CASCAR: Thomson adds to his points lead in Chicoutimi
6 July 2000
LONDON, ON - Following a one-day rain delay, the CASCAR Castrol Super Series East held its sixth event of the 2000 racing season on Monday afternoon at Autodrome Chicoutimi, north of Quebec City. Home Hardware Chevrolet driver Don Thomson Jr., of Hamilton, ON, entered the race atop the point standings and - on the strength of his second Super Series victory in three weeks - bumped his leading margin to 33 markers over Peter Gibbons (977 to 944). Thomson, started on the pole for the 150-lap race and had his way on the 1/3-mile oval, leading all but three laps of the AutoPro 150. At the finish, the defending Super Series East champ came across the line 3.4 seconds ahead of Ford Taurus drivers Dave Jacombs and Dave Whitlock, who completed the podium finishers. Now, all eyes turn to Toronto and the Exide '99 Street Fight. The July 14-16 Toronto Molson Indy street circuit race is the penultimate event on the 2000 Castrol Super Series East schedule. This year's CASCAR appearance on the streets of Toronto follows on the heels of its hugely successful debut, last summer, during which former road racer Robin Buck - now a CASCAR veteran - posted an impressive victory in the hotly contested affair. This year's CASCAR race at the Indy will be a breakthrough of sorts, for CASCAR, as it will be the first ever CASCAR event broadcast live on national television. CTV Sportsnet will air the race on Saturday afternoon, July 15. This weekend: OK Tire 150 - Gold Pan Speedway Weekend Schedule: The CASCAR Castrol Super Series West resumes this weekend with Saturday night's OK Tire 150, at Gold Pan Speedway, in Quesnel, BC. The fourth race on the western schedule will be the first of the season in British Columbia. The OK Tire 150 will be a homecoming for a pair of Quesnel natives who compete on the circuit. Don Sales, who drives the Skoal Inc. Chevrolet Monte Carlo, sits sixth in the standings after three events, while fellow Chevy driver, Ron Larson, is seventh. Heading into the weekend's action, former Western champion Dan Shirley enjoys a slim points lead over the father and son team of Carl and Daryl Harr, who are second and third, respectively. Defending series champ, Steve Jefferson of Prince George, BC, won the CASCAR race at Gold Pan Speedway in '99 in dominant fashion. Driving a Dodge, Jefferson - who now campaigns the Mopar Batteries / Sandman Inn Intrepid - won by almost four seconds over Carl Harr and Don Sales. Time trials for the OK Tire 150 commence at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday night (July 8), with the racing action slated for 7:00. CASCAR Notebook: The Inside Track Motorsport News / CASCAR / Exide '99 Street Fight Celebration at Vinnie's (Toronto) will kick-off the Molson Indy festivities for CASCAR fans. Open to all fans, the party will feature great food, lots of drivers, racing video games as well as a silent auction for charity. The event takes place Wednesday, July 12 and runs from 7:00 p.m. until closing. Vinnie's is located at 22 Duncan Street (at Adelaide) in the downtown 'entertainment district'. For more information, call Alison at Inside Track Communications, at (416) 962-7223. In other CASCAR news, the Aug. 6 Eastern series finale at Autodrome St-Eustache has been lengthened to 200 laps from its originally scheduled 150 lap distance. CASCAR Castrol Super Series East Point Standings: As of July 3, 2000 - After 6 Rounds (Unofficial): 1. #4 Don Thomson Jr. (Hamilton, ON / Chevrolet / 977 points); 2. #1 Peter Gibbons (Stouffville, ON / Chevrolet / 944) 3. #88 Dave Jacombs (Mt Hope, ON / Ford / 901); 4. #76 Al Turner (Barrie, ON / Intrepid / 877); 5. #64 Mark Dilley (Barrie, ON / Ford / 856); 6. #17 DJ Kennington (St Thomas, ON / Dodge / 853); 7. #98 Dave Whitlock (Petrolia, ON / Ford / 841); 8. #22 Scott Steckly (Milverton, ON / Pontiac / 811); 9. #33 Neil Fair (Ancaster, ON / Chevrolet / 807); 10. #14 John Fitzpatrick (Ayr, ON / Chevrolet / 768); 11. #77 Pete Vanderwyst (St Thomas, ON / Chevrolet / 761) 12. #60 Ron Beauchamp Jr. (Windsor, ON / Intrepid / 748); 13. #66 Robin Buck (Oakville, ON / Pontiac / 739); 14. #99 Brad Jacques (Mt Brydges, ON / Intrepid / 732); 15. #02 Kerry Micks (Mt Albert, ON / Ford / 728); 15. #04 Andy Farr (Chesterfield, MI / Intrepid / 728); 17. #51 Al Long (Ottawa, ON / Chevrolet / 717); 18. #03 Jason McLellan (Mount Forest, ON / Dodge / 698); 19. #80 Donald Theetge (Boischatel, QC / Chevrolet / 636); 20. #3 Chris Fowler (Stirling, ON / Chevrolet / 635); 21. #27 John Restemeyer (Ottawa, ON / Chevrolet / 632); 22. #57 Joe Gonsalves (Concord, ON / Chevrolet / 576); 23. #31 Kelly Williams (Inglewood, ON / Ford / 508); 24. #5 Nik Lapcevich (Hamilton, ON / Chevrolet / 468); 25. #74 Richard Beauchamp (Ormstown, QC / Ford / 454); 26. #48 Doug Cathcart (Carp, ON / Chevrolet / 398); 27. #25 Jim Lapcevich (Hamilton, ON / Chevrolet / 388); 28. #07 Sean Dupuis (Windsor, ON / Chevrolet / 368); 29. #67 Derrick Tiemersma (Newmarket, ON / Pontiac / 310); 29. #23 Jeff Lapcevich (Ancaster, ON / Ford / 310) by Inside Track Communications.