Gibbons wins MOPAR 250 CASCAR Super Series race at Delaware Speedway
CASCAR Super Series MOPAR 250 May 29, 2004 LONDON, ON Two-time CASCAR Super Series champion Peter Gibbons started the season on a winning note, Saturday night, with a victory at a familiar place. Gibbons has a long history of success at Delaware Speedway and added to his impressive record at the half-mile London-area oval when he took the checkered flag in the MOPAR 250; the first of 12 events on the 2004 Super Series schedule. Gibbons has won Delaware’s fall race on four occasions, but had yet to win the track’s spring race, prior to this one. The Stouffville, ON racer started fifth in the field of 36 and grabbed the lead in his Canadian Tire Chevy with 20 laps to go when he drove around race leader Steve Robblee, who was experiencing ignition trouble on his Grogan Ford. Robblee would eventually fall to 15th. Second place in the MOPAR 250 went to Tim Hortons Chevy driver Jeff Lapcevich. He started 36th because another driver qualified his car for the race, during time trials last Saturday, while Lapcevich was taking part in a road race in Quebec, forcing him to the back. Lapcevich, the winner of both CASCAR Indy events last summer (Toronto and Vancouver) patiently worked his way through the entire field en route to his best-ever CASCAR oval finish. Veteran racer Scott Steckly claimed the final podium position with a steady run from eighth. In just his second outing in his new oval car, the ERB Pontiac driver has finished on the podium in both. MOPAR Dodge driver Ron Beauchamp Jr. survived a late-race battle with three-time National champ Dave Whitlock to take fourth. Polesitter Don Thomson Jr. suffered a flat tire while leading at lap 40 and battled back from a two lap deficit to finish sixth in the MOPAR 250. Thomson’s ability to rebound from potentially devastating setbacks has been a hallmark of each of the National titles he’s collected in the past three seasons. J.R. Fitzpatrick was the top finishing rookie. The Latta Crane Chevy driver climbed two positions, from 13th, to come home 11th in his inaugural CASCAR Super Series outing. The race was slowed 13 times for a total of 90 laps. The second CASCAR Super Series race of the season will take place on Sunday, June 6 at Cayuga Speedway. The Power Water 200 is part of a two-day racing card at the 5/8-mile Hamilton, ON area oval, which will also feature the June 5 (Saturday) season opener for the CARQUEST Series. PHOTO: (l to r) Jeff Lapcevich (2nd), Peter Gibbons (1st) and Scott Steckly (3rd) were the top finishers in Saturday night's MOPAR 250 at Delaware Speedway. The race was postponed by one week by weather. CREDIT: G. MacPherson / Inside Track UNOFFICIAL POINT STANDINGS (TOP 15): 1. #1 Peter Gibbons (167); 2. #23 Jeff Lapcevich; 3. #39 Dave Whitlock (156); 4. #22 Scott Steckly (152); 5. #4 Don Thomson (149); 6. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (148); 7. #17 DJ Kennington (145); 8. #77 Pete Vanderwyst (138); 9. #64 Mark Dilley (136); 10. #33 Neil Fair (132); 11. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (130); 12. #19 Brad Graham (128); 13. #52 Ron Sheridan (126); 14. #28 Steve Robblee (126); 15. #76 Jason Hathaway (124). CASCAR Super Series RESULTS: MOPAR 250 Round #1 // May 29, 2004 // Delaware Speedway London, ON // 250 Laps // 1/2-mile, high-banked oval FIN. ST. # DRIVER (HOMETOWN) SPONSOR / MAKE LAPS 1 5 1 Peter Gibbons (Stouffville, ON) Canadian Tire / Monroe Chevrolet Monte Carlo 250 2 36 23 Jeff Lapcevich (Caistor Centre, ON) Tim Horton’s / Fastline Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo 250 3 8 22 Scott Steckly (Milverton, ON) ERB Group Pontiac Grand Prix 250 4 7 60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Windsor, ON) MOPAR Performance Parts Dodge 250 5 2 39 Dave Whitlock (Wyoming, ON) Avenue / NMT Dodge 250 6 1 4 Don Thomson Jr. (Hamilton, ON) Home Hardware Chevrolet Monte Carlo 250 7 3 17 D.J. Kennington (St. Thomas, ON) Castrol Canada Dodge 250 8 6 64 Mark Dilley (Barrie, ON) NTN Bearings / Global Fasteners Dodge 250 9 20 77 Pete Vanderwyst (St. Thomas, ON) Pontiac Grand Prix 250 10 14 33 Neil Fair (Ancaster, ON) Fairway Transport Dodge 250 11 13 84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) R Latta Crane Chevrolet Monte Carlo 250 12 18 19 Brad Graham (Glencoe, ON) Challenger Motor Frt. Pontiac Grand Prix 250 13 29 52 Ron Sheridan (Strathroy, ON Restoration Masters Pontiac Grand Prix 250 14 21 76 Jason Hathaway (Appin, ON) R Fordham Motors Chevrolet Monte Carlo 250 15 32 28 Steve Robblee (Dorchester, ON) Grogan / CGC Ford Taurus 250 16 4 55 Rob Graham (Bothwell, ON) R G-Dox / Doering Brown Monte Carlo 249 17 15 02 Kerry Micks (Mt. Albert, ON) Ford Taurus 248 18 11 7 Sean Dupuis (LaSalle, ON) Marty’s Garage Chevrolet Monte Carlo 248 19 16 82 Ted McIntyre (Windsor, ON) Pro Air Brush Dodge 248 20 27 81 Shawn McGlynn (Kitchener, ON) Ford Taurus 246 21 23 11 Ron VanEs (Smithville, ON) R Star Van Systems Chevrolet Monte Carlo 246 22 26 32 Mike Alguire (London, ON) A-Dor Construction Pontiac Grand Prix 243 23 30 3 Mark Swain (Stouffville, ON) R Snap-On Tools / General Electric Dodge 240 24 35 91 Doug Day (Kitchener, ON) Chevrolet Monte Carlo 228 25 22 25 Jim Lapcevich (Hamilton, ON) Retrocom Growth Fund / Fastline Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo 220 26 17 50 Pete Shepherd (Brampton, ON) R ATTO Dodge 220 27 31 09 Kent Nuhn (Williamsford, ON) R Pontiac Grand Prix 211 28 24 14 John Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) Cambridge Rigging Chevrolet Monte Carlo 205 29 25 86 Kenny Forth (Lynden, ON) Parkinson Tours / 820 CHAM Ford Taurus 183 30 28 03 Jessie Kennedy (Southwold, ON) Pontiac Grand Prix 173 31 33 43 Bob Merrifield (Belle River, ON) Team Remax Preferred Mortgage Dodge 139 32 10 10 Doug Brown (Brantford, ON) NAPA / Autopro Pontiac Grand Prix 127 33 19 42 Sean Stafford (Springfield, ON) Mid-America Freight Systems Chevrolet Monte Carlo 112 34 34 66 Josh Wood (London, ON) EMC Pontiac Grand Prix 105 35 9 13 Rob Starr (London, ON) R Remax Ron O’Brien Dodge 81 36 12 88 Dave Jacombs (Mt. Hope, ON) Lou’s BBQ Co. / FAG Ford Taurus 38 R after the hometown denotes Rookie contender. TIME OF RACE: 2 hours, 26 minutes and 16 seconds // MARGIN OF VICTORY: 0.333 seconds // CAUTIONS: 13 for a total of 90 laps. // LAP LEADERS: #4 Don Thomson Jr. (1-41), #17 DJ Kennington (42-59), #39 Dave Whitlock (60-140), #77 Pete Vanderwyst (141-163), #28 Steve Robblee (164-229) and #1 Peter Gibbons (230-250).