"100 LAP" VI RENTALS STOCK CARS, SPORTSMAN, and MINI STOCKS CHAMPIONSHIP NIGHT
Sept. 20th, 2008
By Ken Keating, Illusion Photography
Saturday night’s racing program, at Western Speedway, was the Championship races and finale for the I.M.S.4 Mini Stocks, V.I. Rentals Stock Car Series, and the Sportsman Series for 2008. The night included a full program of Trophy Dashes, Heats, and Feature events for all classes.
Lois Pollard-Grant entered Championship night leading in the points chase with the Serious Coffee I.M.S.4 Mini Stocks and walked away as the Mini Stock Champion. She led several races throughout the year but mechanical problems reared its head and prevented her from a Feature win but her consistent finishing had her lead in points for most of the season. She again led Ryan Patterson by one hundred plus points as she lined up in the tenth starting spot for thirty laps of racing in this night’s Feature event. Chad Dobranski led from lap three surrendering the lead to Gord Percival on lap five followed by Dobranski and Alex Mouner. Behind them Pollard-Grant moved up to the fifth spot on lap seven. Mouner moved into the second spot on lap 14 while up front Percival was building a big lead. Pollard-Grant moved up to the fourth spot on lap eighteen setting her sites on Dobranski running second. Up front Percival still had the big lead as Kevin Knight fell off the pace going down the backstretch on lap twenty-five. As Percival went to go by Knight they got locked together coming to a stop as they were coming out of corner four but clear of the racing groove. Mouner, Dobranski, and Pollard Grant passed these two cars before they could get free with Mouner taking the win. With her third place finish Pollard-Grant became only the second female in any class to win a Championship. Years ago Jan Hansen, known as the “Wild Thing” won a Demo Car Championship. Pollard-Grant, after many years racing herself, follows her dad Earl and brother Larry as great drivers at Western Speedway. The “Lady from Sooke” was a very happy person at Victory Square joined by her family in celebration.
Robbie Haslam jumped into the lead on the first of thirty laps for the Sportsman Series as Geoff Morris settled into second on lap three. In the Heat race, Tim Christy went into the tires on corner one and messed up the drive train on his 06 Monte Carlo. A lot of work by several teams found parts and labor to get Tim out for the Feature with the driver starting tenth. It only took the seasoned driver five laps to run third followed by Kirt Rompain. On lap ten, Rompain passed Christy for third and started to close the gap on Morris and Haslam. Geoff took over the lead on lap twenty followed by a closing Rompain. Four laps later Rompain moved into the lead but as he entered turn one on lap twenty-eight Haslam went sideways collecting the leader sending both cars to the pits. Geoff Morris took the win followed by Christy with Brent Morris taking the third spot.
One-hundred grueling laps and the longest distance yet for the V.I.Rentals Stock Car Series was to mark the finale and decide a Champion in this competitive series. Josh Reaume held the pole and grabbed the lead with the drop of the green flag. He was followed by Don Halgarth and Dan Myers who earlier won a Trophy Dash. Meanwhile the faster cars were trying to negotiate through close traffic like Cory Smith moving from tenth to fifth on lap nine. Aaron Wilkie moved to third on lap nine and passed Halgarth for second on lap seventeen. Carl Carlson was moving through the field and by lap eighteen took over fourth and then moved to second on lap twenty-five. Kyle Cottam got into the mix and exchanged positions with Wilkie quite often in the battle for third and fourth. Mike Dibblee moved into contention as he ran in fifth.
Ryan Wade, last year’s Champion, was very patient trying to get through the field moving from seventeenth to tenth by lap thirty-three. Up front, Carlson took over the lead on lap forty-four with Reaume and Cottam still in pursuit. Rory Smith was pushing forward and eventually took over the second spot on lap fifty-eight. On lap sixty-three the field was placed under a red flag as Halgarth and Buck Ford collided coming out of turn four with both cars suffering lots of front end damage. Both drivers were ok but their night ended early. Wade finally got into the top five taking that spot on lap fifty-five and then moved to third on lap sixty-four. Over the remaining laps Carlson was only seriously challenged once by a determined Smith as they were negotiating through lapped traffic. For the most part Carlson, Smith and Wade ran bumper to bumper and crossed the finish line in that order. Dibblee and Cottam rounded out the top five. His third place finish assured Wade another Stock Car Series Championship, a title he captured last season.
Congratulations are extended to Lois Pollard-Grant and Ryan Wade, the newest Champions for the 2008 season.IMS4 MINI STOCK CLASS:
FAST TIME: #97 Lois Pollard-Grant 18:978
"B" TROPHY DASH:
Glen Percival; Matt Szauer; Gilles Parenteau; Kevin Knight
"A" TROPHY DASH:
Mitch Egner; Ryan Patterson; Chad Dobranski; Alex Mouner
1ST HEAT RACE:
Chad Dobranski; Sean Constantine; Gilles Parenteau; Glen Percival
2ND HEAT RACE:
Gord Percival; Mitch Egner; Matt Szauer; Alex Mouner
MAIN EVENT (30 LAPS):
Alex Mouner; Chad Dobranski; Lois Pollard-Grant; Ryan Patterson;
Mike Derepentigny
SEASON POINTS CHAMPION: #97 Lois Pollard-Grant
SPORTSMAN CARS CLASS:
FAST TIME: #06 Tim Christie 17:114
"B" TROPHY DASH:
Otto Bohati; Robbie Haslam; Ken Hearn; Gord Quaite
"A" TROPHY DASH:
Kirt Rompain; Geoff Morris; Brent Morris; Tim Christie
1ST HEAT RACE:
Robbie Haslam; Otto Bohati; Geoff Morris; Kirt Rompain
2ND HEAT RACE:
Brent Morris; Kirt Rompain; Morley Axelson; Geoff Morris
MAIN EVENT (30 LAPS):
Geoff Morris; Tim Christie; Brent Morris; Otto Bohati; Gord Quaite
STOCK CAR CLASS:
FAST TIME: #98 Brian Clutchey 18:678
"B" TROPHY DASH:
Dan Myers; Ray Anderosov; Trevor Emmory; Buck Ford
"A" TROPHY DASH:
Kirk Peacey; Brandon Carlson; Ryan Wade; Brian Clutchey
1ST HEAT RACE:
Josh Reaume; Dan Myers; Dave Reside; Buck Ford
2ND HEAT RACE:
Ray Anderosov; Rory Smith; Shane Scott; Mike Dibblee
MAIN EVENT (100 LAPS):
Brandon Carlson; Rory Smith; Ryan Wade; Mike Dibblee;
Kyle Cottam; Shane Scott; Aaron Wilkie; Dan Myers;
Josh Reaume; Trevor Emmory
SEASON POINTS CHAMPION: #95 Ryan Wade
