CASCAR Castrol Super Series
16 September 1999
CASCAR Castrol Super Series Jefferson leads Western points with one race remaining CALGARY, AB - The final event of the CASCAR Castrol Super Series season takes place this weekend at Calgary's Race City Motorsport Park. The Western season closer will see Prince George, BC racer Steve Jefferson enter the Western Castrol Super Series Final 150 with a solid 52 point lead over Dan Shirley in his quest for his first CASCAR crown. Jefferson's Mopar Batteries Dodge has been hot in the second half of the Western season and by finishing second this past weekend in Regina, SK, the CASCAR veteran propelled himself to the top of the standings. Shirley ended up 18th at King's Park Speedway on Saturday and lost the points lead for the first time this season. In terms of favourites for victory in the Race City event this Saturday (Sept. 18), Shirley has to be considered one to watch. The NTN Bearings Chevy driver won the season opener at Race City, back in May, and is motivated to recover the championship he won back in '97. Also, Kevin Dowler is running strong again, apparently completely healed following the broken shoulder he suffered during practice in Prince George, BC, earlier this summer. The Ford Quality Care Service Taurus driver is coming off a win this past weekend in Regina, which made him the only double race winner on the CASCAR West tour this season. Dowler is not in the running for the points championship, but believes his program is in top shape and would like nothing better than to win his third of the season, in the seventh and final CASCAR Castrol Super Series West race of '99. Following his win at Regina, Dowler said, "I've had a tough enough year, so getting one like that didn't really bother me that much. It doesn't make up for trying to knock the wall down at Prince George [BC], but if we have it running that well again this weekend at Race City, then life's good. The car's been run and beat and bruised, but it still keeps going." Qualifying for the Race City 150 starts with time trials at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 18) and will be followed by the heat races at 7:00. The Western Castrol Super Series Final 150 will commence soon after. CASCAR Castrol Super Series West Points / As of Sept. 11, 1999: 1. #5 Steve Jefferson (1022 points / Dodge); 2. #46 Dan Shirley (970 / Chevrolet); 3. #33 Don Sales (948 / Chevrolet); 4. #20 Kim Richard (940 / Chevrolet); 5. #4 Daryl Harr (910 / Chevrolet); 6. #2 Carl Harr (904 / Chevrolet); 7. #44 Fred DelPero (902 / Ford); 8. #12 Ron Larson (880 / Pontiac); 9. #15 Mike Browne (838 / Pontiac); 10. #93 Charlie Kirton (826 / Chevrolet); 11. #35 Kevin Dowler (822 / Ford); 12. #6 Todd Nichol (812 / Chevrolet); 13. #79 Wade Lee (776 / Pontiac); 14. #14 James VanDomselaar (498 / Pontiac); 15. #45 Darren Swerid (366 / Pontiac); 16. #70 John Restemeyer (346 / Pontiac); 17. #43 Dallas Mayert (284 / Pontiac); 18. #13 Bobby-Joe Wilson (254 / Chevrolet); 19. #21 Nick Allen (254 / Chevrolet); 20. #74 Dennis Masse (252 / Dodge) Thomson takes first CASCAR (East) crown KOMOKA, ON - The CASCAR Castrol Super Series East held its ninth and final race of the 1999 season on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 11) at Fredericton, NB's New Brunswick Int'l Speedway. Several drivers had cause to celebrate following the conclusion of the CARQUEST 200. Young DJ Kennington, driver of the Castrol Dodge, started on the outside pole for the 200 lap race and jumped past polesitter Ron Beauchamp Jr. on the second lap. That would be the final lead change of the race as the St. Thomas, ON racer would survive several restarts en route to his second career Super Series feature win. "It feels really good," smiled Kennington, later in the pits. "I've been waiting a long time for this. Everyone's been working hard toward this. We've had a fast car pretty well everywhere we went this year, but there were times I was starting to think we'd never win one of these again." Blue Streak Dodge driver Al Turner (Barrie, ON) ended his season with another strong run and finished second for the sixth time this year. Newly crowned National champion Peter Gibbons was ruled to be an 'involved' car in an early race incident and recovered from the back of the pack to claim the final podium position in his Canadian Tire / Slick 50 Chevrolet. If Kennington was pleased to win in New Brunswick, then Don Thomson Jr. was ecstatic with his fifth-place result. The Home Hardware Chevy racer entered the event with a secure points lead over his nearest championship rival; Pete Vanderwyst. Thomson's task in the CARQUEST 200 was to keep out of trouble and not let Vanderwyst's Loctite Chevy get too far ahead of him. That's exactly what the Hamilton, ON racer did. In the end, Vanderwyst finished on Thomson's bumper and the four-race winner in '99 won his first CASCAR title by 34 points over Vanderwyst, who held for second in the final standings. "That's the biggest day in my racing career," said Thomson. "To come along and win a championship is really something. We've won races before, but never a championship. It's a big step for us and Home Hardware. The difference this year was consistency. We finished races this year, whereas last year, we ran into problems, like you will with a first year team." 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 / 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); 11. # 67 Derrick Tiemersma (1348 / Pontiac); 12. # 14 John Fitzpatrick (1338 / Chevrolet); 13. # 76 Al Turner (1324 / Dodge); 14. # 51 Al Long (1320 / Chevrolet); 15. # 66 Robin Buck (1282 / Pontiac); 16. # 04 Andy Farr (1236 / Dodge); 17. # 22 Scott Steckly (1232 / Pontiac); 18. # 5 Nik Lapcevich (1214 / Chevrolet); 19. # 97 Rob Neely (1134 / Dodge); 20. # 99 Scott Watkins (1126 / Pontiac); 21. # 8 Ted McIntyre (960 / Dodge); 22. # 25 Jim Lapcevich (904 / Ford); 23. # 90 Brad Jacques (834 / Dodge); 24. # 94 Mark Graham (824 / Chevrolet); 25. # 52 Bill Rowse Jr. (800 / Chevrolet); 26. # 57 Joe Gonsalves (794 / Chevrolet); 27. # 88 Dave Jacombs (698 / Ford); 28. # 28 Steve Robblee (682 / Ford); 29. # 6 Ron VanEvery (636 / Chevrolet); 30. # 96 Bill Darmon (544 / Pontiac)