WILROC SPRINT CARS
“STRAWBERRY CUP”,
WILROC LITES and OTRA
(Jim Haslam Memorial / Hall of Fame Race)
June 14th, 2008
Strawberry Cup Survives Everything Except A Hurricane.
Close to a full house witnessed some of the best racing Western Speedway has seen this year. After a beautiful rendition of Oh Canada, performed by singers Angela and Lisa Harris, fans saw the debut of the new WilRoc Lites Series, the O.T.R.A. Series, and the winged WilRoc Sprintcar Series. On a night that also saw the re-opening of the revived Hall of Fame Museum, the O.T.R.A. Series ran for the Jim Haslam Memorial Trophy and the WilRoc Sprint Car Series running for the prestigious Strawberry Cup. The WilRoc Lites, running wingless, are cheaper to run than their winged counterparts, designed to interest those who may wish to move up to the higher ranks, and are a handful to keep on the track.
In Feature event action, for the Lites, Brian Bickford and Natalie Garrett held the front row for the green flag and twenty laps of racing. Bickford got the lead early and led for the first five laps and surrendered same to Jessie Dardengo on lap six. Dardengo, moving from the O.T.R.A. Series hung on to the lead, briefly losing it on lap 15 but getting it back one lap later, took the first ever win in WilRoc Lites for 2008. He was followed to the line by Bickford and Deter Lejeune.
Twenty-five laps would make up the distance for the O.T.R.A. Series that had Dano Ryan on the pole with Ron Simpson on the outside. By the end of the first lap, Hugh Glover, from his fourth starting spot, grabbed the lead bringing Dean Gill with him to second spot. Dan Morneau, who started tenth, jumped up to run third by the second lap. Gill took over the lead on lap six but had Morneau running side by side for a couple of laps until Morneau made the pass complete on lap eight. A couple of brief caution laps for spinning cars didn’t slow the pace much and Morneau went on to win the Jim Haslam Memorial Trophy followed by Jim Rankin and Denis Morneau. Dan Morneau was greeted at Victory Square by four generations of Haslams that included Lorraine, Roy, Mike, Robbie, and grand children to present the trophy.
Darren Yates had the pole for the start of the Strawberry Cup Feature with Jeff “The Hurricane” Montgomery on his outside. Earlier in Heat race action, as the field was to get the green, Yate’s car did not respond as the field came out of turn 4. Matt Mansell and Randy Price had no where to go and the three crashed causing a fair amount of damage. Darren was able to stay on the track while Mansell and Price entered the pits for repairs. Just a few laps of green flag racing, Yates hit the wall sending him to the pits for repairs and repair they did. All the cars that were involved in the Heat race wreck made the necessary repairs and joined the field for the finale and what a finale it was.
Yates grabbed the lead with the drop of the flag and had Montgomery glued to his bumper for the first thirty laps. Montgomery tried, on several occasions to get by on the inside of Yates touching and bumping going through turn one and each time Yates shut the door. Behind these two another battle was taking shape as Guy Barrett, and two-time winner of this event, Scott Aumen, were dicing for the third and fourth spot. Aumen passed Barrett for third on lap nine and lap ten went by Montgomery into second. Montgomery followed Aumen until the nineteenth lap when he regained the second position sending Aumen back to third and Barrett to fourth. On lap 31, Montgomery blasted by the #91 car of Yates and into the lead. Aumen then put pressure on Yates taking the second spot on lap thirty-two. Barrett and Yates battled to see who would claim the third spot and it was Barrett winning that battle on the final lap. “The Hurricane” Jeff Montgomery went on to the checkered flag with Aumen finishing second and Barrett in third. Of all the races and Championships this Vancouver Island driver has won, this marked his first ever Strawberry Cup victory in a great, great race with the high octane WilRoc Sprint Cars.
Next Saturday night marks the return of the Dwarf Cars, the Sportsman Series, and the very competitive V.I. Rentals Stock Car Series. Also on Thursday, the 19th, the 2008 debut for the Hornet and Bumblebee Series.OLD TIME RACERS (OTRA)
Fast Time: #23 Dan Morneau 18:104
B DASH: Dean Gill; Terry Cessford; Bob Marin; James Campbell
A DASH: Jim Rankin; Dan Morneau; Denis Morneau; Larry Joyce
1st HEAT:Hugh Glover; Stephen Dardengo; Dano Ryan; Doug Morton
2nd HEAT:Bob Marin; Dan Morneau; Jim Rankin; Denis Morneau
MAIN: Dan Morneau; Jim Rankin; Denis Morneau; Dean Gill; Bob Marin
WILROC LITES
Fast Time: #23 Rob Morneau 16:613 (Track Record)
DASH: Rob Morneau; Jesse Dardingo; Richard Lejeune; Marc Parkinson
1st HEAT: Richard Lejeune; Brian Bickford; Jesse Dardingo; Jack Hawers
2nd HEAT: Jesse Dardingo; Brian Bickford; Rob Morneau; Jim Giles
MAIN: Jesse Dardingo; Brian Bickford; Richard Lejeune; Marc Parkinson; Jim Giles
WILROC SPRINT CARS
Fast Time: #14 Matt Mansell 14:074
B DASH: Richie Larson; Randy Vincent; Jeff Montgomery; Darren Yates
A DASH: Randy Price; Guy Barrett; Scott Aumen; Matt Mansell
1st HEAT: Rob Scott; Jim McKay; Mark Fisher; Joe Dardingo
2nd HEAT: Jeff Montgomery; Guy Barrett; Scott Aumen; Randy Vincent
MAIN: Jeff Montgomery; Scott Aumen; Guy Barrett; Darren Yates; Jim McKayStory and Photos by Ken Keating, Illusion Models
