CASCAR: Vanderwyst finishes Eastern season in second place
17 September 1999
ST. THOMAS, ON - The CASCAR Castrol Super Series East concluded its 1999 season on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 12) at New Brunswick Int'l Speedway, in Fredericton, NB. Pete Vanderwyst entered the race in second place in the Eastern point standings; a handful of points behind season-long points leader Don Thomson Jr. Following Saturday afternoon's time trials and heat races, Vanderwyst's #77 Loctite Chevrolet Monte Carlo would line up ninth on the grid for Sunday's 200 lap feature race. After 20 laps, Vanderwyst was up to sixth place in the field of 22. That's where the St. Thomas, ON racer would run for the majority of the remaining 180 laps. At the finish of the CARQUEST 200, Vanderwyst finished on the bumper of the fifth-finishing Thomson and wrapped up his season in second place in the final Eastern point standings; just 34 markers back of Thomson. Although he would have liked to have captured the Eastern championship, Vanderwyst was pleased with the runner-up result in the final standings and is looking for more next season. "We're happy. We wanted to be able to race for it," said the Loctite Chevy driver, after the season finale in New Brunswick. "We finished sixth... one behind Donnie [Thomson]. He was right there and I had a lot of things going through my mind... but spinning him wasn't one of them. It was a good race. We're happy to come home second this season. We had a great year and it's just a case of where we have to step it up a bit for next year." Looking back at the season as a whole, the Loctite team made exceptional progress in '99. They added a degree of consistency to their program that had been lacking in the past and managed to get a few good breaks along the way. "We've made great strides this year. We've had a lot more good luck than bad, compared to last year where I couldn't have found a break if it fell on top of me. We had flat tire and motor trouble last year and we put that behind us in '99. We ran up front, qualified well, ran well and finished well. That's just the way it goes. We gave it our all and all you can say is 'congratulations to Donnie and his team'. Donnie ran a very smart race today and we just ran him clean. Something was going to have to happen to him not to win the title today and he kept his nose clean and earned it." In terms of highlights this past season, Vanderwyst didn't hesitate in pinpointing his favourite memory. "Definitely Calgary," recalled Vanderwyst, who picked up his first CASCAR Castrol Super Series feature win on Aug. 8 in the opening National championship race of the season. "There's nothing like winning. We also remember the track record and the pole at Ste. Croix (QC). We've had some highs and a few lows, and the goal now is to make even more strides next season." After finishing second in the East and fourth in the National championship, Vanderwyst showed dramatic improvement - in terms of results - in both of the CASCAR championships in which he competed this year. "I'd just like to thank my team and the people at Loctite for their support this year and I hope they're as proud as I am with what we've achieved. Next year, we'll be back with another year of experience under our belts with an eye to earning our first CASCAR championship." Final Point Standings CASCAR Castrol Super Series (Eastern Series) / As of Sept. 12, 1999: 1. # 4 Don Thomson Jr. (1564 points / Chevrolet); 2. # 77 Pete Vanderwyst (1530 / #77 Loctite Chevrolet); 3. # 17 DJ Kennington (1494 / Dodge); 4. # 02 Kerry Micks (1492 / Ford); 5. # 1 Peter Gibbons (1462 / Chevrolet); 6. # 33 Neil Fair (1456 / Chevrolet); 7. # 98 Dave Whitlock (1378 / Ford); 8. # 60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (1370 / Dodge); 9. # 64 Mark Dilley (1366 / Ford); 10. # 31 Kelly Williams (1354 / Ford) For more information, contact Vanderwyst Motorsports at (519) 652-3900. // Prepared By Inside Track Communications
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