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By
Bill Oldroyd
Ohsweken
Speedway – June 4, 2004
Long-time
Southern Ontario Sprints competitor and 1997 series
champion, John Riegling of Chatham, Ontario captured the
feature at Ohsweken Speedway, Friday, June 4th and lead
every lap in the process.
Riegling found himself sitting in victory lane at
the same track that had ended his season one year ago
when he had a violent crash coming out of turn four that
destroyed his race car.
This was the forth round of the season for the
SOS and there has yet to be a repeat winner.
Riegling
started the feature race on the pole with rookie, Jack
Pillon from Belle River, Ontario along side.
At the drop of the flag, Riegling jumped into the
lead with Pillon following a close second.
During the first few laps, Riegling was able to
open up a bit of a gap however an early caution would
close up the field.
On
the restart, Riegling again jumped into the lead and
began to pull away.
However, the battle for positions back in the
field was intense.
Young Cody Geldart of Mossley, Ontario started in
the eight position and was quickly making his way
towards the front.
Other drivers that were on the move were last
week’s feature winner Keith Dempster from Alton,
Ontario, Glenn Styres of Ohsweken and Warren Mahoney
from Lefroy, Ontario.
At
the mid-point in the race, Riegling was still in control
however; Geldart, Styres and Mahoney had all cleared the
balance of the field and had their sights on the top
spot. Sanborn,
NY driver, Curt Sherwood was hanging onto fifth and
would eventually finish a respectable seventh, driving
the entire race with no power steering.
Pillon was still running a strong race sitting in
sixth place. He
would finish the feature in ninth place and increase his
lead in the Rookie of the Year battle.
A
couple more cautions would bunch up the field but
Riegling would time his move on the restart perfectly
each time and open up a gap between himself and Styres,
who was now running in the second position.
Styres closed the gap down to about two car
lengths at the drop of the checkered flag giving
Riegling his first victory in five years.
Geldart would take the last podium position with
Mahoney finishing forth and Billy Krull of Wheatfield,
NY making a late race charge to finish in fifth.
A
note of interest, Dick Mahoney who had a very serious
crash one week ago, destroying his race car, was back in
his old car and was able to take home a top ten finish.
Heat
race wins on this night would go to Styres, Geldart and
Warren Mahoney. The
Dash format was modified for this event to give the
rookies some track time and a chance to sit in victory
lane. Rookie
of the Year leader, Pillon proved his worth by taking
the checkered in a very well run event.
Pillon started the night off with a strong heat
race as well with a second place finish.
He held the top spot for more than half the race
with only Styres able to pass the young driver.
Next
up the series travels to Brighton Speedway for the
second night of their first double header of the season.
Signet
Tool Heat
1.
#0 – Glenn Styres, Ohsweken, ON; 2. #18j – Jack
Pillon, Belle River, ON; 3. #21 – Tim Phillips, Grand
Island, NY; 4. #10 – Bob Crawford, Sutton, ON; 5. #93
– Daryl Turford, Stratford, ON; 6. #12 – Willy
Northcott, London, ON; dns #99 – Al Gaukel, Cambridge,
ON
Wiseco
Heat
1.
#6 – Cody Geldart, Mossley, ON; 2. #5 – Keith
Dempster, Alton, ON; 3. #79 – Dick Mahoney, Newmarket,
ON; 4. #32 – Mark Schulz, Newfane, NY; 5. #33 –
Jamie Collard, Princeton, ON; 6. #18 – Stephanie
Christiano, Tonawanda, NY
Kenetic
Heat
1.
#25 – Warren Mahoney, Lefroy, ON; 2. #1a – John
Riegling, Chatham, ON; 3. #31 – Curt Sherwood,
Sanborn, NY; 4. Billy Krull, Wheatfield, NY; 5. #30 –
Adam West, Ridgetown, ON; 6. #17 – Gary Evans,
Thorndale, ON; dns #75 – Jim Sweers, Westover, ON
Leaf
Racewear Dash
1.
#18j – Jack Pillon; 2. #17 – Gary Evans; 3. #12 –
Willy Northcott; 4. #18 – Stephanie Christiano; 5. #75
– Jim Sweers; 6. #33 – Jamie Collard
Pennzoil
Feature
1.
#1a – John Riegling; 2. #0 – Glenn Styres; 3. #6 –
Cody Geldart; 4. #25 – Warren Mahoney; 5. #7 – Billy
Krull; 6. #5 – Keith Dempster; 7. #31 – Curt
Sherwood; 8. #30 – Adam West; 9. #18j – Jack Pillon;
10. #79 – Dick Mahoney; 11. #21 – Tim Phillips; 12.
#33 – Jamie Collard; 13. #93 – Daryl Turford; 14.
#12 – Willy Northcott; 15. #18 – Stephanie
Christiano; 16. #17 – Gary Evans; 17. #10 – Bob
Crawford; 18. #32 – Mark Schulz; 19. #75 – Jim
Sweers
Did
not start #99 – Al Gaukel
LEAF RACEWEAR
AWARD -
Cody
Geldart
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