NEWS RELEASE
SUNSET SPEEDWAY
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The Simcoe Showdown featured the Junior Late Model division, Bone Stock, Mini Stock, and the Super Late Models. For intermission entertainment, there was the Kids’ Bike race, the first one of the season. The next kids’ bike race is scheduled for July 13th. So far, this 2024 season is shaping up to be one of the best at Sunset.
Opening the night, Sunset had the CPS Junior Late Model Division started with their heat race. Josh Davenport(#30), came first in not only the heat race but also in the 15-lap feature race holding off Keegan Moat(#52) and Jake Spencer-Walt(#11) who was filling in for Morgan Moore. It was a heartwarming and emotional moment in victory lane for the Davenport family and team. This was Davenport’s first feature win. Davenport said “I would like to thank my Mom, Dad, and Sister for their support and encouragement. I would also like to say a huge thank you to all my incredible sponsors, your support means the world to me as it keeps me motivated and driven to push myself further in my racing career. Having you all behind me makes all the difference in my journey towards success on the track.”
On the track, when Davenport was interviewed by our Junior Announcer, Noland, Davenport mentioned his grandmother who had sadly passed away, but said this feature win was for her. Davenport said, “This win was special to me as I dedicated it to my Grandma who passed away. She was a huge inspiration, and winning this race in her honor meant a lot to me. It was a way to pay tribute to her and carry her memory with me on the track.” Davenport hopes this was the first of many feature lane wins for the coming season.
In the Junior’s Haulage Bone-stock division’s heat one saw Chris Allard(#76) collect another heat win, with Jordan Owen(#68) in heat two coming first. Owen held of a late charge from Allard in the 20-lap-feature, joined by Adian Harper(#42) who placed third. Owen was bursting with excitement in victory lane as the first-place winner. When asked if there was a strategy, Owen said, “This is only my first feature win of the season. However, what makes this one special is how everything came together and went our way. I had a strategy I came up with over the week, and come race day, everything connected like two gears.” Owen also noted there's a lot of preparation that goes into these nights for both racers and sunset staff. Being a racer, Owen's tasks can include late shop nights, trips to the scrapyard, and taking care of one’s mental and physical health.
The Struyk Energy Mini Stock’s had a very eventful night with two cautions, one in the heat races and the second during the 35-lap-feature. In the two heat races and the Mini Stock race, victory lane saw Chandler Bos (#22), Blaise Shaw (#81), and Wyatt Sutcliffe (#72). The feature winner was Doug Butler (#10), also known as Baba Yaga. Butler, as the winner for the Mini-Stock division, got to pick the winning ticket for the Mickey’s Kids Foundation 50/50 draw. “Sunset put up $500 for this invitational and we hadn’t raced yet this year so we weren’t sure who it would shake out. We made a call on a new tire for the feature and it paid off late in the going as it came in.” an excited Butler said. “We got lucky on the restart, Blaise ran us up high into the marbles and we hooked together. I thought for sure it was going to be a wreck but we both straightened out and in the end I was able to get by him for the win.”
Closing the night was the Ontario Outlaw Super Late Models. The Super Lates started their night with group qualifying to set the field. Chase Wilson(#77) from Sault St. Marie was able to set the fast lap and would lead the field to green. That would be short lived as contact on lap 2 between Wilson and Glenn Watson(#22) would see both drivers go to the rear of the field. This would hand the lead over to J.R Fitzpatrick(#84) who would jump to the lead. This would be short lived as a mechanical issue would sideline the fast 84 machine handing the lead over to Shawn Chenoweth(#89c). From that point on Chenoweth would lead the remainder of the way holding off a late race charge from Wilson with Watson rounding out the podium. “Man this is how you debut a new car. What an effort by this London Rec team. We hadn’t tested and showed up with what was in this car when Andy Kamrath ran it as a Modified last year. We changed the body and motor and here we are, this thing is bad fast and I can’t wait to get it on track again.”
June 8 is Sunset’s Salute to Service: Military Appreciation Night, with the St. Onge Recreation Super Stocks, LUDUH Hot Rods, Struyk Energy Systems Mini Stocks, Junior’s Haulage Bone Stock’s, and Seaton Structures Modifieds plus Spectator Drags at Intermission. The Spectator Gates open at 1:30pm with racing getting underway at 3pm. Tickets are available at the gate and all the information is on the website www.sunsetspeedway.ca
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