CASCAR: Delaware Qualifying & Starting Grid
CASCAR Super Series Delaware: Great Canadian 300 Qualifying & Starting Grid September 4, 2004 Don Thomson takes his seventh pole of season in advance of the APC-CANUSA Great Canadian 300 LONDON, ON - On Saturday afternoon at Delaware Speedway, Don Thomson continued to display the qualifying prowess that has been the hallmark of his 2004 CASCAR Super Series season when he won his seventh pole of the season. Counting tomorrow's APC-CANUSA Great Canadian 300, the Home Hardware Chevy driver will have started on the pole in each of the past four races, going back to Calgary's MOPAR 300 at the beginning of August. The three-time and defending Super Series champ lapped the half-mile Delaware oval in 19.470 seconds at a speed of 92.450 miles per hour. Dave Whitlock of nearby Wyoming, ON will line up on the outside of the front row in Sunday's 300 lap feature event. The Avenue Motor Works / NMT Dodge driver is the only other three-time National champion in CASCAR history. Between them, the front-row starters have collected a total of six CASCAR Super Series crowns. In addition to his impressive string of qualifying performances entering the Great Canadian 300, Thomson is also riding a two-race winning streak; one that has propelled him to the top of the point standings as he battles to win his fourth consecutive National title. Peter Gibbons led the points chase since the start of the season, but saw Thomson power past him in that race during August. The Canadian Tire Chevy driver sits second in the standings but will have his work cut out for him on Sunday as a result of his car being deemed to be 'too low' during post-qualifying technical inspection. The Stouffville, ON driver has been impressive at Delaware throughout his career and will need to do well, once again, if he's to keep his chances for a third title alive with just one race to go following tomorrow's race. Gibbons will start 34th in the 35-car field for the Great Canadian 300. Spectator gates for the APC-CANUSA Great Canadian 300 at Delaware Speedway will open at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday, while the next-to-last CASCAR Super Series race of the season is scheduled to take the green flag at 2:00 p.m. THOMSON POLE NOTES: Don Thomson's Delaware pole was his seventh of the 2004 season, in 11 events. He has started on the inside of the front row in every oval event this season, except for two. Dave Whitlock was the top qualifier for the Peterborough Speedway race in June, while rookie Pete Shepherd sat on the pole for the Canada Day Shootout, at Cayuga 2000 Speedway, in July. Earlier this season, Thomson became the all-time top qualifier in CASCAR history when he passed former record-holder Steve Robblee. Sunday's race will be the 21st time in his career that Thomson will lead the field to the green. APC-CANUSA GREAT CANADIAN RACE WEEKEND SCHEDULE SUNDAY, SEPT. 5, 2004 11:00 a.m. Spectator Gates Open 11:15 12:15 p.m. CASCAR Driver Autograph Session 12:35 p.m. Parade Lap 1:30 p.m. Introductions & Anthems 2:00 p.m. START: APC CANUSA GREAT CANADIAN 300 CASCAR ON TV: The Mosport Speedway 200 will air on SPORTSNET on Monday, September 6 at 7:00 p.m. For information regarding initial airings and replays of Super Series races on SPORTSNET, please check your local listings or visit