Thanks to Ken and Cheryl Pelkie of Kenetic Photos for their fantastic coverage of the Southern Ontario Sprints. To see more of their work check out the Kenetic Photos website: www.keneticphotos.com

SOD/SOS Can-Am Challenge Finale Capped Off A Wild Night At Ohsweken Speedway

Bill Oldroyd

Ohsweken Speedway – August 27, 2004

The Southern Ontario Sprints ran a make-up feature from the August 13th rain out to start off the night, one that most will not forget.  With a record 32 sprinters in the pits, a huge crowd on hand and double features in all divisions, you knew it was going to be one of those nights.  When all was said and done, the SOS had a new point’s leader and a SOD driver captured the first Annual SOD/SOS Can-Am Challenge title.

Young Cody Geldart of Mossley entered the night just eleven points behind the defending series champion and current point’s leader, Glenn Styres from Ohsweken.  In the make-up feature, Geldart had a dominating run coming from his ninth place starting position to take the victory and move into the SOS series point’s lead.

Styres on the other hand, will likely have nightmares about this race.  In turn one on the first lap, Styres put his sprinter up side down, bring out the first of three red flags during the race.  His crew worked feverishly to make repairs, allowing Styres to rejoin the field for the restart.

Dick Mahoney of Newmarket jumped into the early lead starting from the outside of the front row with Keith Dempster from Alton and Bob Crawford of Sutton running second and third.  Geldart however was on a charge taking over the top spot early in the race with Dempster hot on his tail.  The two battled for much of the race until Dempster broke a steering arm taking him out of the race with only a couple of laps remaining.

On lap nine, the second red flag flew when three cars got together on the front stretch.  Again, Styres was one of the sprinters involved, along with John Riegling of Chatham and Vinnie Christiano Jr. from Tonawanda, NY.  Both Styres and Riegling flipped, putting them on the sidelines for the balance of the race.

At the mid-point of the race, Geldart and Dempster were out front, followed by Kyle Patrick of Tilbury, Crawford and Warren Mahoney from Lefroy.  The last red flag came out on lap fourteen when another three-car accident in turn one saw Gary Evans from Thorndale flip.  On the restart, Adam West of Ridgetown, who was in fifth at the time, made a bold move around both Patrick and Warren Mahoney taking the third position.

The finishing order for the first feature of the night would see Geldart take the checkered and the SOS point’s lead, followed by West, Patrick, W. Mahoney and Crawford rounding out the top five.  Curt Sherwood from Sanborn, NY had his best finish of the season in sixth place followed by Charlie McCann of London, Les MacMillan of Belmont, D. Mahoney and Tim Phillips from Grand Island, NY in tenth.  The top-finishing rookie in this feature was Jack Pillon of Belle River with an eleventh-place finish.

Wiseco Feature

1. #6 – Cody Geldart, Mossley; 2. #30 – Adam West, Ridgetown; 3. #33k – Kyle Patrick – Tilbury; 4. #25 – Warren Mahoney, Lefroy; 5. #10 – Bob Crawford, Sutton; 6. #31 – Curt Sherwood, Sanborn, NY; 7. #17m – Charlie McCann, London; 8. #77 – Les MacMillan, Belmont; 9. #79 – Dick Mahoney, Newmarket; 10. #21 – Tim Phillips, Grand Island, NY; 11. #18j – Jack Pillon, Belle River; 12. #4z – Joel Lehman, Elora; 13. #93 – Daryl Turford, Stratford; 14. #12 – Willy Northcott, London; 15. #71 – Craig Downie, Burlington; 16. #5 – Keith Dempster, Alton; 17. #33 – Jamie Collard, Princeton; 18. #32 – Mark Schulz, Newfane, NY; 19. #17 – Gary Evans, Thorndale; 20. #2 – Vinnie Christiano Jr., Tonawanda, NY; 21. #1a – John Riegling, Chatham; 22. #0 – Glenn Styres, Ohsweken; 23. #27 – Paul Ballantyne, Brantford; 24. #20v – Vic DeVries, Kitchener; #25 – #18 – Stephanie Christiano, Tonawanda, NY

SOD/SOS Can-Am Challenge “A-Main”

Bill Oldroyd

The main event of the night was the SOD/SOS Can-Am Challenge “A-Main” which was the second and final race of the two-race mini series between the Sprints On Dirt (SOD) club based in Michigan and the Southern Ontario Sprints (SOS) club.  The packed house was treated to a fantastic race featuring many of the best sprint car racers in this part of the country.

A pair of SOD drivers, Mark Broughman from Hillsdale, MI and Nick Mulheim of Navarre, OH paced the twenty-six-car field to the green with Mulheim taking the early lead.  On lap three, Cody Geldart made his move to take the top spot and immediately began to negotiate his way through the lapped traffic.

The defending SOD champion and current point’s leader, Dustin Daggett of Portland, MI started in the fifth position and on lap three had moved into second with his sights set on Geldart for the top spot.  Daggett made a daring move in turn four on lap eight, diving under Geldart to take the lead.  Geldart immediately responded by taking back the top position one lap later but Daggett was just too quick on this night.  Daggett took the lead for the final time at the mid-point of the race and held on to take home the victory and the SOD/SOS Can-Am Challenge title.

