Full race report can be found here: OSCAAR Kawartha Speedway, August 6, 2010
Sep 202009
Photo Credit – www.acttour.com
Race Story From – www.acttour.com
Eddie MacDonald Takes Inaugural ACT Invitational Checkers
Eddie MacDonald of Rowley, MA won the Inaugural ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. MacDonald came from the 19th starting position and took the lead on lap 36 from young Brandon Watson from Stayner, ON. Watson hung with MacDonald, not more than a car length away and eventually took the lead again on the lap 41 restart. MacDonald would eventually take the lead again for good.
“It was awesome to win the first ACT race here. I’m sure there will be more but winning the first one is special. There were still a lot of fans in the grandstands from after the truck race,” said MacDonald who scored his second win of the weekend after taking the East Series race at NHMS on Friday.
After MacDonald took the lead for the last time the battle of the race became for second. Nick Sweet of Barre, VT and Joey Laquerre from Montpelier, VT caught Watson for second. The three ran under a blanket for the final 7 laps with Sweet getting the advantage and Watson fell back to third after Laquerre momentarily lost the handle. Watson then had to hold off Patrick Laperle from St-Denis, QC for third at the line by a bumper. Laperle had to settle for fourth followed by John Donahue of Graniteville, VT taking fifth. Laquerre held on for sixth followed by Brad Leighton, Brian Hoar, Bruce Thomas, and Joey Polewarczyk, Jr. came home tenth.
Joey Doiron of Berwick, ME got the initial jump on lap one and led by three car lengths over pole sitter Bruce Thomas of Groton, CT by the time they were in turn 2. Doiron then pulled out to a comfortable lead for the first 20 laps before the handling on his car appeared to fade. Thomas was right there to take over followed closely by Ontario’s Brandon Watson. Watson and Thomas battled through lap traffic as the field remained under green for the first 31 laps. That ended when Eric Chase spun in turn two. Watson took the lead on the restart until MacDonald took over the lead after coming from his 19th starting position.
The Inaugural ACT Invitational at New Hampshire was completed in 38 minutes and 32 seconds with only 2 cautions. The lead was swapped five times among four drivers.
The Série ACT Castrol drivers will be back in action tomorrow at St-Eustache Speedway in St-Eustache, QC for a 300 lap to cap off their season. The American Canadian Late Model Tour will finish off their season at Oxford Plains Speedway on Sunday, October 11. Next Sunday, September 27 most of these drivers will show up for the 47th Annual Chittenden Milk Bowl at Thunder Road International Speedbowl.
By Don McLeod
Delaware Speedway hosted 39 Late Models for the APC 300 on Sunday September 6th. Among them was the McColl Racing/Shear Metal Products #9 of Brandon Watson. When time trials were complete, Brandon was 9th quickest at 18.863 seconds. The race format called for Delaware regulars and Invaders in separate races, with the 9 Team among the Invaders.
The 25 lap Invader race had 5X Jesse Kennedy on the pole, followed by #3 DJ Kennington in 2nd and Brandon Watson in 3rd. It was a fairly uneventful race with everyone running conservatively and saving it for the main event. The top three finished their first race in the same order as they qualified. Brandon’s 3rd place finish translated into 6th place on the grid for the 200 lap APC main event.
Starting near the front proved to be good strategy as the carnage mounted through the field. In the end close to half the cars were parked. Fortunately Brandon avoided it all and raced among the top 6 for the entire race. At the checkers it was a podium finish for the 9 Team with 2nd place and a cheque for $2500. Brandon crossed the finish line a car length back of leader #5X Jesse Kennedy and just ahead of 3rd place finisher #49 Rob Clarke.
By Jim Clarke, Kawartha Speedway PR/Clarke Motorsports Communications
It was easily the most perfect racing evening of the season and an excellent way to kick-off the unofficial end of summer. Conditions were ideal as Kawartha Speedway’s 3 weekly divisions gathered Friday, September 4th to welcome the Labour Day Weekend. 50 lap feature events for both the thunder car and mini stock divisions were slated to close out the night of action.
First on the agenda was a pair of NAPA Auto Parts Late Model qualifying events – and it was the kid’s turn to shine as 16 year-olds Brandon Watson and Cole Powell took the checkered flags. Mike Sinopoli and Kelly Wood collected the wins in the late model semi feature and consolation round. The Better Carpet Thunder Cars were next as Joe Sinopoli and 2008 champion Willie Reyns split the heats. The semi feature and consolation event wins went to Norm Mayhew and John Roberts. Qualifying concluded with ‘Too’ Moroney and Cory Martin sharing the Discount Car and Truck Rental Mini Stock heats. Martin was back in the winner’s circle after the semi feature, with Dennis ‘The Menace’ Ambrose earning the mini consolation checkered flag.
By Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications
To gain ground in the track championship standings, you need to finish ahead of your closest rival. While Brandon Watson remains in the hunt for the NAPA Auto Parts Late Model title at Kawartha Speedway, he continues to chase the back bumper of his biggest challenger.
Starting 8th in the 30 lap main event, Watson’s goal was to get the #9 McColl Racing Enterprises-Shear Metal Products-Ken MacKinnon Construction-Plumtech Plumbing-W. Gethons Pumping-Simcoe Building Centre-LaFarge Concrete-Clearview Custom and Collision-AKN Automotive-Torbram Electric Supply-Huronia Landscaping-Bowman Fuels Chevrolet to the front of the pack. He usually finds his car handles well in either lane of Kawartha Speedway’s 3/8th mile layout, but Friday, August 28th the upper groove was the best part of the track for the talented youngster.
“There was just something about the top that made the car come to life,” said Watson. “We used pretty much the same set-up as we always run, but it really got to stretch its legs running the high side.”