CASCAR: Gibbons sweeps the board at Mosport
31 August 1999
KOMOKA, ON Peter Gibbons enjoyed a dominant weekend at the UAP/NAPA presents
the C.A.G. 250 km at Mosport International Raceway on Sunday.
The Stouffville, ON driver qualified his Canadian Tire Chevrolet Monte Carlo on
the pole, won his heat race and then scored the feature victory in the third
round of the four-race CASCAR Castrol Super Series (National).
Gibbons took the lead for good on lap 56 of Sunday’s 64-lap race, passing DJ
Kennington’s Castrol Canada Dodge as the field came out of the last of its
three full course cautions. Robin Buck, who had qualified his UAP/NAPA Pontiac
Grand Prix next to Gibbons on the front row of the grid, took second from
Kennington with a bold move entering the Turn 5 hairpin a lap later, but was
unable to challenge Gibbons as the race wound down. The Oakville, ON racer
finished 4.163 secs. behind the winner for his second straight Mosport
runner-up finish.
Kennington, from St. Thomas, ON, settled for third.
The win was sweet revenge for Gibbons, who had led much of the previous
National round in Edmonton Aug. 15 before a late pit stop dropped him to fourth
at the finish.
“The last time we were out front we couldn’t seem to win. It’s a little easier
to follow,” said Gibbons, who only held the top spot for the first three laps
and the final nine at Mosport.
The shoe was on the other foot for Edmonton winner Don Thomson Jr.,
however. The Hamilton driver started third in his Home Hardware Chevrolet Monte
Carlo and led from laps 4 to 37. A flat tire took him out of fifth spot on lap
52, however, and he was back in the pits three laps later with what he thought
was another flat.
“I’ve been pretty lucky this year so I guess I shouldn’t complain too
much,” said Thomson, who has three victories in the CASCAR Castrol Super Series
(Eastern) points chase in addition to his National win in Edmonton.
Despite suspected suspension damage, Kerry Micks of Mt. Albert, ON took
fourth in the UAP/NAPA presents the C.A.G. 250 km in his Ford Fastlane Ford
Taurus. After a heat race disqualification put him at the back of the 30-car
feature grid, Barrie, ON’s Al Turner made an impressive charge to lead seven
laps and eventually finish fifth in the Blue Streak Hygrade Motor Products
Dodge.
The CASCAR Castrol Super Series (National) swings right back into action
this weekend with its final round, the CARQUEST 500 at Delaware Speedway Park
near London, ON. Action begins Friday with the Blue Streak 100 and Delaware 100
qualifying heats while the feature race, the CARQUEST 300, gets the green flag
at 2:15 p.m. Sunday afternoon. Gibbons is the defending race champion.
UAP/NAPA Presents the C.A.G. 250 km Notes: Wade Lee made an impressive debut in
the Bendix/Valvoline/Choko Chevrolet Monte Carlo campaigned earlier this year
by Bill Rowse Jr. The Calgary racer qualified the car eighth but rose up to
challenge for the lead by lap 9. A rear spring pocket went on the car on lap
43, however, causing Lee to spin and back into the tire wall in Turn 5. He did
return to the pits and managed to soldier on to a 17th place finish. He is
scheduled to race the car again at Delaware this weekend…Another western driver
to enjoy an impressive run at Mosport was Edmonton’s Kevin Dowler, who finished
sixth in the Ford of Canada/Engine Rebuilders Ford Taurus after starting 26th on
the grid. Dowler suffered blown engines on Friday and Saturday and was forced
to race his oval car when the road course Taurus couldn’t be prepared in time
for Saturday’s qualifying heat race. To complicate matters, he continued to
experience pain from the broken shoulder blade he suffered earlier in the
summer.
***
Unofficial National Points Standings after Round #3 of 4 / As of August 30,
1999: 1. #1 Peter Gibbons (1,318 points / Chevrolet); 2. #4E Don Thomson Jr.
(1,288 / Chevrolet); 3. #17 DJ Kennington (1,268 / Dodge); 4. #02 Kerry Micks
(1,198 / Ford); 5. #77 Pete Vanderwyst (1,192 / Chevrolet); 6. #35 Kevin Dowler
(1,172 / Ford); 7. #66 Robin Buck (1,158 / Pontiac); 8. #76 Al Turner (1,138 /
Dodge); 9. #33E Neil Fair (1,110 / Chevrolet); 10. #98 Dave Whitlock (1,110 /
Ford); 11. #2 Carl Harr (1,102 / Chevrolet); 12. #4W Daryl Harr (1,074 /
Chevrolet); 13. #31 Kelly Williams (1,046 / Ford); 14. #64 Mark Dilley (1,038 /
Ford); 15. #60 Ron Beauchamp (1,028 / Dodge); 16. #14E John Fitzpatrick (1,026
/ Chevrolet); 17. #5E Nik Lapcevich (990 / Chevrolet); 18. #79 Wade Lee (906 /
Pontiac); 19. #88 Dave Jacombs (898 / Ford); 20. #33W Don Sales (848 /
Chevrolet); 21. #20 Kim Richard (820 / Chevrolet); 22. #52 Bill Rowse Jr (812 /
Chevrolet); 23. #46 Dan Shirley (806 / Chevrolet); 24. #44 Fred DelPero (802 /
Ford); 25. #12 Ron Larson (758 / Pontiac); 26. #93 Charlie Kirton (758 /
Chevrolet); 27. #6 Todd Nichol (754 / Chevrolet); 28. #70 John Restemeyer (682
/ Pontiac); 29. #04 Andy Farr (634 / Dodge); 30. #5 Steve Jefferson (580 /
Dodge); 31. #67 Derrick Tiemersma (556 / Pontiac); 32. Jim Lapcevich (532 /
Ford); 33. #15 Mike Browne (532 / Pontiac); 34. #90 Brad Jacques (502 / Dodge);
35. #6 Ron VanEvery (476 / Chevrolet)