http://www.cascar.ca/schedule/tv_schedule.html. CASCAR Super Series STARTING GRID: APC / CANUSA GREAT CANADIAN 300 Round #11 // September 5, 2004 // Delaware Speedway London, ON // 300 Laps // 1/2-Mile, Banked Oval ST. # DRIVER (HOMETOWN) SPONSOR / MAKE LAP TIME / SPEED 1 4 Don Thomson Jr. (Hamilton, ON) Home Hardware Chevrolet Monte Carlo 19.470 SECS. / 92.450 MPH 2 39 Dave Whitlock (Wyoming, ON) Avenue Motor Works / NMT Dodge 19.500 / 92.308 3 22 Scott Steckly (Milverton, ON) ERB Group Pontiac Grand Prix 19.578 / 91.940 4 02 Kerry Micks (Mt. Albert, ON) Power Water Ford Taurus 19.625 / 91.720 5 84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON) R Cambridge Rigging Chevrolet Monte Carlo 19.671 / 91.505 6 17 DJ Kennington (St. Thomas, ON) Castrol Canada Dodge 19.679 / 91.468 7 64 Mark Dilley (Barrie, ON) NTN Bearings Dodge 19.695 / 91.394 8 52 Ron Sheridan (Strathroy, ON) Restoration Masters Pontiac Grand Prix 19.708 / 91.333 9 50 Pete Shepherd (Brampton, ON) R ATTO Dodge 19.738 / 91.195 10 76 Jason Hathaway (Appin, ON) E.L. Fordham Motors / TSC Stores Chevrolet Monte Carlo 19.751 / 91.135 11 60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Windsor, ON) MOPAR Parts / Exide Dodge 19.796 / 90.927 12 77 Pete Vanderwyst (St. Thomas, ON) CANUSA Pontiac Grand Prix 19.807 / 90.877 13 23 Jeff Lapcevich (Caistor Centre, ON) Tim Horton's / Fastline Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo 19.815 / 90.840 14 28 Steve Robblee (Dorchester, ON) McRoberts Fuel / Grogan Ford Taurus 19.820 / 90.817 15 88 Dave Jacombs (Mt. Hope, ON) Lou's BBQ / Inroble / FAG Ford Taurus 19.833 / 90.758 16 25 Jim Lapcevich (Hamilton, ON) Retrocom Growth Fund / Fastline Chevrolet Monte Carlo 19.863 / 90.621 17 82 Ted McIntyre (Windsor, ON) Pro Air Brush Dodge 19.876 / 90.561 18 7 Sean Dupuis (LaSalle, ON) Marty's Garage Chevrolet Monte Carlo 19.878 / 90.552 19 3 Stu Robinson Jr. (Holland Landing, ON) R Snap-On Tools / General Electric Dodge 19.898 / 90.461 20 11 Ron VanEs (Smithville, ON) Star Van Systems Chevrolet Monte Carlo 19.943 / 90.257 21 10 Doug Brown (Brantford, ON) NAPA / Autopro Chevrolet Monte Carlo 19.985 / 90.068 22 19 Brad Graham (Glencoe, ON) Challenger Motor Frt. / Volvo Trucks / Logel's Pontiac Grand Prix 20.043 / 89.807 23 93 Joe Goncalves (Concord, ON) Bolt-On Performance Chevrolet Monte Carlo 20.084 / 89.624 24 32 Mike Alguire (London, ON) A-Dor Construction Pontiac Grand Prix 20.126 / 89.437 25 55 Rob Graham (Bothwell, ON) R G-Dox / Doering Brown Monte Carlo PROVISIONAL 26 86 Kenny Forth (Lynden, ON) Parkinson Tours / 820 CHAM Ford Taurus PROVISIONAL 27 03 Jesse Kennedy (Southwold, ON) A Dream Limousine Pontiac Grand Prix PROVISIONAL 28 43 Bob Merrifield (Belle River, ON) Team Remax Preferred Dodge PROVISIONAL 29 09 Kent Nuhn (Williamsford, ON) R Pontiac Grand Prix PROVISIONAL 30 44 Marv Wilder (Toronto, ON) Longbow Freight Systems Ford Taurus PROVISIONAL 31 66 Josh Wood (London, ON) R EMC Technical Svcs. Pontiac Grand Prix PROVISIONAL 32 46 Kevin Trevellin (LaSalle, ON) JD Pranksters Tap & Eatery Ford Taurus PROVISIONAL 33 5 Nik Lapcevich (Hamilton, ON) Chevrolet Monte Carlo PROVISIONAL 34 1 Peter Gibbons (Stouffville, ON) Canadian Tire / Monroe Brakes Chevrolet Monte Carlo DQ Too Low 35 42 Sean Stafford (Springfield, ON) Mid-America Freight Systems Chevrolet Monte Carlo DQ Too Low R after the hometown denotes Rookie contender.