LONDON, ON – After a pair of races in Western Canada in late July, the CASCAR Super Series returns to Ontario this weekend for the Mosport Speedway 200. The Saturday, August 6 race is the eighth of 12 events on the 2005 Super Series schedule featuring Canada’s top stock car drivers.
When you think of CASCAR Super Series events at Mosport Speedway, the dominance that Don Thomson Jr. has displayed at the half-mile speedway over the years immediately comes to mind.
The Home Hardware Chevy driver earned checkered flags at the Mosport oval in 1999, 2000, 2002 and 2004. Thomson’s record of success at the Bowmanville, ON-area speedway doesn’t bode well for those currently chasing the Super Series points leader as he strives for his fifth CASCAR National championship in a row. Heading to Mosport, Thomson has a healthy 61-point lead over two-time National champion Peter Gibbons.
And while he’s only in third-place, the hottest driver on the CASCAR circuit is DJ Kennington of St. Thomas, ON. The Castrol Canada Dodge driver scored back-to-back wins to sweep the series’ western swing. And before that, he sat on the pole and led the way early in the CASCAR race at the Toronto Indy, until a flat tire took him out of contention for the win.
Prior to last year, Kennington was a perennial Super Series championship contender. He’s now showing the form that put him among the series’ front-runners prior to his ‘off season’ in 2004. The Dodge driver’s dominant performances at Race City Motorsport Park and Sun Valley Speedway vaulted him from 10th to third in the National title hunt, with five points races remaining on the schedule. The young ‘Ironman’ of the CASCAR circuit has to make up 105 points on Thomson if he’s to win his first CASCAR crown.
Time trials for the Mosport Speedway 200 take place starting at 4:30 p.m. at the half-mile speedway. The green flag is scheduled to start the 200-lap feature event at 7:00 p.m.
CASCAR AT MOSPORT: The 2003 edition of the Mosport Speedway 200 is widely considered to be one of the best races in CASCAR history. On Aug. 23, 2003, Don Thomson started on the pole and battled with Kerry Micks throughout the entire 200 lap race.
Officially, the pair swapped the lead an astounding 11 times. Unofficially, Thomson and Micks – who were also the two top points racers at the time – exchanged the top spot many more times than that, given that official lead changes are only recorded at the start/finish line. Thomson and Micks were the only two leaders during the entire event. Micks eventually took the lead for the final time on lap 190, and came home less than half-a-second in front of Thomson.
CASCAR NOTEBOOK: Last year’s CASCAR Super Series rookie of the year Pete Shepherd has made the cut to the final 12 at the Roush ‘Gong Show’. The Brampton, ON racer was part of the original group of 25 talented young racers who participated in a NASCAR Truck test at Martinsville Speedway.
CASCAR ON TV: For information regarding initial airings and replays of Super Series races on SPORTSNET, please check your local listings or visit http://www.cascar.ca/schedule/tv_schedule.html.
SCHEDULE:
MOSPORT SPEEDWAY 200
Bowmanville, Ontario // CASCAR Super Series Race #8 of 12
SATURDAY, AUGUST 6, 2005
2:30 p.m. CASCAR Super Series Practice Session #1
3:15 p.m. CASCAR Super Series Practice Session #2
4:30 p.m. CASCAR Time Trials
5:45 p.m. Super Series Driver Autograph Session
6:35 p.m. CASCAR Driver Introductions
7:00 p.m. START: MOSPORT SPEEDWAY 200
SUPER SERIES POINT STANDINGS: Top 15 after 7 events. As of August 4, 2005: 1. #4 Don Thomson Jr. (1413 pts.); 2. #1 Peter Gibbons (1352); 3. #17 DJ Kennington (1308); 4. #02 Kerry Micks (1291); 5. #9 Mark Dilley (1289); 6. #39 Dave Whitlock (1275); 7. #19 Brad Graham (1257); 8. #84 J.R. Fitzpatrick (1253); 9. #60 Ron Beauchamp (1226); 10. #88 Dave Jacombs (1168); 11. #22 Scott Steckly (1130); 12. #10 Doug Brown (1102); 13. #37 Tara MacLeod ® (1098); 14. #11 Ron VanEs (1080); 15. #3 Stu Robinson Jr. (1048)
® Denotes Rookie of the Year Competitor.
WESTERN SERIES POINT STANDINGS: Top 15 after 6 events. As of August 4, 2005: 1. #35 Kevin Dowler (1309 pts.); 2. #30 Derek Polack (1238); 3. #79 Wade Lee (1212); 4. #36 Jim White (1159); 5. #6 Todd Nichol (1119); 6. #21 Jason White ® (1116); 7. #26 Shaun Polack (1092); 8. #69 Randy Kozek ® (924); 9. #14 James Van Domselaar (876); 10. #87 James Ward (828); 11. #31 Sean Maltman (676); 12. #68 Shane Charlton (562); 13. #15 Mike Browne (542); 14. #96 Norman Hunger ® (512); 15. #27 Mark Derks (288)
POWERWATER SPORTSMAN SERIES POINT STANDINGS: Top 15 after 3 events. As of August 4, 2005: 1. #77 Dion Verhoeven (250); 2. #95 R Ron Lethbridge (244); 3. #28 Steve Robblee (242); 4. #00 Steve Munro (239); 5. #32 Mike Alguire (237); 6. #6 Brad Graham (232); 7. #97 R Michael Gold (224); 8. #80 Mike Hryniuk (218); 9. #38 Ken Grubb (211); 10. #11 R Cole Weber (200); 11. #66 R Josh Wood (199); 12. #91 Dean Fantin (192); 13. #81 Shawn McGlynn (184); 14. #39 Kevin D'Amore (184); 15. #45 Bob Merrifield (183)
Contact CASCAR at (519) 641-1214 or visit www.cascar.ca
Prepared by Inside Track Communications.
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