The battle for the third position was intense most of the night.  Three SOD drivers, Mulheim, Broughman and Doug Stanley from North Benton, OH were swapping positions with SOS regulars Adam West, Kyle Patrick and Glenn Styres on almost every lap.  Styres’ crew had completely rebuilt his sprinter after his flips in the first feature.  At the half -way point in the race, Keith Dempster also became involved in this battle, as he had worked his way up from the fourteenth starting position.

On lap fourteen, Geldart was attempting to chase down Daggett for the lead.  Going down the backstretch, Geldart ran into the rear of another car causing severe damage to his front suspension, forcing him to retire.  This handed second position back to Mulheim.

During the last few laps, Dempster, who had a very strong run, would challenge Mulheim several times for the position but had to settle for third.  Rounding out the top five were Stanley and West.  Broughman eventually finished in the sixth position with Styres coming home in seventh followed by Mark Schulz, Jamie Collard (top finishing SOS rookie) and John Riegling.

The unofficial top five for the two-race SOD/SOS Can-Am Challenge mini series are:

1. #85 – Dustin Daggett (SOD)

2. #0 – Glenn Styres (SOS)

3. #38m – Nick Mulheim (SOD)

4. #30 – Adam West (SOS)

5. #52 – Mark Broughman (SOD)

Heat race winners on this night were Stanley, Geldart, Patrick and Dempster with the “B-Main going to Tim Phillips.

Next up the series heads to Brighton Speedway for the "Labour Day Classic" double-header.  These will be the last two points races of the season and with Geldart holding a slim lead in the points, the stage has been set for a real “barn-burner” weekend.

Leaf Racewear Heat #1

1. #18s – Doug Stanley, North Benton, OH; 2. #52 – Mark Broughman, Hillsdale, MI; 3. #32 – Mark Schulz, Newfane, NY; 4. #17m – Charlie McCann, London, ON; 5. #77 – Les MacMillan, Belmont, ON; 6. #3e – Evan Skinner, Swartz Creek, MI; 7. #18j – Jack Pillon, Belle River, ON; 8. #10 – Bob Crawford, Sutton, ON

Wiseco Heat #2

1. #6 – Cody Geldart, Mossley, ON; 2. #38m – Nick Mulheim, Navarre, MI; 3. #85 – Dustin Daggett, Portland, MI; 4. #1a – John Riegling, Chatham, ON; 5. #31 – Curt Sherwood, Sanborn, NY; 6. #21 – Tim Phillips, Grand Island, NY; 7. #4z – Joel Lehman, Elora, ON; 8. #71 – Craig Downie, Burlington, ON

Pennzoil Heat #3

1. #33k – Kyle Patrick, Tilbury, ON; 2. #30 – Adam West, Ridgetown, ON; 3. #25 – Warren Mahoney, Lefroy, ON; 4. #27 – Paul Ballantyne, Brantford, ON; 5. #69 – Garry Evans, London, ON; 6. #93 – Daryl Turford, Stratford, ON; 7. #12 – Willy Northcott, London, ON; 8. #20v – Vic DeVries, Kitchener, ON

Kenetic Photos Heat #4

1. #5 – Keith Dempster, Alton, ON; 2. #0 – Glenn Styres, Ohsweken, ON; 3. #33 – Jamie Collard, Princeton, ON; 4. #79 – Dick Mahoney, Newmarket, ON; 5. #75 – Jim Sweers, Westover, ON; 6. #18 – Stephanie Christiano, Tonawanda, NY 

Dave Cook “B-Main

1. #21 – Tim Phillips; 2. #31 – Curt Sherwood; 3. #69 – Garry Evans; 4. #4z – Joel Lehman; 5. #18j – Jack Pillon; 6. #71 – Craig Downie; 7. #20v – Vic DeVries; 8. #18 – Stephanie Christiano, 9. #93 – Daryl Turford, 10. #10 – Bob Crawford, 11. #77 Les MacMillan, 12. #3e – Evan Skinner, 13. #12 – Willy Northcott

Signet Tool Feature

1. #85 – Dustin Daggett; 2. #38m – Nick Mulheim; 3. #5 – Keith Dempster; 4. #18s – Doug Stanley; 5. #30 – Adam West; 6. #52 – Mark Broughman; 7. #0 – Glenn Styres; 8. #32 – Mark Schulz; 9. #33 – Jamie Collard; 10. #1a – John Riegling; 11. #4z – Joel Lehman; 12. #33k – Kyle Patrick; 13. #21 – Tim Phillips; 14. #25 – Warren Mahoney; 15. #27 – Paul Ballantyne; 16. #71 – Craig Downie; 17. #10 – Bob Crawford; 18. #18j – Jack Pillon; 19. #17m – Charlie McCann; 20. #20 – Vic DeVries; 21. #79 – Dick Mahoney; 22. #6 – Cody Geldart; 23. #31 – Curt Sherwood; 24. #69 – Garry Evans; 25. #18 – Stephanie Christiano; 26. #3e – Evan Skinner  

LEAF RACEWEAR AWARD - Gary Evans (Rain Date)

LEAF RACEWEAR AWARD - Keith Dempster (Can-Am)