ON / 281); 17. # 77 Dion Verhoeven (Kerwood, ON / 280); 18. # 20 Scott Lindsay (St Mary's, ON / 271); 18. # 52 Daniel Belanger (St-Hubert, QC / 271); 20. # 2 Doug Stewart (London, ON / 268); 21. # 5 Jay Christie (Beachville, ON / 264); 22. # 86 Ken Forth (Lynden, ON / 253); 23. # 43 Jay Doerr (London, ON / 252); 24. # 18 Chad McGlynn (Kitchener, ON / 247); 25. # 7 Jerry Marinuk (Scotland, ON / 245); 26. # 67 Scott Mitchell (St. Catharines, ON / 240); 27. # 35 Mark Hickson (Lucan, ON / 233); 28. # 11 Stephane Messier (Ile Bizard, QC / 230); 29. # 12 R Danny Foley (Glenn Robertson, ON / 206); 30. # 66 Alain Perron (Marcouche, QC / 199)