'It always feels good to win, but a race like this with guys from other tracks and series, it makes it that much more special,' says Jordan Howse
NEWS RELEASE
SUNSET SPEEDWAY
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Last Saturday at Sunset Speedway marked the second annual Junior Hanley Classic, honouring Junior Hanley, a Canadian stock car driver and race car builder, and overall Canadian racing legend.
Over his career, starting in the early 1960s, Hanley has gone on to collect many championships with many different sanctioning bodies as well as crown jewel wins across North America and is one of the most recognized names among short track racers.
In his honour the GD Coates Pro Late division had a 172 feature race, sponsored by NTN Bearings. Along with the pro late division, Struyk Energy Systems Mini Stocks, the St. Onge Super Stocks, and as a special treat the CPS Junior Late models race No. 2 of the Elmer’s Flighting Supply Big 3 Series.
Starting with the youngest drivers of the night, Sunset’s Junior Late model division saw a variety of drivers in victory lane throughout the evening with some of the best racing for the division so far this season.
Heat race wins went to Keegan Moat (No. 52) and Cole Kamrath (No. 51). For the feature race, it seemed that the race's three leaders, Davenport, Cole Kamrath, and Caleb McConnel (No. 01) were playing musical chairs with each other, all fighting for that first place win. At the end Kamrath took third, following Davenport in second, and McConnel taking home first place.
McConnel said:“This win makes me feel so great, especially to be able to beat these two great drivers who I’ve raced against a bunch and we raced clean, what a way to win.”
Moving into the St. Onge Recreation Super stocks division saw Johnny Morrison (No. 83) and Shawn Chenoweth (No. 89C.) score wins. The 30-lap feature event saw Paul Pepper (No. 29) jump to the early lead and do his best to distance himself from the field.
At the tail of the field, Chenoweth slowly and methodically worked his way through the field after being required to start at the rear on his first night of competition. As the race wound down the gap between the two closed quickly. With a few laps remaining Chenoweth got a nose to the inside of Pepper off of Turn 2 and was able to clear the 29 car and cruise to Ideal Supply Victory Lane. Pepper would finish second Miles Tyson (No. 49) finishing 3rd.
“I can’t thank the folks at Stewart’s Equipment enough. This is their car and they picked me to drive it and it’s bad fast. We just had to be patient coming through the field and it worked out.” Chenoweth said post race. “You guys have a big show next Sunday so we will be back coming for the big cheque”
For the Struyk Energy Systems Mini Stocks Coleridge Phinnemore (No. 80) and Jacob Sutcliffe (No. 27) picking up qualifying heat wins. For the 25-lap feature, McGlashan and Phinnemore battled for the lead early, but contact between the two off of Turn 2saw the pair spin drawing the caution with the pair being sent to the trail of the field.
By the end of the feature,McGlashan was able to rally to third, Sutcliffe came home second and Blaise Shaw (No. 81) scored his first win of the season.
Shaw said:“I couldn’t have asked for the race to go any better. The first caution put us in the lead as I just narrowly missed being involved.”
Blaise added that he didn’t want to see the second caution as he had just gotten comfortable in his first place position.
“I was able to get away again and bring it home to victory lane which always feels awesome to get a win, but having damn near my whole family there so that just made it even more special!”
The Headlining Junior Hanley Classic presented by NTN Bearings saw Jake Sheridan lead the field to green after winning the Epic Racewear Pole award with a time of 14.552 seconds. As the field roared to green outside Pole Sitter Josh Stade (No. 17) jumped to the lead in Turn 1 before Sheridan was able to find his footing and power his way to the front.
Stade would eventually work his way back to the lead with Sheridan being shuffle back to fourth on the high side and Rick Spencer-Walt (No.38) and Jo Lawrence (No. 78) moving into third.
As the field worked towardLap 100, Spencer-Walt would move to the lead and distance himself from the field. A caution sawSpencer-Walt duck to pit road with his team going to work under the hood on his No. 38 machine. The team made repairs to the sway bar on the car with Spencer-Walt joined the field just ahead of the leaders fighting to stay on the lead lap.
As the field worked its way to the Lap 100 break, a new challenger emerged and it was Mike Bentley (No. 51), who would swap the lead back and forth several times with Sheridan. Bentley would get the better of the battle as the competition caution flew. Sheridan jumped back to the lead with Bentley to second, but Jordan Howse (No. 8) had now worked his way to third eventually working past Bentley and getting to the rear bumper of Sheridan.
Another driver on the move was Dwayne Baker (No. 48), who had conserved his equipment through the early portion of the race Baker would make the move to third, moving Bentley back to fourth and as that happened Howse made the move for the lead on Sheridan.
As the race wore on, Howse would check out with Baker and Lawrence working their way to second and third, respectively. Howse continued to build his lead working into lapped traffic with Lawrence closing in on Baker for the second spot.
At the end, Lawrence was able to best Baker for the second spot with a spirited battle in the waning laps, but it was Jordan Howse scoring the biggest win of his career and a $15,000 cheque.
Howse was greeted by crew and family and representatives from NTN Bearings in Victory Lane.
“It always feels good to win, but a race like this with guys from other tracks and series, it makes it that much more special. There are a few regular night guys that are always in contention for a win, then you throw in guys like Josh Stade and Jo Lawrence and you really have to be on your ‘A’ game,” said a joyous Howse.
“I owe a lot of what I have learned to Junior. He would come and watch me run go-karts and mentored me through much of my career. I spent a lot of time working with Junior in his shop and I want to thank Junior’s wife, Rita, for all the meals when I was working in the shop. It's special to win this one.”
Kicking off August’s month of racing will be the much anticipated Flyin’ Frank 49 race and Pit Party this Sunday, Aug.4. A 49-lap, $4,900 Invitational for the St. Onge Recreation Super Stocks will pay honour to the late Frank Davey, a multi-time Super Stock track champion, along with Struyk Energy Systems Mini Stocks, Junior’s Haulage Bone Stocks, CPS Junior Late Models, LUDUH Hot Rods and returning for the third week in a row will be the GD Coates Pro Late division.
Don’t forget that this weekend’s race will start at 2p.m.,so that there is time to meet racers and get up close to all your favourite race cars, after the last checkered flag with the Pit Party.
For more information, please visit www.sunsetspeedway.com.
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